After telling constituents to stay home, not travel interstate, and quarantine on return if they do, 100 lawmakers and lobbyists convened today at a Maui luxury hotel where rooms start at over $500 per night.
The group included both Democratic and Republican lawmakers from California, Washington, and Texas who were there to discuss reopening strategies during the COVID crisis. This news is juxtaposed with yesterday’s announcement where California, Washington, and Oregon governors joined in telling residents to avoid out-of-state travel, including to Hawaii. It seems at least that what’s good for the goose should be good for the gander, but perhaps not when politics are concerned.
So said regular Richard C. whose comment first gave us the heads up. “From you can’t make this stuff up. Currently, there’s a conference going on at the Maui Fairmont attended by the State of California legislators. Here they’re discouraging travel to Hawaii, yet there they are enjoying Maui. To be fair both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are attending this conference. Another example of the rules don’t apply to politicians.”
Held at the beautiful Kea Lani Resort (pictured above) where rates this week begin at over $500 a night, the conference was organized by the San Diego based Independent Voter Project. Its executive director said he also wasn’t worried about the public health implications of bringing attendees from throughout the US, due to Hawaii’s mandatory testing program. He said, “It really doesn’t matter where you’re coming from as long as you have a negative Covid test before you arrive here.”
As we’ve seen in the severe recent runup of cases here in Hawaii, tests are merely a snapshot in time and do not indicate, for example, if you may have been exposed to but not yet developed COVID to the degree necessary to test positive.
In order for the event to be permitted, organizers requested and obtained special permission from Maui County for a group larger than 12 people to convene. The organizer said, “At some point in time, you have to figure out a way for people to get back to some semblance of a normal life. This is a good conference.”
Your take, please?
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As Leona Helmsely said about taxes, rules are for little people. (That’s us.)
Mahalo,
I am appalled at All of these government “officials” actions. I live in Cali and they have moved us back to the purple tier which raises my concern and anxiety. But, now that I see politicians do whatever they want (conference on the islands, flying) I guess I’ll do whatever feels right to me…do as the do.
Part of local news story:
by: Ashley Zavala
Posted: Nov 17, 2020 / 06:11 PM PST / Updated: Nov 17, 2020 / 06:11 PM PST
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KRON) – At least two California lawmakers are in Maui for a legislative conference.
The trip comes as state leaders put a recommended 14-day quarantine in place last week to discourage travel and urged Californians not to gather ahead of the holidays.
Multiple members of the California Assembly are in Maui for the Annual Independent Voter Project Conference.
An eyewitness source tells us they saw Democratic Assemblyman Jim Cooper on the island.
Cooper told our source he was in town for a conference, staying at the same hotel hosting the independent voter project’s event.
Another Democratic Assemblymember Blanca Rubio is also at the conference, she is the only California lawmaker who allowed the event organizer to reveal her participation there.
Recent finance reports show Republican Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham bought plane tickets for a flight to Hawaii that arrived Monday.
We contacted the offices of nine legislators who went to the conference last year. One confirmed their assemblyman was not there, and have yet to hear back from the other eight, including the offices of Cooper, Cunningham, and Rubio.
The five-day conference is bringing together about 150 people this week, 20 of them lawmakers from Texas, Washington, and California, according to the event organizer.
The event mainly features policy discussions and mingling with lobbyists and corporate sponsors.
This comes just days after California leaders discouraged travel by issuing a 14-day quarantine recommendation for anyone coming into the state
This BS and here in Albuquerque we went from a “Stay at home” order a week ago to yesterdays emergency shelter in place order (came across the TV and Cellphones etc) from the Governor, this due to an over 2000 new cases in one day, we’ve been averaging 1000+ per day until then. Over 800 hospitalized, and the University Med Center where my daughter is a physician and a COVID team leader is over capacity and being overwhelmed!
Colorado is in worse shape!
I haven’t heard if anyone from New Mexico is in Maui, I hope they have more sense then the other people do.
Be like Newson break his own rules for everyone else, do as I say not as I do and when you get caught you just say “I made a mistake” and everyone forgives and forgets by the time the next election comes around. Very sad CA residents let him get away with this.
As the article made it very clear, it’s not just Newsome and it’s both Repubs and Dems.
What Washington state legislatures attend this conference
I would like to know who from WA went too
Typical Commiefornia crap, plenty of places in Calif for a conference, humm gee, Lake Tahoe would be a great place and little to no air fair, less expensive hotels etc, won’t support their local economy.
Due to health issues I’ll probably never make it back to HI, and I miss seeing and working with my HI nurse BFF’s.
Bless you all, stay safe, take care!
“Commiefornia”…hmm.
So those GOP lawmakers who went are communists?
The permission was easy. Governor Lge has his nose so far up newsomes backside his ears touch. Both Lge and the maui mayor should be immediately removed for creating a public health hazard of which king Lge commanded and waved his hand as law.
Please tell me who is there from California legislature! We just got news of a 10pm curfew here in California yesterday. Thanks!
Recall that the tests are only 70% accurate- saying you’re negative has a 30% chance of being wrong.
Politicians have the power to do virtually what they want with no accountability. The mandates they have decreed for all of the rest of us are about submission, not protection. If you research the efficacy of masks you will quickly realize they are a joke. They are not medical grade- they allow a virus to pass through (a virus is 10 times smaller than bacteria).
