Six months into an uncertain future, Hawaii is worse off than ever before.
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129 thoughts on “Hawaii is Broken | Now All Fingers Point to the Top”
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Six months into an uncertain future, Hawaii is worse off than ever before.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Comments are closed.
Jeanne, I work in government emergency services – not Hawaii- would like to comment on your “no call”. Using individual volunteers is literally an impossibility. There is no way to vet credentials, background, experience, personal history, a multitude of other criteria that would be required for volunteers. The same criteria required as if you were being hired. Volunteers utilized are selected from established orgs. Question? Did he volunteer in NYC or Houston when they were in crisis? Thank you, Mike
Hi Mike,
I assume you as a essential government employee are collecting your salary and benefits. Those ofus deemed non-essential have been living on nothing for 6 months. We would be ok with any volunteers, and perhaps you could donate your salary to others for the next month or two.
Maybe then you would understand no one and no job that feeds and houses Hawaiians is non-essential.
Robert,
From your comments I will assume you are not experienced in emergency services. First, I work in gov in the medical field so have been going to work everyday to include direct contact with coronavirus infected patients. Second, a majority of the people I know had a 5 month paid vacation, I did not, my work load increased exponentially. To clarify, my comments were simply to explain why an entity cannot use un-vetted volunteers, logistically just cannot happen. If a person chooses to volunteer that is fantastic! They should join an established org that will pre-approve them. Third, I am wondering if the desire to volunteer is so strong, why not NYC or Houston? Only Hawaii? I’d like to volunteer in Hawaii too! Lastly, even working in the medical field, I support an opening up! Lives, businesses and the economy are being destroyed. I am not criticizing Hawaii, I feel for the economic pain so many are feeling and is about to get worse.
Hi Mike,
Thank You for your polite and thoughtful comments. Do you know they actually closed
all testing centers in Los Angeles Sunday and Monday for the Labor Day weekend? So, on the one hand we are supposed to be in the worst Pandemic in one hundred years, on the other hand government employees are still entitled to paid holidays. What about those who die from lack of testing and contact tracing? Is the pandemic real or not?
Have you not seen all the closed restaurants, malls and small businesses. Those people have lost everything, ask them if they are enjoying their five month vacation. I just want government workers to understand that the citizens are suffering, and I don’t think it is right that the government is choosing winners and punishing losers. Small business people usually have no pensions, they often use home equity loans or family loans to start and finance their dreams. Consider the despair and desperation of losing everything.
we have had a blue state forever please vote for trump and the republican party the dems have hosed us forever
Open your eyes trump has destroyed usa.
Mathew open your eyes.
The democrats are trying to destroy America the same way they destroyed the black race.
Read your history, democrats started the KKK, fought the civil war to keep slavery, planted obortion clinics in all the black communities and they continue to push wealfare and government handouts on them so they will be easier to control.
If you haven’t noticed all the riots, burning down buildings and killing is only going on in democrat run cities.
ok see this right here owners of Beat of Hawaii is what I am talking about.
I dont know where John V is getting his history from but his history is at best revisionist history and not real history.
KKK lmao look up Dixiecrats please. All became Republicans. LOL fought the civil war to keep slavery?
I live in Portland and there is zero burned down by protesters. Please kick this person off this list. We dont need total __ added to a good forum.
Trump has been horrific for the environment and the impact this will have on climate change will be Far worse than the overall impact this pandemic has been. Wake up people, if you think voting for Trump and earth-destroying Republicans are going to save your way of life, you are incredibly delusional.
Look in the mirror folks, these are the ones you have elected. Elections have consequences.
I agree with the statement, “All Fingers Point To The Top” but, it goes beyond the state. Mahalo guys.
Hi Roy.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Hawaii cant wait until the next election to have Governor Ige removed from office. If he does not resign soon an impeachment is the way to go. It should have been done a while ago after the false alert.
