How to Control Hawaii’s Coronavirus Epidemic and Bring Back the Economy: The Next Steps

Aloha Kākou! I was referred to your impressive work by Ben Trevino with whom Iʻve been communicating about the ways in which non-profits can become part of COVID recovery planning.

I am reaching out to you in hopes that your team considers a strategic approach to inserting non-profits into governmental recovery planning – at both the City and County and state levels. As one of my articulate partners calls this idea – building non-traditional capacity for Hawaiiʻs economic recovery.

Our non-profit is particularly interested in developing partnership pathways with the Honolulu City and County for park (including stream, fishpond and native habitat) and bike path restoration and maintenance. We have been organizing a significant and effective volunteer work force for two years at Kapapapuhi Point Park in `Ewa and see the COVID crisis as a pivot point during which we can develop more effective non-profit-governmental collaboration.

We agree that non-profit-governmental efforts should currently be focused on providing basic needs as well as serving the most vulnerable in our community – and that these efforts should continue after the crisis is over. We also believe that the current crisis has pointed out the need for improvements in our outdoor spaces, resource management and sustainable transportation when the crisis abates.

I am hoping to connect with you this month to discuss the role the Hawaii Alliance for Non-Profit Organizations – HANO (to whom I have already reached out), and our non-profit, might play in this endeavor. I look forward to hearing from you as your schedule allows and in the meantime, take care and stay safe!

I would like to note that our non-profit has both City Council and Legislative partners that could advise us as in our strategic planning communication efforts.

I agree: I have kept repeating the facts
regarding Germany, and that testing has
help the virus down, compared to other EU. Countries. Sweden is another example of sensible social responsibility.
I believe our families here, must be a priority, and the 15 minute test is essential. I am almost 67, and I should not have to wait until I have symptoms
to get tested. We need to know that we all are free of this virus, and take others out immediately to quarantine if they aren’t. This system we have is Russian roulette.
We have to recover before the economy
will.
People need to be tested before and after the their flights.
No one from China, should be traveling to this country. I am not being personally biased, however, their WET bars have returned , thus they are consuming the wild and dangerous food that had started
this pandemic. There is enough proof , from epidemiologists , that these eating habits started this: ie pictures of people currently eating wild bats at a restaurant.
We have also learned in these islands, from this moratorium on tourist activities
that our oceans needed a break.
Wildlife all over the world have been coming out into what was their pervious habitats. These whales have needed a break also, I want to encourage limits on whale watches, and other untethered
activities.” This isn’t a Disneyland in the Pacific Islands.
Our co2 emissions have reduced by over
1/2, at lest, which also end up in the oceans, and effect our natural world.
Thus was and is, a wake up call to the earth,. Even if you aren’t religious or,
Catholic, the Pope called on the human race to consider our creation, and what we have done.
The earth measured less movement and sisemic activity since the instruments were invented.
Yes, tourism is essential to our economic existence, but what kind and how much can these islands sustain.
It was always my hope, and unheard suggestion, that tourists flying over, must read and sign a form, and see a video, that educates them on environmental
issues, ie: to stay a distance away from
turtles, not walking on coral, etc.
Our islands also need to respond with
rules, laws and standards for trash recycling, and using alternatives to plastic, which large corporations must follow.
We have to much plastic, and unrecylable
materials.
These outlying arreas must invest in not only shipping in alternatives? but somehow producing them.
So, I am asking leaders of all walks of life, to consider other industries, besides
tourism.
What we are experiencing, is a wake up call, to hoe we run these islands.
They are building a 400 room Hilton Time
Share on The N. end of South Kihei Rd.
on the beach by an ancient fish pond,
and the National Marine Sanctuary, where once the Old Small Maui Lu,
stood. This is primarily a residential neighborhood, with a water shed
where the blue rock was broken up by pole drivers for months.
It never should have been built or started.
We have NEW affordable housing, without PV SOLAR.
We had a tremendous amount of hotel capacity, and rental cars, industry, and a new 30, million dollar gym and sports complex in S. Maui, but no plans or organized after school activities, none for children 4-7.
The pals program over fills immediately,
and the other programs are for 7 and up at Kihei Youth Center.
There is a lottery and a waiting list for Kihei Charter School.
We have spotty, expensive preschools, and no pre-k, and our teachers are paid
some of the lowest wages in the nation.
I do know, since both of my daughters are in education in California, where they
have all of the above,
This has been a wake up call as I am retired, but now unable to sustain my own living situations, and have become
fearful of being homeless, again, a population internally growing.
It’s difficult to see all the new commercial
building and out growth, leaving deserted
buildings that could be put to use, for the homeless that need it and want it.
The air bnb’s can now be used for long term housing, and not just the same day to day tremendous prices, which are close to the hotel prices.
These longer term changes can be beneficial to the resurgence of our local
economic sustainability for the long term future. I am with the Hawaiian People Calling for more real cultural rights and education.
However, this can only start with short term testing immediately.

testing
PV

The UHERO COVID-19 economic recovery report dated April 3, 2020 states, “Ensuring that children do not fall behind in their instruction should be a priority for the state and teachers.” This needs to go far beyond the social distancing mechanics mentioned in the report.
The Education Institute of Hawaii, a non partisan education think tank comprised of award winning Hawaii educators offers the below five steps in thinking through the K-12 public education aspects of the state economic recovery plan.
1) Focus on immediate critical issues such as accountability, access and transparency which we are currently shaping through engagement with DOE along with other education groups.
2) Mitigate further loss of teachers by any means possible.
3) Empower schools and allow principals to lead in an authentic and community-based way where the DOE supports their needs instead of dictating requirements. Reinvigorate the Governor’s Blueprint for Public Education as a sustainable empowerment model https://governor.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Blueprint-for-Public-Education-2017.pdf along with other proven methods of school empowerment.
4) Discover what education innovations can be derived from these challenging circumstances that create better equity, efficiencies and opportunities for our students. This is a public, private and charter conversation that helps to move best practices from the few to the majority.
5) Forecast the economic benefits of these efforts through economic modeling in line with Eric Hanusheck’s work. Some initial work on the economic benefits of an improved education system in Hawaii was introduced by Dr. Hanusheck in 2016 (brief available upon request).

Now is the time to revive workable ideas that can be applied to the current context in a way that complements other sectors and parallel efforts. We do not want the COVID-19 crisis to be another barrier to Hawaii public education reaching its potential. Instead, we want to be able to see through the current situation as a way to reevaluate our current education system and methods and to re-imagine a sustainable way ahead that is inextricably tied to Hawaii’s future economic success.