Bloggers take note!
Before attorney Jesse Souki was appointed as director of the Office of State Planning at the end of this year’s legislative session, he was a land use attorney and author of the well-respected blog, Hawaii Land Use Law and Policy.
His blogging was mentioned by at least a couple of people who testified on his behalf, and also in the Senate committee report supporting his confirmation.
Mr. Souki has devoted his time to educate government regulators, land use planners, and fellow attorneys on the intricacies of Hawaii land use and planning laws, publish an award-winning land-use blog, and mentor realtors, colleagues, and family. Mr. Souki has volunteered as Program Chair and Chair of the Natural Resources Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association. Notably, Mr. Souki has worked at all levels of government — federal, state, and local — as well as in all three branches of government.
And, to top it off, he has continued blogging (albeit irregularly) and tweeting since assuming duties as the state’s chief planner, although you have to dig into the “About me” link on his blog to find a mention of his new position.
Proof that blogging isn’t a stake in the heart of career hopes any more.
It also makes me wonder if this administration has adopted a policy on blogging? Does anybody know?
And, given the amount of positive testimony during his confirmation hearing, I was quite surprised to see his “legal experience” described as just 6 years, nearly half of that as a deputy corp counsel with the city working on technical regulatory compliance to push the Honolulu rail project forward.
That sent me back to the committee report for the list of those presenting testimony. It’s long on co-workers in the corporation counsel’s offices in Honolulu and Maui County, includes several of his college and law school professors, quite a few lawyers, some unions that have been backers of rail, development consultants, and others. And Souki’s description of his “decade of experience in law and public policy” includes lots of things from his undergraduate and law school internships, including a stint in Senator Akaka’s Washington office and another in the House Clerks’ office at the legislature (which brought testimony in his support from House Clerk Pat Mau-Shimizu).
What I don’t see are any opinions from the environmental or progressive community, any background in planning as a discipline (as opposed to planning and regulatory law), and any discernible administrative experience.
Yes, I’m glad that the Abercrombie administration is pulling up young professionals into key positions, including those who have been bloggers. On the other hand, we can only hope that Souki, as planning director, has the right stuff to resist the political pressures from development interests outside and inside this administration.
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Nowadays, being easy to bully is considered a feature, not a bug.
I have known Jess for a few years and have argued with him, and against him, several times over that time. While his views are more conservative and pro-development than my own, I have found him to be very bright, articulate and logical in his thinking.
Jesse is no shrinking violet. I have no fear of him being “bullied” by development interests. If in his job he makes decisions favorable to those interests, I think it reflects his values, rather than because he was “pressured.”
I am more worried about what I sense to be a “pro-developer” bias in the Abercrombie administration overall. To my eyes, it appears Neil has made it a top priority to create JOBS as soon as possible. Those of us who voted for Neil assuming he would subject large projects to careful scrutiny for possible negative effects on the community or environment, will probably be disappointed when instead he instructs his people to rush through “shovel-ready” projects without slowing down to see how negative impacts can be mitigated.
In my view, if Jesse goes along with this, it will be because of his own well-articulated views on property rights and economic development rather than due to any “pressure” he might receive.
It sounds like Neil is making sure the inevitable train wreck darkens his New Day. He, like Carlisle Hannemann, is going to railroad us into a collision course.
“appointed as director of the Office of State Planning”
“nearly half of that as a deputy corp counsel with the city working on technical regulatory compliance to push the Honolulu rail project forward.”
” some unions that have been backers of rail, development consultants, and others.”
Is he related to Joe Souki? If he is, that might indicate his tendencies either way depending on the quality of their relationship.
Despite the considerable age difference, Jesse and Speaker Joe are cousins.
Ian and Kolea – your comments are quite interesting because I have been trying since July 14th to reach Jesse Souki – leaving more than two dozen phone calls and e-mail messages at his office.
However, the two e-mails his office sent out about ACT 233 have been addressed to the people actively involved in the legislation’s passage rather than to me personally.
I wanted to provide him with some options to consider in getting the word out about the legislation – including funding support and community outreach events, but he never even asked a staffer to follow up with me.
Less than a week ago, I found his name on a Democratic Party leadership list which definitely surprised me – not because he’s a Democrat but because I know just about everyone else on that list and, until late May, had never even heard of him before. Even now I cannot attach a name to a face.
Based upon Ian and Kolea’s comments, I assume that he is in his early 30s and is being groomed to take on more important leadership roles within the Democratic Party as well as state government. Good for him.
Hopefully, I will actually get a chance to meet him one of these days since planning in its broadest sense is part of my “day job.”
Jesse was active in the Maui County party when he worked at the Corporation Counsel’s office. He moved to Oahu I believe when his wife finished school and got a job at a Honolulu law firm. If CWD knows everyone on the party list, it must be a pretty small list.