Just open Hawaii back up. Welcome tourists back with smiles and open arms. The majority of people who have died during this “pandemic” died from the flu or pneumonia, we were after all still in flu season when this all began. The average death rate in the USA from ALL causes is actually down from prior years. Something in my gut tells me all will be okay if Hawaii just gets back to business as usual. People testing positive is far from a death sentence. Like 99.9% survival odds. Don’t listen to Fauci. He’s just kind of like a tiny, evil scientist. Seriously though, this is not the end of the world. Things will get better. The shake up in the Hawaii government is exactly what was needed. Plus, its opened up opportunities for someone who maybe has had an interest in politics. Ya never know.
6,234,399 cases. 188.230 dead do the math not 99.9
The people of Hawaii cannot stop living their normal lives anymore. People have jobs to do and families to provide for. Children need to go to school and interact with one another. Some may get sick but at least life will go on and normal living can return.
The panic and fear is overdone. Protect your families health the best way you can,
But please get back to living the life you love. Aloha
This is so heartbreaking for the Hawaiian residents. And sad for those of us that love visiting Hawaii. We took our family of 10 to Maui in June 2019. It was such a fabulous trip that we immediately started saving for a repeat trip for June of 2021. It’s doubtful that will happen now. If Hawaiian Air would establish “rapid test ” procedures at every gate, and only passengers with a negative test would be allowed to board, thousands of tourists would return to Hawaii. No quarantine!! No increased danger to the islands. If a passenger has a positive test, they could be guaranteed ticket refunds for their party. Also, no penalty cancellations at resorts and hotels. I believe the rapid test is by the Abbott Lab. Someone needs to call Abbott and see if this is doable. Please tell me why this should not be investigated.
Hi Jeanie.
The state has recently mentioned that type of testing so we’ll see what they decide.
Aloha.
We have reservations and flights to come
To hawaii mid november??? Is it a posinility??!
The Hawaiian government is clearly incompetent. I’m surprised that the tourism industry is not camped outside Ige’s door screaming for blood. I would think that the first in line would be the CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. It’s strange to me that we’ve not heard more about why influential travel companies like Hawaiian are just rolling over and letting this happen?!?
Thank you
Hawaii is Broken | Now All Fingers Point to the Top
A wiser person then I once said “When you point the finger of blame at someone three fingers are pointing back at you”
In this case the three fingers are pointing at the voters who live on Hawaii.
We vote Blue all the time and have gotten screwed.
The us voted red and now we are screwed big time
Unfortunately you lost me at the criticism of Dr. Park. As a local health department senior epidemiologist I have a good idea of how difficult her job is normally and COVID has magnified the difficulties. I read through an article on Civil Beat. What I see is someone who lost the backing of politicians and was completely sidelined and pushed out. This is not her fault, nothing would have made a difference for an economy that is dependent on tourism as Hawaii’s. Better and faster tests would help, but that is a problem far beyond the ability of a state epidemiologist to change. Give her staff, improve testing times, convince people to talk to disease investigators. Fixing this is hard work and it won’t happen in a day. I was supposed to fly to Oahu next week, but I finally cancelled my trip a few weeks ago. I still hope to come to Hawaii when we have improved therapies and hopefully a reasonable vaccine. Listen to the experts, don’t expect magical solutions, wear a mask.
It is also respectful to spell people’s names correctly. Her name is Dr. Sarah Park, not Sara.
Sorry to say that Hawaii and it’s leaders have lead their citizens down a path that only they want to control. This is not any different than many states and cities being run by a certain political party for a number of years. They know better and control your movement, your voice, and your choice to lead a life as a United States citizen. We all know to wear a mask, stay distant, wash hands but stopping business, killing travel is the choice of the Governor and the Mayors you elect.
Wake up….
At last … the band-aide has been ripped off the ugly gaping wound which, until now, tried to cover the gross incompetence & dirty politics we’ve come to experience here in Paradise!!! It took a “novel virus” to let the world see the truth so … now what? Do we stay & go down with the Titanic or do we put our belongings on a barge & head eastward across the Pacific? There’s plenty more just like Ige to take his place so I’m not seeing a whole lot of light at the end of this very dark tunnel.
