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Politics, Commentary, Community
Politics, Commentary, Community Monday
01Oct
Edwards, Naeole make good team
Monday, October 1, 2007 at 09:48AM My gut feeling always is to publish comments, especially from people who identify themselves, no matter how disagreeable, but it sometimes turns my gut into a knot.
I spent some of the weekend thinking about the scathing comments Peter Frost of HPP wrote about Councilwoman Emily Naeole’s legislative assistant and PR aide Tiffany Edwards. I don’t know exactly what happened in their exchange but I suppose there’s little harm in letting him beef publicly about a government official, even though he sounds a little too far out of joint about it. Edwards can handle herself.
So whatever happened, it certainly should not diminish the remarkable job Edwards has done putting Councilwoman Emily Naeole's Fifth District office back on course.
Councilwoman Naeole’s rejuvenation under Edwards' direction has raised their visibility in the media and provided a new focus on Puna. Naeole still is crude and inarticulate in her speech but she has shaped that potential shortcoming into a public persona, a part of her down-home, mother-earth, grassroots appeal. Behind that is Edwards’ shrewd media management and sharp focus on services and issues that people in Puna want addressed. Edwards also works harder and faster than most in the County probably like, while bringing imagination, vision and creativity to Councilwoman Naeole’s office.
There's really no need to be flying off the handle if Edwards calls you or me as “Dude.” Chalk it up to the whole Emily Experience. Why not a surfer doing PR for a pidgin-speaking Council rep? That’s all just surface stuff, anyway. Edwards seems to be steering Naeole into the right issues and making waves where needed. Bringing those services to Pahoa on a Saturday was brilliant. Urging the administration to get busy with emergency planning was gutsy. Supporting the building moratorium was a welcome change of heart. We need that kind of thinking and attitude for Puna.
Naeole’s rejuvenation in the public eye is also due in no small part to the Kupuna Council, consisting of her two Hilo attorneys, Gerard Lee Loy and Stan Roehrig, and retired state Representative Helene Hale, who helped Naeole polish her image after former aide Barbara Hale trashed it. As one example, I notice notice fewer public appeals to God and Jesus for enlightenment from Naeole these days and more reliance on smart people, showing signs she is growing into the job as she should.
That said, it's still not all smooth sailing and sunny skies ahead. Big Island Weekly reports that Edwards is hapai and expecting in March, which is likely to take some steam out of the Naeole dynamo. And the ongoing state Campaign Spending Commission investigation still looms as potentially a very big problem for Naeole. But if she continues to take good advice and avoids further missteps, Councilwoman Naeole’s ability to connect with voters will make her a strong candidate for re-election.
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Reader Comments (23)
And, yes, world, I'm hapai, but my unborn child DOES NOT BELONG in any political discussions, thank you very much.
Tiffany
Getting Puna's issues into the local press is a start, but at some point we have a right to expect visible results. Proposing that we buy and protect land sounds good until you notice that there is no money available to actually do it and a lot of other properties ahead of us in line. Enacting a rezoning moratorium when all rezoning has to be approved by the council anyway is something of a hollow gesture, especially when one remembers the storage facility brouhaha. (OK, even I have to admit that a lesson was learned on that one. Good.)
A friend suggested that I temper my criticism with some positive suggestions for improvement, so here goes.
One would be to do whatever it takes to get the gym and police stations promised to Pahoa built. (Suggestion, use discretionary funds to get an engineering study and archaeological survey done on the Fire Station property. If that is not allowed or the cost exceeds the discretionary limits, push for funding in the Council. If the study indeed shows the location to be unsuitable, demand that another be used, and fast.) Another suggestion would be to put forward legislation requiring the County Police to provide personnel and equipment in Puna in proportion to nationally recognized standards for patrolling/policing similarly populated rural areas. They just graduated 11 new recruits, so they might actually be able to spare someone.
I won't make any more comments here on the PMAR since that has throroughly been discussed on another thread and we'll never all agree anyway.
