THE problem with many politicians is not that they are corrupt or lazy. Their mortal sin -- although they would loudly deny it -- is that a lot of them think the general electorate is pretty stupid. Lawmakers are awfully good at paying lip service and public homage to that oblique entity known as "the people of Hawaii" but their patronizing attitude can still stink up the state Capitol. Stop the high fives
over the high threeTake the ongoing smelly mess known as high-three reform.
After long ignoring the public clamor over this compensatory robbery, the House has finally introduced a new method of calculating retirement benefits for legislators if they later take higher-paying government jobs.
Currently, the pensions are determined by the three highest years of pay or the "high three." Therefore, in a hypothetical case, a senator or representative nearing retirement may want to make nice with the governor or mayor to win a Cabinet appointment paying bigger bucks. Thus, the lawmaker gets a larger pension, also known as more of our tax dollars.
At the same time, however, this potentially cozy relationship between legislative and executive branches could lead to a serious imbalance of power. Scary stuff.
The new House proposal would drastically cut lawmaker pensions if they do go on to earn fatter paychecks in the public sector. After all, what makes them any more special than other government employees?
Ahhh, but here's the catch: Citing a possible constitutional challenge, current lawmakers believe that they should be exempt from this long-needed reform.
All together now: No way, Jose.
Recognize the mentality? While longtime legislators say it's not "fair" to change the pension plan in midstream, what they're really saying is this: "Hey, we have worked hard for you people. We have devoted our lives to public service. We deserve to be properly compensated."
This mindset is precisely the problem. Quite a few members of the Legislature have been re-elected so many times that they have lost touch with the real-world problems of their constituencies. Instead, they dwell on fund-raisers, internal power plays, persuasive lobbyists and other omnipotent concerns.
Meanwhile, political novices who are aching for a chance at shaping democracy never get to bring their fresh ideas and perspectives into a self-imposed vacuum because these blow-hards won't vacate their seats. Yet these interminable incumbents have the nerve to say they want to be rewarded for sticking around. Hey, don't do us any favors.
THIS bureaucratic doublespeak is even more insulting because state Attorney General Margery Bronster has very clearly said that current lawmakers can be covered under the new proposal without violating the Constitution. Read our lips: This means you.
The whole premise behind high-three reform should be the immediate clean-up of this smelly mess, not its postponement. Contrary to their beliefs, legislators are not inordinately smarter, better or harder working than other public workers, although they certainly enjoy a lot more perks.
If lawmakers refuse to recognize this outrageous imbalance of power and purse strings, and make themselves exempt from any high-three reform this year, it will say loads about what they think about "the people of Hawaii."
What arrogance! What nerve! Who elected them anyway?
Don't answer that.