Photo by Charley Myers
By Keli‘i Akina
One thing I`ve learned from talking to people around the state is that Hawaii’s residents care about the future of our islands — and they have a lot of questions for our elected officials.
This week, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii hosted a series of legislative wrap-ups on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island. Joining me at the events were my institute colleagues Joe Kent, executive vice president; Malia Hill, policy director; and Ted Kefalas, director of strategic campaigns.
At every stop, people were eager to learn more about the institute’s efforts to reform the state’s emergency powers law; reduce barriers to housing; bring taxes, debt and state spending under control; liberalize the state’s cryptocurrency laws; and affect many other issues considered at the recently concluded state legislative session.
Several people asked whether the emergency powers reform bill now on Gov. David Ige’s desk would be sufficient to protect our constitutional rights.
Malia explained that SB3089 — if enacted into law — would go a long way toward restoring Hawaii’s constitutional balance of powers, thus ending the governor’s ability to extend states of emergency virtually forever — as he seemed to be doing over the past two years with the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The bill is not perfect, but it would give the Legislature the power to end an emergency by a two-thirds vote, require justification for the suspension of any laws and add protections in particular against the suspension of the state’s open-records law.
On Maui, one attendee asked how we ended up with so many barriers to the creation of new housing. The short answer is that good intentions do not always equal good policy, and good intentions explain why we are bound by so much red tape today.
In the absence of a better understanding of simple economics — which apparently isn’t so simple for some people — we now have layers upon layers of land-use regulations and zoning laws at both the state and county levels. We have, in fact, one of the most burdensome regulatory schemes in the nation, with an approval process that can take homeowners and developers fully a decade to navigate.
The questions we received reflected a significant local enthusiasm for zoning reform and an end to NIMBYism, and I hope policymakers have noticed that enthusiasm too.
On the Big Island, we were asked about the accounting shenanigans of the state that emphasize its revenues and downplay its $42 billion of debt and unfunded liabilities. Joe explained that too many of our legislators view the budget like a checkbook, paying attention to only what goes in and what goes out. They ignore the state’s long-term debts, such pensions and healthcare, so as to present a sunnier picture to the public than is warranted.
As you may have guessed, these were not softball questions. I am particularly grateful to the attendee who challenged us on the issue of Hawaii Tourism Authority funding, making the case for a future for the HTA.
Our position has been that the tourism industry is more than capable of funding its own promotion, and that the $60 million the Legislature allocated to it this year could be put to better uses, including opening the door to a tax reduction.
More important, the funding was approved through the use of “gut and replace,” a practice that denies meaningful public input. It also is a practice that the Hawaii Supreme Court overturned just six months ago. On that basis alone, the HTA funding should be vetoed.
Nevertheless, the question did give us a chance to affirm that we do support tourism in general, and it opened a necessary discussion on what role the government should play in tourism management and promotion.
No matter what the topic, all of the questions we received were thoughtful and interesting. But the ones that really touched me were about how people can get more involved in Hawaii’s political process. On every island, in every audience, were civic activists looking to make a difference in their communities and asking what they could do next.
It was exciting to witness that energy and know that so many people are getting engaged with state and local politics. There is always something that you can do to be heard, whether it’s writing to your legislator or the governor, writing a letter to the editor of your local paper or organizing a community effort to reach out to elected officials.
As Ted explained, politicians pay attention when they get sincere, original feedback from their constituents.
We love that there are so many people looking to be more active in support of liberty and economic freedom. I want you to know that the Grassroot Institute is here to support those efforts however we can, whether through research, outreach tools or events like our legislative wrap-ups.
Keep sending questions, challenging us, supporting us. Together we can achieve a happier and more prosperous Hawaii.
__________
Keli‘i Akina is president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Free-fall – A series of postings offering perspective and commentary on art and global environmental issues
by Joe Carlisi
The Children Know
Civil authorities have put in place various systems and devices to warn
people of impending catastrophic events. Detection centers can
immediately broadcast across all media to alert the public when severe
and life threatening natural events are about to occur : violent storms,
tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. Sirens, klaxons and alarms sound
in real time. Evacuation mandates, location of shelters, emergency phone
numbers may follow. Uniformed officers are dispatched to direct and
control traffic.