My point is that, while having a super employee is great, they cannot take the place of Emily herself. These ideas, imagination, creativity, and action must start with Emily. In essence, Naeole must be the captain of her own ship. Her office should not be dependent on one person to execute those plans. One would have thought that she learned that hard lesson with the hiring of her own campaign manager B.Hale. She may want to take an accelerated course on learning all the ropes before Tiffany has to go on Maternity leave.
We're all here in Puna, cowboys and Indians. Good cowboys and bad cowboys. You got to choose how to conduct yourself. Tiff left her name, address, email, telephone numbers, suggested times of calls, on this blog months ago. Frost could have talked to her privately. Good for Tiffany answering Frost publicly; his vent was public. At least we're gaetting straight informaiton from Emily and Tiffany,, more than we're getting from Wash DC and then being told we should shut up because ..., patriotism, not supporting the troops... Emily made the information special the other weekend happen. It was a good call, and "top dog" does not have to get credit for the idea, nor any particular blogger's blessing for coming up with the idea;, or if it was Tiffany's idea. It was a good idea.. The important thing is that it happened, and it gave each of us a chance to get straight info from the people actually doing the job and not a middleman image maker. Whether we're Limbaugh or O'Reilly or Olbermann, or Frost or Edwards, I'd rather listen to the FEMA guy for Puna. At least I have a better idea about our road improvmeent situation and where things might go and I know who I have to influence Roads in cowboy movies has grass in the middle of the trail. I'm thankful I got pavement, I know I am sharing the trail with other cowboys. A sniper high on the blog bluffs, shooting at townspeople in the name of free speeach, Bloggers need to check facts before running off at the computer. That happens way too often. Saying you're sorry after running your mouth doesn't do much. You already committed the hurt. .
You cast aspersions so eagerly.
The point is not that "a super employee" is taking "the place of Emily herself."
Exactly the opposite is the case, with the "ideas, imagination, creativity" starting with Emily. She already is "captain of her own ship" amd her office is not "dependent on one person..."
As Hunter clearly states, Ms. Naeole and Ms. Edwards are a "team" -- you are at least familiar with that concept, right?
You don't always have to agree w/someone but respect of that person and yourself is part of Aloha.
Emily is now doing exactly what most of you were bitching (can I use that word?) about her not doing in the begining. Now your gonna bitch casue she is doing something, but not what you want done?
"Divide and Conquer" is the Gov'ts way of acheiving their agenda while we're beating each other up. As James states "they are working as a team" and so must we.
Thank you Mr. Frost for having the courage to let your voice be heard.
And to those that find fault in his phraseollogy imagine coming home to a house that has been broken into and missing irreplaceable items, and having the police department say in effect-- "Too bad for you." Isn't it about time that someone speaks up?
I unfortuneatly understand why the police say what they do. Not being rude here and with respect, there is so much crime going on; domestic violence, child abuse, accidents and on and on and on. The ratio of officers to crimes/criminals is outlandish. No offense again, I would rather they focus on the human life related crimes first.
I do respectfully have a suggestion if there are as many crimes as I read about in HPP. Maybe take some of that road money (they will get away faster on paved roads) and create a security team that drives around HPP day and nite.
People if we do not treat the core of the problem then this will continue on. You can bury your head in the sand or come out as a COMMUNITY to help solve these problems.
The poor policing is not just about burglaries. It also extends to things that are "human life threatening." Our community association was told by the cops that ATVs, 4-wheelers, etc. are illegal in HPP despite the fact that the roads are private. We were told to call the Keaau police station when we spotted them, and that something would be done. These things are DANGEROUS. We frequently see keiki as young as 9 driving the things in a crazy manner. They have a history of fatalities on the Big Isand. When we first started calling the cops two years ago, they would come most of the time. A year ago they were coming about half the time. Now they rarely come at all. And please don't tell me that we need to take responsibility to confront people ourselves. When I did that I was told by a parent, "Mind your own business you f%#*ing haole."
So now Laurie thinks we should use our road assessments to pay for our own security force. After chiding us to come together, complain less and be less divisive, the remark about the paved roads making it easier for crooks to get away is simply INSULTING. We didn't bury our head in the sand, Laurie. We did what the police told us to do. We tried to deal with it ourselves, and got grief for it.
