25 years ago, the Hawai’i State Legislature signed a bill to return 19,000 acres of land to Native Hawaiian citizens. Only 900 acres have been returned. When Lahaina was burning, the Maui Fire Department Chief waited until 96 people had died in the fire before returning to the island. Red Hill started leaking fuel into people’s drinking water in 2021; the government has yet to completely fix this problem.
Hawai’i’s government has progressed so slowly that normal citizens feel they must take matters into their own hands. Since then, my friends and I have started the Clear Waters Club, which aims to clean water around the island. Our work has focused on the Ala Wai Canal. This canal is so polluted that our friend got a serious infection last year after falling out of her canoe. The government neither helped her family with medical costs nor took steps to stop this from happening again. When citizens consistently have to take measures into their own hands, it may be time to consider the root issue. The question must be raised: Why is Hawaii’s government so slow to confront issues?
We are one of the bluest states in the country with a reputation for civility and togetherness, and while these traits can serve as motivation for progress, they also make people so afraid to disagree that they don’t confront issues. I was first introduced to this idea by Senator Mazie Hirono in her biography: Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter’s Story. Hirono had spent almost her whole life in Oahu before going to college on the mainland. In her book, she mentions how startling it was to find people passionately contradicting and provoking each other in crowded lecture halls with teachers unfazed by the loudness of their students. But here in Hawai’i, I often find that the government is unwilling to knock issues on the head in the name of Aloha Spirit, which can lead citizens to feel unacknowledged.
When plans were announced in 2014 to build the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on sacred Mauna Kea, many Native Hawaiians and environmentalists objected due to their belief that construction would desecrate an important cultural landscape. The government didn’t seriously consider their perspectives but delayed the project with discussions and endless hearings. At the same time, environmental considerations were almost always set aside, creating a stereotype of Aloha as an excuse to ignore problems and silence critics. This abuse of the Aloha Spirit is not fair to the concept, citizens, or the indigenous community who invented the movement.
Furthermore, Hawaii’s serious corruption is often overlooked. Following a recent scandal related to two lawmakers taking bribes, federal prosecutors are examining a broader web of potential corruption within the Hawaii Legislature, revealing systemic issues involving additional lawmakers willing to accept money to influence legislation. House leadership has initiated reforms in response to the scandal, yet new revelations suggest the problem runs deeper. One former lawmaker’s cooperation with federal investigators indicates that there are more corrupt practices yet to be uncovered. The investigation’s complexity has led to a cautious approach by the media, as sharing too much information could jeopardize ongoing proceedings and put individuals at risk. At times, this corruption can cost lives. Before the fires on Maui, a local businessman exchanged bribes for lucrative contracts with officials. The flawed contracting system and lack of accountability likely hindered effective disaster response and recovery efforts, leading to negative consequences during the crisis.
While I am not against the tourism industry, the state’s reliance on this sector often leads the government to prioritize the needs of outsiders over those of residents. With a significant portion of Hawaii’s economy tied to tourism revenue, officials may focus on quickly reviving the industry by implementing policies that cater to visitors—such as easing travel restrictions, promoting luxury resorts, or creating tax incentives for tourism businesses—at the expense of addressing pressing issues facing residents. Local communities may see fewer resources allocated to public services, affordable housing, or environmental protection, as the government channels funds toward initiatives that attract and accommodate tourists. This shift can create a sense of inequity, as the needs of local populations, especially Native Hawaiians and lower-income residents, are overshadowed by the economic demands of the tourism industry. In this context, the government’s actions can appear to prioritize the interests of foreigners, particularly wealthy tourists, while neglecting the long-term well-being of Hawaii’s citizens.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that citizens feel the need to fill the void left by the close-to-indifferent government. Residents’ ability to take issues into their own hands is applaudable, but it also points to a deep-rooted political issue. Our leaders are often too afraid, corrupt, or off-kilter to take proper action. Throughout the decades, they have continuously failed to uphold our trust. Another sad truth is that many people aren’t aware of how decrepit our state is.
As I pass pothole-filled streets on the way to Costco, which construction workers have occupied for six years, who let muddy cones get run over by cars and cover the pavement with temporary metal boards, I can easily visualize this scene all over our state. It’s easy to believe that all of America has the same problems. While other parts of the country have different and sometimes worse issues, it’s important to address our own situations as well. We must remember how lucky we are to call our state home and be able to critique a situation without being considered ungrateful or negative.