Animals, even domesticated ones can sense approaching natural disaster
long before man’s technical apparatus triggers a warning. Relying on
instinct and feelings, they have already fled to higher ground . . . safer
locations, seemingly having been able to read the (imperceptible to
humans) signs of danger.
Perhaps children have a similar ability. It would help to explain the
significant uptick in mental problems in young people.
The CDC reports:
Depression and anxiety have increased over time.
For adolescents, depression, substance use and suicide are important
concerns. Among adolescents aged 12-17 years in 2018-2019 reporting
on the past year:
15.1% had a major depressive episode.
36.7% had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
18.8% seriously considered attempting suicide.
15.7% made a suicide plan.
8.9% attempted suicide.
2.5% made a suicide attempt requiring medical treatment.
These statistics were compiled in 2019 and do not reflect substantially
higher incidences occurring now, post covid.
Of course, children have exposure to the same grim media coverage of
pandemics, climate change, extinction, war and overall meltdown of the
world around them as adults . . . but not as much. They have not had the
years of relentless, numbing programming with which the adult human
herd has been bombarded and shaped. Their instincts and feelings have
not yet been completely eliminated and shut off. They still have the
ability to perceive and act directly through them. What they perceive is
the unfiltered, real extinction scenario that prevails.
Renowned Swiss psychologist, Roger Piaget observed that cognitive
development in children occurs through a series of orienting responses.
When a child perceives something new . . . unknown, for which he/she
has no prior cognitive experience or action response, a pause occurs . . .
a moment of internal silence . . . and the new element registers and is
added to what Piaget called the child’s schema, or stored cognitive items
much like an action database.
Adults are generally incapable of this maneuver because they are so
programmed with acceptable rational explanations that allow them to
perceive the world only through the largely fictional lens of the herd
program. New, incoming perceptions that do not fit the template are
summarily dismissed as fantasy, tricks of the mind, etc. They are literally
blinded and severely limited in their ability to act on the basis of novel
input by their filtering system of beliefs. If it doesn’t match pre-existing,
acceptable explanations then it simply doesn’t exist!
Sometimes the filter is penetrated or bypassed by a powerful, unexpected
perception. It sneaks through before the filtering mechanism can
assemble and floods the cognitive framework. A pause . . . a shock to
the system . . . a brief moment of internal silence . . . a moment of
cognitive dissonance occurs. An orienting response. A new cookie in the
jar.
Sometimes a work of art can provide the jolt.
Carnaval
Although lost in the frenzy and exultation of the moment, the celebrants
know . . . they know that it is the end . . . the party is over. Their backs
are turned to the enormous wave that is about to engulf them . . . but
they can feel it with all of their senses. The wolf whose instincts are
sharpest has already taken the highest position.
Free – fall
***********************
Joseph Carlisi – Biography
Born and raised in New York City, he earned BA and MA degrees in Philosophy at Hunter College of the City University of New York and then continued his graduate studies in Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence at Massachusetts Institute of Technology working under the mentorship of Marvin Minsky. Joseph worked as a part time content and copy editor for Harvard University Press (science and medicine) while attending M.I.T.
After ten years as a university lecturer, researcher and administrator, he started and managed an advertising / public relations firm in San Diego, CA that handled a wide range of commercial accounts. On the academic side, he published a series of seven articles on animal behavior for Harvard Magazine and two books: “A Guide to Personal Power” and most recently “Playing God on the Eve of Extinction”.
Joseph Carlisi creates oil on canvas paintings that can be described as vivid, surreal and unexpected. His paintings have been exhibited and sold in: Honolulu, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, Miami, Tokyo, Yokohama, Amsterdam, Berlin and Salvador Brazil.
Joe’s art is available for purchase.
Contact him at carlisijoseph@yahoo.com.