Inconsistent decision ADVERTISING Inconsistent decision Anxiety is sometimes an unfortunate and unavoidable byproduct of governmental actions. Because of that, there are some in government who try to carry out their duties by following the adage: “It’s not what you do,
Inconsistent decision
Anxiety is sometimes an unfortunate and unavoidable byproduct of governmental actions. Because of that, there are some in government who try to carry out their duties by following the adage: “It’s not what you do, but how you do it.”
I’ve written a number of letters to the editor through the years and always tried to maintain a positive tone. In fact, the only time I ever recall breaking from that approach was when I was being critical of myself. However, I have to say that Mayor Harry Kim’s halting of the long-standing use of county gyms to house halau competing in the annual Merrie Monarch Festival is worthy of criticism and is, in my opinion, an example of a poorly executed administrative decision.
The mayor ostensibly rests his action on fire safety concerns and a strict adherence to various county laws. I can’t argue with those stated reasons. However, in this situation, something doesn’t add up. Let’s look at the facts.
The practice of allowing halau to stay at county gyms has been ongoing for at least the past 16 years, eight of which were during Kim’s first two terms in office (2000-08). The mayor said he did not know such stays violated the fire code at the time. OK, maybe that’s true. But how can he now reconcile that with his actions during this past year’s festival when, after being informed by the Fire Department of those very same fire code violations, he allowed such stays so long as each halau provided a 24-hour fire watch?
The mayor should have just stuck with that approach because now he has acted inconsistently, and society would be awfully chaotic and difficult to trust if the chief executive of a governmental branch could pick and choose when to apply a particular law.
Speaking of inconsistent, I also find it strange that the mayor is using fire safety as a basis for his action when during this past state legislative session he opposed, in writing, a bill which would have mandated fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-bedroom dwellings on the basis it would add to the already high prices of housing in Hawaii. I understand the recent Marco Polo tragedy on Oahu is weighing heavily on the minds of administrators throughout the state. But let’s get real. A gymnasium is not on the 28th floor of a high-rise!
If we are to take the hard-line stance that these structures are not suitable for sleepovers with 24-hour fire watches, then it brings into question the suitability of these buildings to accommodate the hundreds of kids who play in these gyms every day or displaced individuals who would be in need of shelter during a natural disaster.
Still, even if we assume the mayor was on solid legal ground and his motivations were well-intentioned, it was the manner in which he carried out his directive that was not done well. First, and as far as I know, he never reached out to the County Council. We are the body vested with the responsibility of making and changing laws. If there was a problem, the mayor should have alerted us so that we could work together in correcting the situation. After all, he must have known this was an important matter to most of us, if not all.
Second, and much more significantly, he never reached out to the most necessary stakeholder in this equation — the organizers of the Merrie Monarch Festival. In my opinion, this sends a horrible message to people who have devoted themselves to putting on an event which every year showcases our small town, provides a boost to our local economy, perpetuates the traditions of our Hawaiian culture, and just generally makes us feel good about ourselves.
While the festival organizers are not entitled to favorable treatment from the county, they certainly should be entitled to some degree of courtesy and respect for all that they mean to this community.
I guess the only good thing about the mayor’s decision is that it gives the festival people ample time to plan for alternative lodging. But in all other respects, Harry just didn’t do it the right way.
Aaron Chung
Hawaii County Council member, District 2
