Do Ask, Do Tell: Blowing off the closet doors

Posted on December 12, 2010 by garyhooser

Kudos to Hawaii’s U.S. Senators Inouye and Akaka, for coming out in strong support of ending the untenable ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy targeting gay and lesbian military service members.

“I believe the time has come to allow gay men and women to serve openly in the military…In every war we have had men and women of different sexual orientation who have stood in harm’s way and given their lives for their country. I fought alongside gay men during World War II, many of them were killed in combat. Are we to suggest that because of their sexual orientation they are not heroes?” U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye

“This repeal [of don’t ask, don’t tell] will bring us another step towards equality in the United States.” U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka

Hawaii’s two U.S. Senators are now out. Our governor is out on this issue. Our two members of the U.S Congress are also out. And a strong majority of the Hawaii State Senate and House of Representatives came out in support during this past year – some enthusiastically and others dragged kicking and screaming. But they too have been outed, nonetheless.

As evidenced by the legislature’s near-super majority vote earlier this year on the civil unions bill, HB444, and the subsequent results of the recent general election, it is abundantly clear that a clear majority of people in Hawaii support the equal treatment of gays and lesbians. The religious right pulled out all the stops, put forth their most righteous candidates, attacked vehemently and directly from the pulpit, and yet lost decisively at the polls.

It should be easy to come out for equality, for tolerance and for the celebration and acknowledgement of diversity. But clearly for many it is not. While a majority of people may profess to support equality, the establishment of civil unions, and ending ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ many remain reluctant to advocate so publicly.

A minority of our population has until now, succeeded in making the majority feel like they are actually the fringe. While those who support equality clearly represent mainstream opinion, a vocal and aggressive minority has somehow kept many people cowed into believing their support of gay and lesbian rights was best kept in the shadows, spoken about only in hushed tones among like-minded friends and close associates.

The time for hushed tones and timid support is past. It is time for those willing to speak privately in support, to step out NOW publicly, proudly and enthusiastically in support of equality issues at all levels.

Contact family and friends NOW, both here and on the mainland, and speak out in support of ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” and of extending equal rights to gay couples everywhere.

Bring up the subject the next time you sit down with friends for a few beers and an evening of “Texas hold’em.”

Stand up, and speak out for what you believe in.

Talk to your children and to their teachers. Let them know that bullying and put downs are not acceptable, that being gay is ok and just a normal fact of life for many people.

Next time you attend church or Bible study, wear your “Equality Now!” sticker. Ask your fellow parishioners, “What would Jesus do?”

The tide of support will only grow as each of us encourages others through our own actions. The more of us that come out, the more of us who speak out against bigotry and intolerance, the more empowered others will be to come out too.

Ask anyone who has done so, and they will tell you that the first step is the most difficult. However, they will also tell you of a tremendous euphoric feeling of freedom and empowerment, once you have taken the fundamental step of being true to who you are and what you believe in.

Come out, step out and speak out for equality – NOW.

Gary Hooser – truth-teller without portfolio
Do Ask, Do Tell: Blowing off the closet doors – First published at The Hawaii Independent http://www.thehawaiiindependent.com/
For more information on former Hawaii State Senator and Majority Leader Gary Hooser, visit website in transition http://www.garyhooser.com

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As the tide resides, a tsunami of change is ready to run through Hawaii government

Posted on December 2, 2010 by garyhooser

The jaded and the cynical will say “It’s just rhetoric.” But the change that is upon us is more than just a catchy tag line at the end of a 30 second commercial. This change is real, it is unavoidable and it is palpable.

The election of Neil Abercrombie represents a truly seismic change event and those closest to the epicenter are already beginning to feel its impact.

Our new governor, you can be sure, is unlike any we have ever seen before. His new lieutenant governor also seems ready to break the mold.

The Board of Education will soon undergo a significant and systemic change, as the shift is made from an elected Board to an appointed one.

The State Senate has new leadership along with 4 brand-new Senator’s and at least two more appointments pending. The State House likewise is locked in a struggle for change with the outcome undetermined for now.

