MidWeek Column

“Time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for me”. So lamented the Rolling Stones fifty years ago. There have been many great songs and prophetic sayings related to time, which makes sense since it occupies so much of our… well, time. Alongside oxygen, time is something we all really need, want, and simply must have.

But for many, time always seems to be in short supply. Time can represent the mundane continuum of our routines- the days, nights, work, home; the ritual. So it’s vital that we take (some) control of our own time, because, after all, without time, what have we got? Too busy to do things that you want/need- for your soul, sanity, or balance? Perhaps you can reboot, reassess, refresh, restart, restore; change things up.

When someone says, “I’ve been meaning to call you…”, I often think: that’s nice, but it implies that anything you do precludes you from following through with me, so perhaps I don’t rate as highly as whatever you spend time on. Texting and calling have never been easier than in our over-digitized world. “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time’, is like saying, ‘I don’t want to’ ” (Lao Tzu).

Many people carry calendars on their phones, or at least can email/message themselves. So why suggest: “Let’s do lunch soon…” when bumping into a seldom seen acquaintance? Make plans then and there, for that stated, sincere desire to reconnect will undoubtedly drift into the vast wasteland of time.

Been meaning to attend a UH volleyball game? Then go. Been meaning to watch the waves roll in? Then do it. Been meaning to take a walk with your spouse? Now is the time. Much of life is happenstance; sometimes serendipity plays a role in how we end up spending our time. “You may delay, but time will not” (Benjamin Franklin).

Make time an ally by (re)gaining some control. Shake the humdrum routine, even if for only a short window; change patterns, trajectory, and perhaps even your perspective. Coming out of COVID (where we all had ample periods of down time) maybe we’ve learned just how precious time is. The angst of that awful, confining, asocial COVID window proved we must take time to make time. “The bad news is- time flies. The good news is- you’re the pilot” (noted speaker Michael Altshuler). Time to go.

Think about it…

It’s not sexy, and it’s often not discussed… until it’s too late. But the infrastructure needs in this state and this country cannot be ignored nor taken lightly. As a country, even with the landmark 2021 Congress-approved, infrastructure investment bill, the USA still lags far behind other world economic powers.

Locally, (as we await the 2023 Hawai`i Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers- ASCE) we can reflect back to the pre-pandemic 2019 report on our infrastructure to remind us how vital- and yet fraught with differing opinions on what to do- the infrastructure situation is. Who’s to pay? When? What takes priority and what gets waitlisted? 

But one thing that cannot go on unattended is upgrading our antiquated and dilapidated infrastructure that we often hear about when things go awry. Sewer problems, water main breaks, electrical conduit corrosion, creaking pipes, bridge concerns, rising tides. Lots to ponder with limited resources. 

In the ASCE 2019 report, the best grades Hawai`i’s infrastructure received were a “C+” for bridges and a “C” for solid waste. Dams? We got a “D”. Damn! Drinking water, wastewater, schools, and roads all scored a “D+”. Energy and coastal areas? “C-”. These grades may parallel Bart Simpson’s report card, but the rankings are surely no joke. 

We await the 2023 report to assess progress (or not); the 2019 report indicated that: “The majority of Hawai`i’s infrastructure has been operating beyond its useful life, and some components of systems are over 100 years old”. Gulp. Problem areas are too numerous to tackle simultaneously. Tactical plans must ensure that, piece by piece, we address the most problematic, serious needs today, next year, and next decade. 

ASCE’s 2019 report gave Hawai`i an overall infrastructure grade of “D+” and suggested that the funding gap is increasing. ASCE’s 2021overall USA infrastructure grade was a “C-”. Our tired infrastructure isn’t getting younger nor improving over time. But before you say “well, just fix it”, imagine what spending areas will have to be ignored or pushed aside to get this heavy lifting done. And that’s an estimated $23-billion (or so) conundrum that legislators, engineers, division managers and others must chip away at.

Maybe the upcoming ASCE Hawai`i report will show local progress being made through diligent efforts, with on-going, solid plans in the works. This is not a report card to be taken lightly or kicked down the potholed road.