I have to tell this short story of my experience arriving back to Kauai. First a little background. There is a very, very, very small threat of the Chinese virus here on Kauai. But the Governor seems to think he has to lock down. The old one size fits all systems. OK wear a mask, stay 6 ‘ away and wash your hands. That’s all fine. Now I got off the airplane and was led to a line by military dressed personnel. I was told I have to fill out a very personal form online can’t be by hand. I was lucky I had a tablet but most were using their phones. It was like I would imagine going to a communist country. The military presents the absolute filling out of a personal form and couldn’t do it by hand. Being ordered around in a small area and you better not stray they would be on you. They created a sku that is your personal identification. This is wrong and crazy. I can’t leave my house for 14 days, I will be monitored by the National Guard daily, random phone calls. Just like house arrest. I really think with my SKU they can track me by my phone. Is this America ? Is this what we are turning into. I say no this has to stop. I saw some of the other passengers loose their tempers screaming and shouting the security was called immediately to control them. I’m not exaggerating, it was really uncomfortable. So Aloha I guess I’m not sure about that anymore.
This is just the saddest thing. We normally go to Hawaii every year for Thanksgiving (to Maui) and to the other islands at other times of the year – especially in January or February. I’m so sorry that things are so messed up there. We are so anxious to go there, but we need to feel safe on a plane and safe when we get there – and certainly not quarantined for 14 days. We miss our friends there and all of our favorite spots to eat and be entertained.
Thank you BOH for always keeping us up to date. My heart goes out to the people of HI. I hope you will find competent leaders to replace those who have left sooner than later. Stay safe.
Hi Ina.
Thanks.
Aloha.
I know its tough in an election year, but I almost feel that the Federal Govt needs to step in and do something. If the governor will not act, then bring in federal health officials, federalize the National Guard, and bring concerned Hawaiians and the feds together to fix it. Dire conditions sometimes call for drastic actions. Its obvious the current Hawaiian govt either is unwilling or unable to fix it without some outside help. We have a Naval Hospital ship in San Diego. Lets start with that, maybe use it for COVID testing??? Maybe reengage with CVS???
Wow, I don’t feel so badly about WA state governance now. I sincerely hope this gets worked out soon. We visit several times a year because my husband was born on Oahu, and our kids live there. This is going to impact the state’s economy for years to come. I hope we will be able to make our trip in March. So many places are closing. I just read that Alan Wong’s is suspending operations. Very sad.
In reading comments-it’s truly amazing how many COVID “experts” are eager to share their expertise. Not sure where they are coming up with some of the information posted.
Thanks again, for keeping us posted. Appreciate it.
Hi Lee.
Thanks for all of your comments.
Aloha.
Please continue the reporting the good and the bad of Hawaii’s response. We hope that a workable solution can be created soon as we are trying to make plans for a visit in March. I have faith in an entrepreneurial solution will give hope to the place we love to visit. Mahalo.
Hi Brad.
Will do. Thanks.
Aloha.
Sadly this is not very encouraging for those of us that had to cancel our vacation there. With nothing positive going on how do we rebook confidently?
One Party, One Rule. Lack of choice always leaves you with “take what you get” We may never be able to keep a Politician honest but we should at least make them compete for our Vote! Right now looks like Hawaii shuffles a deck with one suit, pick a card any card, all the same.
Impeach Ige!
Lisa has the right idea… Just set up quick-testing tourists (15 minute results, 95% accuracy), either before they get onboard or on arrival, and we should be able to open up again.
Lt Gov said as much to me in an email but indicated that an EUA (emergency use authorization) would be needed for the fast-tests.
Since EUA’s have been received by at least two of the companies. The money is available to get the tests. So what is the delay? Ans= poor leadership!
ps…I am sure Governor Ige has a place to live, $$$ coming in with his salary etc…as the citizens of those States who are in a perpetual lock-down suffer while government workers are doing fine. I live in California and “Let them Eat Cake” Nancy Pelosi can get her hair done while hair salons in the state were closed and/or have shuttered to never open ever again; and our governor conveniently opening statewide salons the very next day, after she was caught on video tape at the salon-ugh, you can’t make this disdain for the citizens up! ….The arrogance of these governors who control the state’s closure and management of the Covid crisis, in my opinion, could care less about the common citizen’s every day real needs for say, heck- a paycheck$, a place to live, $ for food/shelter/healthcare….best of wishes and prayers as Hawaii finds it’s way out of this nightmare!
