Remember the childhood song and dance, the “Hokey Pokey”? It goes like this:
“You put your right foot in, you take your right foot out, you put your right foot in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.” Etc., etc.
We do our own redundant, profound dance here- kind of a “local government ‘Hokey Pokey’”. Happens all the time. We start, we stop; we’re in, we’re out. Decisions are made, action begins; decisions are rescinded, action stops. The recent one day of work at Waimanalo’s Sherwood Forest (they found bones! who knew? Everyone…) is just the latest confirmation that government here leads the league in start/stop, discuss/revisit, pledge/avoid, empathize/ignore. Is it arrogance or ignorance?
TMT? The “Stairway to Heaven”? The Falls of Clyde ship? The Waikiki Natatorium? An alternate road to leeward O`ahu? Affordable housing? More doctors? More teachers? The list is seemingly endless… items which we’re told have been resolved and are moving forward- only to come to that inevitable moment where leaders “…take your right foot out.” We can’t seem to get planned major projects vetted, cleared by the courts, and then acted upon- or shelved- except for that on-going rail thing. Intransigence by opposition forces is to be expected. Heck, entities question Roe v. Wade (1973) and the 2nd Amendment (1791) every single year. Our local government just doesn’t finalize many of its big, ongoing issues, or take a permanent stand when apparently justified, if confronted.
Broken promises over time really do set people off. Elected officials failing to act on decisions and edicts should matter to us. When finalizing matters, there is never constituent unanimity or complete happiness at the end… someone’s still upset. If politicos are not prepared for adversarial response, then they shouldn’t promise action or perhaps even be in office.
That stasis leaves us far too often in limbo. And that’s not a quaint town outside of Wahiawa nor a desired destination, but rather a frustrating place to be. Leadership means being accountable and empathetic, but also decisive, explaining rationally when questioned, and ultimately moving forward.
Think about it…
“Think About It: Ideas And Inspiration For Today’s Hawai`i”, my new book, is now available to order online from Watermark Publishing locally (including FREE shipping) at: https://www.bookshawaii.net and is also available at many local bookstores