GaryHooser's Blog

NOTE: First published in The Garden Island Newspaper on September 4th “Hooser – Policy & Politics”

What makes someone a good candidate for public office? I hear this question a lot, and the answer is: It’s complicated.

Most voters initially look at the candidate’s character and “world view.” Is the candidate someone of integrity who, if elected, will not lie, cheat or steal? And, do they generally support my “world view” (values, ideology etc.)?

If the answer to the first two questions are yes, then it is on to question #3: Are they electable?

My personal belief is that everyone is electable IF … if they work hard enough, if they raise enough money, if they get others to help them, etc., etc.

But the reality of winning a campaign is that it is hard. Convincing over half the voters in your district to place an “X” next to your name on a ballot is hard, and it is personal.

One very important factor is length of residence and degree of community involvement in their district. Someone who has grown up in the district has an inherent advantage over someone who has only lived there a short time. Those who “parachute in” (move into a district simply to run for public office) are often perceived negatively by long-term residents who will push back against the newcomer. Some districts are more transient than others, and thus potentially more forgiving and supportive of a bright newcomer who shows up and wants to represent them. But areas with more stable populations will immediately ask the defining question, “What high school did you go to?”

A history of community involvement in the district and a history of prior leadership positions are also good indicators of electability. Prior involvement in school government, the local neighborhood association, canoe clubs or other civic organizations are good and positive indicators.

Has the candidate been generally successful in life up until now? Do they have a career? Have they started and run a business? Do they have a college degree? None of this is required, but they all indicate whether the person is a doer or simply a talker.

To sum up the basics: Good candidates have roots in the community, have held positions of leadership in the past, and have reputations as doers.

Beyond the basics, a good candidate must be able to relate to people from all walks of life.

Hawaii’s diverse population means that no single demographic is sufficient to win an election. Candidates must be able to traverse ethnic, gender and socio-economic lines, and genuinely connect with people throughout their district. Good candidates must understand that it is not about their own priority issues, it’s about the issues that are important to the people in their community.

You cannot be a single-issue candidate, and you cannot (both literally and figuratively) have a purple mohawk. Even if all of your friends have purple mohawks, there are not enough of them to win.

If you have some deep dark secret you are afraid will come out, I have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is yes, it will come out (and the sooner the better).

The good news is, for local and state elections, it doesn’t really matter. I would not worry too much about run-of-the-mill youthful indiscretions or other bad choices you may have made 10 or more years ago, and even felony convictions can be overcome assuming the candidate has served their time and learned from their mistakes.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a candidate who wants to win must be able to convince others, in a very short amount of time, that they are “running for the right reasons” and that they are worthy of the voter’s trust and support.

The fundamental question of “Why are you running?” will be asked again and again, and the candidate must be able to genuinely connect to the voter when answering.

We need more good candidates to run, and 2024 given that it’s also a presidential election year will likely be a watershed – at all levels.

Here is a blow by blow series of “Campaigning 101” missives that new candidates might find interesting and useful:

Campaign 101 – What makes someone a good candidate for public office? Purple Mohawks Need Not Apply

Campaigning 101 #1 – 2024 candidates – first steps

Campaigning 101 #2 The sometimes not so obvious basics

Campaigning 101 #3 – What is the worst thing someone is going to say about you?

If you want it all – Sign up for my somewhat unconventional email newsletter (though it’s not really a newsletter but I don’t know what else to call it) – Policy & Politics at https://policy-and-politics.mailchimpsites.com

The debate and actions over Rail has exposed to its ugly core the current status of political leadership in Hawaii.

In short, there is none.

Yes, the leadership in the Senate and House came together with a funding solution for rail and I suppose in a twisted sort of way they should be commended for that.  But that solution came only after they were forced to act by overwhelming fiscal and political circumstances that left them no options.

This is not leadership.  Leadership, by definition, is proactive, not reactive.

Watch the hearings and you will see there is no vision, no high level of purpose, and certainly no bringing together the people of Hawaii in pursuit of the common good.

No.  Watch the hearings and you will see the bludgeoning of testifiers, members of the public and others, in pursuit of defending actions that were indefensible.

It is surrealistic, a bizarre theater of the absurd where everyone knows the deal has already been cut and nothing will change regardless what the public says at the microphone.  The legislators know this, the public knows this, and even the media understands and reports that the deal has been made way before the hearing has even been called or the formal vote taken.  Yet, everyone still plays their defined role, acting as if the democratic process is truly at work and justice is being served.

All in pursuit of building a train.  This is what I find indefensible.

