Dear Residents:
This is to inform you of the talk story scheduled for this afternoon with Representative Cindy Evans, Representative Denny Coffman and Representative Nicole Lowen. It will be held at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Council Chambers, where they will be giving a “Mid-session legislative update.” There will also be a Special Guest, Ford Fuchigami who will give an update on the Kona International Airport expansion.
Mahalo!
Wendy P. Baez
Legislative Assistant to Council Member Karen Eoff
March 6th, 2013 at 10:42 am
Thanks to this staffer for a COUNTY councilwoman for giving us the scoop on our STATE representatives for Kona who obviously made publicity for their “talk story” an after thought, if they gave it any thought at all.
Did they buy an ad in WHT and call it good? What is the deal? Why are county workers informing us of our state representatives’ public meetings? Do our reps not have staffers capable of sending shout outs to the constituency? My email is newswoman@mac.com and I love receiving information, like when our state representatives grace us with a public meeting, so I can share that kind of information with my readership.
Aloha,
Tiffany Edwards Hunt
Big Island Chronicle editor and publisher
(808) 938-8592
March 6th, 2013 at 4:18 pm
This it not what Nelson Doi intended when he established the mandatory mid-term break so legislators would interact with their constituents.
However, between the secret nature of some Big Island house members and their vulgar behavior I guess we should not be too surprised.
March 6th, 2013 at 4:53 pm
Tiff, I don’t know how Kona does it, but in our district, our community organization invites the legislators for a pre-leg and post-leg talk. We do the scheduling and any PR, which is not much as we have few resources and it’s often pretty short notice. We have an email list of everyone who has signed into past meetings, and send that out.
This also sounds like the reps were scheduled, rather than that the reps initiated it, going only by the wording. Also it is being held at the Council Chambers, so it sounds like the Council is hosting and doing the PR.
I don’t disagree with your idea that our reps could use their own staff and be more involved in getting word to constituents. It does seem though, that the tradition is more that some group hosts and the legislative reps do their part by showing up, generally with materials they have prepared to share their projects.
March 6th, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Too bad the notice above didn’t include the time — and that it wasn’t sent to you a couple days ago.
If I knew about it, I didn’t get it on the calendar.
March 6th, 2013 at 7:07 pm
In this age of connectivity it is unacceptable that our elected officials don’t communicate with us early and often about the things they are doing that effect our life.
March 6th, 2013 at 7:50 pm
Of the three, I’ve only met Cindy Evans, but she impressed me, and she is neither vulgar nor secretive as far as I could see, Hugh. She’s passionate about bringing libraries into the digital age, sharp, smart, friendly. She’s not my rep, but I liked her.
March 6th, 2013 at 9:28 pm
Legislative hearings are often scheduled before traditional “Press” (Newspapers) can give notice on the hearings.
As the former PR person for the Legislature… I know that I myself didn’t receive notices in the capital myself until often times a few hours before a hearing was held.
March 6th, 2013 at 9:29 pm
I should correct that to say… the former PR person for the Television Broadcasts of hearings… not the legislature itself.
March 8th, 2013 at 11:57 am
There was some notice given:
http://bigislandnow.com/2013/02/27/meeting-next-week-to-update-public-on-kona-airport-expansion/
March 8th, 2013 at 11:58 am
Mea culpa.
March 9th, 2013 at 5:14 pm
I got an email from Rep. Evans office, dated Feb. 27. It even had the time!