Standing up or knuckling under?
Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 12:36PM I was happy to see Silence DoGood/Tiffany Edwards' contribution of a fawning letter (scroll way down) about her boss, Councilwoman Emily Naeole. It reminded me in the midst of the NLRB trial how confused I am over the whole Micah Kane thing. The letter writer would have left me thinking Naeole stood up heroically to make some point against the DHHL and its director. Which Naeole did, if only temporarily.
After publicly challenging Kane twice, Naeole finally voted just the way he wanted her to.
First Councilwoman Naeole claimed she was threatened prior to the Council meeting by Kane over her vote on the superstores ban. Then, inspired by testimony from Hawaiians, she defied Kane, said that as a "tita" she wouldn't be intimidated, and voted with the majority in favor of the County ban on superstores on Hawaiian Home Lands.
Councilman Angel Pilago, who introduced the proposed ban, said it would "send a 'clear and strong statement to protect the native rights.'"
When Kane vehemently protested the part about the threat on her lease, Naeole called it a "misunderstanding" and didn't want to talk about it, fueling talk about her credibility.
Then in an exclusive Big Island Weekly interview, Naeole called out Kane again by reiterating her allegation about the threat after Kane had promised to respond "legal or otherwise" if she didn't recant. So Naeole was standing tall again.
Until the next meeting. That's when she joined the new majority in a 6-3 defeat of the DHHL superstores ban. This time Naeole explained that poor people need a Wal-mart superstore, or she does, anyway, because it's where she can afford to buy her grandchildren gifts. At least Dominic Yagong -- the other Council member that changed his vote -- did so because, in an opinion that Yagong asked for, the County's attorney said legally it was a bad idea.
Mind you, three Council members -- Bob Jacobson, Pilago and the Chairman, Pete Hoffmann -- didn't change their votes to ban a DHHL superstore even after being advised they didn't have the legal authority to do so. Call them the principled votes on behalf of Hawaiian entitlements if you want, but those kind of votes could get awfully expensive for the County if they ever constitute a majority as nearly happened here.
So of the original five-vote majority, only Yagong took the legal advice and switched his second vote. The three amigos above stuck to their principles even if it meant driving the county off a legal cliff, and Councilwoman Naeole switched for the low, low prices.
Hunter Bishop
I just fixed a bad link in this post that Aaron S. brought to my attention, thank you.
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Reader Comments (18)
I like your attitude: "...so what?...move on..."
As for Aaron's assertion that the government should do nothing, there is revealed a need for enlightenment.
It is absolutely the responsibility of government to provide an environment in which markets can function.
Any such large activity as building and operating a commercial center of the size under discussion is going to have very large impacts that are going to cost someone.
In a functional market, costs are paid by those generate them and who benefit from the activity. In a dysfunctional market, costs are shifted away from the generator without comparable shift of the benefits. Without government regulation, a company such as WalMart will exert monopoly powers that assure them high profits and protect them from paying the full costs of traffic, water use, ecosystem disruption, waste generation, and more -- that is, monopoly power is not what is found in a functional market.
http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2007/10/29/opinion/your_views/letters02.txt
Like I said, the law of unintended consequences will kick in
As for my thoughts on Government regulation, it is because of government regulation basic necessities cost so much here. If government got out our lives, it will be so much better here.
With aloha.
I wish you'd get involved in politics. Become a candidiate or staffer. It would be a good experience for you. Tiffany is doing the best under difficult conditions in a changing community. While it's nice to think your opinion or mine are the most important, the reality is we are just opinions that need counting. The majority usually wins.
Do everyday essentials have to come from a super center?
I am finally realizing what the problem is. People want to move here but they want to move here with all of the continent's cheap bad habits and they are unwilling to make the sacrifices to help the islands become truly sustainable. So as a result, we end up turning the islands into one more mainland hell hole.
True it is, continental lifestyle does not match island reality.
The failure to acknowledge this basic fact and to live accordingly is witnessed in the behavior of islanders-by-choice as well as islanders-by-birth. Presence or absence of blood quantum nor an island ohana for any number of generations has immuned lotsa folks from loving the SUV's, Monster Trucks, and plenty more cheap plastic junk.
Hopeless? Never!
If everyone lived like you do, we might still be in trouble, but we would all be better off than we are today!
Do something everyday to do a little better, and then the next day do something else, and then the next day...
What I meant is, our island culture is in a state of unsustainable hopelessness. You might disagree as many would but everytime we bring another unsustainable project like walmart super centers onto this island just so that we can buy cheap even though we know that the cheap product was produced by outsourced labor, traveled millions of miles and used large amounts of fossil fuels to get to us, we are getting further and further away from acheiving sustainability. Like I said before, many people don't really give a rip about the long term consequences of their actions. Its the American way, no?
Right on.
As I read you post, it occurred to me to ask myself, "Do I NEED WalMart -- the one here now or a Super one later?"
Really can't say that I do.