Civil Beat - September 6, 2012
The Public Land Development Corporation must now stoically plow on with its administrative rules because it’s “in conformance with the law.”
Senate Bill 1555 creating the PLDC was introduced by Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz on Jan. 26, 2011.
William Aila, current chairman of the Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted testimony contrary to SB1555.
At the Oahu public hearing on Aug. 29, 2012, former DLNR Chair, Laura Thielen, broke her silence and testified against PLDC and supported a repeal of Act 55.
SB 1555 passed without public scrutiny and was enacted into Act 55 by Gov. Neil Abercrombie on May 24, 2011.
Act 55 establishes the PLDC as a state development corporation attached to the DLNR to develop public lands placed under the PLDC jurisdiction, including but not limited to existing open shoreline areas, conservation lands, agricultural lands, and small boat harbors, for commercial purposes to generate revenue for the State.
PLDC has unfettered powers to develop and implement public lands projects and facilities to create revenue-generating centers as opportunities exist “to exploit potential local, national, and international markets.”
Act 55 allows PLDC to exempt development projects from regulatory oversight. PLDC now has over-arching powers to make optimal economic, environmental, and social use of Hawaii’s public lands.
The PLDC Board is, expectedly, stacked with pro-development cronies. Its executive director is Llyod Haraguchi, formerly with the Estate of the James Campbell. The PLDC Chair is Kalbert Young, director of the Department of Budget and Finance; Mary Alice Evans, deputy director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; real estate investor/publisher partner with Star Advertiser Duane Kurisu, and former state Sen. Bobby Bunda.
No Hawaiian or environmentalist or John Q. Public is appointed to the PLDC exclusive board.
PLDC held its statewide public hearings on its proposed Administrative Rules and the public response was clear and decisively negative....