“But the mayor will be running against him for Governor and Ige apparently felt threatened by Josh’s competence….”…I’ve run into the same situation when trying to find employment as a clinical laboratory scientist at the sonic laboratories in Maui… I am a highly competent individual and have been in the field of Clinical Laboratory Science for 35 years…The position is still open and no one has ever called me despite persistent emails and phone calls to the facility… I have a feeling this fear of competence is pervasive throughout this island and this state.
I totally agree that Hawaii needs to open up for touism or it will die. It seems that they were closer to opeing up in Jyly and August than they are now in September which is unfortunate. I know back then that the State of Hawaii had a partnership with CVS to do just what is being suggested in this post to allow visitors to come with the 14 day quarantine: Some of the Federal-Aid Hawaii has received could have been used ingeniously to form a partnership between a qualified lab”, CVS didn’t keep up their end of the parnership which was to do the testing and provide results on a timely basis. Perhaps some extra money in the bargain would have made CVS do better.
I was happy to bring my dollars into the Kauai economy in the year afte hurricane Inniki. However, the inconvenience caused by inept political leadership and unelected cronies will not likely influence me to do so again any time soon. Unfortunately, the local businesses and local economies will be sacrificed not to Pele but to Political Stupidity.
This cannot be construed to be about the science but about politicians being risk adverse, control obsessed and power hungry. Until the people of Hawaii rise up and hold their leaders accountable for doing what is reasobnable and wise, irrespective of party affiliation dogma, things will only get worse and the current lack of solutions will be much worse that the underlying virus.
To support what is being said about tourism in shambles, if Hawaii would just have rapid testing that allows quarantine to be avoided, I would be there spending money. Hawaii is perfect for outdoor dining and events that are fairly safe.
I agree! It’s this 14 day quarantine that didn’t and can’t work. It certainly didn’t have to be this way.
Good to know, as I Live in Alaska and go to Hawaii frequently. It’s shameful what the government it doing.
It’s long overdue for the citizens of Hawaii to rise up and protest and get this governor recalled or impeached, and get someone in there with a common sense functioning brain. Again, you isolate the vulnerable.. obese and diabetic… Which may be pretty high in the state of Hawaii I’m not sure(?)… Either way you set up a temporary hospital to take any overflow, you open up the economy fully with common sense testing protocols in place… The “Covid casualties” with a Hawaiian state in pretty much complete lockdown, are going to be way beyond actual fatalities and death numbers, when you add in the true numbers of citizens pushed into poverty, depression, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, child abuse, spousal abuse,etc….
Read Dr. Scott Atlas article today at Thehill.com website-“Restore our lives using medical science, data and common sense“… Here’s the newest member on the The President’s Covid task force.
He is the voice of reason and facts unlike Dr. Fauci the voice of fear and money as he waits to cash in on a vaccine.
Scott Atlas is just the latest “doctor” with no expertise in communicable disease who is willing to say whatever Trump wants him to say, unlike Dr. Fauci who says what he thinks is right regardless of the politics. Atlas thus joins the ranks of servile Trump lackeys which our government has become. May they all perish on November 3!
I completely agree, Nita! It is very clear that Ige, the Lt. Governor and mayors have their own political agenda with this insane never-ending shutdown of Hawaii. I pray the citizens of Hawaii are waking up to see how their state government has completely failed them.
Never vote Democrat again!
Ahem. Perhaps you should bone up on the bone fides of Dr. Atlas. He is a radiologist specializing in brain and spine MRI scans. No experience in epidemiology, infectious diseases, nor virology. His opinion is as close to mine in veracity based on experience as your post is over the top support for, well, no good reason at all. His support of the concept of “herd immunity” is all you really need to know. A tragedy in the making with no idea of whether the virus responds to the concept. One certainty. Millions of dead Americans. Perhaps you should look at your own state ‘s strategy before pontificating on who is the real expert and what is wrong with Hawaii.
