The ill will Gov. David Ige generated by naming Castle and Cooke lobbyist Carleton Ching to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources is compounded by his adamant refusal to explain his rationale for turning over state lands — our precious jewels — to a guy known for making bling.

For good measure, as Ching’s first deputy Ige named Kekoa Kaluhiwa, a lobbyist for Young Bros. and Horizon Lines who also has little experience managing natural resources.

The governor has blown off questions about his reasoning other than to say he likes Ching’s heart and wants change at DLNR.

He won’t specify what change he seeks, but it isn’t hard to guess the change we can expect from former lobbyists for big-money special interests.

Ige seems confident he has the votes to power Ching through Senate confirmation, a good bet considering Ching’s lobbyist work spreading Castle and Cooke’s love to members of the Legislature.

But resorting to power politics over public transparency has a steep price in lost trust with key constituencies. Ask Neil Abercrombie.

Ige defends his silence with an old line from the late Gov. John A. Burns to the effect that governing is more about getting things done than posturing.

First, Ige has a very long way to go before he can compare himself to Burns; second, clearly explaining to the public what he’s doing and why is leadership, not posturing.

Burns knew that if you expect people to follow you, they need to know where you’re going.

Ige’s attitude of "I’m the governor and I don’t have to explain myself to you" is more reminiscent of Abercrombie than Burns.

There are disturbing signs the governor was as disengaged behind the scenes as in public on these controversial appointments, which were recommended by a selection committee whose members Ige keeps secret.

As opposition grew, environmentalists, Native Hawaiians, hunters and others interested in DLNR’s mission were invited to meet with Ching and Kaluhiwa.

According to Life of the Land’s Henry Curtis, both nominees stressed how quiet Ige was during their job interviews.

Ching said he knew little about what DLNR did and it wasn’t explained to him by Ige at their meeting.

Curtis quoted Kaluhiwa as saying, "Those of you who know Governor Ige would probably agree he’s a man of few words. In 45 minutes, he probably spoke three or four minutes total. But he didn’t give me any real mandate on his vision, his mission or means."

Kaluhiwa said he had to go to Ige’s website to look up his views.

Ige’s disinterest in explaining his vision for DLNR to the public or even to his nominees makes many wonder if the appointments were really his or at the behest of other interests setting DLNR’s agenda.

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Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com or blog.volcanicash.net.