Think about it…

Stasis: defined as stagnation; a period of little or no evolutionary change. Hawai`i may not lead the nation in stasis, but we gotta be near the top of the chart in many vital areas. We’ve talked about a need for truly affordable housing for 60 years, but laws, rules, decision-makers, and attitudes haven’t change enough to allow for that to happen en masse while our population grew. Frivolous lawsuits (a/k/a stalling) and the expense/time to fight these battles renders interested business entities unable or unwilling to pursue plans. We suffer from NIMBY (“not in my backyard”). We want things done… just not in/near my neighborhood, town, or area…

Too much land on O`ahu zoned agricultural is not currently being used productively- for myriad reasons. 38% of O`ahu land was zoned agricultural in 1970, when sugar and pineapple ruled. The 2020 Honolulu Land Use Report indicated that 33% of O’ahu land was still zoned as agricultural, while urban land rose from 22% in 1970 to just 26% in 2020. That’s a whopping 4% increase in 50-years. Stasis, inertia, bumbai, deferral.  Archaic regulations/laws, too many cooks and special interests amid rampant bureaucracy, community objections; it all adds up to a veritable bouillabaisse of apathy and inefficiency, mixed with a lack of passion and action plans… something else we might lead the league in.

Let’s hope that things are changing in 2024 with smart plans and timetables. The notion that we must find/create smaller, attractive, economic drivers beyond tourism have been amorphously pontificated often- after the Kōbe earthquake (1995) and the Iwate tsunami (2011), post-9/11 (2001), during the Great Recession (2007-2009), and the COVID scourge (2020-2022). Every time, visitors came back and we went “ho-hum; laters!”

But local people have been moving away at alarming rates since 2016, while people are moving in and/or buying/building housing units from afar; we question whether that’s the future we want for our state and to sustain our unique culture. Enough talk and setting up ad hoc committees; enough of allowing administrative managers to set the tone without persistent community pressure to force new visions or suggest bold ideas.

Surely, now is the time for well thought out, systemic changes. Between out-migration, COVID, the growth of ALICE households (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) to almost 50% of Hawai`i’s population, and the horrible Maui wildfires, now must be the time for action. Isn’t it?

Think about it…

While it’s true that college may not be for everyone, there is an argument to be made that is just might be right for anyone. While getting into a profession or training might be right for some, numerous studies indicate that life’s winding road may improve overall when one gets a diploma, including increased happiness odds. There are some serious free speech/hate speech and safety concerns on some campuses in 2024, but that’s also true far outside the hallowed halls- in the real world.

We enjoy myriad choices when shopping, choosing friends, picking life partners, deciding where to eat, etc., and college can provide fertile ground for seeding life-altering choices, as it teaches large lessons beyond the basic course load- like being reliable, independence, time-management, inter-dependence, prioritizing, enhancing self-esteem, learning resiliency, and increasing control over one’s own life- all attributes hopefully reinforced while attending post-high school institutions.

The University of Hawai`i Economic Research Organization (UHERO) recently published “A Case Study of the University of Hawai`i System”, based on a decades worth of administrative statistics. The information, corroborated in numerous other studies, concludes that college grads earn substantially more money over their lifetimes than those who do not graduate (or attend) college.

Of course, happiness is not defined through money; it’s a personal sense, and ultimately decisions about pursuing a college path must consider family situations, costs, health, and other individual items, but college has the potential to provide the impetus for career/life paths going forward. Options…

The price tag at too many schools is far beyond many people’s reach. An ever-present debt cloud hanging over one’s working head for 20+ years (post-graduation) is understandably a deterrent, but between scholarships, grants, community college, online courses, work savings, and other opportunities, continuing one’s education may provide the best chances for finding a career of professional fulfillment (rather than simply working “a job”) and maybe even enhance one’s ability to stash valuable retirement funds away for 45-years down the line.  

As teens research tomorrow’s career opportunities and their abilities to adapt to morphing business needs, ups and downs, roadblocks, and the other barriers that affect work, UHERO’s report provides more evidence that post-high school studies can make for greater enjoyment over the next 50-years, especially when one lives in America’s most expensive state. Attending college provides academic/career options, independence, maturation opportunities, and social lessons that simply cannot be gleaned via textbooks.