Aloha Shannon Woods,
It’s good to see that your computer is working again. I’m resending the email I sent to you and others regarding Act 233:
Folks,
If you’re interested in or have used greenway and trail related amenities in Hawaii, please take some time to fill out the following survey: ACT 233 (2011) REPORT ON HAWAII GREENWAYS & TRAILS PLANNING — SURVEY at http://goo.gl/smhkv.
The purpose of this survey is to seek stakeholder involvement as the Office of Planning generates a report to the State of Hawaii Legislature regarding the establishment of a statewide greenways and trails plan pursuant to Act 233 (2011). This survey will close on Monday, October 31 2011.
For more information, please visit http://goo.gl/6VwYc.
Feel free to pass this on to anyone you think might be interested. Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Jesse K. Souki
Work Twitter: HawOfcPlanning
Work Facebook: State of Hawaii Office of Planning
Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
What is interesting to note about Jesse is that his wife Jeannine works in the public affairs section at Watanabe Ing. Translation: she is a lobbyist.
According to the Ethics Commission web site, Jeannine Souki represents the following interests as a registered lobbyist:
Airlines Committee of Hawaii
K12, Inc.
Maui Ocean Center
Oceanic Time Warner Cable
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
Starwood Vacation Ownership
tw telecom
I had great hope after listening to former Gov. Linda Lingle’s 6th State of the State address in 2008 where she said “It is as certain as night follows day that we cannot speculate or sell ourselves into prosperity” and proposed buying Turtle Buy to protect our way of life which would “communicates to young people that we care more about their future than about our present.” But in the end, most people don’t care more about future generations than themselves and Mr. Souki is just the norm so he fits right in with the rest of the lawyers who are on City boards and commissions.
One of my favorite quotes is from former Governor George Ariyoshi: “We need to again ask ourselves, what do we love about Hawaii? What must we pass on to our children and grandchildren? With the public more obviously asking such questions, I personally no longer feel like a voice of days past, but rather one of many voices calling out for more careful attention to the future.” (July 3, 2006)
It’s too bad more people don’t pay more careful attention to the future.
Isn’t it interesting that in the context of the real-estate juggernaut which underpins Hawaii’s status quo that conservative politicians who attained the pinnacles of power in Hawaii, namely Ariyoshi and Lingle, who espouse a cautious, prudent and thoughtful approach to preserving Hawaii’s natural heritage, would come across sounding like utopian hippy idealists? They seemingly stand alone against a ravenous industry, an industry that has propagated a false sense of pragmatism that seems to dominate the thinking of much or most of the populace.
and no I’m not Jeannine Souki (nice name though :o).
For me “Guest” is mouthing riddles Some clarity would be helpful.
Some great commentary Ian, wishing your blog comments had a “like” button. ; ) Thanx for the perspectives folks.
OSP is a recent invention, Harold Masumoto (still around) was unofficially credited with it’s invention, circa Waihee era. He certainly reigned over it at it’s origin. The original intent was to allow the Gov’s office to control even more than they did when DLNR and LUC were the sole players in State control of land use. This was when the role of these entities was to limit the planning process to preferred players (er, payers?). This was Hawaii “planning” at it’s nadir. OSP further muddied this notorious process, providing another choke point from which to extract concessions/contributions.
Suffer no illusions about Ariyoshi and his “visions”. Reread Land & Power if you have been victimized by them, or check with US Customs Service.
I give Thielen some credit for her tenure at OSP, she clarified and rationalized it’s role. Remember, this is an agency which was not envisioned at the origin of the State, and has never been justified.
AS Mayer was opinionated and intrusive to a fault, he was Masumoto without the savvy. Fortunately short tenure.
Hopefully Mr. Souki will seek to make OSP benign, for the good of all. None of us benefit from waste, and OSP serves no unique or singular role. The County Planning Depts., the LUC, and the DLNR were envisioned and empowered to provide oversight, and are about as much as we can afford.
Or, alternatively, and for the better, rid us of the LUC and let OSP assume it’s role. I would wish for a pox upon myself before I would submit to their “rule of law”. Arbitrary is their name, capriciousness is their game.
It’s funny when guys like Ariyoshi and Lingle try to act like wise senior statesmen. Even funnier when people forget history and are suckered in by their blowing of bubbles. Or does sneaking in wrist watches around your ankles at the airport to avoid customs fees what Hawaii’s heritage and pono means to you?
I don’t have any illusions about Ariyoshi and Lingle. I am very familiar with Ariyoshi’s subdivision on lava land near my ‘ohana’s land on the Big Island and Lingle’s duplicity on just about everything. But what resonates with me is that they at least saw that Hawai’i could have a future different than where it was obviously headed and tried to steer us away from overdevelopment and overcapacity. There are too many like Hannemann, Tanoue, Djou, et al. who instead have steered toward paving over all of our ‘aina.
Lip service isn’t worth anything. Just blowing bubbles. Don’t give them any credit for talk and rewriting history.
Knowing and talking about a problem and having done nothing, or worse, the opposite, is worse than just being direct and open about what bad thing one is perceived to be doing.