By ERIN MILLER
By ERIN MILLER
Stephens Media
Hawaii isn’t well-known for consumer advocacy, said Jack Gillis, public affairs director for the Consumer Federation of America.
The CFA has 280 members groups, representing state, local, national and special interest groups, from organizations with just one or two members to groups as large as AARP and Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine. Not one of those organizations is from Hawaii, Gillis said.
Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission and its Consumer Advocate are the only agencies in the state given the task of representing the public’s interests, and any intervention is limited to regulated utility industries. Gillis wasn’t familiar with the PUC’s track record, but was surprised to learn the commission doesn’t routinely meet on the neighbor islands. The last PUC hearing on Hawaii Island was regarding the Aina Koa Pono request, which the PUC ultimately rejected.
“What, do they expect 300 people to pay $300 to come to Honolulu?” Gillis asked. “People just need to be outraged.”
Gillis said he sees several reasons national consumer advocacy groups haven’t gotten good footholds in Hawaii.
First, he said, there’s “sort of an independent nature” in Hawaii. People here think “we don’t need the mainland. The last thing we want is the mainland coming over and changing our values.”
The lack of connectivity, Hawaii’s physical distance from the mainland, also played a part, he added.
Hawaii’s residents who want more advocacy, or who are disappointed with the PUC, particularly people who feel the PUC is not giving adequate consideration to consumer concerns, have a few things they can do to incite change, he said.
“It is amazing how a small group of people can attract attention,” Gillis said. “Most people don’t want to see their company’s name being put in a bad light.”
Protests can attract such attention, as can media exposure. In fact, he added, in the absence of true consumer advocates, newspapers and television news programs can function as consumer advocates just by telling the stories of people having problems with businesses.
If those measures don’t work, Hawaii residents can always consider civil disobedience, Gillis said. That would probably require a large number of people if the protest was about something like electricity rates or a perceived lack of accountability by the PUC, he said.
Email Erin Miller at emiller@westhawaiitoday.com.