In case you missed it, Hawaii’s school furloughs made it into the big time as the focus of a New York Times editorial on Friday.
![[text]](http://ilind.net/images_2009/coins103109.jpg)
Back home, I was searching for a particular computer cable yesterday and finally looked in the bag I carry on when flying to hold a book or two, snacks, camera, chargers, notebook, etc. I started going through the pockets of the bag, and found quite a stash. Every time I get to an airport, I carefully take the coins from my pockets and drop them into the bag in order to avoid triggering the metal detectors, fully intending to dig them all out when I get through the security check. Of course, the latter never happens, and the stash builds. There are dollar coins on the right, which we used to pay transit fares on a trip to Portland. There is probably coin dna from across the country, or at least every city where Meda’s criminology conferences have been held for the past several years.
The tally came out to a total of $13.99 in coins. It looked like more when piled on the counter. Really!
Check out Rory Flynn’s comment on a Big Island Chronicle post on the topic of the County Council’s issues with the state Sunshine Law. Click on that link and then scroll down to Flynn’s comment. Here’s some of what he argues:
People who value liberty and their own exercise of free speech might question why the very people we elect to deliberate matters of public policy should be so throttled from communicating with one another. What possible good is gained by that?
Aha! I can hear a chorus of arguments rising in robust defense of the Sunshine Law. It prevents deal-making conducted in private chambers! It upholds the principle of transparency in public affairs! It subjects the legislative process to public scrutiny! And so on. All good arguments. But they pale in comparison to the fundamental merits of free speech.
We should not be surprised that the United States Congress and the Hawaii State Legislature do not subject themselves to the strictures of a sunshine law that prevents hallway conversations, formal caucuses, luncheon gabfests, phone conferences or myriad other forms of serial communication. Unfettered communication is the essence of the deliberative process. So, too, is the art of compromise, which requires soul-searching and intimate discussions. Majorities are crafted by knowing how votes will be cast. Watch a few re-runs of The West Wing scripted by Aaron Sorkin, a liberal with a rich appreciation for the political process. Virtually every other episode centered on mustering votes and all the mischief and chicanery that accompany the business of law-making. Sorkin understood that the political process is oftentimes ugly, but glorious nonetheless.
It sounds like there’s really a need for more robust public discussion of this whole issue.
On a totally different topic, Mike Middlesworth, once-upon-a-time managing editor at the Honolulu Advertiser, forwarded this item from “What’s New by Bob Parks.”:
When China introduced its One Child per Family policy 30 years ago there were gasps of horror from the religious right. Although there were many exceptions to the one child rule, the policy was indeed draconian. The utterly mad policies of Mao Zedong left few options if a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale not seen on Earth were to be avoided. The result was an economic miracle and perhaps a human rights miracle as well. According to a new study by the London School of Economics for the Optimum Population Trust of Great Britain, the policy resulted in the avoidance of something like 300 million births the population of the United States.
The Chinese argue that over the long run their avoided births will
contribute more to reduction of carbon emissions than any amount of carbon sequestration. They’re probably right.
[The attribution to Bob Parks was inadvertently omitted from the initial version of this entry. Apologies!]
Whew. Imagine what Fox News would do with that kind of proposal in the U.S.!
I ran into this old photo and had to laugh! I can’t remember where it was taken. We were traveling, I’m wearing a Pendleton coat, so it was cold, and I do remember coming across the sign and suggesting that we stop for a photo. It probably dates from the 1980s. I ran across it some time back and scanned the snapshot, then forgot about the scan until I ran into it again last night.
It sounds like a good blog name, but it’s already taken.
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Unrecognizable! You sure look different today.
haha. When I went to my 45th high school reunion, people didn’t recognize me due to weight gain.
And what to make of this?
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20091101/OPINION05/911010310/Fox-Obama+feud+looks+foolish
The Advertiser story on Colleen’s Angry Parent Venting Committee hearing at the Capitol had a telling passage that was sorta disappointing, if reality — that the turnout for both the rally the week before and to testify was below what the legislators expected. The upshot being that the legislators aren’t feeling the pressure yet because a horde of redshirts haven’t invaded the largely empty Capitol. . . . If legislators really only get pressure from such demonstrations and don’t have a gut feeling for what’s right (and as Democrats you would think Public schools would be at the top of the list), then the real story for the New York Times isn’t how little we value our schools but how our legislature, the Governor, the board of education and our teachers reflect the dysfunctional selfishness and shallowness of what passes for civics today.
During that great feud a couple of years ago, when the Governor was trying to destroy the Board of Education and the Legislature reacted by passing Act 51, I was surprised by the many hearings with few or no parents giving testimony.
An argument can be made that the schools would be better if either business demanded or parents insisted. But they don’t. The schools graduate exactly what the hospitality industry wants and needs, and based on a small number of interviews I did with Honolulu businesspeople at about the same time as Act 51, they get their accountants and other skilled folks from the ranks of Punahou and Iolani graduates in sufficient numbers.
In other words, the reason that so few people seemed to care about the effect of the furloughs is that so few people care about the effects of the furloughs. Though having the kids home is an inconvenience….
This is not to say that there are not many parents and others who do care, only that they may be few.
Anyway, that’s a theory I am testing.
It is fascinating to theorize why there doesn’t seem to be a wide-scale insurrection about the furlough days.
I mean, for example, why wouldn’t those who mobilized the hordes of red-shirts be equally concerned about public education?
I think at least a part of it is that people just make do with the situation; you know, the ol’ when-handed-lemons-make-lemonade reaction.
I also think a part of it is that everyone knows someone that lost their job, had hours reduced, etc. And all the other state workers are facing 24-days of furlough and no one is screaming about that. So it may be difficult to advocate for reducing furlough days for only one group of workers.
But I really don’t know.