Where is the special session to deal with affordable housing and the homeless?  Where is the outrage and commitment from our political and government leadership on issues that have tangible impacts on working people on ALL ISLANDS?

The legislature and the governor who cannot escape his responsibility on this either, are willing to spend billions on a poorly conceived and ill managed train system, while thousands of Hawaii residents can’t even afford a decent roof over their head.

Where is the special session for these folks?  Why is the legislature unwilling to raise taxes on tourists to pay for affordable housing?  Our government just committed to spending $2.4 billion more on rail.  This is enough to fully fund the construction of 10,000 new affordable homes/apartments, which would actually generate income, and, if located in existing urban areas, would do far more to alleviate traffic and help working people in Hawaii than this train will ever do.

As Civil Beat reported earlier, 4 smart and powerful guys (and one powerful woman) went into a room, discussed various options, met with the various powerful special interest groups about those options and then came out of the room announcing their solution.  They then browbeat down any resistance among individual legislators who might have wanted to “vote their conscience” (and against their proposal), rearranged any troublesome committee membership and referrals that might have got in the way of the democratic process, and last but not least held a series of faux public meetings prior to announcing their coup…err solution.

If we assume for a second that this is how government works (and I don’t believe it has to be this way), my question is why can’t the legislature do this for affordable housing?  Why can’t they find the time and make a commitment to increase the minimum wage to a true living wage?

That would be leadership. Elected leaders coming together with a common vision and proposing solutions for the problems facing real people, who are struggling every day just to survive.

In the faith community it is said that a budget is a moral document.  How the publics money is spent reflects the morality and character of a government and its leaders.  Spending even more billions on bricks and mortar in support of a train, while families across Hawaii live in poverty alongside busy roadways, with only blue tarps and wooden pallets for shelter is a travesty.

In 2018, many will be watching, and yes more than a few will be praying, that new leadership steps forward, and we can all put this sordid chapter behind us.

First published in Civil Beat on September 22, 2017 http://www.civilbeat.org/2017/09/rail-faux-democracy-and-real-leadership/

For those of you who still think the answer to “feeding the world” is modern technology provided to us by Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow Chemical, Dupont, BASF, Bayer, Nestles, Pepsico and General Mills – please take just a moment or two to read some of the below articles.  Trust me: They are well written, easy to read and yes…based on real science.  All written/published in 2017.

New York Times: How Big Business Got Brazil Hooked On Junk Food

“scientists say, the growing availability of high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods is generating a new type of malnutrition, one in which a growing number of people are both overweight and undernourished.”

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/16/health/brazil-obesity-nestle.html?action=click&module=Top+Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Washington Post: This Miracle Weed Killer Was Supposed To Save Farms, Instead It’s Devastating Them

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/this-miracle-weed-killer-was-supposed-to-save-farms-instead-its-devastating-them/2017/08/29/33a21a56-88e3-11e7-961d-2f373b3977ee_story.html?tid=ss_fb&utm_term=.1e85f9faecec

Politico: Can American Soil Be Brought Back To Life?

“For generations, soil has been treated almost as a backdrop — not much more than a medium for holding plants while fertilizer and herbicides help them grow.”

http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/09/13/soil-health-agriculture-trend-usda-000513

UK Independent: Pesticides Linked To Birth Abnormalities In Major New Study

“The sheer size of the study, and the meticulous way it has been carried out, suggest that there is an environmental hazard for mothers resident in an area with large scale pesticide usage”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/pesticides-birth-abnormalities-linked-pregnancy-study-san-joaquin-valley-california-farms-a7918636.html

Older articles showing the duplicity and character (or lack thereof) of these corporations:

New York Times: A Pesticide Banned Or Not Underscores Trans-Atlantic Trade Sensitivities

“The weed killer is banned as a pesticide in the European Union as well as in Switzerland (corporate headquarters for Syngenta) over concerns that it is a groundwater contaminant.  Syngenta, however, did not get the memo…the company has long insisted that the pesticide was not banned.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/business/international/a-pesticide-banned-or-not-underscores-trans-atlantic-trade-sensitivities.html

The Nation: Blackwater’s Black Ops

“Internal documents reveal the firm’s clandestine work for multinationals and governments.” Spoiler alert – Monsanto hired them to infiltrate activists groups (which they of course deny)

https://www.thenation.com/article/blackwaters-black-ops/

“If you don’t support my issue, then I will never vote for you,” is about the least effective comment you can make to someone in public office when testifying on an issue.

