Hawaii’s World

By A.A. Smyser

Thursday, April 8, 1999

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A backwater
scenario for Hawaii

NOW that our public school youngsters are labeled worst in the nation in reading, it reminds me that in 1987 I drafted five scenarios for Hawaii's future, published by the East-West Center. One was called "Backwater."

We are getting close, particularly when some of our younger best and brightest --police officers among them -- head elsewhere for better jobs and pay.

Do we really want to be a Pacific backwater? There's a certain charm to it: few challenges to bother us. We just say "ho-hum."

Problem is, we will grumble about rich and educated people exploiting us. We might let our environment get mucked up. Visitors might turn elsewhere.

Good riddance, some might say. But our economy would shrink. And government might no longer be able to pay all those great benefits we give its employees.

Probably the nation of Bangladesh won't have to give up its title as the poorest Asia-Pacific area, but we might be mentioned in the same breath.

One of my other 1987 scenarios was much more exciting: Hawaii the Future State, the place on the cutting edge of good things, a model for the world because it shows people of diverse races really can get along with each other and do well in the process.

We haven't lost this one yet, even though we seem headed the other way.

I'm encouraged we have a new superintendent of education who wants to put top emphasis on maintaining high standards and accountability.

I don't think it's entirely nonsensical that we can become:

A place of five-star arts and culture as well as five-star resorts.

A recognized Pacific business center at a congenial intersection of the world now that the Internet makes our remoteness of less consequence.

A stronger Asia-Pacific education and conference center for the same reasons as above.

A place for World War II history buffs to see the USS Arizona and Missouri, the bookends of that war for the U.S. Also plenty more historic reminders and refreshers like the National Cemetery at Punchbowl and the U.S. Army Museum.

A place to meet a strong indigenous Polynesian culture, that of the Hawaiians, and see others displayed at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

A significant health center with great surroundings for recuperation and four-star medical services.

A place for national and international sports competitions in beautiful settings year-round.

It is becoming more apparent all the time that we need an educated populace to attain these goals, that we have to raise the bar on what we demand of students before they can graduate from high school -- for their good and for the good of our Future Hawaii.

I am saved from despair by a sense that our Board of Education, our new superintendent of education and Governor Cayetano believe this, too, that they really mean to demand more of our students and that more and more parents and students want to experience this.

Things happen when everybody pulls together. There is still time to rein in our drift to the Backwater scenario, particularly if our legislators will show a little bit of that quality called courage.

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A.A. Smyser is the contributing editor
and former editor of the the Star-Bulletin
His column runs Tuesday and Thursday.