When fixing potholes is our government's main priority, then fixing government must be our main priority

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself..."
- President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, inaugural address 1933

"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what, together, we can do for the freedom of man."
- President John F Kennedy, inaugural address, 1961

"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America."
- President Bill Clinton, inaugural address, 1993

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord ... The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
- President Barack Obama, inaugural address, 2009

"Lets make a vow to have Puhi road paved... let's say within the next six months... "
- Council Chair Mel Rapozo, Kaua'i County inaugural address, 2014

My last post contained a glaring omission in the Kamanu Composites story. While our dedicated composites technicians and loyal customers define us as a company, government services are what enable our success. From zoning ordinances, to trash disposal, to road maintenance, to electricity regulation, to state unemployment insurance-- our freedom to prosper in business is the direct result of government services, regulation, and intervention in the market.

As I wrote about last week in The Death of Local Manufacturing, when we give the market too much control to dictate our economic direction, as we are doing on Kaua'i, we lose the ability to foster diverse and viable alternative industries. When the government lacks vision, we suffer and we stifle the chance for our children to thrive. Continuation of the current status-quo means that life on Kaua'i will become progressively harder for local people to afford a home; it means continued and increasing dependence on tourism and resort development; it means that local agricultural will continue to decline; it means that local manufacturing will continue to look elsewhere; it means that we will continue to lose access to our natural resources; and it means that the only well paying jobs will continue to be off-island.  

Our county Inauguration was on Monday, an event that is like the opening ceremony of the Olympics: a time of incomparable hope, unity, and optimism before the bloodsport of the actual competition. Inaugurations are a chance for our elected officials to explain their vision for the future, to inspire renewed faith in government, and to reassure us that they are committed to working for the public good by fighting the status-quo. Mayor Carvalho's Holoholo 2020 inaugural address in 2010 was a perfect example of how an elected official can momentarily inspire us all towards a better collective future. With all that in mind, I walked into this year's county inauguration with high expectations and, six hours later I limped out weighed down by the crushing bureaucracy and the endless in-fighting of the Kaua'i County Council.   

Council Chair Rapozo's inaugural address was a clear statement that our island's systemic issues will continue to go unmentioned. Maybe my expectations were too high or I'm naive and idealistic, but I was hoping his speech would provide an outline for more than clean park bathrooms, quality performance audits, and support for burning trash as a solution to our landfill problem. The stark realism of that depressing priority list was topped off by his number one commitment for the county of Kaua'i: the re-surfacing of Puhi road. 

Road maintenance is a basic county service, not a bargaining chip or an achievement. In just four years we traded in the grand and sweeping vision of Mayor Carvalho's Holoholo 2020, which included expanded bus service, a north and south shore shuttle, and green affordable housing for the stark fiscal realism of Council Chair Rapozo's vision of re-surfacing a road. Obviously the road needs to be paved, but, by promoting it as priority #1 our council chair is relegating our county government to just fulfilling basic services. What about a government that works to increase economic freedom, enables environmental protection, and fights for Kaua'i residents to retain their way of life? Nope, let's let the market take care of that while the government focuses on paving roads and cleaning bathrooms. 

While disappointed in the inaugural speech, I held on to the delusion that the new council might be able to reconcile their differences in the spirit of a new beginning. However, the debate over the new council rules quickly shattered that illusion. I won't go into detail on the rule changes on this blog, but, they are important for us to pay attention to and I urge you to read Loren Kohnfelder's two posts on the subject (here and here) and Joan Conrow's different perspective in her two posts on the subject (here and here). The important take-away is that the council chair has vastly increased his authority, and the rule changes forced each council member to either vow their allegiance or state their opposition to the new consolidation of power. If it sounds like Game of Thrones, that's because it is like Game of Thrones. 

The one bright spot of the day was the confirmation of Mauna Kea Trask to the position of County Attorney. His high level of integrity, intelligence, experience, and background make him perfectly suited for the job. The legal wing of our county government is in good hands with the complimentary team of Mauna Kea Trask as our County Attorney and Justin Kollar as our County Prosecuting Attorney.