Stop whining, keep working
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 04:19PM Lately I've been hearing complaints about the improvements planned for the Makuu Farmers Market entrance off Route 130, and about the $2 million worth of improvements at Lava Tree Monument that were announced by the state this week.
Complaints were aired about the market entrance improvements by callers to Gary Safarik's KHBC radio show on Monday, and the Punaweb forum has a thread containing complaints about the state's expenditures on the park.
Isn't that counterproductive to the goal of getting more attention and money paid to all of the growing needs of the Puna District?
I mean, what are people to think when we whine about things we don't have, then we whine when we get them.
Anyone who's read this blog knows I have no compunction about whining and complaining. I contribute my fair share. But I'm not about to complain about the state coming though on either of these two projects.
No doubt we all know the proverb, "don't look a gift horse in the mouth," which should apply here.
Yes, I would agree, the state is out of touch with priorities in the district, and that there never seems to be enough bang for the buck that the state spends on these projects, But those are problems to be addressed at another time and place. Not when the state finally starts showing up with some interest in Puna's needs. Now is not the time to be so critical. Why not graciously accept these projects and just keep pushing for the rest of what we need.
I'd guess the funding for these projects comes largely as a result of lobbying by the Makuu Farm Lots Association, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Councilwoman Emily Naeole, and perhaps the comments made on this blog. Of course I recognize that the two projects are not the most important needs in the district. While public officials are dancing madly around the health care issue in Hilo and Honolulu, Dan Domizio and friends are valiantly moving forward with their plan for an urgent health care facility in Pahoa and that project is desperate for support that the state could, but hasn't, provided. State and county transportation officials also could be working closely together to improve the dangerous intersections up and down the length of Route 130 but all they do is point fingers at one another while our residents endanger their lives every day. These are kinds of things we need to continue complaining about until they are addressed. Of course there are many others.
But let's not whine when we actually do get something, even if it does look like crumbs under the banquet table. Even the bureaucrats are human, after all. It's true. And if they just get slaps when they think they're trying to help, they're not going to try to help much anymore.
I'm not suggesting we need to bow, scrape and grovel for the crumbs. But we need to respond positively to what we get and keep pointing out that in fact we need more, and we need to stop complaining if some of the projects that get done are not necessarily in the order we'd like them to be.
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Reader Comments (9)
1) Buy a ticket (or 2 or 3) for the Women's Comedy Night fundraiser at the Akebono Theater on April 25th at 7 p.m. They cost $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Tickets will soon be on sale at the Puna Pharmacy at the Pahoa Village Marketplace (a.k.a. the Malama Marketplace) and at other locations soon to be announced.
2) Submit written testimony to the Hawaii County Council asking them to support the HSEDC funding request from PCMC so that they can begin to address Puna's health care needs. Address your testimony to Chairman Pete Hoffmann and members of the Hawaii County Council. You can snail mail your letter to the Council at 25 Aupuni St., Hilo 96720 or email it in to counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us.
3) Sit down and write a generous check to PCMC and mail it to PCMC c/o DiDomizio, 12-4596 Kalapana Rd., Pahoa 96778
4) Come to Women's Comedy Night and be prepared to also buy a nice large recycled shopping bag (in a luscious shade of purple with the clinic's logo imprinted in white) for $5.
5) Volunteer: call Dan at 965-1801.
PCMC has finally received its tax exempt status from the IRS, so all donations are tax deductible.
Helping the clinic can be fun and self-serving (nothing wrong with that) because it will serve everyone else too.
Rene
I didn't start the thread on PW to be counter productive. I was actually amazed that the park was getting the attention that it received.
I just think it's a lot of money on improving the park. There really isn't anything to the park other then trails and a lua.
I think the funding is coming because the trails were not accessible by wheelchairs and it's a "State" park that needs to be ADA compliant. I don't know this for fact, but I wouldn't doubt it.
Now if we could only get some sidewalks put in through Pahoa Town so that people in Wheelchairs could at least get from one end of town to the other.
