We are fortunate to live in a community that’s small enough to actually meet face-to-face with the people who represent us at the state and county level. The same cannot be said for residents of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago or the great majority of urban areas.
As a resident and voter, you can call or email directly the council member or state legislator who is elected in your district and expect a fairly prompt reply.
If you’re not happy with the conduct or votes cast by your district representative or council member, then you can take action to “throw the bums out.” We live in a place were it’s relatively easy for anyone who so chooses to run for election themselves and have a decent chance to actually be elected to public office — if they are willing to do the work.
Yes, lucky are we to live in a civil society and have the opportunity to participate safely and meaningfully in our democracy — if we choose to do so.
So let’s do it. As mentioned in a past column, identify your state legislator at https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/fyl/ then call them or send them an email. Share your thoughts and values, and ask about theirs. If they ignore you, then write a letter to the editor and let the world know.
Do the same with your county council member. Call them up. Ask to meet. Share your concerns and write that letter to the editor and call them out if the don’t respond: https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Council/Councilmembers-2022-2024.
Turn off “Orange is the New Black” or whatever drivel that might currently be grabbing your attention and watch a streaming council meeting or two. Trust me, there are characters and conversations you’ll view there which will compete head-to-head with the best Hulu docudrama.
You may come away from the experience thinking “I can do that,” or maybe even “I can do that, and I’m sure I can do it better.”
With the 2024 elections right around the corner, new candidates will soon be knocking at your door seeking your vote.
Please take the time to get to know and support those who share your values, understand the challenges of your community, and are committed to doing the hard work needed to make things better.
If they win, hold them accountable to being the person they said they were during the campaign. As someone who helped them win, your voice will rise above many others. If you can’t find a candidate to support, consider running yourself.
Participate at some meaningful level in your own democracy. Help someone run. Submit testimony. Write those letters to the editor. Hold a flipping sign on the side of the road. Do something!
Just voting every couple of years is not enough.
Bottom line: It’s our fault. All of it.
The blame (or credit) for our local state and county government sits squarely on our own shoulders. Being an armchair quarterback and throwing rocks from the sidelines ignores our own personal responsibility for the way things are.
We can do so much better. Our jails are overcrowded, our public schools could use a coat of paint, our teachers deserve a raise, our water is polluted, our beaches are overcrowded, our houseless population and general lack of affordable housing are at crisis levels, and those dang pot holes on Kuamo‘o Road just keep getting bigger.
So take a moment please and reflect on your personal level of civic engagement, then crank it up a notch or two. And, yes, we can all do better. Every single one of us.
•••
Gary Hooser is the former vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and served eight years in the state Senate, where he was majority leader. He also served for eight years on the Kaua‘i County Council, and was the former director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control. He serves in a volunteer capacity as board president of the Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action and is executive director of the Pono Hawai‘i Initiative.