Like a strong deep sea earth quake, the waves of change brought about by the Abercrombie administration will be instantaneous, starting at the center and reverberating out to the distant shores. Those who reside at the center will be impacted immediately and most dramatically, while those at the far edges may wait years for the impacts of change to unfold.

Within days, every top administrator in every single department of state government will have a new leader. The career civil servants working in each of these departments can only wonder what ultimate impact this will have on their day-to-day lives. Will the new boss be “hands on” or “hands off”? Will he or she be an astute, experienced, and friendly face, or someone who comes in cracking the whip and determined to shake things up before taking time to learn the lay of the land?

Also waiting to judge the size and impact of the coming changes, are those individuals and businesses that interact directly, deeply and sometimes daily with their government. Those awaiting state permits, service providers awaiting contracts, regulated businesses and licensed professionals – in short just about everyone on the front lines of our society will be affected.

The akamai know one thing for certain – the top administrator of any department is the most important person in their world. The legislature can pass new laws and amend old ones all day long, but at the end of that day it is the administrator who interprets those laws, and decides whether to comply or not. The legislature approves the budget, but it is the administrator who exercises the ultimate power by actually spending the funds, determining mission emphasis and program priorities.

As the appointment process unfolds, the reverberations of change will inevitably reach deeply into party politics, and affect immediately the political futures of emerging political leaders around the state. Sitting legislators with valuable experience in complex subject matter areas are obvious candidates for key cabinet appointments. The Governor then appoints their replacement with the change magnified even more as a House member is appointed to “move up” to a Senate seat, triggering still yet another appointment to fill the empty House seat etc. The political futures of perhaps a dozen or more individuals, perceived by the Governor (and his party) as emerging leaders of the future, will be accelerated into the next higher orbit of influence.

Likewise it is natural to assume that other appointments to cabinet level positions will draw experience and competence from existing executives now occupying influential leadership positions in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. This in-turn will trigger further movement and change as those positions likewise will need to be filled by their respective boards of directors, causing the ripples of leadership change to extend down the food chain.

The coming weeks will witness a profound restructuring of leadership in our State at many levels. Key individuals involved in myriad of important statewide leadership positions both in the public and private sector have already taken the first steps in this intricate dance of change..

Yes, those closest to the epicenter, those “within the beltway” so to speak, will feel the change first; its impact will be strong and unmistakable. For those further away, it is yet to be seen whether the tsunami of change coming will be a 6 inch wave with indiscernible impacts on our community and institutions, or one of size and substance that dramatically changes the landscape of our State.

How these changes impact our state in the long run, and how they will impact the regular man or woman on the street, has yet to be determined – but a sea change is coming.

Gary Hooser

http://www.garyhooser.com truth-teller without portfolio

Copyright by Gary Hooser 2010 – Permission to reprint in full is granted. First published in The Hawaii Independent December 1, 2010

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A New Day In Hawaii – Expectations, Possibilities And Reality

Posted on November 21, 2010 by garyhooser

What can the public really expect from the Abercrombie administration during the upcoming 2011 legislative session?

To claim success, the new administration must achieve tangible “trumpet-able” results during the upcoming 60-day legislative session, while simultaneously laying a solid foundation for the future.   It absolutely has to be both – the public will not be satisfied with non-specific, complex and esoteric accomplishments that simply lay the groundwork for the future. 

No, the public and the media want to see and touch and feel the change, and they want that change now.

Governor-elect Abercrombie has only weeks to assemble a cabinet; there is a huge learning curve at many levels; there is the unavoidable and practical reality of being required to adopt the Lingle administration’s budget assumptions.  Add to these factors the expectations of our 76 Senators and Representatives, all of whom have their own ideas, goals and aspirations which must be taken into account, and a complex picture emerges.

Taken as a whole, it’s a formidable challenge. 

Given the extraordinary campaign momentum, the pent-up energy, high expectations, and the still untapped and chafing-at-the-bit talent of the Abercrombie team, you can be sure there will be a tremendous effort to light the world on fire during this important first year.

Job # 1 will be balancing the budget without raising taxes, without additional furloughs, and without further reduction in services.   And while it is a given the process will involve significant drama and much gnashing of teeth, at the end of the day we also know that the budget will be balanced on these terms. 