I was wondering, does Pahoa "town" have room to put in 1 ADA compliant sidewalk on one side of the street, without changing traffic to one lane/way only, removing parking, etc.? Seems like @ 200 yd bottleneck to me right in the middle of "town."
an analogy to me is that there are some old bridges in America that have height/weight restrictions because of the construction, YOu can't put big trucks on a old covered bridge unless you tear down the old bridge and build a new one. Pahoa was built to handle 2 Luthers riding up and down the street on their horses. Now we got trucks kriding up and down the narrow street of a quaint old town. The businesses and visitors need parking. The houses in back of the stores are built right up to the stores. Any other suggestions?
"an analogy to me is that there are some old bridges in America that have height/weight restrictions because of the construction, YOu can't put big trucks on a old covered bridge unless you tear down the old bridge and build a new one."
So if we use your analogy above...
Then your saying people with disabilities shouldn't be allowed to shop in Pahoa unless a new town is built?
I don't think that's right.
It makes me think. I like that.
Lava Tree Monument would not have the first, or second, or third place I would have proposed spending $2 million of State funds. Not sure it could have made the top ten -- even if it was only DLNR money!
Nevertheless, maybe it is fair to acknowledge in a positive way what is put forward. So, consider my acknowledgment made.
At the least, when the politicians come out to the new and improved Lava Tree Monument to cut the ribbons, praise their own wonderful deeds, and get their souls captured by every camera they can jump in front of, then Puna folks can buttonhole them for some more (real?) help! ;)
The message:
"Yes, something is better than nothing, thank you, we'll take it (unless, of course, its toxic, hazardous, destructive, or otherwise immoral, etc).
No, gratuitous doling out of tax $ may be necessary but is not sufficient and, as long as you are in the neighborhood, the folks here get plenty more stuff need doing."
I am of the opinion that both more work and more whining (complaining) is needed in tandem and on a consistant ongoing basis.
If we have a $174 million capital improvement budget and the contracts are awarded at only twice their actual value then we taxpayers just squandered $87 million. $87 million lost is something to whine about. A lot of valuable and needed stuff can get done for $87 million.
It is not enough to say that simply because we are starved for infrastructure improvement that it's okay to just waste money as long as we get 'something' to show for it.
It may be crying in the wind. I admit it. Expecting a higher degree of efficiency from government, especially the Hawaiian government(s), is a lot to ask.
But we shouldn't stop asking...
Well written post.
I suspect you have been to a few hundred community meeting
and have seen individual initiative and project momentum get sidetracked and valuable contribution lost because of the this type of response.
Just today I spoke to a man who is heading up a committee to house a local museum in downtown Pahoa. I think it would be a really be nice for residents and visitors. I have some items that might be of historical interest. I am considering
loaning them to go on display.
Will Planning Commission member Rene Siracusa support the new museum in Pahoa?
Any other ideas for the empty buildings?
Since you asked me a direct question, I will answer it directly. First, what exactly do you mean by support? Do you mean vote for it at the Planning Commission? If so, I don't think it will come before the Planning Commission because the property is already zoned commercial - and even if it wasn't, I am not allowed to cast my vote publicly until I and the other commissioners have heard all the testimony.
If by "support" you mean by making a monetary donation, the answer is "no" because my manini social security is already tied up with other projects.
If by "support" you mean donating my volunteer time to help out, maybe I can squeeze them in between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m.
I hope that you are not expecting me to do what you will not?
I always hear people say that they are too busy when asked to volunteer, but they aren't willing to grant me the same excuse - no matter how true or justified. I hope you're not one of those people.
Finally - I don't know enough about the project (just the signs in the window) to know whether or not to support this. What assurance do we have that the antiques and artifacts won't be misappropriated? Who is the responsible party? Does that person have abona fide organization behind him? Does he have curatorial experience? Will there be an admission fee to the museum? I personally would like to see a local history museum in Pahoa to give us some civic pride and educate us all about where we're coming from, but I don't know enough about this particular project to know if it is viable.
Rene