State and county workers are off for the Veterans Day holiday in Hawaii today, since the 11th falls on Saturday.
The day started with a beautiful sunrise. This is how it looked from here in Kahala (photo taken in front of the Kahala Hotel).
Dawn on November 10, in front of the Kahala Hotel.
I went out on a limb this week in my Civil Beat column, which argued against trying to prohibit legislators from holding campaign fundraisers during while the legislature is in session (“Ian Lind: Don’t Ban Campaign Fundraising During Legislative Sessions“).
One friend commented: “I love how you don’t shy away from the tough subjects.”
The column grew out of a question asked during a Common Cause panel discussion of government ethics on Wednesday night. By the way, the video of the panel is available for viewing online.
I gave an off-the-cuff response to the question that night, but expanded on it for the column. I know there are a lot of folks who simply equate these campaign fundraisers with bribes, but I think there are reasonable arguments for why it makes sense to fundraise during the session. But more importantly, there are free speech implications that makes a complete ban difficult to justify, and even regulation becomes a tricky matter. Although there are states that have bans on session fundraisers, and others that ban lobbyists from contributing while the legislature is in session, I haven’t been able to find a case that has gone up to the Supreme Court in the years since Citizens United changed the legal playing field for campaign finance.
Anyway, although I stepped a bit out of my comfort zone on this column, it’s hopefully still worth a read.
Comments welcome, as always.
The Quaker-based American Friends Service Committee announced this week that it’s representative just completed a visit to North Korea in a continuing program of humanitarian assistance.
It’s good to know that at least some positive interactions are taking place, despite the heated rhetoric by our countries’ leaders.
From AFSC’s press release:
On November 4, 2017 Dr. Linda Lewis, who serves as the country representative for the American Friends Service Committee’s program in North Korea, completed her first trip to North Korea since the Trump Administration instituted new travel restrictions that took effect September 1.
“I’ve been traveling to North Korea to work with our partners there for many years, and despite the new restrictions, this trip was no different,” said Lewis. “We see the fact that we were still able to enter the country as a positive sign from Washington, and are glad that the U.S. is acknowledging the importance of humanitarian cooperation.”
The American Friends Service Committee has been engaged in relief efforts on the Korean Peninsula since the years after the Korean War. AFSC’s North Korea program is currently working with cooperative farms to raise productivity and implement sustainable agricultural practices in the region, and is one of the few U.S.-based organizations operating in the country today.
AFSC had expressed concerns with the travel restrictions to North Korea, including filing a public comment with the State Department. “We’re concerned that the new travel restrictions have added an unnecessary and burdensome layer of bureaucracy to humanitarian work,” said Lewis. “We believe that channels for humanitarian engagement are pivotal for building peace on the Korean peninsula, and hope to see fewer restrictions, not more. These restrictions should be rescinded when they come up for review.”
A cousin in Colorado lobbed a version of the B&W photo challenge that’s making the rounds on Facebook.
I accepted.
Here are the results so far. I’ve got two days to go, and will add those new photos as I post them on Facebook. I’m playing by the rules, so haven’t provided any comments or descriptions on the photos. Maybe I can do that later.
Your comments are welcome.