Though every issue seems to demand simultaneous and immediate attention, four stand out as being the most pressing – education, energy, agriculture/sustainability, and the economy.  And of course, there is that little matter of civil unions.

I suspect that civil unions will be taken up early in the upcoming session so that it will not hang again like the Sword of Damocles, over the entire legislative session.

The focus for education will doubtless revolve around finances, including the ever-present issue of charter schools and funding equity.

The legislature will assuredly pass “enabling legislation” to support the voter-approved constitutional amendment calling for an appointed school board.  The issue here will boil down to a question of power:  Should the governor have full license to appoint whomever he wants, or should this power be attenuated by a separate “candidate evaluation and selection process” in addition to Senate approval through that body’s ‘advice and consent’ responsibilities?

The safest and surest course for the 2011 energy agenda would appear to be an acceleration of the existing Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative.  Significant and very promising new “game changing” proposals floated by the incoming administration have yet to be vetted by the legislature, so it remains to be seen whether these new initiatives become bogged down in legislative committees and die of their own weight, or succeed and launch us even further down the path toward energy independence.

Most likely, strengthening the economy will initially involve accelerating CIP funding, awarding of contracts, and completion of numerous backlogged infrastructure projects.  The challenge here will be speeding up an often-times cumbersome process while maintaining the integrity of open bidding.  The upcoming APEC (“Asia-Pacific Economic Conference”) meeting in November 2011, as well as a renewed and sustained effort aimed at maximizing the effective use of dwindling federal funds – particularly in the areas of health care and human services – are two additional opportunities sure to get a lot of attention.

Perhaps the most important accomplishment the new administration can achieve is to give form, substance and meaning to sustainability, a concept that resonates deeply with so many of our citizens. 

Achieving tangible, measurable progress toward food self-sufficiency is absolutely crucial, so much so that it has the potential to become the Abercrombie administration’s most important and lasting legacy, one that exceeds all others.  Achieving meaningful progress toward both food and energy self-sufficiency would truly pave the way to a bright and hopeful new day in Hawaii.

As fresh initiatives and new personalities are introduced and begin to mix and mingle, it will be most interesting to see the dynamics evolve.  Sadly, the Lingle administration will be long remembered for not just the Furlough Friday debacle – but also the constant bickering and discord that seemed to permeate every one of the past eight legislative sessions.

It will be a refreshing change to watch an experienced Democratic Governor working with an experienced Democratic House and Senate – with everyone knowing that the public is watching and expecting far more and far better.

Gary Hooser

http://www.garyhooser.com  truth-teller without portfolio

Copyright by Gary Hooser 2010 – Permission to reprint in full is granted.  First published in The Hawaii Independent November 19, 2010

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Democrat or Republican Does It Really Matter?

Posted on October 29, 2010 by garyhooser

Why should anyone care who gets elected and who doesn’t on November 2?

Peter Townsend of The Who sings “We won’t be fooled again” and then closes with “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”.

Does it really matter whether it is Abercrombie or Aiona?  Will life change if it’s Djou instead of Hanabusa?

The answer is yes, it does matter.  You see, politics is a team sport.

Duke Aiona and Charles Djou are on the Republican Team; the team of Karl Rove, George Bush, Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin.

Neil Abercrombie and Colleen Hanabusa are on the Democratic Team; the team of Barack Obama, Daniel Inouye, Hillary Clinton and Dennis Kucinich.

Each team has values that are fundamentally different from the other.  Because agendas, budgets and policy are all driven by the principle of “majority rules”, each team essentially “sticks together” and fights against the opposition to retain the “majority position”.  This allows the team that holds the “majority position” to achieve results that support their core values.  While imperfect I suppose, in theory this is how the system works.

While some in the public might believe there is not much difference between the two teams, a reasonably close look says otherwise.

Republicans believe “it’s every man for himself” while Democrats believe, “we are all in this together”.  Republicans believe the “free market” is sacrosanct while Democrats feel compelled to protect against the abuse of the monopoly.  Republicans believe that if you earned it you should keep it – all of it.  Democrats believe that those that earn more should give more.

