The public perception of the imbroglio surrounding the funding of Akaku-Maui Community Television is that it has less to do with education than with a personal vendetta by certain Maui developers (“Everett’s Bills,” Mar. 3, 2005). Unfortunately some state legislators and some Akaku board members refuse to admit that this might be true. It is disingenuous of them to try and pass this off as a benefit to education in Hawaii.
Furthermore, they have not taken the time to research Federal Communications Commission rules, administrative law or Public-access/Education/Government (PEG) funding as it is practiced in other areas of the United States. As has unfortunately become the practice in our state, legislators are making law without thought of the consequences of their actions. Decisions on the distribution of PEG funds for public access are best left to the local public access entity. [B]ack-room deals based on “old boy” relationships should not be a part of the process. Akaku currently provides adequate PEG programming.
If the state legislature feels that the Department of Education (DOE) and Maui Community College require additional funding for their television projects, then the state should allocate the funds from the state budget. Those funds should not come from PEG funds allotted for access organizations such as Akaku.
-Dale Parsons, Makawao