Musings: Aspirations and Off to India

By now, everyone knows that Gov. Ige has withdrawn his nomination of Carleton Ching as director of the state Department of Natural Resources.

Not so well known, but confirmed by a well-placed source, is that Kauai Councilman Gary Hooser had sought the job. Yes, the guy who was booted from his position as director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control was again seeking a cabinet level position. Talk about delusions of grandeur.

And what do those aspirations say about his commitment to the people of Kauai? Not that we don't already know, given his frequent trips to the state Legislature, and even missing a Council meeting to attend.

But when Ige bypassed him for Ching, Gary helped mount a vigorous attack on Ching.

Though Gary repeatedly claimed he had nothing against Ching's character — and even wrote a blog post to that effect — his opposition was of course rooted in concerns about Ching's character. Namely, concerns that Ching would favor his developer friends and colleagues over the public interest.

Certainly the governor should seek a candidate who is more middle of the road, which rules out Gary, and not so closely affiliated with the development sector. It'll be interesting to see who he picks for the post now.

Federal Judge Susan Mollway, meanwhile, has extended the injunction on enforcing the Maui GMO moratorium until at least June, citing the possibility of legislative action that could affect the case. In other words, the moratorium, which was supposed to be lifted March 31, remains on hold, dashing the aspirations of SHAKA for a quick resolution of the case. The Kauai and Big Island pesticide/GMO regulatory ordinances were already struck down and are under appeal.

On another note, blogging will be intermittent, and offering a more worldly content, over the next couple weeks as I head for India on a freelance assignment.

So stay tuned, and be patient with comment moderation, which may be somewhat delayed.