Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Musings: Really?

It's been so incredibly heartening to read about Ed Snowden, to watch the video in which he explains why he released information about the American surveillance state, to be reassured that yes, there are people out there who are willing to risk everything to do what's right, to speak so articulately about the missteps of our government.

If we don't get a handle on this state-sponsored oppression, Snowden warns, “it will be turn key tyranny.”

Living in a time and place when so many people are afraid to even state an opinion, much less take action to do what's right, his courage is remarkable and commendable. When I hear people accuse him of treason, of undermining our true freedom and security, I think, really? It's not the sheeple, the politicians, the spooks? It's the whistle-blowers?

Not so heartening was reading — once again — the same misguided people blaming monk seals for the loss of fish around the main Hawaiian Islands. Really? It's not the sewage, the injection wells, the pollution, the sedimentation, coral diseases, climate change, over-harvesting, poor resource management and the overall decline of marine life? It's the critically endangered seals?

Talk about blaming the victim.

It's especially sad to see people taking the stance that monk seals are not “native” — like the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands aren't part of the archipelago?

I understand where the push-back is coming from. Frankly, the feds blew it big time with their misinformation, their weird, stilted way of conducting public meetings that allowed no official responses, their plans to bring young seals down here, their poor inter-agency coordination that resulted in a deluge of proposed management plans that left people understandably worried that fishing and other subsistence and recreational activities would be curtailed — a fear that is validated each time a rope is put up on a beach and locals are scolded by a haole monk seal watch volunteer.

I think a lot of the animosity is misplaced resistance to the growing sense of being displaced from one's homeland, the marginalization that is part and parcel of colonization disease. For some people, it's easier and safer to lash out against a seal than to rage against the American machine. Or as the old saying goes, shit rolls down hill.

And finally, I had to snicker a little upon reading Mayor Bernard Carvalho trying to reassure southsiders that there's value in spending $625,000 to update that region's community plan:

We cannot stop growth — remember that — I know that for a fact but we can surely manage growth to determine how we’re going to grow, where we’re going to grow, and where we would like to see development or not,” Carvalho, Jr. said.

Oh, really? And should we look at your Administration's bungled implementation of the TVR law as an example of how well you manage growth? Or are you trying to tell us that vacation rentals have proliferated in residential communities because that's where you and your campaign donors wanted to see development and growth occur, even though the residents did not?

All I know is that hundreds of vacation rentals were never part of the North Shore Development Plan. Yet there they are. And in three months, maybe, the planning department will have a plan to enforce against just one.

Really? That's the best you can do?

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Repeat after me: "Anyone but Bernard for mayor". I have given him time to be man, do the right thing and lead in the face of adversity. He has chosen to remain silent, downplay and hide at a time when we need leadership. Sorry, Mr. Mayor, I actually like you as a person but your leadership is lacking. My biggest concern is what your most afraid of.

Anonymous said...

He's a joke. I see him everywhere on the island at every organized event obviously campaigning for another 4 years of the same old shit. All the while the Planning Department is in an uproar over your expose of their bungling of vacation rentals, something most of us who were against the ordinances could foresee happening (duh). His 209 million dollar budget just got approved at the expense of taxpayers who will be looking at increases in fees/taxes to pay for it. We don't need a "nice guy" as Mayor, we need a leader and a visionary, that which he is not. As for Koloa, look what "growth" as done for that district. The historical quaintness of Koloa Town is marred by stalled construction sites where former Monkey Pod trees once graced the entrance to the town. The problem Mayor is that there has been no balance and developments for the most part always get ramrodded through despite community opposition. We don't need another 4 years of Kusaka's "lineage" of Mayors which has given us Kaloko Dam, the sell-out of Kealia ahupua'a, desecration of Wailuanuiahoano, resorts in north shore residential neighborhoods, the Police Chief fiasco to name just a few. Stop hiding behind your minions. The buck stops with you.

Anonymous said...

The seals are definitely the ones getting the short end of the stick in this situation. NOAA/DLNR, etc need to get more sensitive dealing with real people and not act so bureaucratic. Local fisherman need to come to terms with the fact that the seals ARE native and this problem with the decrease in fish populations is global and massive, and has nothing to do with monk seals.

Anonymous said...

IMPEACH Kauai's corrupt criminal organization.

Anonymous said...

The only thing our mayor seems to do well, is attend events that give him a free meal.

Anonymous said...

really ? $625k w/ $110k to PBR for a "land use buildout analysis" over 12mos. wonder where the other $515k goes, chili, hot dogs and beef stew ? compensation to the "select committee" ? roughly 3% of the county budget , really ? a blurb in the GI two days before the meeting, really ? '40 or so' attend out of all the people who live between kalaheo and poipu, really ? curious who was there, i wasnt but would have if there was a bit more effort by the county to give more advanced notice so people could make time to plan to be there like maybe three press releases a week apart w/ the last a week before the event, like they have to do when they foreclose on your house. and is it even possible to plan 30 yrs out ? was the plan that was done 35 yrs ago the result of the current state of reality ? did they see the recession, terrorism, overpopulation, gmo, national debt, taxes, cost of living, fuel/food price, global warming, drought, wars, inept government, big money moving in, land heirs not born yet decisions, and last but not least TVRs ? it seems every generation will have its own vision of the future based on their view of how it was when they were young. the normal for them is whats there now, not what the elders knew back then. the generation that decides what the next will inherit has no idea what they are going to want, casinos ? freeways ? wind farms ? hawaiian soverignty ? succession ? i think leave it to an informed public to decide per each change at the time of proposal, journalists job is to get the word out, the fourth branch of government......oops ....now youre the fifth....the IRS has taken the 4th spot...oops....now youre 6th....NSA just got shown...aloha Dean

Anonymous said...

joan, almost every blog has been about tvrs.