What might bring us together as a community is to band together to demand better police protection.
I'm sorry for this rant, people. I try to be one of the most level headed people on the blog, but this just pushed me right off the edge.
"SHOW ME THE MONEY".
SURE HOPE SOMEONE AROUND HERE HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR.
And the Very Best Wishes to Tiffany's new Baby.
punapeter
You are entitled to rant, for things happen or are said that push all of our "buttons" at one time or another.
That being said, it was merely a suggestion to what seems to be HPP's on going crime problems. Your not going to see an increase in the Police force (at least not major) anytime soon and if you do, burgulary (sp) is still not going to be #1 on the list.
Somewhat presumptive of you to think that HPP is the only subdivision w/these problems. There are drug dealers up the wazoo in my subdivision. My neighbors call all the time and get a similar response, sometimes comimg, sometimes not. cars speeding up and down the one paved road so fast, I fear they day a child or person is killed.
If you read my blog you would have heard me state that I would want what little Police we have to focus on "human life threatening" crimes.
With all due respect, of all the subdivisions HPP does the most complaining, like you are being mistreated and the rest of us are getting more and better protection. That is very devisive.
My chiding of "coming together" is about getting to the core of these issues; robbery, child abuse, domestic violence, chemical/alcohol abuse etc. these problems are only going to get worse and policing is not the total solution. Why are they happening at such an alarming rate and why in certain neighborhoods?
Maybe if those who have lend an ear or a hand to those who don't we can start a process that heals this community.JMO
Most of us realise that Puna is an economically deppressed district and all that comes w/that. Maybe there are ways we can help develop businesses and help those in business stay in business to hire people.
Do you really think if most (and I said MOST) people had a choice between being addicted to ice and robbing others or having a home to live in, a job that paid them a livable wage, wouldn't want that?
We need solutions to social issues not just Policing.
If Policing was the answer then please explain the rise in crime across this nation?
Forget the petty crimes, you people can't even see the gross felonies commited everytime they scrape a lot pin to pin. Cannot go past the pin, and certainly can't push all the tees, stumps and forest onto a neighboring lot? Cannot. Illegal. Cannot let it sit and rot for 2-3 years, cannot, illegal Section 20. not to mention vector condos. The big picture is they are rapeing this aina faster than the coqui are spreading. WE sat a half dozen years ago in the middle of my road drinking a beer after we just welded a gate and took bets on what would make it to the coast from the highway first the frogs or the D-9s. Frogs win intrest rates no botha them. Now millions of frogs and a couple hundred empty houses the copper thives will be working on soon. they took the range abd were on their second trip taking the side-by side when the realestate lady walked up on them, in broad daylight they don't care, about you, your stuff, your house. And I don't believe it's disclosed in real estate contracts, Hpp 17 brugraries in the last 30 days up from last month.
Moritorium on McMansion permits. You want this to turn in to San Diego? keep building! Remember Kona 20 years ago? Lahaina 25 years ago? Waikiki 30 years ago. It's just time and money, we too can achieve critical mass.
I agree with you whole heartedly about choices. Many a choice has been taken away from a certain class of people. A large portion of the population of this Island and in part Puan is made up of displaced peoples from other Islands that have been taken over by the rich and Corporations! Where are the jobs? None in Puna/Pahoa, at least not enough to support the population.Of couse they could take their cars and most certainly travel to Kona to work, course most of their pay would be eaten up by gas! That by the way was sarcasm! To make a choice you have to have CHOICES.
Let's see, I am permanently disabled and instead of making the choice to just sit on my o'kole and collect wellfare I tried to start a business. Is it my choice now that there are more people/circumstances trying to shut me down than support me? A business that as it expanded could have created more jobs for Pahoa community!
I am just sooooo tired of those who are privileged and as you state came here from the mainland and are trying to bring all that mainland mentality w/them and when they don't get what they want WHINE! They have choices too. Go back to where all the amenities you want, are.
P.S. Sorry James, still have a bit to go on being humble!
Mahalo