Think about it… 

Last year, there were seven (yes, seven) bills in play related to controlling O`ahu’s feral chicken population. Two bills that have rolled over into this year’s legislature propose a chicken complaint hotline… a phone number for people to call and squawk. That’s a real (chicken) nugget. Efforts to provide tainted feed to sterilize marauding cluckers were problematic, as the wild wanderers don’t hang around long enough to be contained and contaminated; they’re foragers. Plus, tossing infertility-laced feed is problematic for other animals.

Hmmm. what qualifies someone to professionally handle chicken complaints? Is there a pecking order? Traps are expensive, as are any removal suggestions, since freedom-seeking chickens apparently don’t want to comply. One concept- capture the bothersome birds and feed them to those in need- sounds interesting, but establishing a pleasant pheasant food facility is a logistical quagmire and a costly plan. California is trying rural relocation for city-dwelling chickens.

Unwieldy, expensive traps, persistent birth control feed, and coordinated culinary round-ups are not doing the job or not happening. With history as our guide, local legislators may cackle about bill specifics in committee, a few feathers will fly, and then we’ll be probably be back dissecting this issue in 2026. 

The amiable, ancient philosopher, Yoda, said, “Do or do not. There is no try”. Except locally, where repeated attempts to get things done on perennial issues often wither with minimal resistance, invariably fading away ‘til next year, while elected officials suggest “we tried…” as they somehow hack their way through a mind-boggling 3,000+ proposed bills and the now-annual, last-sessions chaos. 

Hawai`i legislators are rarely challenged in primary or general elections, so why rock the boat, create possible controversy, or chill feral chickens by making potentially provocative decisions? Our citizenry has been told to not feed wild chickens… will that prevent hungry hens from finding food elsewhere? As we now consider a cuckoo complaint line, what would this Office of Chicken Complaints actually do, besides relay concerns to higher-ranking administrators? Rampant, rambunctious chickens have been a local nuisance for years, much like illegal fireworks- and how’s that one going? Phone calls are probably not the answer. 

Who rules this roost? Wild chickens mean unwanted, pre-dawn, wake up calls, can ruin yards, spread disease, and cause genuine road havoc. I don’t mean to sound like a bad egg here, but how about measurable action plans with a budget? Enough fowl play!

Think about it…

Hawai’i’s state legislative session begins this week as the annual scramble unfolds with an estimated 3,000 proposed bills to be vetted, discussed, researched, heard, voted on, and/or quietly put aside in 60 bewildering, working legislative days. On average, maybe 10% of the bills will be passed on for the governor to sign (or veto) by mid-July.

You might assume that Hawai`i is America’s most partisan state; if you look back over the past 33-years, Hawai`i does lead all states in years in which it’s had a blue “trifecta”, as it’s called- where one political party rules the House, Senate, and sits in the governor’s office. Only the eight-year Linda Lingle Republican reign in the governor’s chair interrupted the Aloha State from having 33-years of a single (Democratic) party in charge in all three places.

Yet other states easily top Hawai`i’s single party dominance in any year since 1992. Utah has been Republican red (governor + both legislative bodies) for all of those 33 years. South Dakota (31), North Dakota (30), Idaho (30), Ohio (26), and Nebraska (26) also rank above Hawai`i in single party rule since 1992; all have been Republican red.

Maryland (21) and California (19) rank behind Hawai`i as true blue (Democratic) trifecta states often over the past 33 years, while other red-heads include Florida (25 years), Arizona, South Carolina, Texas, Wyoming (each with 22 years of one-party domination), and also Georgia (21).

Presidential political pundits quadrennially assess which way 85% of the country will vote before we mail in our ballots or wake up to vote on Election Day. In the all-or-nothing presidential stakes, a statewide 51% vs. 49% presidential outcome means the same as a 65% to 35% “runaway”, since 48 of 50 states award the winning candidate 100% of its electoral votes. The color purple be damned, it seems. 

Only Nebraska and Maine split electoral votes based on the percentage of votes earned by a presidential candidate. Interestingly, Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral system- one legislative body (since 1937). Many states have explored unicameralism, including Hawai`i, but no one’s joined Nebraska’s single legislative reality in 87 years now.

