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Make Our Voices Count - Campaign Intro
Feb 11, 2010 | By James Koshiba
Three weeks into the 2010 Legislative Session, I'm reminded of how un-citizen-friendly the lawmaking process can be. Unless you have time to research complicated issues, to camp out at the Capitol and advocate for your interests, to sort hundreds of bills and track their progress, and write testimonies to multiple committees (or have the money for a paid lobbyist to do all of the above), it's hard to shape the laws that affect things sacred to you.
The legislative process must be made far more transparent and user-friendly…but that is for another time and another Kanu campaign.
For now, let's be grateful for watchdog groups that maintain a tireless presence at the Capitol – groups like Common Cause, Kahea, HANO, the Blue Planet Foundation, the Sierra Club, PHOCUSED, Life of the Land, and dozens of others. They send out regular action alerts on critical issues, as important bills (bad and good) spring up on a moment's notice. I encourage anyone with interest to sign up with these groups for breaking action alerts.
Some of us are seeking a different way to get involved – or perhaps simply hoping for more from the lawmaking process itself. We're willing to speak out on issues, but want the chance to gather information, discuss with others, and make up our own minds. This doesn't always fit with a crunched legislative time table.
We may be willing to advocate with conviction, but want to listen to opposing views, and speak with respect and aloha when debates get hot. This too, doesn't always fit with the urgency of lawmaking, or public debates conducted via media sound-bites.
In fact, the constraints of the legislative process can bring out the worst in us as citizen-advocates, and sometimes the worst in our lawmakers, too.
When the 2010 Make Our Voices Count Campaign is launched in a few days, it will try to create a space where people can influence policy, but do so in a way consistent with the code of conduct that guides Kanu members in our daily lives.
Perhaps, by modeling this kind of involvement, we even might nudge politics toward something that more closely resembles how ordinary people discuss, debate, and make decisions.
As we did in last year's campaign, Kanu Hawai‘i will highlight ten issues that are connected to island values of environmental stewardship, compassionate community, and economic self reliance. We'll suggest positions, and create space for members to discuss, share information, and agree or disagree with the proposed stance.
As the 2010 Session of the Legislature proceeds, we'll point out some critical moments for members to weigh in, and create opportunities for members to take action together at the Capitol.
As we tried to come up with the list of issues to follow this year, we kept three major factors in mind: (1) the State's struggle to balance the budget (2) the tough economy, (3) the fact that it's an election year. We were mindful of these factors because they can lead to especially bad or good policy.
In tough times, lawmakers may feel pressured to make policies that fix things in the short run, but cost us in the long run. In an election year, that temptation is intensified. Elections also mean there's a tendency to avoid controversial issues and hard choices. Bills that require political risk-taking may not get a hearing. Bills that require an investment today (no matter how big the payoff in the future) will be difficult to move. These are places to focus our attention, and the list of issues we pick will reflect it.
Rather than being cynical about politics and politicians, it's more helpful to think of it as our democratic duty to give our lawmakers direction and courage. Our representatives have literally thousands of bills to consider. They don't always have the information they need, and they rely on whoever is at the table, in their office, or sending testimony to help inform them.
It's true that money and relationships play a role in their decisions, too – far more than they should (and with some politicians more than others). But let's assume that most of our elected representatives want to do the right thing.
As their bosses, our job is to help get the information they need to do their job, give them some clear direction, and hold them accountable by voting. Our voices can give representatives the confidence they need to make tough decisions in tough times. And, if we set a proper tone, our voices can also lead by example toward a more respectful, reflective politics in Hawai‘i.
Make Our Voices Count will call on members to be this voice. We encourage every one – especially if you've never been involved in the legislative process – to jump in with a simple step: Pick one issue, follow it, share your opinion, and send a note to your representative about it. We will do our best to make it easy and to encourage a tone that combines courage with respect.
Just as important as what our voices say, will be how we say it. Every voice counts, but our voices count most when we speak together.
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