Honolulu Lite
Honolulu Lite
The government’s getting
mental hits from sunburnSince schizophrenia -- not the news media -- actually is the fourth branch of government, it should not be surprising that the state Legislature is pondering one bill designed to bring thousands of new voters into the system and another bill to keep them from knowing what their government is up to.
"Same Day" voter registration and "No Way" access to some City Council deliberations are just two issues we will be addressing today, the birthday anniversary of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody.
Buffalo Bill has little to do with the subject of government and the making of laws except, I suppose, he knew a cow pie when he saw one.
To push this tortured metaphor further, this is the time of year when our lawmakers spend half their time making cow pies and the other half trying to convince us they actually are chocolate cakes.
Take the so-called "Sunshine Law." The state Legislature passed that bit of whimsy so "the people" would enjoy open access to the legislative process. It then immediately made itself exempt from the law.
Now, the four county councils want the Legislature to grant them the same exemption because the trouble with sunshine is that not only is it bright, it sometimes burns. Elected officials who run for office and then complain about the "Sunshine Law" are like lifeguards who complain about having to work outdoors.
Honolulu City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi says she isn't in favor of secrecy, but that the council would be more efficient were it allowed to avoid the sunshine. That's the trouble with "government by the people"; the people are always getting in the way.
And yet, the Legislature also is considering allowing people to register to vote on the same day of the election. This obviously would be a victory for the Hawaii Association of Procrastinators, a large voting bloc that is incapable of meeting the current rule of registering to vote 30 days before an election. But will they be satisfied with "same day" registration, or will they be back next legislative session with a bill asking that they be allowed to register to vote 30 days AFTER a scheduled election?
The Legislature also is considering creating a government-run "universal" health-care system for the state.
Everyone needs health care, but do we really want a system overseen by an organization that builds school libraries that have no books and designs new school campuses that use portable classrooms?
Bookless libraries and transitory school buildings are one thing, but when you go into the hospital for a heart or liver transplant, it would be nice if the organs are actually there.
Certain legislators may tell us it would be a piece of cake for the state to run a universal health-care program, but Buffalo Bill might see the matter differently.
Charles Memminger, winner of National Society of Newspaper Columnists awards, appears Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. E-mail cmemminger@starbulletin.com