Depending on your perspective and degree of jaded cynicism – it often seems that both teams are driven more by money than by their core values.  Both teams are essentially elected into office by money and then do their best while in office to “bring the money home” to their district and/or to their particular special interest (defense, education, environment, business etc).  And yes, when it comes to “bringing home the money” sometimes it is difficult to tell the teams apart.

So if it is mostly “all about the money” what difference does it really make?

Because obviously – you want to make sure your team’s special interest gets the money.

If the Democrats win, the money is much more likely to go into health care, education and the environment.  If the Democrats win, the tax structure is more likely to be “graduated” where those at the top of the food chain pay a higher percentage of their income than those in the middle and the bottom.

If the Republicans win, they will continue in their ongoing attempt to, as they like to put it “starve the beast”.  In their zeal to limit the size of government, a classic Republican strategy is to steadily reduce program funding and then watch as vital public services and protections shrivel on the vine.  Republicans in general favor reducing the percentage of income taxes paid by the very rich and large corporations, forcing the middle and lower income levels to carry a larger burden of the cost of core public services.

So yes, it matters which team gets elected.  It matters on issues also of basic social policy.  Democrats believe strongly in the separation of Church and State while celebrating diversity and honoring the civil rights of all. Republicans too often mock and disregard the value of diversity and are increasingly influenced by the theocratic path of the conservative Christian right.  Republicans lean toward a “lock’em up and throw away the key” mentality, viewing the court system as an impediment to justice.  Democrats understand the importance of an independent judiciary and the right of individuals to fair and equal treatment, whatever their social status, their religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Because these ideals are worth fighting for, you want control over the money and you want control over policy.  This is why it is so important for the Democrats’ team to win.

It’s really that simple.

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Hooser Goes Job Hunting – Or Not

Posted on October 20, 2010 by garyhooser

While Shapiro writes “Hooser Bucks For State Job” http://bit.ly/cL1LEW – The Garden Island Newspaper ran an article this morning pertaining to similar topic but entitled “Hooser looking for ‘opportunities to serve’” http://bit.ly/brT8Wk Interesting how words matter. Note: Comments on Shapiro blog are worth reading IMHO

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Why Do I March?

Posted on October 16, 2010 by garyhooser

Why do I march?

Today October 16 from 3 until 5pm, I will be marching in the Second Annual Pride Alliance “March For Equality”.  I expect the march will be a relatively simple event, a few hundred people perhaps, walking the square block around the State Capitol building.   The marchers I am sure will carry signs and banners inscribed with messages of justice and equality.  Without question, there will be an abundance of rainbow lei and flags too.  There will be music and speeches and smiles and hugs.  I expect there will be talk about the ups and the downs of the protracted HB444 effort – first the anger and then exhilaration after winning in the Senate, that last great day and euphoric victory in the House and then the depression and disappointment of the veto.   There will be talk also of the future, optimistic talk yet I suspect tinged with some trepidation should things go awry in the coming 17 days.

So why do I march?  Why will I spend two valuable hours of my Saturday afternoon walking one square block or so around the Capitol?

I march because I care.

I march because I refuse to sit silently and do nothing while injustice prevails.

I march to show solidarity with my friends and neighbors who suffer the abuse of discrimination and intolerance.

I march to send a clear message that I am not going away.  Whether I serve in public office or not, whether we elect a governor who is a Democrat, a Republican, Christian, Atheist, Buddhist or Jew – I will be here working for justice and equality regardless of who occupies the seats of elective office.

I march today because years from now, when the stories are told about this great effort, about the wonderful and committed people who gathered together and worked to end discrimination and intolerance against the GLBT community and refused to accept anything less – when those stories are told I want to be able to say that I helped make it happen, that I marched, and that I played a part in bringing a little bit more justice to our world.

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“Come to the edge.”

Posted on October 16, 2010 by garyhooser
Poem that came in the mail today…sent to me by a friend:
“Come to the edge.”
“We can’t. We’re afraid.”
“Come to the edge.”
“We can’t. We will fall!”
“Come to the edge.”
And they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.
– Christopher Logue (b.1926)
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Relating To The Regulation Of The Poor and Unwashed:

Posted on October 13, 2010 by garyhooser

The actual title of this newly proposed city ordinance is “Relating To The Regulation of Sidewalks – http://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-104820/5df-47bx.pdf But the intent is clearly: How do we pass a law that keeps poor homeless people from getting in our way?