Dr.scott is joke!,,,,,,
Many thanks for keeping us updated.
Bev and her family of 20
Sad and missing our almost yearly travel to Maui
Hi Bev.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Big Island could secede and become a thriving Ubuntu Nation. I’m serious! Look it up please!
I seriously wonder if Hawaii will even be worth a visit after all of the mismanagement of the state economy’s primary mover, tourism. My wife and I will not return until the restaurants, scuba boats and hotels/condos are available. I believe many of our favorite places will just disappear – Kimos, Leilani’s, Duke’s Canoe Club, Trilogy Excursions on Maui and others. Can tourism in Hawaii be saved or will the last one out switch off the lights? I guess we’ll see.
Aloha!
We were the safest place to be under the initial lockdown. It was the constant and unrelenting pressure to re-open that has landed us where we are today. If more time was spent discussing the science of this disease and survival of our people rather than a speedy return to practices which promote the spread of the virus the economy would not be facing this devastation. It is not possible for a society to survive the destruction of civil servants or front line workers. Yet for the sake of the “economy” that is the battle we are facing now. If we just stay home, wear masks and wash our hands in 3 months we can beat this. That was the first message, the science based message and the only solution.
Mahalo!
Hi Lynda.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Funny. I thought Hawaii was part of the United States. Really. You learn that in school.
It’s a complete dumpster fire and Ige doesn’t even know what a hose is, much less how to use it.
My guess is that he’ll be the next departure. He doesn’t want to be around when the Hawaii people figure out just how wrecked the economy actually is. It’s going to take several years for tax revenues to return to normal and federal aid will run out long before that, meaning huge deficits will be run for the next several years. Taxes will be increased, while services will have to be cut. It’s going to get ugly.
My heart aches for our Hawaiian friends that are going to have to go through this.
Once again Democrat politicians destroy the robust economy of a State. Somehow I can’t place the blame on the Democrat politicians because how they enrich themselves and ignore the needs of the citizens is widely known. That only places the blame on the voters of Hawai’i. You got exactly what you voted for…again and again.
I don’t think this level of selfishness and incompetence belongs to any particular political party. There are national and local examples everywhere, the pandemic has just exposed it.
Right you are, Hill411. The same can be said for traditionally Democrat run cities across the nation- Seattle, Portland, New York City, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Baltimore, San Francisco, Minneapolis. “You got exactly what you voted for.”
Thanks BOH for keeping us informed, and allowing multiple points of view on this subject.
Hi Rob.
Thanks.
Aloha.
You would think that they’d give the Republicans a try just once. They can’t do any worse than the current administration.
Apparently you haven’t been paying attention to the party running the pandemic response.
Isn’t Hawaii in the United States? Gee, who is running the federal government? Who might that be?
The Federal government can not/will not go into a state and override state and local laws. Governor Ige would need to ask for help and I think we all know he will not do that because he is too arrogant. I must concur with he comment from another contributor.”Hill” it’s time for those voters in Hawaii to quit voting Democrat, therefore appointing strictly Democrats to run the state of Hawaii. Vote in Republicans to clean up the unconscionable mess that the current state administration (Ige) has created. If you don’t like what you see then vote them all out of office the next time. At this point what do you have to lose?
Truly wishing the best to all the people of Hawaii.
Aloha & Mahalo,
TJ
The Federal Government has nothing to do with Igeʻs Draconian edicts and executive orders. Ige and the island Mayors have caused this debacle, not the Federal government. Sadly the residents and businesses of Hawaii will be suffering for many years to come because of Igeʻs incompetence.
You got it right.👍
I am so sad for Hawaii, her people, and all who love to visit. I have a trip planned for early December but if there’s no progress by Oct 1, we will cancel with heavy hearts
A leave of absence of course with full pay. They are so blinded as to how wrong this is that they probably think nothing of it. Disgusting.
Mahalo for all you do!
Hi Jon.
Thank you.
Aloha.