Anyway, let the legislative labor begin! Here’s hoping for answers and solutions to age old problems and issues, rather than redundant rhetoric and posturing pontification, followed by annual deferral and avoidance. The future is today, before our leaking population base shrinks even further. 

Think about it…

While not a huge proponent of lavish resolutions and laundry lists of ways to “improve” just because the clock strikes January 1, I do believe that steady self-awareness and conscious action can occur at any time, if only we would get just down to it. 

It’s 2024. Let’s not allow controllable situations and conundrums to tug on you too hard. A thought for 2024 might include lightening up on yourself (and others), even when things appear heaviest. Carrying the weight of the world makes for a sore back, which can be unpleasant, unwieldy, and destructive. So here are a handful of noteworthy quotes and sayings, with alleged attributions (some questionable in origin), to help you lighten up during unnerving times… 

“Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight.” (Phyllis Diller)

“If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of fun out of owning one.” (Andy Rooney)

“Friends are God’s way of apologizing to us for our families.” (Tennessee Williams)

“Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need most.” (American Proverb)

“You can’t believe everything you hear… but it’s fun to repeat it anyway.” (Milton Berle)

“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain… and most do.” (Dale Carnegie)

“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” (Oscar Wilde)

“He is a self-made man and worships his creator.” (John Bright)

“We use 10% of our brains. Imagine how much we could accomplish if we used the other 60%.” (Ellen DeGeneres)

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” (Albert Einstein)

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” (Oscar Wilde)

“Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” (Isaac Asimov)

“Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.” (Pauline Thompson)

“The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.” (George Carlin)

“I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.” (Noel Coward) 

“My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem. But they don’t really know me.” (Garry Shandling)

“When I was growing up, I always wanted to be someone. Now I realize I should have been more specific.” (Lily Tomlin)

“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” (A.A. Milne/Winnie-The-Pooh)

It’s 2024. Breathe through your “knows”… 

Think about it…

No more over-sized trucks, orange cones, or pieces of asphalt causing door dings or chipped car windows. No more incessant beeping sounds of work vehicles backing up. No more single lane closures or upraised, metal plates covering persistent holes. Happy new year- Pali Highway repairs are (just about) finished! 

The planned three-mile, Vineyard to Waokanaka roadwork destruction/construction project has now taken six years (much longer than expected), with innumerous weather delays, underground impediments and unexpected findings, and who knows what else. Some areas (around Country Club Road and Queen Emma Summer Palace) seemed to get repaired, repaved… and then re-done repeatedly.

Mother Nature intervened often, not just with foul weather, but with landslides that created havoc; like in February, 2019, when rain-induced debris necessitated six-months of work to add an extension to and steel anchors above the town-bound, Kailua side tunnel. Travelers went from “poly”-tunnels to mono tunnel.

Two weeks ago, a trees/rocks/mud landslide occurred mere yards past the town-side tunnel exit, completely negating Honolulu-bound traffic for five days. Frankly, it’s a wonder we don’t see more downed trees, rocks, and dirt debris interrupting mountain-carved roadway excursions with frequent rainfall (and erosion) in so many places.

Take a look at trees and other foliage growing at even subtle angles the next time you travel alongside a steep hillside or mountain, and be thankful for deep tree roots (hopefully) and smart engineering plans. It makes you wonder, season after season, about erosion affecting trees, boulders, and/or earth and possible displacement. Also, when heavy rain meets dry, shallow ground, we can see more flash flooding. 

The 50,000+ (estimated) vehicles traversing the Pali Highway daily should now be able to travel more uneventfully in the years ahead. Speed bumps have been wisely added in more congested, residential areas between Wyllie and Waokanaka Streets to encourage amped drivers to simply obey existing speed laws.

The obvious upside of substantial winter rain? Much of the state is in some form of a drought condition, so precipitation, while persistent and sometimes ruinous for outdoor planning, provides relief for farmers and crops, and alleviates some concerns for potential fire zones. We cannot enjoy a cherished, lush, tropical Hawai`i without a certain regularity of precipitation.

And Windward drivers can celebrate January, 2024; the end of a patience-testing era as the final markings are affixed and stronger asphalt composition ensures more pleasant years of Pali travel ahead.