What the Regulation of Sidewalks law is really saying to the poor and homeless is simply “Get out of my way or I will call a cop who will fine you $50 unless of course you can prove you are mentally ill in which case you are exempt”.

How Catch-22 bizarre is that?  We fine some hapless poor homeless person $50 for blocking a sidewalk and then exempt them if they can prove mental illness.

While perhaps well intended, this proposal is as ludicrous, mean-spirited and Orwellian as the “ban the shopping carts in the parks” law that precedes it.

How far will we go to insure that we don’t have to even look at the homeless in our community who exist in a world most of us can not even imagine?

We have already proven our willingness to take away their shopping carts and everything they own in the entire world, to make sure they stay out of our parks.  Now we want to make sure they stay out of our doorways and sidewalks.  What’s next, another ordinance for alleyways, shopping centers, and parking lots?

Why don’t we just draft an ordinance that bans poor people from being within 20 feet of a non-poor person?  We can call it the Get Out Of My Way or better yet the GOOMFW ordinance.  That should do it.  As we non-poor people move about the city, then the lowest of the low can just GOOMFW when we approach.  Like the parting of the Red Sea, this new ordinance would insure that the genteel among us can stroll unimpeded through-out the city without having to step around some lump of unwashed humanity crouched under cardboard in a doorway or on the side walk.

We can do better than this.  This is Hawaii, land of aloha.  Remember?

Before we go any further down the path of banning the poor and the homeless from our parks and our sidewalks, we need to make sure they have someplace to go – someplace legal, safe and preferably dry.

We need “Housing First”.  We need safe zones where the homeless can safely congregate.  We need increased mental health services, job training and more, much more affordable housing.  And most of all, we need to remember that the homeless are part of our extended ohana and an incontrovertible reflection of who we are as a community.

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On Duke Aiona, The Far Right and the First Congressional District

Posted on October 13, 2010 by garyhooser

Recent poll numbers published by the DailyKos show the Abercrombie/Aiona race in a virtual dead heat. http://www.dailykos.com/polling/2010/10/2/HI-1/11/5ZR4S

How is it possible that a guy like Duke Aiona can even be considered a credible Gubernatorial candidate?

He has absolutely no meaningful experience in government or the private sector.

As lieutenant governor he has totally squandered the past 8 years – accomplishing nothing of any significance whatsoever. Zilch. Kaimu. Nada. Zero. Walang anuman. ‘Ole.

His main claim to fame is being appointed to a judgeship which he then quit, claiming the pay was too low.

Plus, Duke Aiona is a right wing religious zealot. He believes that everyone who does not agree with his particular theology is going to hell. At the present count that would be over 5 billion of us.

Which is why of course that Duke and his friends would like to save us.

You see, Duke is the “righteous one”. Duke has been chosen by God to save Hawaii from burning in hell. Visit the churches hosting the Duke signs out front and they will tell you this. They will tell you that God has sent them a sign, and that Duke has been chosen by God to lead us all down the path to righteousness.

So how can it be possible that 48% of Hawaii residents are ready to elect him as Hawaii’s next Governor? Are people so shallow, so busy and so uninformed that they will vote for him just because he’s young, he’s Hawaiian and he’s pretty? Is it the religious dogma and tea party frenzy of the “new right” that drive his numbers? Has our democracy become so broken and so driven by money, marketing and media that substance matters not at all?

It is on days like this that I wonder. I wonder about the wisdom of our forefathers. I wonder if perhaps our system is broken and in need of radical perhaps revolutionary change. I wonder why more people are not as outraged as I but rather seem content to muck about their lives, accepting and believing that none of this matters anyway.

But then I come to my senses and with some relief realize that this poll does not include the neighbor islands nor rural Oahu, and is only of residents of the First Congressional District – This is the same district that gives us other right wing conservatives like State Senator Sam Slom, Representative Gene Ward…and the same district that has elected and re-elected Congressman Neil Abercrombie for the past 20 years. Go figure.

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Hello world!

Posted on October 12, 2010 by garyhooser

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

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