It’s the big day–Inauguration Day for Governor Abercrombie.
Neil’s come a very long way since his first run for Senate. He ran a smart and effective gubernatorial campaign by adopting the aura of Governor, not just running for the office but being what the governor should be–thoughtful, intellectual, weighty but approachable, sharp with words but easy with the smiles as well, reliant on an excellent team.
And I’ve been impressed so far by the cabinet that his political team has been putting together. These haven’t been your everyday appointments. There’s some real imagination here. Throwing William Aila into DLNR, Kealii Lopez into DCCA, and Russ Kokubun into the Dept of Ag certainly tickles my sense of “karma”, although I’m not getting my hopes up too high because bureaucratic inertia is such a ferocious foe.
I felt good about John Waihee’s election back in 1986, but then watched as insiders took more than their share of the spoils.
This morning I was up early to prowl my bookshelf for a copy of Molly Ivins essay, Texas Style Ethics. It’s essential reading for politicians who need to remember how easy it is to find yourself on the wrong side of the ethical tracks. Those lobbyists aren’t really your dear personal friends or, if they are, watch out!
Here’s the advice I would give to Neil, as it appears in Ivins’ essay:
One official with a colorful past felt so honored upon finding himself elected to statewide office that he called his staff together and said, “Boys, stealin’s out.”
So put the word out from Day 1: Stealin’s out. Then make it stick.
We’ll be watching.
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Molly Ivins is the BEST cure for power hungry people who allow power politics to become their only claim to fame.
Molly is sorely missed, but her words thankfully are true gold!
At age 72 Neil Abercrombie should be able to try whatever he feels is best without recourse to long-term political calculation even as he considers the state’s long-term best interest. I hope that the old, radical, irreverent Neil hasn’t been completely vitiated behind the glossy statesman veneer. And you’re right about the Waihee administration being a warning about the insidious intellectual corruption always lurking in the shadows.
I had the GREAT fortune to work with Molly on a very important project (to me, at least) back in those dim & distant days when I still had my dreams in place about being able to make some changes in How We Do Things Around Here.
Maybe Neil will help bring back those days.
Wonder who will be your head of the Department of Health?
Will naming the two Big Island senators as members of his Cabinet impact Josh Green’s chances? If he were appointed, that would mean all three would have to be replaced
Yes indeedy – it is a new day.
Ian, that essay by Molly Ivins is one of my favorites. Her wit and humor got me through some tough times. I have not met anyone here so far who knows of her, so was really surprised when you mentioned her hilarious essay on Texas-style ethics. By the way, in case you don’t know, there is a paperback biography out now about her that I picked up the other day at Barnes. I was surprised there was one, but she was really great, and great on journalism, as well as politics, ethics, and literature.
Dan, it’s great to see you contribute here again, as you have contributed so much to Hawaii in your career to date.
But if you really mean it when you say of Molly Ivins that “I have not met anyone here so far who knows of her”, then you REALLY need to get out more, to broaden your acquaintance horizon. Perhaps the monastic life of the Ethics Czar didn’t permit much of that. Hopefully, new opportunities have or will open for you to do so.
Mahalo!
ohiaforest3400, Thanks so much for the very kind words. Of course, I don’t know who you are, and you are very much correct that being the “Ethics Czar” kept me from doing much of anything else. The office is woefully underfunded and understaffed, and the workload is awful, and has only increased as we had continued successes on many fronts that naturally increased our visibility and thus workload. To boot, as Holmes said, “The law is a jealous mistress.” I did ask a reporter or two if they knew of Molly, but they did not. Surprised me. I presume people I know but don’t get to talk to much do know of her (and her friends), but I am surprised that I never really ran into anybody while doing my work who knew of Molly. I am glad that there are many people here who do. Now there is more reason to be optimistic! If it weren’t for reading Molly at the end of some bad days, I would have probably gone nuts. I can always be reached at daniel.mollway@gmail.com, if anyone wants to discuss the things that might be done to improve our State. I am still contemplating what exactly I should do from this point forward. It is an odd transition time after almost 29 years with the State Ethics Commission.
Molly was my late mom’s great commentator so I always read her,.
My sense of Waihee is different than Ian’s I was not very embracing at the outset but I did learn to nod approval at some of his insights — especially his review of Lingle’s failed terms.
Dan:
I didn’t realize that you’d retired. What are you doing now?
Molly Ivins was wonderful and is much missed, even by some of us not in politics.