Think about it…

Holiday traditions are wonderful for many people. Anchoring, re-affirming, reminding many of a special place, time, tradition, family member(s), et al. Certain traditions are, of course, unique, or less commonplace among the masses. Today, let’s explore a few Christmas traditions and ask some semi-appropriate questions:

If egg nog and turkey stuffing are so good (which they are), why must we be resigned to such a short window of time to enjoy them? I mean, when was the last time someone invited you over for stuffed turkey and gravy in late May? Is there an unwritten law about over-eating outside of the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday seasons?? And then there’s egg nog; a thick, tantalizing, sensory stimulating, fulfilling and filling beverage with a unique pizazz, yet it’s simply not seen on most store shelves for 10-months a year. Why? A quaff of the liquid gold wouldn’t be as fabulous on a hot July day?!

Here’s a holiday anomaly that’s fascinating. The #1 song on the national Billboard Hot 100 in early December was “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by BrendaLee… a tune which made it’s first chart appearance when Brenda first recorded the ditty at age 13… in 1958! Yes, 65 years later, it’s finally topped the “current” chart of hot songs, one slot ahead of Mariah Carey’s (1994) “modern” Christmas classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. Apparently, good things really do come to those who wait…

On the local tradition front, we ofttimes hear about fortunate Hawai`i contingents that are asked to play in the vaunted Rose Parade. This year, the Hawaii All State Marching Band, featuring 290 high school members assembled from Hawai`i’s four most populous islands, will be performing at the 135^th Rose Parade on January 1, 2024, playing local and Polynesian arrangements arranged by local musician, Siuai Laufou. Now that’s something worth celebrating annually!

…much like the Honolulu City Lights exhibition, the City’s Electric Light Parade, and the labor-of-love City Employee Tree Exhibition and Wreath Display. And let’s not forget Nāmoku Street in Kāne`ohe with the multi-home dazzling decorations that would give Chevy Chase’s illuminated abode in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” a run for its money.   

Lots of local and more mainstream traditions to (hopefully) put a smile on your face and a twinkle in your eye throughout this frantic holiday season. Enjoy the moments, laugh, and celebrate what you love. For ‘tis the season!

Think about it… 

The heavy rains of late-November/early December wreaked havoc underneath the state Capitol… again. While the area is undergoing repair (for problems first noted over 15 years ago), speculation continues about how best to replace or recreate the pools fronting the Capitol to highlight the original intent (1969) of a building (a very cool one, indeed) that represents a volcanic island, surrounded with palm trees aside the ocean.

As we’ve seen, the conceptual nature of this nature has been offset by the age-old reality of a leaky basin and too much time spent realizing the problem, but not fixing (or budgeting for) it. Thus, here are some whimsical, yet possible, alternatives to address our external Capitol concerns, amid the now-common views of plastic bags, dripping, and clean-ups.

Beach volleyball courts– what better way to celebrate the dynamic sport that Hawai`i considers its own in many ways! And what a great opportunity to drive more people to the structure than to have families and friends playing in the golden sand along Beretania Avenue. We could even charge hourly fees to help raise revenue!

Lawn bowling or bocce ball– though similar in nature, these two extremely fun games would again bring out the masses and provide for oodles of entertainment. Yes, we would have to keep the grass there somewhat immaculate, and that would mean watering in the same area where… oh well, maybe we can use a thick, synthetic, weather-resistant turf?!

Pickle ball courts– Come on, it’s the hottest sport out there right now, and how better to ensure that our local, orthopedic community has plenty of business going forward as baby boomers tweak ACLS and/or Achilles tendons as they literally jump into this craze. 

Model car racing– Leagues could be formed and encouraged to bring mini-racer teams to the track(s) on weekends when the kids aren’t scheduled for one of their 45 other activities.

Food truck rally/festival/park– perfect for downtown eaters looking for variety, stocked with a rotating cast of the incredible mobile eateries we now visit throughout O`ahu.

Cement barriers– as a not-so-subtle reminder about the concerns of global warming and its creeping impact on our environs.

A walking loop– why not simply turn this area into a walking trail ringing the Capitol? Include native plants aligned along the route with informative notations about plant life- exercise, socialization, nature and education all together- a Capitol idea!

Think about it…