Lt. Randal Ishii on Friday confirmed police had initiated a harassment case the day before. However, he would not release any further details, noting the investigation is in "its preliminary stages."
On Thursday, Higa notified police of a number of obscene and vulgar phone messages he received as part of the protocol for filing a "violence in the workplace" incident report. Higa is familiar with the protocol, having him self been accused of committing workplace violence against another councilman's secretary last council term.
The cellular phone number for a Waimea man who allegedly left an objectionable message was tracked on the county message system's caller ID. The phone number for another woman who left a hostile message was not tracked on the system; she threatened Higa with the same fate as deposed councilwoman Virginia Isbell if he did not "sit down and shut up."
The Waimea man -- whose name won't be released unless or until police charge him with misdemeanor harassment -- told the Big Island Weekly he was reacting to articles about the county council that he had been reading in the West Hawai`i Today.
For fear of being labeled "a bad person," the man asked that his name not appear in this article saying his business thrives on his good name. He admitted that his words would haunt him, and added he owes Higa an apology. "People lose their patience," he said.
This anonymous caller claims his lifestyle has been impacted by development on the west side of the island. "It's no secret a lot of what we've seen is poor planning," he said. He is also irked by what he calls "behaviors unbecoming to a political person."
Based on what he had read in the newspaper, the man felt Higa was being "critical" of Council Chairman Pete Hoffmann, who he sees as "trying to work hard." The man spoke about how hard he, himself, works, claiming a workload of about 80 to 90 hours a week.
"We're stuck in traffic just watching our pocketbooks suffer," the Waimea man said. "I don't appreciate a council member black-balling another council member."
The newspaper articles this man referred to were, "East side members exit costs taxpapers ($160,000)" and "Council members go on air, may end up in hot water."
These stories were spin-offs from coverage of a meeting in which Emily Naeole (of Puna), Stacy Higa and J Yoshimoto (both of Hilo) were absent. As a result, bills that required a two-thirds majority vote were postponed.
The article inferred that these council members' absence cost the county the amount Isemoto Contracting Co. could charge the county for exceeding a 90-day period to finalize a contract for the East Hawai`i Regional Sort Station. The agreed upon quote for project was $9.3 million.
In fact, administrators sent over proposed Bill 22 -- amending the capital budget to add $2 million more for the sort station -- on Jan. 3, nearly two months before its second, and final, reading at the meeting in which the three East Hawai`i members were absent.
"People should realize that there's always two sides to the story. I would have appreciated him calling me up and trying to get information about what is happening, instead of just accepting what's in the newspaper," Higa said of the Waimea man now accused of harassment.
Higa noted the West Hawai`i Today's coverage of the council's ultimate approval of $2 million more for the sort station Friday. The reporter (who in recent weeks took over the beat this reporter vacated three months ago) stated: "Higa, who voted in favor of the bill the first time around, suddenly had a barrage of reasons for wanting to vote against it in its second reading."
Ever since taking over the Hilo district seat from Aaron Chung in 2004, Higa has been against a sort station adjacent to the South Hilo Sanitary Landfill. Both the landfill and intended sort station site are located in his district.
Higa believes the project is a "boondoggle." He questions the Kim administration deeming the sort station a priority, only to postpone construction after $7.3 million was allocated and come back to the council with a redesign that cost an additional $2 million.
Higa thinks a private company should be building the 20,000 square foot facility. He also believes the sort station is part of the administration's plan to ship East Hawai`i's trash to Kona once the unlined Hilo landfill closes.
Higa only voted in favor of the sort station previously as a "compromise" with the administration and fellow council members.
"There's a reporter who is not printing the facts. I asked him to please print the facts. He didn't do his homework. He didn't check statements printed previously," Higa said of the new West Hawai`i Today reporter who hails from Iowa.
"The West Hawai`i Today has an agenda and, where that agenda is coming from, to me, it is pretty obviously controlled by the editor or publisher. They're trying to create the news instead of reporting the news," Higa complained. "This gentleman that harassed me is a perfect example of some of the things we are facing because of what is being printed in the newspaper. It seems like West Hawai`i Today is trying to incite these types of responses."
Higa insists he and other council members are "down to the people's business," moving on things, contrary to how it might appear in newspaper articles.
"I think all nine council members want to get things moving. I think the portrayal, how things are portrayed in the media, distorts things and makes it difficult for people on the council to work," Higa said, adding, "They're people out there that want to split the county and they're people who are constantly trying to force the east-west divide."
Higa notes "a simple thing like Mr. Ikeda trying to exercise fiscal prudence" for the proposed West Hawai`i Civic Center, now estimated to cost up to $58 million, with not just county offices and a council chambers, but an amphitheater and playground as well.
"[Mr. Ikeda] wants to make sure basic things are covered, then it gets portrayed like he's against the West Hawai`i Civic Center. He was bashed in the paper for that because he tried to ask for fiscal prudence. So, again, people don't know the whole story. It started at $14 million. It went to $24 million. Then it went to $36 million. Then it was $44 million. Now, it's at $55 million. Because this keeps increasing, Mr. Ikeda is saying, 'Before we keep adding the fancy stuff, let's make sure the basic things are in,'" Higa said. "
As for the Waimea man stuck in traffic getting riled up about politics and newspaper articles, Higa feels for him -- and anybody else stuck in traffic, for that matter. "I hold my stance that the county should be building roads instead of some of these other things, like the sort station. I'm trying to figure out how we're going to build the roads in Kona."
"People may not like my politics, my opinions, but I put my name forward to serve as a council member. If they disagree with me, they should run for office and represent their district, if they're so upset about it. The personal attacks are pretty sad. As a person born and raised with aloha, I think people have forgotten what aloha stands for."
Higa cautions residents to not just rely on the local media for news.
"I will constantly stand by my record and explain my votes," he assures. "I can justify any one of my votes. I try to return most everyone's phone calls."
