It’s easy to be a cynic and in these times of hardship and turmoil, it’s very hard to be optimistic.
But we must have hope, we must dream and believe in a better world, and we must work hard to turn that hope and those dreams into reality.
Otherwise what options do we have? Give up? Roll over? Just give them the keys, move to the side, and look the other way?
Fat chance. Not in our neighborhood, and not on our watch.
Think about for a second, that moment in the future when our children and grandchildren will ask the question, “Where were you Dad? Mom? Grandpa? Grandma?”.
“Where were you when the planet was burning, when thousands of our neighbors lived under bridges and in bushes at the side of the road, and when children were dying and the world did nothing?”
We of course must be prepared to tell them and show them, that win, lose, or draw, we were on the right side of history. We must be able to look them in the eye and tell them that we fought hard for them, and through our collective action the world is a better place. Still imperfect perhaps, still with more work to do, but a better place nonetheless.
I’m actually feeling a sense of hope and optimism today in our local community, focused on local issues. Perhaps Hawai’i can after-all, emulate the 2023 Minnesota legislature.
In a single year Minnesota passed legislation that included: free breakfast and lunch for all children in school; a state-run paid family and medical leave program; legalized recreational cannabis; free in-state college tuition; a reduction of taxes for low and middle-income households; a ban on PFAS “forever chemicals”; codified abortion rights; boosted funding for schools and more.
Hawai’i could be poised to do something similar. The bills are on the table, the hearings have been scheduled, advocates from throughout the islands are paying attention and sending in their testimony. It’s an election year. Perhaps I’m being naive, or perhaps now is the time for the passage of good, forward-thinking public policy.
This could be a watershed year for Hawai’i. We could step up and ensure our friends and family on Maui are treated with the respect and priority they deserve, AND we can take some big steps down a positive path of change that supports and provides affordable housing for local residents, funds our public schools properly, protects our health and natural environment, removes barriers once and for all for the LGBTQ community, and levels the elections playing field for future generations. There is also growing momentum in support of global peace and a reduction of the military foot-print in our islands – starting with Pōhakuloa.
Yes, we can actually do this.
Or not. This year could also turn out like so many others. If we’re lucky a few crumbs are thrown our way and a few baby steps are taken in the right direction.
The determining factor lies not in the mood or the inclination of the politicians but rather in the commitment or lack thereof by you and me.
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting too old to accept crumbs and baby steps.
Bottom line: When we show up, we win. If not, well then it’s our own damn fault.
The cards are stacked at this moment in time in our favor. The bills are on the table. Most have already been vetted and are already moving in the right direction through the process.
It’s an election year. Yes, I know I said that already, but want to drive the point home.
Let’s do this.
Get on the email list of local advocacy organizations. Submit testimony in support of their priority bills. Info is here: https://garyhooser.blog/2024/02/12/advocacy-groups-action-alerts/
Together we can.
GaryHooser's Blog 
“I don’t know about you, but I’m getting too old to accept crumbs and baby steps.”
I have witnessed over the past decades how incremental change is often a smoke screen used to ensure the continued dominance of corporations and their money over politics, government and culture.
Here in Hawai’i, the Legislature is a joke of an institution. Public testimony is often held before the “gut and replace” and even worse “cut and paste” approaches used used to rig this shell game in return for campaign contributions and lucrative PR/Lobbyist contracts.
I am not downplaying the importance of showing up and testifying and trying to move the needle, but how do we get a little more radical and shake things up to overthrow the dominance of the Democratic Party, which seems to have a stranglehold on the balance of power, money and corruption in our state?
Thanks for nudging the ball hear Richard…The answer is showing up…to fill the room at hearings…at the ballot box to vote…and to run for office…and to show up in the courts and on the streets…it’s a lot of work I know…but don’t know of any other way to make the change happen and get rid of the corruption. I’m certainly no expert…but the 3 branches are supposed to balance the power and hold each other accountable – Executive – Legislative – Judicial. As I write…too many of us are staying home…taking care of the kids…cutting the grass…pounding at the hours trying to make the rent…either have given up or the competing priority of mere survival consumes all the energy…So…those of us that can have to double our show up time to make up for it I guess…Don’t have all the answers but I know I’m not going to roll over and just give them the keys.
“…too many of us are staying home…taking care of the kids…cutting the grass…pounding at the hours trying to make the rent…either have given up or the competing priority of mere survival consumes all the energy.”
This is the truth. Compounded by the distances and expenses of traveling to hearings and lobbying our so called representatives.
So the question becomes how do we mobilize those moms and dads whose days are consumed working and caring for their families, and whose private time is eaten by entertainment, distractions and struggle?
And how do we mobilize the younger people whose attention too is trained towards consumption and distraction?
How do we expand this effort beyond the core of diehards who you are asking to double their efforts?
We have to leverage corporate tools (media and technology) against the corporate state. And provide people with messages that resonate and inspire them to action.
Too much of the information we are presented with by the many organizations encouraging testimony is too difficult for most people to fathom and care about. It is often unreadable and unnecessarily confusing.
Where is the organization that wants to COMMUNICATE
Good points of course. Many organizations are attacking the challenges you describe at different levels…My own appeals attempt to reach both the old-timers and the newcomers. I’m also involved in organization doing political and policy leadership training etc…But yes…we all need to do more and either with align with existing organizations which seems to make the most sense…or start a new one if no one else is doing this work.
Ok, Gary, I took your advice and started a new organization: eanews.org.
I hope you donʻt mind having your blog featured under VOICES. And I hope you will find this new site useful enough to share.
Thank you for everything you do. You are an inspiration.
Mahalo Richard. Mahalo plenty.
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