MidWeek Column

As our state legislature heads into the home stretch of the 2024 session over the next month with lots of items still to be scrutinized, tweaked, or abandoned, now might be an appropriate time to reflect back seven months ago when a WalletHub.com survey ranked the “Happiest States in the U.S.A.” (https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959)… because decisions made this month at the Hawai`i State Capitol will invariably affect local people’s happiness levels to some degree, including their willingness to stay and play in Hawai`i, as we’ve highlighted before in relation to the emigration crisis we’re in the midst of.

In autumn, 2023, Hawai`i ranked as the nation’s second-happiest state, right behind Utah. Interesting to note (perhaps) that Utah has been the reddest state (33 straight years of Republican party rule in the governor’s office plus state House + Senate), while Hawai`i has been America’s bluest state over the past 33 years in those three legislative areas (only the eight-year Linda Lingle gubernatorial reign interrupted the blue monopoly here). Social analysts can dissect and discern if steady, one-party rule tends to enhance voter/citizen happiness, but there you have it- one very red and one very blue state lead the happiness hunt. 

Emotional & Physical Well-Being, Work Environment, and Community & Environment were the three broad categories used by the WalletHub survey takers and while the Aloha State ranked #1 in Emotional & Physical Well-Being, we only ranked #25 in Work Environment and #30 in Community & Environment.

Hawai`i (believe it or not) has the lowest, national share of Adult Depression, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable here, and that figure doesn’t include on-going concerns about teens/kids mental health post-COVID isolation. Hawai`i also ranked #49 in Adequate-Sleep Rate, as has been mentioned before, plus we’re a disappointing 45^th in Volunteer rate, maybe because everyone’s working extra jobs/hours, is sleep-deprived, and/or simply doesn’t have the physical/mental bandwidth; or maybe pot luck preparation after soccer games doesn’t count here as official “volunteering”… 

The statistics go on and on, they’ve been quoted before, but there is surely a vital correlation between our collective happiness quotient and the ripple effects that come from decisions made (or not made) by locally-elected officials every year. We need more sleep, but we must also wake up, get involved, create community action hui, provide feedback, vote, and thus make our collective voices heard before the zany, annual legislative session unfolds.

Think about it… 

Last month, the Skyline went backwards; but it was a good thing. Apparently, the elevated transit’s sensors indicated a “stoppage” on the tracks, thus kicking in the “whoa, let’s back up” feature, as designed. Riders were quickly shifted to buses and the train kept a rollin’ within 30-minutes. Nice to see the safety features at work.

But the idea of something going backward got me thinking about what happens far too often locally. We sometimes display a “one step forward, two steps backwards” mentality when it comes to high-profile proposals or even percolating ideas. Large or small- ambitious, newsworthy projects invariably suffer a similar fate. We talk, plan, analyze, prepare, regurgitate, fret, reinterpret, finalize… and then endure a long, vacuous phase- entropy- a gradual decline, or backpedaling. “Hey, whatever happened to…?” We don’t put a period on finalizing projects; we use commas, or semi-colons, because even when it seems like it’s done, it’s not… a lot.

Where to begin? TMT, new Aloha Stadium district, O`ahu replacement refuse center, state prison, new high school in Kapolei. The Waikiki Natatorium, Koolau Stairway to Heaven, North Shore parking, revised land use laws, truly affordable housing, a bypass road to/from leeward O`ahu. Like Lucy invariably snatching the football away just as hapless Charlie Brown approaches to kick it through the uprights, seemingly set projects and plans in Hawai`i dissipate as sure as the Manoa mist gently fades away.

Moving forward on major enterprises affecting our citizenry can be complicated, requires nuance, and must always pass the smell test. But like couples who say “I do”, but then don’t, way too often here something inches toward fruition, and then tumbles into a void-  too many see too little get done too often about too much.

Do or do not, there is no try. (Yoda) Well… yes there is locally. Frequently we reach a decision on a major or long-delayed issue, and then something or someone comes along to throw a wrench into the progress/process after we heard the final whistle, or so we thought.  

Our visions require stronger glasses when it comes to housing, human service initiatives, and entrepreneurial opportunities too often bandied about. Being cautious and playing within (sometimes outdated) rules on approved, constructive projects remains an absolute. But getting beyond expectations and witnessing no action taken for years or decades is frustrating and confounding, yet accepted… even expected. Which seems self-defeating.

