State House Vice Speaker John Mizuno and Rep. Rida Cabanilla thought they had found the perfect example to show how "return-to-home" — a state program to buy plane tickets for the homeless to go back to the mainland — would work.
Instead, the two well-meaning lawmakers got a lesson in the complexity of applying a simple solution to an issue that is far from black-and-white.
At a news conference Friday at the state Capitol, Mizuno and Cabanilla appealed for the public’s help to raise money for a plane ticket so a homeless man living on the streets for the past few weeks could return to New Mexico.
Christopher Bettis, 37, said he answered a newspaper advertisement for a job at a towing company and came to Hawaii with the expectation of work. When he arrived, he said, he was informed by the company that the job was no longer available.
"My full impression was to be here and to be secure enough to make my own way," an emotional Bettis explained to reporters. "You know, I don’t rely on other people, so this is pretty traumatic. It’s, it’s out there."
The Legislature and Gov. Neil Abercrombie approved the "return-to-home" program this year as part of a homeless assistance law. Lawmakers put aside $100,000, enough money to send about 100 homeless back to the mainland, a fraction of the thousands of people who are homeless in Hawaii.
The state Department of Human Services has the discretion over whether to implement the "return-to-home" program, however, and has declined to release the money. The department has described the program as an invitation for people to purchase one-way tickets to Hawaii with the expectation of guaranteed flights home.
"The department has not reconsidered its position," Patricia McManaman, the department’s director, said Friday.
Many advocates for the homeless also consider "return-to-home" poor public policy, but the program has received national media coverage, mostly as a curiosity. New York City and other cities have experimented with similar programs, yet the idea remains controversial because it does not address the broader causes of homelessness; it simply shuttles the homeless from one city or state to another.
Hawaii’s three-year pilot program is intended as a voluntary, one-time option for homeless who lack the resources to return to their home states and have proper clearance from the courts to leave if they are on parole, probation or awaiting court action.
The department, if it implemented the program, would be expected to ensure that the homeless have the proper identification needed to travel, public transportation to the airport, help navigating airport security, and sufficient personal hygiene.
Mizuno and Cabanilla said, ideally, that the department would release the $100,000. If not, they said, they will continue to appeal to charity.
The lawmakers asked for the public’s help to raise about $525 for a plane ticket so Bettis could return Monday and live with his sister in New Mexico. Mizuno and Bob Fowler, a retiree who lives in Ala Moana, each pledged $100. Bettis’ sister promised $100. Cabanilla said she would chip in money as a "last resort."
The lawmakers asked that money from the public be sent directly to Bettis through Mizuno’s office.
"He came here on a promise to be hired," said Mizuno, adding that being homeless has "hit him, blindsided him, like a ton of bricks."
Mizuno (D, Kamehameha Heights-Kalihi Valley) said Bettis’ plight shows "a real example of how Rep. Cabanilla’s return-to-home program would have worked."
Cabanilla (D, Ewa Beach-West Loch Estates) said the cost of sending the homeless back to the mainland is less than what the state would pay if the homeless remain in Hawaii and take advantage of social-service programs. It would also reserve more state resources for local homeless.
"This measure would definitely, in my opinion, decrease the number of homeless people in Hawaii," Cabanilla said.
The national attention Hawaii received for "return-to-home" over the summer played a role in connecting Bettis to the lawmakers. Bettis said his sister learned about the program on the Internet.
Bettis, who said he had never before been to Hawaii, said he has been sleeping outside for the past few weeks. He said that without a cellphone or address, it would be difficult to find a job, so he just wants to go back home.
"There’s situations or rough times or what have you all over, not necessarily just this state or this country," he said. "It’s still an immaculate, beautiful, enriching, you know, place to experience. Like we experience in life, there’s, you know, ups and downs.
"And this is, you know, a down."
A few hours after the news conference, a sheepish Mizuno contacted reporters with a retraction. The vice speaker had spoken with the towing company. While Bettis had applied for a job and had been interviewed, Mizuno said, there apparently was no firm job offer. He was no longer confident in Bettis’ story.
Mizuno still believes in the "return-to-home" program and still wants the state to release the $100,000. But he realizes there are rarely perfect examples.
"In my eagerness to help Chris I did not take the time to verify his story," he explained in a state- ment. "It has come to my attention that he may have been less than candid about the particulars of his situation."
