The following is personal opinion for public testimony on

Draft Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan

I respectfully submit the following:

 

I applaud the earnest work the cross section of our citizenry put into the Hawaii 2050 Plan. I accept the discussion was lengthy and for the most part complete. The break out scenario focus groups provided venues for fringe futuristic fantasies. However the main focus of the Draft Plan 2050 remained consistent from the onset: System preservation. The public media, grand ballroom stage lights and special effects for the “public unveiling of the Draft Plan 2050 gave many of us a sense of being part of ‘history in the making’. The cross references to former Governor Ariyoshi’s own Hawaii Plan complete with young ‘future leaders’ taking the stage was a typical full swing Hawaii Democrat Party ‘incumbency marketing’ campaign event.

 

The Draft Plan 2050 appears to be based on the fact that the current Hawaii is in perfect social and economic condition. This is the basis on which Draft Plan 2050 goals were made. Once the public input is complete the 2008 Hawaii legislators will make specific laws that serve as directives for the purpose of providing direction for Hawaii’s next generations. I am not comfortable with this. I think the Draft 2050 Plan is nice concept and should remain for future generations to read and muse over. I don’t think it has enough merit to provide today’s public servants with concurrence for a Hawaii 2050. Further, the strength of all good forecasting is in the analytical data drawn from real science -this report is supported by none.

 

The Draft Plan 2050 could have served a single goal and made more sustainable sense: “The focus of our generation for the future is that Hawaii’s public servants strive everyday to encourage the full potential of her citizens’ health, wealth and happiness.” Today’s goal for tomorrows Hawaii. In addition I am convinced that all sincere planning the future requires that the expression of ‘attainability’ be plastered all over it. To achieve a future Hawaii that benefits all her citizens public policy ought to be impartial and well-organized. Today we have so many examples of our public policy shortcomings. Homelessness, gender inequality, racial discrimination, over development and environmental decay to bring up just the most pressing. The list is long. I say lets put on a follow up Hawaii 2050 road show and solicit a honest discussion as to how we can “do good for tomorrow”.

 

Community strengths like family, church and school are fast becoming anomalies. I think that today we owe our citizens a honest forecast of where this great State of Hawaii is heading in the next 5 years. We might be able to avoid further deterioration. I suggest a shift from this 2050 ‘innovative sustainability planning’ to simple what’s-up ‘fiscal sustainability planning’. In closing it seems to me that today our federal government plays an ever expanding role. It is not hard to notice a build up of military. The requisite for there to be resolution language initiated which satisfies our host culture government will be a major factor. For example; the reform of the public servants organizational makeup. Encourage the whole populace to encompass traditional cultural values. Such for example the piece of Aloha defined by the late Dr. George Mills ‘....relationships of a harmonious interaction with all things of nature-man included....’

 

I am convinced that in order to get on with managing Hawaii today we need to consider the public service structure. Introduce work evaluation and work significance- target training to certify the quality of the programs. – Start tracking occupation with data driven decision making. Merge responsibilities. It is the undeniable future. All progress should be weighed with consideration of a sustainable family. Post industrial society technology brought the whole world into our remote Hawaii hale. In just one generation we went from chopping down the sugar cane to down loading the world internet. I imagine this global society will demand from our public service sector a method of rapid response to public inquiry. A type of government for the people by the people. Some things (we trust) will never change.

 

Aloha and may God Bless Us,

 

PM Walsh

Kea’au, Hawaii Sept 2007