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March 26, 2009 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
I've been hearing rumblings from different corners about HR875, a bill currently slithering through the halls of Washington. Euphemistically dubbed the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2009, the bill—which gained the support of Hawaii's own Rep. Mazie Hirono—has been described by critics as a "federal takeover of food regulation" (naturalnews.com) and "Monsanto's dream" (opednews.com). Basically, it would create a new federal agency called the Food Safety Administration that would be responsible for policing food producers nationwide (yes, that's what we need—another layer of bureaucracy). The agency would be headed up by a "food czar", a role that's reportedly been set aside for Michael Taylor, who served as Deputy Commissioner of the FDA under Clinton and is currently a lawyer for, you guessed it, Monsanto. Among other things, the bill would put a huge burden on small and especially organic farms and would make it easier for ag giants like, um, Monsanto to sue for seed patent infringement. Here's the kicker: HR875 was introduced by Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut. DeLauro's husband, Stanley Greenberg, is a consultant for, drumroll please—Monsanto! Will the coincidences never cease? (You can read the full text of the bill at govtrack.us/congress; to contact Rep. Hirono, visit hirono.house.gov.)
THURSDAY, MARCH 19
Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the Hawaii Admissions Act. Predictably, emotions were stirred. For some, statehood represents the end of a long struggle for legitimacy and the beginning of new opportunities. For others, it's the apex of a hostile, illegal takeover, a painful reminder of an injustice that the U.S. government has apologized for but made no real efforts to remedy. This is one of those issues that keeps growing and fragmenting the more you study it. You'll find stubborn intolerance and reasoned, passionate arguments on both sides (and really there are way, way more than two sides). My only wish on these symbolic days is that we had a leader who could bridge the divide and facilitate an honest, constructive dialogue that acknowledged all the voices in the conversation. Hey, we've got an election coming up in 2010—something to keep in mind.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
The fallout from the Supreme Court's Superferry ruling has been interesting and a tad disturbing. A few of the boat's more vocal opponents could be accused of gloating (though I stand firmly behind our coverage, this paper is not immune to such criticism). Meanwhile, on the other side, there's been some serious bile spewed in the direction of the Sierra Club and other groups that brought the challenge against Act 2. I understand many people (not enough people, clearly, but many) rode the Superferry and will miss it. (To cite one example: I've heard from several readers who participate in neighbor island car and motorcycle events who say they'll now have to pay hundreds of dollars more to get their vehicles to Oahu.) Their frustration is understandable, but it's misdirected. Responsibility for the vessel's demise rests squarely on the shoulders of those who forced it into the water without a completed EIS and with a more-than-shaky business plan. This project was botched from the start; it limped out of the gate and collapsed after one lap. Blame the people who put it in the race, not the ones who carried it off the track…. While we're on the subject: Superferry CEO Tom Fargo is an early contender for quote of the year, with this gem delivered during a recent press conference, in response to accusations that the boat was built for clandestine military purposes: "[If that were the case] we certainly wouldn't have gone to the trouble to paint the Alakai the way we did." Wow, I wasn't aware the U.S. military doesn't have paintbrushes. Learn something new every day.
SATURDAY, MARCH 21
Looks like AIG isn't the only foundering company catching heat for handing out "special compensation." The Honolulu Advertiser reports that Hawaiian Telcom—which, you may recall, filed for bankruptcy protection at the end of 2008—is planning to give its employees about $6 million in bonuses. Leaping on the indignation bandwagon, Gov. Lingle called the bonuses "outrageous," "unconscionable" and other finger-wagging adjectives. Interestingly, however, it seems most of the company's top executives have already agreed to forgo their share of the money, meaning it'll go to the lower-level employees who probably could really use the cash and were presumably less responsible for HawTel's freefall. Kind of throws a wrench in the whole "scapegoat the suits" tactic that's been so popular lately among politicians trying desperately to seem like populists even though they're in bed with the very executives they're scolding.
SUNDAY, MARCH 22
Seriously, if we could harness all the insincere outrage emanating out of various government buildings and convert it to electricity, we could end our dependence on foreign oil tomorrow.
MONDAY, MARCH 23
The skyrocketing suicide rate among active duty soldiers has been a tragically underreported story, though that's starting to change. (Sadly I mean the reporting, not the suicide.) According to figures cited in today's Honolulu Advertiser, over 140 members of the military took their own lives last year. In January, there were 24 suspected suicides and 18 more in February. Nine soldiers from Hawaii have committed suicide since 2005. Last June, Time magazine ran a cover story titled "America's Medicated Army," which detailed the rise in anti-depressant prescriptions for soldiers. Basically, the military's solution to the suicide problem was to dope up the troops, to hide their pain in a fog of Prozac and Ambien. Clearly that hasn't worked, so now, in a typical display of military intelligence, they're turning to an acronym. According to the same Advertiser story, Defense Department officials are pushing a new program called ACE; I'll spare you the details of what the letters represent. Of course, I don't mean to be glib—anything that might help these young men and women cope with the horrors of war is worth a try. But until we're willing to unabashedly address the fact that we're fighting two open-ended wars with no draft and thus stretching our fighting forces past the breaking point, it's all just a tiny Band-Aid on a gaping wound.
TUESDAY, MARCH 24
To be clear: I'm advocating an end to ill-advised military occupations, not a reinstatement of the draft, so hold your e-mails, Canadian expats. MTW
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