Musings: Lingle's Visit to Kauai

The guv is coming to town tonight, and I heard Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura on the radio last night urging people to attend a "gathering of aloha" at the Historic County Building before hand.

What caught my attention was her reference to that building, which houses the Council offices and chambers, as the focal point of decision-making and governance for the county — an assessment that totally dismisses the role played by Mayor Bryan Baptiste, whose offices are in the Round Building.

She's got a point. The Council has taken a leadership role on the issue, while Baptiste claims to be neutral, even though he will be participating in the meeting tonight as part of Lingle's team.

Meanwhile, folks are warning everyone to be peaceful tonight, and on the look out for paid troublemakers trying to incite violence among the crowd. Hard to tell if it's paranoia, or a reasoned response to the increasingly militant tone of the Lingle administration toward protestors.

On a much brighter note, I spotted a monk seal basking on the beach when I took a swim at Anahola this morning, and saw a brown boobie fishing in the waters off Kauapea last night, along with a flock of ruddy turnstones and a few nene, flying in formation. While it's easy to get caught up in politics and human shenanigans, being out in nature immediately reminds me what's real, and what's truly important.