Think about it…

Sometimes people move because they want to. Sometimes people move because they feel they have to. A Honolulu Star-Advertiser article last month articulated the now-familiar story of families leaving Hawai`i, and then went touched on the specific human side of one Maui family’s efforts to stay put… at great cost.

When just looking at figures, the human element sometimes gets lost or ignored. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 67,257 residents moved from our islands between mid-2021 and mid-2022- at the height of the pandemic. During that same period, 56,209 people moved here from other states, so our net emigration was about 11,000 people. But who left, and who moved in? Those are vital questions that need further elucidation and dissection as we witness a changing of the literal face and nature of our state population.

Eight straight years of losing population has major implications for Hawai`i’s future. If local families uproot to find salvation and stability via affordable and more readily available housing, quality jobs, and a chance to build a retirement nest egg elsewhere, what do we lose? Not simply a family or tax payer, but possibly nā keiki o ka `aina, as different residents move here and (hopefully) acculturate, at some level. 

A deeper dive into immigration/emigration figures might show that we’re losing many 25- to 45-year-olds (+ kids) and gaining many 60+ year-olds who can afford to and truly want to retire here, meaning we’ve got a morphing population base. The state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) recently posted: “There were 31 more people moving out of Hawaii to another state than moving to Hawaii from another state” every day from July, 2022 – June, 2023. 

Judge for yourself whether having fewer people reside here is a good thing, but also reflect on what this means for our state’s future, unique culture, tax base, worker pool, and ability to care for a growing kūpuna base. The social/cultural/lifestyle factors affected by the resident movement cannot be ignored and must be an integral part of housing/jobs/local style discussions. To ignore this reality is to be part of the unproductive “ainokea” or “whatevah” syndrome. 

The clock is ticking; local airport turnstiles are clicking. Legislative and business action items must progress today regarding housing, jobs, and tax issues. Perhaps we’ll finally see an other-than-just-tourism economic engine start moving… before more of our local families gets moving.

Think about it…

Through a satellite telescope, astronomers have discovered an exo-planet (named TOI-715b) that “may be” habitable! TOI-715b is 137 light years away (give or take), which equals 805-trillion miles. I’m sure housing options will soon be discussed. So close, yet so far. I love scientific discoveries and the search for what “may be” out there. But if you hitched a ride today on NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which speeds along at a brisk 165,000 MPH, you’d arrive at TOI-715b in 405,246 years, unless you were held up at a TSA checkpoint. I am getting excited about what one should wear for this excursion. It’s important to dream…

On a more earth-bound topic, every 40-sconds, someone in the U.S. has a heart attack. If you have an episode at home, it doesn’t make the nightly local news. So why must we still see/read news coverage of yet one more anonymous hiker or swimmer having a cardiac episode on a trek or in the ocean? Because a helicopter or four rescue vehicles showed up? 

Over 800,000 Americans have heart attacks annually. Redundant cardiac news stories might subtly remind us to take better care of ourselves, except that we might mindlessly watch such stories while reclining on a couch with chips, dip, and an adult beverage after a grueling day at work. Are these stories noteworthy? 

It’s all about perspective, but regularly occurring, anonymous people having medical emergencies seems non-newsworthy. 2.5% of adults locally suffer from coronary heart disease annually; more than 18,000 heart attacks and strokes (cardiovascular disease) annually require hospitalization in Hawai`i. While a visibly stricken individual in public surely provides traumatic moments for witnesses, passersby and family, perhaps we can stop the presses when it comes to reporting these semi-regular incidents…

Finally, do you believe artificial intelligence (A.I.) 2.0 is an overblown media hype? Enjoy the great Billy Joel video for “Turn The Lights Back On”- his first, new pop song in 30-years- and witness how AI transposes Billy Joel (2024) singing the new tune as it morphs with old Joel video footage- when he was simply the “piano man”- 50-years ago, yet with new song being mouthed Thrilling, yet chilling. Talk about putting words in someone’s mouth. As this un-regulated, geometrically-expanding, digital tool becomes a bigger issue every single day for nefarious abusers, geopolitical pawns, social losers, deepfakers, spammers, trolls, troublemakers, pseudo-media sites, and unfriendly saboteurs- watch out.

Think about it…

“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…