"Hong Kong Has Just One Carrie Lam . . . Hawaii's Government Has Many . . . "
Is the Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Movement a Blueprint for Expression in Hawaii?
Registered Nurse Organizing Demonstrations Against State’s inept Handling of Hawaii’s Public Harbor Crisis
Kate Thompson is a Registered Nurse and Licensed Boat Captain. She retired from the State of Hawaii and currently works part time with teenagers who have medical issues. Kate is one of the most active sailors at Ala Wai Boat harbor, sailing her boat at least two times a week. She has been actively ‘sharing the joy of sailing’ with people of all ages and sailing skill levels, for 23
years in Hawaii.
Like many in Hawaii, Kate was the victim of poorly-thought-through rule making and implementation. The rules package, §13-234, recently passed by Suzanne Case’s DLNR board, is an excellent example of public fraud, yet our attorney general, Clare Connors, turned a blind eye and wink-nodded Case’s mostly clueless board, signaling that all was well with the document.
As with all rule making of this kind, the public gets hurt. The illegality of the document and then the follow-up implementation of the resulting steep fees, without a phase-in period, leave Hawaii’s public recreational boaters high and dry, some with no choice but to leave the public harbor system and give up boating altogether.
Kate, like many, had had enough and decided to speak out. The result, so far –- she says she is “not going away” –- is the organization of a demonstration in the Waikiki Ala Wai Harbor and a public petition which you can access here and a second petition here. Kate informs us that there will be more demonstrations in the coming weeks. There is one planned for Friday Oct 11th, 4:00 pm in front of the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor's Harbor office.
Our leadership continues to be disconnected, arrogant and unresponsive to the public’s voice. Hawaii residents are left with little choice but to get involved in more dramatic ways to influence the decisions of our leadership. The Hong Kong pro-democracy movement is a model we may want to look at. Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, is disconnected, arrogant and unresponsive. Hong Kong has just one Carrie Lam. We have many among our leadership here in Hawaii.