‘Get more, pay less’ sure works for our elected elite
It’s the last Sunday in October and time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused:
>> Gov. David Ige is traveling to Japan and Okinawa — his fourth junket to Asia in less than two years in office. He touches down locally so seldom that the Hawaii Tourism Authority counts him as a visitor arrival.
>> Ige’s salary of $149,556 puts him above the national average and among the nation’s 20 highest-paid governors. He’s Hawaii’s “Seinfeld,” a big paycheck for a show about nothing.
>> Mayor Kirk Caldwell, who goes Ige one better with a $200,000-a-year side position as a Territorial Savings Bank director on top of his mayoral salary, denied the bank gig is a second job and described it as “a service.” Only if you count self-service.
>> Caldwell’s challenger, Charles Djou, promised that if he’s elected mayor he’ll be an agent of change. Our city is in so much trouble we need an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
>> U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has raised $4 million and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard $2 million to run for re-election against little-known opponents. That’s modern politics: You throw your hat in the ring and it comes back filled with money.
>> The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is scrambling to make up a nearly $2 billion budget gap that’s contributed to a six-year project delay. Plan A is to ask the Legislature to extend the half-percent rail excise tax; Plan B is to ask Schatz and Gabbard for loans.
>> Hawaii ranked 48th of 50 states for road performance, despite spending 2½ times the national average in costs per mile, according to the Reason Foundation. The Department of Transportation meant to emulate Target’s “get more, pay less” philosophy, but put a dyslexic in charge.
>> The state won a $4 million federal grant to “reimagine” how to tax us more for roads. With Ige administration’s idea of imagination, they’ll probably go with masks and guns.
>> Stanley Chang, who is trying to unseat the sole remaining Republican state senator, Sam Slom, said Senate Democrats have enough “ideological diversity” without GOP representation. The Democratic caucus has pro-labor liberals from all planets.
>> Three months after the first medical marijuana dispensaries were supposed to open, the state Health Department still doesn’t have a tracking system or a testing laboratory. Those regulators need to stop Bogarting the joint.
>> The state Board of Education indicated it’ll replace Kathryn Matayoshi as schools superintendent despite her good job ratings and willingness to stay. The recruitment ad for a successor is headlined: “Next Sucker.”
And the quote of the month … from President Barack Obama, endorsing Kirk Caldwell for mayor: “Kirk demonstrates local values and manages with a local heart.” Obama and Caldwell are to “local” what Donald Trump is to humble.
Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com.
19 responses to “‘Get more, pay less’ sure works for our elected elite”
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Priceless as usual. Keep on afflicting the comforted David. There’s not enough of that going on these days.
Sadly, government has gone from doing nothing well to doing nothing, period.
In a sense–ever wonder what Obama has done for the blacks??? He’s made one black family rich–private jet, subsidized mansion, body guards–with GUNS–the rest of them–look at his adopted “home town for his library–THREE Black murders a day!! Wouldn’t a rational president use his power to work this out rather than put Brown as a hero???? But the goodies are coming for them–the $$$ speeches, than a Foundation, than Machelle for President!!! Just wait for the Pardon list!!!!
I used to be proud to say I was born and raised in Hawaii. Now when someone asks I mumble were i’m from.
Reasons why campaign contribution reform is needed. Insider have their way to legislation in their favor whereas taxpayers gets the shaft. They pay the bill that gives benefits to the insiders. Their coffers are overflowing, whereas the taxpayers’ waning.
Look forward to your column every last Sunday to get my laughs. Only sad thing is everything you say is so true.
It used to be about getting a fair wage for an honest days’ work, but politicians have changed all that. Today it’s about getting as much as possible for doing as little as possible. The sad part is that “WE” allow it.
This column used to be satire . . . now it’s “hard news.” I guess this would be sad if I weren’t giggling so much.
Good job Dave1
government worker motto “work the least amount possible and get paid.”….”find every excuse for not being able to do it and still get paid.”
roxie, it’s sad when you generalize and paint tens of thousands of government workers to be inept, ineffective and lazy. Workers from HPD, HFD, Pearl Harbor employees, nurses, doctors, teachers, sanitation and maintenance workers. What a sad, wrong, resentful person you are.
CORRECTION: That motto is for the handful of government workers that are in the system that we all wish somebody got rid of them.
I sympathize with you Retired because I used to be a city worker but Roxie is not far off the mark. The public worker unions have corrupted Hawaii’s political system to the point where it is no longer cost effective or efficient to use public employees for anything but vital esential services (judiciary, police, fire, ems).
If state and city officials acted in the best interests of ALL the people, everything else but vital services would be contracted out to competent private sector companies. Public employees have proved to be costly and perform poorly in comparison to the private sector workforce who is always held accountable.
say, we contract work to competent private sector companies, when our work overload demands it. If not, my two coworkers and I would never be able to take on new cases. Each of our client’s two weekly visits take 90 minutes, PLUS as much as 100 miles travel time per appointment(I average 32 miles/trip/10 weekly appointments). There are only a few hours after school where we can help the families. We try our best for them not to miss school. We schedule appointments for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in the mornings and early afternoons. That said, I’m not impressed with the outside agencies’ employees I’ve worked with. I know they’re impressed with us. I have handled families of seven or eight members, which would require two private employees to take over. Our workload is more demanding than theirs, as we split the work overload amongst several agencies. Besides, they always miss a few weeks of appointments before they get their act in gear. The families suffer, then call us to make up the missed appointments. And then there’s the random doctor’s appointments, emergency room trips, assessments, ongoing therapy, dentist, court appointments, conferences, Job Corps visits, Youth Challenge, runaway clients, moving them from home to their next home. Each move averages 3.5 hours, depending on distance and how fast the doctors take walk-in patients(Each move requires a physical exam). And then there’s the ever-present trail of paperwork to fill for every task performed. And of course, there’s filing/redacting/faxing/Xeroxing/shredding and whatever projects our staff assigns for us during “down time”. Then there are those mandatory meetings/conferences/training classes that you have to adjust your work schedule to accommodate. And I’m just your average entry-level government worker.
Retired, you said it – too often, public servants are painted unjustly with the broad brush, but I’ve seen tons of private sector employees who couldn’t give a darn about their jobs. Even people who almost never have contact with government employees LOVE to bash them, just because everyone else does. Probably somehow makes them feel better about themselves, too. Just sad.
One party system – Sounds like communism
Great article. As for the point on our roads being the worst and yet we pay one of the highest for them, one word: union. This state is run by unions and that’s why we’re so broke. We keep ignoring the facts and continue to honk for the money grabbing unions.
Obama and Caldwell are to “local” what Donald Trump is to humble. And what Hillary is to honest.
Captain Ron, are you local? Both Obama and Kirk were born here and attended school here. I’d say Obama was born and raised local. No one can deny the fact that Caldwell is full-on local Haole.