The first thought that goes through the mind of the politician is something to the effect of, “You probably don’t vote for me anyway — why should I even care?” The second thought that passes through is probably not suitable for a community newspaper.

Threatening not to vote for someone during public testimony is at the top of the “Do not do list” when it comes to public advocacy 101. It is right up there with publicly calling the lawmaker a crook or implying that because someone related to the issue gave them a campaign donation, they are somehow corrupt. While all of this may (or may not) be true, making these statements as part of testimony on any issue will only hurt the cause.

A room full of committed citizens requesting that the legislative body “do the right thing” and backing up that request with solid facts, is intimidating enough on a political level. Harsh and ugly rhetoric is unnecessary and counter-productive.

Conversely, if the policymaker is offered solid facts supported by genuine but reasoned passion and presented by a broad community coalition, they may indeed seek ways to alter their original position.

The best testifier will be someone whom the policy-maker knows and respects, and someone who is active in the community where the policymaker lives, works or recreates.

Think about it for a moment. Who is the person with the absolute most influence on any politician? The answer of course is the husband, wife, children, mother, father, you get it — close friends and family. Next will come the equivalent of neighbors and co-workers, and people who have helped on the campaign or donated money.

If someone who has helped campaign by holding signs or knocking on doors for days on end in the hot blazing sun testifies, you can bet the politician will not only listen politely but will (within their personal integrity parameters) do whatever they can to support that person.

There is a hierarchy of influence with family and close friends at the top. People without any personal relationship at all and bonafide enemies are of course at the bottom. Those that publicly insult the decision maker are normally grouped with the enemies at the bottom.

It is human nature to want to help your friends and to be influenced by friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and people who have helped you. It is the way the world works.

A mature policymaker with a strong moral compass will balance this basic nature with the needs of the greater good.

Fortunately, we live in a community small enough where the average citizen can have a personal relationship with their local representatives at the state and county level. Hawaii is still small enough where you can meet your local elected government leader in person, face to face, and talk to him or her about issues that are important to you and your community.

Simply by requesting and participating in a meeting with your councilmember, state representative or state senator will automatically vault you into at least the middle category of the influence hierarchy. One meeting is the start of a personal relationship with your government policy maker.

If you and/or a small group of friends or neighbors request a meeting with your local state or county representative, they will accommodate you. Of this I am absolutely sure.

Follow up your first meeting with other occasional requests to meet and discuss pending issues (while respecting the time limitations of all), and add in an occasional thoughtful letter to the editor. Then, when you next submit testimony (either in person or via email), the decision maker will automatically weight your thoughts and opinion higher than those whom he/she has had no contact or familiarity with.

Get to know your elected officials. You may be surprised to find that they are actually just regular people. And remember, they are elected to serve you.

NOTE: First published on September 6, 2017 in The Garden Island newspaper, “Hooser – Policy & Politics”.

Demonizing “big landowners and developers” is an easy and simple track to fall into, and to a large extent in Hawaii, one that is often but not always deserved.

Historically, our “big landowners” are the descendants of missionaries who came to the islands to do good, and as the saying goes, “did very well.”

Many residents, descendants of plantation workers reminisce fondly about those “plantation days” with parades and festivals to commemorate the fond memories of the plantation camps (segregated by race), company stores, medical facilities, churches and schools.

Kauai’s largest hospital and our community college are both a result of the largess of Grove Farm Company. Our island’s first shopping mall and many of our largest hotels, golf courses and residential housing projects are also a result of Grove Farm Company developments. Almost all of the developable land in and around Lihue and much of Koloa/Poipu is owned by Grove Farm Company, which owns over 38,000 acres of Kauai land.

The vast sugar plantations that once dominated every island are now gone, replaced primarily by cattle ranching and, on Kauai, GMO research and seed production. Few, if any, of the major landowners are actual agricultural enterprises, but rather they are simply real estate land-banks, managing land assets until they are ripe for development into hotels, shopping centers and high-end homes (building the requisite minimum number in the affordable category).

In actuality, many of these large plantations, including Grove Farm Company, were originally created as speculative real estate ventures, with the very first owners in 1850 purchasing the land and then “flipping” it and making exorbitant profits.

According to http://www.grovefarm.com/about-us “Following the Great Mahele (the Hawaiian land redistribution act that allowed non-natives to purchase royal lands), Warren Goodale became the first owner in 1850. He immediately sold the land to James Marshall for $3,000, who in turn, sold it to Judge Herman Wireman for $8,000 in 1856.”

In addition to “running the plantation,” it is no secret that the large landowners have historically also “ran the government.”

