On leadership, collaboration and communication - or the lack thereof
The most recent effort by Lenny Klompus to make Governor Lingle look good and her critics look bad took the form of a hit piece on me in the The Garden Island newspaper (5/23/09)http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2009/05/23/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/doc4a17b49c974ed865392649.txt If nothing else, Mr. Klompus is to be commended for consistency: he is so thoroughly in step with the tone and modus operandi of other Republican voices like Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney.
If Mr. Klompus really wants to know what my platform is or what I have accomplished in the legislature, he should simply visit http://www.garyhooser.com Or, he could ask any of the good people around our state who are actively involved in public policy development and advocacy in the areas of education, energy, environment, health and human services, agriculture and/or water/land issues. They will tell him that not only am I a staunch and effective advocate, but that I have been the primary sponsor of numerous pieces of original legislation in each of these areas. These same hard-working people engaged in constructive efforts on multiple fronts critical to Hawaii’s future might also remind him that I was the primary sponsor of a recently passed “first in the nation” law requiring the installation of energy-efficient hot water systems on all new residential construction.
It is apparently my critique of the Governor’s style, which got Mr. Klompus going on his tirade. His language does her and her high office no service.
Unlike the Governor, I learned long ago that to be effective one must be inclusive and one must learn to give credit to others.
“My” accomplishments would not have been possible without the help and participation of many others. The ideas came mostly from members of the community and the success of the legislation came about because of support from my colleagues in the House and Senate. My style is to bring in partners, build a collaborative effort, do the hard work and achieve the desired goal first, then host the press conference afterwards to celebrate and give credit where it is due. The Governor’s style is to first host the press conference to celebrate her idea and initiative, then attempt to push her plan/program through the process, and should the initiative falter, blame those who were not part of her cheer-leading team from the start.
I truly believe our state has the potential to dramatically increase its energy and food independence which would have immediate dramatic and positive economic development impacts. With more qualified teachers in the classroom and a reduced central state bureaucracy we can significantly improve public education. I also believe that no student should be denied a college education because of his or her inability to afford the tuition.
Protecting and nurturing our natural environment, increasing our energy and food independence and improving and expanding opportunities in education will result in a strong, vibrant and diversified economy. This is my platform, and it is not rocket science. The ideas and program models are there and the underlying principles have been tested and proven.
Success is achievable but it will take leadership, a new and genuinely collaborative way of conducting business and an unwavering commitment to core principles. Nationally and locally, the Republican rant, unmoored from reality, is getting old. Mr. Klompus may not have noticed, but there is a new President in the White House, one whose commitment to civility in discourse and making words matter, is worth emulating. If Mr. Klompus is serious about his career in communications and about serving the office of Governor with the dignity it deserves, he should take notes.
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garyhooser) wrote,
