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February 19, 2009 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
The Bush legacy reverberates: Maui lost its fourth soldier in Iraq this week, as Maui High graduate Christopher Sweet died in a still-under-investigation "noncombat incident" at a base north of Baghdad. Condolences to his family and friends. Now, President Obama: get us out of there. If you do nothing else (and I know there's a lot else that needs doing), do that.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12
| |  | | | |  | | Whole lotta sizzle, not much steak. |
Mayor Tavares delivered her State of the County address yesterday to mostly glowing praise from the county council. Quoted in The Maui News, Councilmember Jo Anne Johnson called it "an excellent speech" that "gave us a definitive sense of where we are and where we need to be going." Huh. Not sure we read the same speech, Jo Anne, because the one I saw was heavy on sizzle and extremely light on steak. Tavares dedicated the bulk of her remarks to looking back, touting what she claimed were her administration's many accomplishments. (One of my favorite parts was when she gave a shout out to our old pals in the Department of Liquor Control for doing "an outstanding job in enforcing laws and working to reduce underage drinking.") The portion of the speech that focused on the future was slim and contained basically zero concrete details. We got lots of soaring platitudes and even a Tibetan proverb, but not much in the way of tangible ideas or policy statements. Oh, and then there was this: "Although our economy continues to be strong, we can expect a slower growth in the visitor industry." First, you'd think if you were trying to make the bold claim that Maui's cripplingly tourist-dependent economy is "strong" you wouldn't immediately follow it with the contradictory conclusion that visitor numbers are bad and getting worse. Also, doesn't "a slower growth" kind of sound like there's a tumor in the middle of the visitor industry? OK, maybe that's just me.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13
"Love really is not between a man and a woman. It's between two human beings." That's Rep. Joe Bertram, quoted in a Maui News piece about the push for same sex civil unions in Hawaii. A civil union measure passed the House by a 33-17 vote and now heads to the Senate, where it's expected to meet stronger opposition. (For those keeping score at home, Rep. Angus McKelvey of West Maui was the lone Valley Isle representative to side with the "nays.") The main argument against the bill, which will be familiar to anyone who's followed this debate here and in other states, was summed up succinctly by Rep. Gene Ward of Oahu: "This bill is not about equality. It is about an end-run for same sex marriages." No, it's about equality, but thanks for playing.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14
So what if I told you Hawaii could enjoy a net gain of $33 million a year by changing one law? Given the bleak status of the tourism industry and the state's ballooning deficit, I'm sure you'd be all ears. Well, that scenario could become a reality, according to a report from the University of Hawaii, if marijuana was decriminalized and taxed. The report, titled "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Decriminalization and Legalization for Hawaii," found that enforcement and prosecution of marijuana laws costs the state about $10 million a year, while revenue from the taxation of pot could top $20 million. Even if you think those numbers are inflated, there's no denying that treating marijuana like tobacco and alcohol—in addition to making a large amount of sense—would save and make money for the state (and they could create a whole new department—the MC!). On a related note, the state legislature is currently considering four marijuana-related bills, as reported in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald; three of them deal with expanding and clarifying medical pot laws, but the fourth, HB1192, would make possession of less than an ounce a civil offense, meaning the punishment would be a parking ticket-sized fine rather than jail time. Of course, any bill that makes it out of congress will have to be approved by Gov. Lingle, who vetoed a law last year that would have created a medical marijuana task force. At the time Lingle called the bill "an exercise at finding ways to circumvent federal law." You know those Republicans—always fighting against state's rights.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15
Oh wait: "Throughout my political career, I've believed in the concept of home rule. Some call it local control. Whichever phrase you use, the concept is the same: the best decisions are those made closest to those who will be impacted by the decisions."–Gov. Lingle, at a 2004 education summit. Man, 2004 Lingle should have a chat with 2009 Lingle. If anyone can talk some sense into her, it's her.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Got an e-mail from reader Patti asking me to print a link to the Hawaii Residential Landlord-Tenant Code, which is the rulebook that renters and property owners have to live by—security deposits, repairs, access, the whole bit. Patti believes that many people haven't read the thing and may not even know it exists. I agree. Even if you have read it, reviewing your rights is always a good idea. So here it is: hawaiis.com/tenant-landlord-code. (You can also get a copy from the Office of Consumer Protection; call their hotline, 586-2634.)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Well, that was predictable: After sailing past the dreaded $4-a-gallon mark this summer then plummeting late in the year, gas prices have risen 20 percent nationwide since the start of 2009, according to CNNMoney.com. (Hawaii is one of 16 states where the average gallon tops $2.) While lower demand and a growing emphasis (finally!) on fuel efficient vehicles will probably keep prices from shooting through the roof in the short term, it's time to accept that cheap gas is an illusion. We're running out of the stuff, and most of what's left belongs to folks who, as John McCain is fond of putting it, "don't like us very much." Oh, and the people who sell it are greedy bastards, so there's also that. MTW
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