According to HawaiiHistory.org: Their economic power translated into political power as well, and politics and business in the Islands continue an intricate cross-pollination. Edward P. Dole, Attorney General of Hawai‘i, wrote in 1903: “There is a government in this Territory which is centralized to an extent unknown in the United States…”

On Kauai, Grove Farm’s George Norton Wilcox, who took over Grove Farm operations in 1864, was deemed a “power in Hawaiian politics.”

The trend of a handful of large landowners and businessmen controlling both the economic and political systems throughout Hawaii continued until the 1949 rise of labor unions led to Democrats etching out their first political victories in 1954, then finally gaining majority control in 1962.

While the organizing skills and persistence of labor unions drove many improvements to working conditions and wages, it did not come without a price. In 1924, after decades of harsh treatment and low wages, during the early years of the labor struggle, 20 striking Filipino plantation workers were killed by local armed sheriffs and strike-breakers in what was called the Hanapepe Massacre.

Today, despite the “revolution of 1954” and the many tangible gains that resulted from the leadership of that era, the land and money power structure in Hawaii remains largely unchanged. The labels and the political parties have “flipped” from Republican to Democrat, but the underlying power structure remains controlled by large landowners and development interests. On Kauai and throughout the state, the large landowners benefit from having “their people” elected and appointed to key positions of power and influence, effectively still running the show in Hawaii, both politically and economically.

It doesn’t have to be this way. If the broader community organizes, engages the system, and takes ownership of their government, we could have a political and economic system that is driven by and for the people, and not simply for the profits of a few.

Note: First published in The Garden Island Newspaper 8/30/17 “Hooser-Policy & Politics”

“Imagine an island where basic needs like housing and access to a diversity of income generation opportunities are available for all. Imagine a self-sufficient island with a farm-to-table food economy. Imagine an island that represents a living model of our rich Hawaiian cultural heritage that honors both keiki and kupuna. Imagine living within and experiencing the rewards of a sustainable island community, serving as a model for other island communities facing the same challenges as Kauai.” From the Community Coalition – Kauai: https://www.communitycoalitionkauai.org.

We can do this, Kauai. If enough of us engage the process and take personal responsibility for the outcome, we can actually make this happen. This is not pie in the sky. It is totally doable.

The Kauai General Plan update will be coming before the Kauai County Council possibly as soon as Sept. 6. This document is intended to guide the future growth of our island, but according to many whose opinion I respect greatly, it is deeply flawed.

While the rank and file professional planning department staff have produced an impressive document, the ultimate plan approved by the Planning Commission is significantly biased toward the needs of large landowners and developers.

In other words, it is business as usual.

Our affordable housing needs are at crisis levels,and traffic in Kapaa (and increasingly so heading south and west) is at a standstill. Tourism continues to grow unabated, and our beaches, streams and mountain trails are no longer our own. We import 90 percent of our food while 90 percent of our agricultural land is used for non-food producing purposes. Employment opportunities for our young people are centered on working in tourism, for the government, or for the military.

Yet, our General Plan simply doles out more of the same stuff that has gotten us to where we are today. Yes, it is dressed in the fine clothes of vision and hope, but at the end of the day it continues to place the future of our island in the hands of large landowners and developers.

As further evidence that the plan is not ready for prime time, Planning Commissioners Kanoe Ahuna and Donna Apisa recently cast their votes in opposition to the final draft, against the positions held by a majority of their colleagues on the commission. Mahalo to them both for having the courage to stick to their convictions instead of yielding to the ever-present pressure to conform.

The ultimate approval of the Kauai General Plan represents a critical point in time, and an opportunity to “reset our compass” putting the quality of life for local residents above the profits of large landowners and developers.

We can do so much better.

We don’t need more upscale housing, more hotels or more shopping centers. We do need more genuinely affordable housing built in existing urban areas. We also need opportunities for small farmers who want to grow real food. And we need diversified solutions to our traffic woes. While our main traffic arteries must be expanded, the ultimate answer is not to always just “add another lane” but requires a comprehensive multimodal approach.

Until we resolve some of the pressing needs that our community now faces, we need to draw a line in the sand on new development. Until we can provide truly affordable housing for local residents, get a handle on traffic and start protecting those special places we all hold dear, we need to hit the “pause button” and the Kauai General Plan is the tool which can do that.

On Thursday Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lihue Neighborhood Center there will be a meeting of concerned and informed citizens from across the island to discuss how best to reverse the direction of our island by reversing the direction of the General Plan. I encourage all who care to show up.

Note: First published in The Garden Island newspaper, “Hooser – Policy and Politics”

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