I was amused to read Gary Hooser and Charles Herbert on Wednesday’s Forum page. What madness is this? It’s interesting that Gary Hooser started his column with one of my favorite memes. The blessing/curse: “May you live in interesting times.”
I was amused to read Gary Hooser and Charles Herbert on Wednesday’s Forum page. What madness is this?
It’s interesting that Gary Hooser started his column with one of my favorite memes. The blessing/curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Well, we do, and it’s wonderful to be alive in such a time. The opportunities that technology is offering are phenomenal. As are the threats.
We’re challenged locally and globally. We have an ex-state senator talking about our wacko president. The same ex-state senator who suggested to the world that Kauai had 10 times the birth defect rate and tried to stop farming on Kauai.
I’m not arguing we don’t have a wacko president; we do. I’m suggesting that Gary’s socialism is equally threatening.
Gary continues to share that our fundamental institutional injustices hold people down. He’s right! Consider that a bill proposed in the last Hawaii Legislature prevented University of Hawaii men from receiving financial aid if they weren’t registered for the Selective Service.
That bill died quickly, as it was redundant. FAFSA, the federal student financial aid clearing house, requires men to have a Selective Service registration number to complete their application form, required for any college financial aid. Now, I know women are as capable of serving their community as men. That is an example of fundamental institutional gender bias. That bias is demeaning to females.
Antiquated marriage laws have been the source of much national angst regarding spousal benefits. Inheritance and social support laws prevent couples from marrying.
Now, Gary suggests government must do more? Bolder, better and more effective government makes responsible citizens run for the hills. More government assumes that we need it for better community behavior and outcomes. What occurs is more subjective bias.
We don’t need more government to regulate our lives. I recycle cans, cardboard and glass. Gary’s government hasn’t been able to replace our landfill or contract Olokele Sugar to convert our trash to energy. We are capable. Evidence: KIUC advances in renewable energy.
When our layers of government poach on employee and citizen retirement trusts to pay their operating expenses, that is not sustainable. Our governments are doing that. More government would do it “better, bolder and more effective.” Borrowing from the Employee Retirement and Social Security systems to fund political promises is theft by vote.
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Michael Curtis is a resident of
Koloa.
