Pacifist pot minister Reverend Roger Christie has been 
In the article covering the approval of the new Building Code, Fred Blas commented that he felt targeted when R.J. Hampton, aide to former Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole, singled him out in a diatribe from the testifiers’ table, saying he was a “cancer” with an agenda to benefit his own property holdings and letting his constituency down by not advocating on their behalf.
Yes R. J. Hampton did point a finger at Fred Blas, but for good reasons. Fred is her councilman so rightfully she can address him as a constituent. Fred is the Chairman of the Public Works Committee which has the responsibility to hear and vet out the Bill. This bill never went through Committee since it always was waived through the Committee. As Chairman of the Committee, if he was doing his job, he would have made sure that this complex and important bill would have had its proper Committee reviews, vetting, and public hearings.
When asked, his staff did not know Fred’s position on the Bill only a few days prior to its passage and, after 7 drafts, he should have been totally familiar with the Bill. He didn’t even have a copy of the International Building Code, 2006 edition, the code to be amended and adopted, in his office. That would have been essential if he were to have performed due diligent in vetting out this complex Bill.
Fred Blas appears to have been totally out of touch with this bill and all the benefits his district would have gained, with many of the audience proposed amendments. Instead he voted for the passage of the new Building Code that is very arbitrary, punitive, and not user friendly. It has a very negative impact on a large portion of his district and he has basically sold his constituents down the river.
From what I understand, he has already talked with Home Owners Associations’ about cleaning up all the non-permitted and “Substandard” houses in his different subdivisions. As passed, there is an archaic section brought forward into the new code that lists conditions of “Substandard” that includes many things that are cosmetic or superficial that if sited for, could cause the owners to have to rebuild or sell. Fred’s agenda appears to be to punish the poor, old timers that are living in some very unique housing.
One of the big issues that the audience and R.J. Hampton was trying to accomplish was the removal of the section covering substandard conditions so that the Building Department could not go into a house and condemn it for arbitrary calls based on the individuals living habits.
Fred Blas seems to have missed all the points as to why he was singled out and described as a “cancer”. Cancer is a killer and Fred Blas is killing the lifestyle of his district.
VIDEO: Building code uproar shuts down Hawaii County Council
Related: Hawaii County Council and the Emperor’s New Building Codes (Bill 270)
Ken Long is a resident of Pahoa. |
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