Protect Puna - August 9th - Vote - we need everyone
Geothermal Update 7/24/14
PPA candidate forum July 26th at the Pahoa High School cafeteria, 4 - 7 PM
The next meeting with the EPA has been set for July 30th
Aloha
Please vote to Protect Puna - August 9th. PPA's voters forum will let us get to know our candidates together before the primary election.
Please join us July 26th, help us bring Puna's grassroots network together to hear from the people who want to represent us.
By now most of you know special interest money has been pouring into Puna political campaigns. In a shameless attempt to gain control of our county council, off island and out of district interest have filled the coffers of their chosen representatives.
If we really want to have a say in our future and a voice on our council, we need real grass roots action now.
The coming battles over issues like fracking, geothermal, GMO, and the incinerator will be determined in large part by who is elected to represent our interest.
Make no mistake, there are off island interests that are determined, well funded, and working hard to buy our council seats.
A number of races in Hawaii County could be decided outright on August 9th, "before" the general election in November, so please do not wait until November to vote, it may be to late. We need your help now, if you can.
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The PPA candidate forum is Saturday July 26th at the Pahoa High School cafeteria, from 4 - 7 PM
Candidates from council districts 4 and 5, and state house 4
Making informed choices in the voting booth will help us
Protect Puna August 9th. PPA is sponsoring our first political forum, and get to know the candidates gathering, to try and find the people that would best represent our interest.
If you have questions remaining about the candidates, there will be forms at the PPA table for you to fill out, we hope you will be able to come and get to know those who would represent you.
Harry Kim will give the opening remarks, and Steve Hirakami will be the moderator.
We need help if we are going to elect representatives that work for us, or at least with us. At the council level both Puna seats are critical to better protecting Puna and Hawaii from the special interest control we have seen displayed at our council and legislature the last 2 years.
The latest campaign spending reports show special interest are very motivated in actively working to influence many of our local races, with financial aid and campaign advisers.
The special interest, funding candidates, intend to come to our communities through our council selling incinerators, geothermal, fracking, GMO, and many other controversial projects. These are bottom line enterprises, making as much money as fast as possible is the main objective. We have seen time and again special interests that foul our water, endanger our health, our aina, and our families future, for profits. We need to know who we vote for, and who they will represent.
Are we going to follow in the footsteps of Maui, Oahu, and Kauai? Over development and unsustainable industries have forever changed many of our treasured places and islands already. We are at cross road now in Hawaii County and this election is very important to the direction we will go from here.
This election more than most appears to be grassroots organizing verses heavy special interest for control in Hawaii County.
The primary election on August 9th is coming up fast. Hawaii County election results will directly impact the type of development, agriculture, and lifestyle choices we face going forward in Puna and Hawaii county.
PPA asks you to look carefully at the candidates, if your not sure ask questions. Do you know how much money was raised for your preferred candidate from outside Puna? Who we elect will determine if we have a voice or if outside special interest are going to determine our future.
Thank you, hope to see you at the forum.
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The next EPA meeting regarding ongoing problems at the PGV power plant is scheduled for July 30th. The meeting will include federal officials from Honolulu and the mainland EPA, state DOH, county civil defense, PPA, and other community members. I will update you ASAP on what happens next.
We still have very limited information about the ongoing gas cap and resulting leaks from the KS-15 well head.
We were told PGV is pumping nitrogen in an attempt to control a gas cap that has formed on their KS-15 well. We still do not have good information about the leak. We are not being told what is in the gas cap leaks. Gas caps contain higher concentrations of things like radon, methane, lead, mercury, etc, in the so called fugitive emissions. They are not sampled for outside of H2S that we know of. PPA has requested independent monitoring of the well pad. We are meeting with PGV officials Thursday to try to get a better picture of what is going on at KS-15. The EPA has been made aware of the problem and PPA sent a letter to the State DOH alerting them to possible violations of the clean air act and an explanation of their position.
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Back to the election and making good choices
Reading through the latest candidate financial reports is highly recommended, some examples are linked are linked here:
Greggor Ilagan Council District 4 incumbent
Dru Kanuha (unopposed) Council District 7 incumbent
DayDay Hopkins County Council District 2
Ronald Gonzalves County Council District 9 ...
Maile David County Council District 6 (not reported yet)
Daniel Paleka Council District 5 (not reported yet)
Please vote to help counter all the special interest money supporting candidates that will not work with us.
The primary election is August 9th, early voting started July 21th, lets elect people we can work with.
Mahalo
Bob