I understand that it's starting to take off now at Planning, but why isn't anyone up in arms about the claims against the county auditors office?

the money being paid to the top 2 in that department who are apparently not even CPAs is not an efficient budget if we're paying unqualified people in department head positions. i know there are other unqualified people, but this is AS CLEAR AS DAY.

Joan, even though you wrote 1 blog on this, can you please follow up more on the auditor. sounds like ron has a lot of evidence against the auditor i.e. - the auditor disclosing only partial audit report and not investigating shayme and jake.

Anonymous said...

Anyone but Bernard for mayor...but hopefully someone with brains.

Anonymous said...

Well said!

Anonymous said...

Remember.......Obama and everyone else is watching you....

Use your words carefully......even writing as "anonymous"....there is someone we are paying with or tax dollars, who will find you. Blend in..keep your mouth shut and don't say anything against our government run by idiots.

You/We cannot hide anymore, especially if you go against the "syndicate" running our government.

We have become our own enemy. We have become the Soviet Union....or at least we are heading that way.

Anonymous said...

Hipocrate.

Anonymous said...

We already say anything we want about our government, the president, etc. and it's okay to do so------no worry about that! But do worry about people who will hurt you, rob you, bomb you . . . . . this is why i don't mind the intrusion---i am sure i am safe as i am a good, law abiding citizen who does as much good as possible to help and not hurt others and my country.

Anonymous said...

Sucker

Anonymous said...

Interesting that itʻs only the haoles and their organizations claiming monk seals to be ʻHawaiianʻ.

They are aggressive. They rip nets to shreds and take anything and everything in the net.

It is pretty disturbing to a subsistence fisherman to try to put (scarce already due to the reasons you mention, Joan) fish on the table AND at the same time find the money to replace a $300 net every week!

HEllo?

Anonymous said...

$300 net fishing is not subsistence fishing-HELLO-O!

Evan said...

Thank you again Joan, for another article, and thank you for having the courage to put YOUR opinion out there for others to criticize. You are courageous, and to all of the "anonymous", what good is your opinion, if we don't know who to give credit to. That being said, I am not sure we as citizens, whether Native or transplants, have enough information to make any decisions on Monk Seals and/or their actual effect on the reefs, so again, it becomes an issue that is divisive, polarizing people against each other and keeping us busy, while our Government "Handles" everything for us. As long as we are fighting each other over the Seals, the real issues LIKE pollution and chemical runoff are safe from scrutiny, as are the multi-billion$ companies responsible for these issues. I think the time has come for a completely new slate of representatives, from council on up, that will take the entire session, if necessary, to review ALL spending and ALL positions and ALL local government procedures. This would allow us to throw out everything that doesn't serve the general population, and support the creation of new laws, charter amendments and budgets that reflect the needs and desires of the average citizen, not the privileged few with connections and more than enough money to throw at the problem. With our local officials so caught up simply moving the pieces around the board in a game that was set up years ago, they are not equipped to effect the change that is necessary in our current society and social environment. My hope is that more of us will start to feel like this, and will join together in creating a whole new panel of candidates, without any political, family or business ties to any organizations that have traditionally experienced so much wealth from our aina. We need actual Hawaiian's, Transplants that moved here to be part of a better way of life, and most importantly, we need the 20 somethings to get involved as well, because it will be their future we are deciding! Let us stop pointing fingers at each other, and join together in democratically removing the problems, while creating the future we all want, TOGETHER! We all have our part to play, but I can assure you that it isn't to divide ourselves on the smaller issues, our government is already successfully making that happen.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

$300 net fishing is not subsistence fishing-HELLO-O!

June 12, 2013 at 12:35 PM


Iʻm not even sure how to respond to your stupidity. And no doubt you are haole.

$300 for a net that is supposed to last for several years isnʻt tooooo extravagant for a Hawaiian by your ʻkeep them in povertyʻ standards is it?

You are exactly the kind of creep that runs down the road to the kanakaʻs house when a hurricane hits and your supermarket shelves are empty.

BTW, the valley-girl HELLO-O is not appeciated cause it makes me want to stick my finger down my throat. Too many of your kind here.

Anonymous said...

re; 12:35 you obviously know nothing about net fishing....$300 for 100' lay net weights and floats is dakine regula price....but the seal probably not ruin the whole net, just need to patch but that takes time depending on the damage....and it is subsistence fishing because we share w/ family who cannot fish

Anonymous said...

thats the local way, i share fish today and maybe bombay when you get extra something you can share back if if you get nuff to share, fruit ,veggies ,whatevers...i dont expect anything in return but giving the gift in the spirit of ohana is enough for my soul....it works i know because i get two 5 gal buckets lychee somebody drop off my house yesterday....and will share that w/ my neighbors....see how it works?? thats subsistence for community so we feed each other not only w/ the tangible but w/ the aloha, its a wonderful world if you embrace it...Dean