Raise Your Hand: Rebuild public trust in government

The advancement of two political newcomers into the general election for the Honolulu mayoral position symbolized a key sentiment: We are no longer confident in our government.

Our local leaders are bombarded with challenges, which has led to the absence of government transparency, mismanagement of key projects and the avoidance of looming threats, producing the optimal conditions for political corruption to fester.

The newcomer phenomenon is a result of injustices, an economic government overreach and a global pandemic, led by faltering leaders at a time when clarity and courage are needed the most.

In order to regain public trust, our city needs leaders with the moral courage to admit their mistakes, uproot corruption and address Oahu’s biggest ailments head-on.

Incongruent messages between our local leaders deter us from trusting our government as one cohesive unit. Despite Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s scalpel approach with the “Act Now Honolulu – No Social Gathering” order, the city saw no significant decrease in cases. In a statement to Hawaii News Now, Lt. Gov. Josh Green advised the governor that “Oahu should return to the ‘safer at home order,’ shutting down gatherings and larger venues.” After nine days, the hammer came down with the “Second Stay at Home/Work From Home” order, which some say should have come sooner. These recent developments unveil political dissonance and insufficient communication.

Furthermore, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz voiced his concern that the Department of Health’s allocation of $250,000 in federal CARES aid to a marketing firm for COVID-19 messaging was used improperly and urged those funds be allocated toward emergency relief. The political inconsistencies afflicting the various levels of government brew confusion and divide the public. Courageous leaders must work collectively to make decisions based on necessity.

Systemic mismanagement and lack of transparency from our city government are conditions for corruption and dishonesty. Suspected criminal activity pushed the U.S. Department of Justice to subpoena the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Without transparency throughout the project, the public feels discouraged to engage in civics because we feel as though we hold little value in the decision-making process.

Without the public’s push to keep politicians accountable, politicians feel less pressure to keep the public informed, which creates space for backdoor negotiations and shortcuts.

In a recent installment in a series of panels regarding change in Hawaii, Christine Sakuda, executive director of Transform Hawaii Government, highlighted another hidden flaw in our government. Backward technology and 40-year-old information technology (IT) systems thwart transparency and dampen public participation.

The city auditor reported that the Department of Planning and Permitting does not possess the sophisticated data systems to effectively manage building permits, leaving violators unaccountable for their actions. Updating the IT systems can create avenues of accessibility allowing the government to better address the public. Our leaders must see the value in modernizing these systems despite the cost and exposure to accountability.

The call for change is a plea for a resolute leader capable of admitting their mistakes and taking responsibility to navigate through troubled waters. The next mayor will be confronted with difficult issues and must make tough decisions with grace and confidence. A courageous mayor must decide the fate of the rail project, jumpstart diversification in our local economy, promote accountability, and strengthen cross-system communication.

I speak from deep love and concern for the future of our home. Living through this overwhelming time has blinded us from the things most important to us. But once we reroot ourselves in our local values and allow that to guide our decisions and actions, we can rebuild trust and create change.

Trisha Ramelb is a 2017 McKinley High School graduate and a University of Hawaii-Manoa student, class of 2021. “Raise Your Hand,” a monthly column featuring Hawaii’s youth and their perspectives, appears in the Insight section on the first Sunday of each month. It is facilitated by the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders (www.CTLhawaii.org).