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December 1966

January 1967

Calendar of Events
President's Page (Mary George)
Background Reading for January Units - Ethics
Local Agenda - The Future of Diamond Head
1966-1967 Program
Tentative Calendar of Activities
Discussion Groups
Board of Directors 1966-1967
Election Laws
LWV and the 1967 Legislature
Ballad of a League Observer (Mrs. Phil DeWees)
Observers - The Eyes and Ears of the League
Think before you Dial and Think before you Answer
National Agenda
Roster Additions and Changes
Local Agenda

Local Agenda

The Local Agenda Committee has begun its study of Initiative and Referendum. We needed to start with definitions - and will start you off the same way.

The power of voters to propose ordinances shall be the INITIATIVE power. Conversely, The power of voters to approve or reject ordinances by election shall be the REFERENDUM power.

You may be interested to know that these definitions come from the proposed new charter for the County of Hawaii, and that the proposed charter for Kauai also included Initiative and Referendum.

These 'powers of the voters' generally have some limitations. For example, the National Municipal League, which recommends Initiative and Referendum in its Model City Charter, includes the following limitations: Initiative power "...shall not extend to the budget or capital program or any ordnance relating to appropriation of money, levy of taxes or salaries of city officers or employees." Referendum power "... shall not extend to the budget or capital program or any emergency ordinance or ordinance relating to appropriation of money or levy of taxes."

Do those limitations sound reasonable to you? Or can you think of others which might be included? Or maybe you object to any limitations at all! We'll go on with our study and questioning at the next Local Agenda Committee meeting on December 14 (sec CALENDAR OF EVENTS). This study is just getting under way, so if you are interested, join us at the December or January meeting.

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January Units will include some time for discussion of Local Program for next year. The present program is as follows:

Current Agenda:

  1. An evaluation of the Charter of the City and County of Honolulu and its implementation, with possible recommendations for change.

  2. Study and support of a well-integrated and comprehensive plan for the orderly development of the City and County of Honolulu, including transportation and zoning.

Continuing Responsibilities:

  1. Support of measures to insure a City and County jail which meets the standards of a modern correctional institution and will provide for adequate security, segregation and rehabilitation.

  2. Support of measures for the improvement of waste disposal methods in the City and County of Honolulu.

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Thanks to Bea Levine, we have for each member a copy of "The Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Proposed for the City and County of Honolulu", published by the ODC, and "A Citizen's Guide to Honolulu Planning and Urban Renewal", published by the Mayor's Urban Renewal Advisory Council. The first one makes a highly complicated subject understandable to the layman, and the second is loaded with information valuable to every Leaguer. They have been distributed at all units and committee meetings since we got them, and they will be available at the December units in Manoa and Kailua. If you don't get one and want one, call Betty Tobiasson (265-303) on the Windward side or Jane Hewitt (32-503) on the Honolulu side.

In addition to the discussion in the units, members may make written recommendations on Program to the Board. The recommendations must be in the Board's hands prior to its meeting on February 7, 1967, and should be sent in care of the Local Agenda. Chairman, Jane Hewitt, 5315 Oio Drive, Honolulu, 96821.

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