The media has scared everyone so much that they are begging for a vaccine to “prevent” something that we have a 98% of not getting and only a 1% chance of dying from. The vaccine will not be tested enough to know what its side effects will be. Please do your homework and don’t think that a mask or vaccine is going to rid the world of CoVid. Boost your immune system, refuse a vaccine that has not been properly tested and stop being so scared.
Very well said Jennifer. Thank you!
Mahalo! My only concern was some people will immediately say California is a liberal and hypocritical State. Keeping people safe shouldn’t be a red or blue state issue. I really appreciate how informed you keep those of us that truly love and respect Kauai! Aloha!
Hi Nani.
Thanks for saying that and for your other nearly 50 comments.
Aloha.
Thanks for the updates on masks etc. I have to say that this article about the legislators’Le conference on Maui makes me a bit angry. Washington State is under a new lock down, with a travel advisory, yet our legislators can travel to Hawaii? My family cancelled their yearly trip to HI for Thanksgiving. Seems just a bit hypocritical to me. But they are politicians–a word that should be synonymous with hypocrite in my opinion!
Can we get the name of the politicians who are in attendance?
Mahalo for the article! I wish the title would have included Texas Republican and Democratic lawmakers too. As a Californian I do not believe my state Rep.s should be traveling at this time. I do not want them to bring covid19 to Hawaii that they might pick up on the plane or at the airports they’ll travel through. The same goes for their return. They should quarantine both ways test or no test. Shame on Maui for allowing them to come and cause a super spreader event that will effect Maui Country residents and eventually spread to the rest of the State. This is a good time for organizations to hold Zoom convention’s in the same way most of us will celebrate the holidays this year. Share your love and Aloha to your fellow man and wear a mask. A vaccine is on the horizon.
Hi Nani.
Thanks. We are limited by Google and other technologies to ten words in the title. Makes it fun and challenging.
Aloha.
It’s a great conference for them. Not so much for the rest of us in California that are told to limit Thanksgiving to 10 family members and to do it outside. Where I live in California today it is 55 degrees and rain coming at 2 pm.
I am from California and we are in the strictest tier for covid19. We cannot mingle with anyone outside our family who live in the same household. Thanksgiving is restricted to outdoors, with no more than two families outside your “bubble”, masks are to be worn except while eating, individual serving utinsils are to be given to each family. Tables 6 feet apart and the gathering is to end after two hours. Why is it necessary for California politicians to fly to Hawaii for a conference? Do it in California if the meeting is critical. Zoom works well for me when I want to visit my family it will work the same for them. I’ve had to cancel 2 trips to Hawaii because of restrictions and keeping my fingers crossed for next October.
No! For this conference they need to stay home and zoom conference. Spending $500/night is unconscionable with food lines , unemployment and Covid death. What the he**!
This has been said many times on this board before, and I will say it again, it’s all political. If Hawaiian politicians really cared, they would make travel easier for everyone, not just the political elite whom it seems don’t have to follow the same rules we the people are told to follow and threatened with Jail time or stiff fines if we don’t.
Hypocrisy has reached heights unbelievable before this incredibly crazy year!
Make them all quarantine for two weeks so they can get the Best of Hawaii experience.
You politicians make me sick…or you probably will soon anyhow.
It is unfortunate that politicians use the practice of “do as I say & not as I do”! $500 a day that we as the taxpayers pay for!
Our Governor in CA got caught at a birthday party attended by many, after getting caught he just said “ I made a mistake”!
This after he has ordered a stronger restriction statewide & is considering a statewide curfew, no more than 10 at a family gathering! Give me a break!!!
Nice that all these fools were stupid enough to get on planes and travel during the pandemic, while telling the rest of us to hide in the basement. Hopefully every lawmaker who attends gets voted out next election that they voted out. Political stupidity to the MAX!
Sadly that won’t happen to many “sheep that can’t think for themselves” in the voter pool. If ya ever hauled livestock ya know sheep known one thing that is “nose to tail” all the way.
Wow. Another example of do as I say not as I do. This “conference” could have been held on a zoom call in the comfort and safety of these “lawmakers” office. Obviously their laws do not pertain to them. We here in California can not enjoy a simple dinner out or to spend time with our families during the holidays, but they were given “special permission” to fly to Maui for a safety conference that cost the taxpayers over $500 a night not to mention all the other expenses. Thank you BOH for sharing this. We would not have known otherwise.
Hi Dayna.
Thanks. It definitely came as a surprise to us. On the positive side, we heard they are wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
Aloha.
Rules don’t apply to politicians as always!! I don’t think anyone should be in Hawaii right now the county is heading for it’s 3rd wave they need to close Hawaii again. Please stay safe!
*country
This is the height of hypocrisy but so expected. Lawmaker after lawmaker has been caught sidestepping the rules they force on us. This 100 person conference is a superspreader event. In San Diego coronavirus linked to gyms to gyms is 0.4%, schools 0.9%, churches 1.7% restaurants and retail shops below 10%. Thus 80% attributed to larger gatherings, big box stores etc. Guess who had to close down all indoor activities? Now these same rocket scientists flaunt their $600 a night “conference” at taxpayer expense in Maui. This is why people are angry and some are rebelling against the common sense practices of appropriate mask wearing and social distancing. Walk the talk or resign.
Lets face it….Mostly Demicrats. CA is run by Dems…like Hawaii.
One thing these lawmakers should do is have the Canadian Snowbird Visa ACT approved, it’s been sitting on the sidelines since 2017. This would allow Canadians over 55 that own property in the USA to spend up to 8 months a year here instead of the currently allowed 6 months. This would generate significantly more money and ultimately jobs that are desperately needed.