Malu 'Aina

Say NO to Army PTA Lease Extension!

STOP BOMBING POHAKULOA!

      The Army is beginning the process of studying the impacts of continuing to use state leased lands at Pohakuloa beyond 2029. All comments should be submitted by the deadline of Oct. 14, 2020. Comments can be emailed to: usarmy.hawaii.nepa@mail.mil or submitted on line or mailed by US mail.  Here is the Army homepage for the EIS. https://home.army.mil/hawaii/index.php/ptaeis/project-home There will also be an EIS Scoping Virtual Open House on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 from 4-9 p.m. During the EIS Scoping Virtual Open House, video presentations can be viewed online at https://home.army.mil/hawaii/index.php/PTAEIS and oral and written comments will be accepted. More information can be found at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/04/2020-19620/environmental-impact-statement-for-army-training-land-retention-at-phakuloa-training-area-in-hawaii

      Here are a few issues you might want to comment on: Unexploded ordinance (UXO) clean up, Depleted Uranium and other toxic contamination of air, land and ground water, invasive species, cultural sites and the cultural significance of Pohakuloa itself. The military controls nearly 133,000-acres at Pohakuloa. 23,000 acres of this is leased from the state for $1 total for 65 years –1964- 2029. These so called “ceded lands” are crown and government lands of the Hawaiian Kingdom before the U.S. overthrow in 1893. These lands are in the ahupua’a of Humu’ula (crown), Kaohe and Pu’uanahulu (government lands). Besides the 23,000 acres of leased lands at PTA, 758 acres were obtained by an executive order of Governor Samuel Wilder King in 1956 and 84,000 acres by a Presidential Executive Order of President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. These lands by executive order were turned over to the US military without any compensation.More recently, in the early 2000s, an additional 23,000 acres of land near Waiki’i Ranch was purchased by the military from Parker Ranch.

      Today, we need a broad based citizen movement to Stop the Bombing of Pohakuloa, like the movement that stopped the bombing of Kaho’olawe. All the lands at Pohakuloa should be cleaned up by the US military and returned to the Hawaiian people. An important step in this process of de-militarizing Pohakuloa and Hawaii is to stop the PTA lease extension. Please speak up and get your ohana and friends involved. Your voice is important. We are stronger when we stand together for aloha aina.

The Military Needs to Malama Aina – clean up it’s mess!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties.
4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org

For more information and to receive our posts go to www.malu-aina.org

Sept. 18, 2020 Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 990 – Fridays 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Aloha friends,

I just signed the petition "Mayor Harry Kim: A COVID-19 Appeal: Jail & prison action 
needed to help save lives & protect public health" and wanted to see if you could 
help by adding your name.

Our goal is to reach 100 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and 
sign the petition here:

http://chng.it/wsBPFGQDXc

Mahalo.
Jim Albertini

A COVID-19 Appeal:  Jail and prison action needed now to help save lives and protect public health.

Mayor Harry Kim, Hawaii County Council members, Hawaii State Legislature COVID-19 Committee members, Hawaii State Legislators (especially those representing Hawaii Island), and Hawaii Congressional Representatives:

You may not all have jurisdiction over the Hawaii Community Correctional Center (HCCC), the private CoreCivic’s Saguaro prison in Eloy, Arizona housing Hawaii prisoners.  But you do have leverage, influence and the ability to bring stakeholders from agencies together to prevent what happened at OCCC in HCCC and at Saguaro and all Hawaii correctional facilities.  HCCC is grossly overcrowded.  Waiting until an incarcerated person or staff is positive for COVID-19  and the numbers quickly multiply like at OCCC is a recipe for disaster.  The number of COVID-19 cases in Hawaii county is growing rapidly and at jails and prisons throughout the U.S.  Time is of the essence.  We need strong leadership and action now!

Release all people serving sentences for nonviolent crimes, or those charged with nonviolent offenses who cannot make cash bail.  Release all prisoners not deemed a danger to the community and those over the age of 65.  Statistics show elderly prisoners have an extremely low, virtually zero, recidivism rate.  Provide necessary support for the released prisoner’s reentry into the community.  This potential for release in the face of this COVID-19 pandemic should apply, not only to the hundreds of prisoners at HCCC, but to the more than 1100 Hawaii prisoners presently confined at the CoreCivic-run Saguaro prison in Eloy, Arizona.

Mahalo,

Jim Albertini

(Add your name, cut and paste from the email list below, and send it out. Mahalo!)

Mayor Harry Kim: harry.kim@hawaiicounty.gov

Councilmember Aaron Chung: aaron.chung@hawaiicounty.gov

            “          Valerie Poindexter: valierie.poindexter@hawaiicounty.gov

            “          Susan Lee Loy: sue.leeloy@hawaiicounty.gov

            “          Ashley Kierkiewicz: ashley.kierkiewisz@hawaiicounty.gov

            “          Matt Kanealii-Kleinfelder: matt.kanealii-kleinfelder@hawaiicounty.gov

            “          Maile David: maile.david@hawaiicounty.gov

            “          Rebecca Villegas: Rebecca.villegas@hawaiicounty.gov

            “          Karen Eoff: karen.eoff@hawaiicounty.gov

            “          Herbert Tim Richards III: tim.richards@hawaiicounty.gov

US Senator: Brian Schatz:

US Senator Mazie Hirono: Hirono.outgoing.mail@hirono.senate.gov

US Representative Tulsi Gabbard: TulsiOffice@mail.house.gov

US Representative Ed Case: edcase@mail.house.gov

House CDOVID-19 Special Committee

Representative Scott Saiki: repsaiki@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Senate COVID -19 Special Committee

Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, chair: sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov

Public Defender: Jacquie Esser: esserjt@gmail.com

Hawaii Correctional Systems Oversight Commission: lisa.m.itomura@hawaii.gov

Chair: Mark Patterson

Members: Theodore Sakai, Martha Torney, Hon. Ronald Ibarra, Hon. Michael Town ce

Chair, Senate Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs Committee:

Senator Clarence Nishihara: sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov

Dan Foley:

Robert Bob Merce: mercer001@hawaii.rr.com,

Edmund “Fred” Hyun: fhyun01@gmail.com,

Lt Governor Josh Green:

Senator Kai Kahele:

Please join the Friday, Sept. 11, 2020 Hilo Peace Vigil at the downtown Post Office 3:30-5PM or a peace vigil near you.  Please wear a mask and social distance.  Mahalo.  Jim Albertini

Watch the 14 minute video on Pohakuloa here https://kawaiola.news/aina/state-has-duty-to-malama-aina-at-pohakuloa/

See this week’s Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet here https://malu-aina.org/?p=6885

Global Nuke Appeal Sept. 11, 2020 Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet