Arrogance, incompetence, and in charge. And no accountability.
Deadly combinations. That’s just how we roll, in Hawaii-nei.
Accountability means CHANGE: Pt. I
Joel Borgquist - Part I: Climate change is the go-to blameshift for Democrats. Negligent land management is the real culprit that set the stage for runaway wildfires in the heartbreaking and preventable tragedy on Maui.
Families are devastated. Maui – and all of Hawaiʻi – will never be the same. Unfortunately, our corrupt government still prioritizes their power over caring for our land and our communities. The cover-up is in full swing.
Accountability means CHANGE.
Bad government hurts people. We often talk about our dysfunctional government in a comedic manner, but the results of their actions (and inactions) cause real suffering – which so often goes unseen.
There’s a fitting term that many are adopting to describe this tragedy: “Death by government.” It fits.
Accountability is the only way to protect our communities.
We’re at high risk for another tragedy if we don’t start making changes now.
In case you missed Governor Josh Green’s cherry-picked facts on Face the Nation: Gov. Green is blaming climate change for the state government’s innumerable and inexcusable failures, echoing many of President Joe Biden’s erroneous and misleading statements.
Climate change was NOT the cause of the Maui wildfires and the destruction that followed. Consider these facts:
Average temperatures this year in Maui are completely normal. In fact, the average August high in Lahaina since 1985 is 88 degrees fahrenheit, but the average high in Lahaina so far this August (as of Aug. 25th, 2023) is 87 degrees – a degree cooler than the average.
Precipitation is also within normal ranges compared to other years.
This hurricane season is so far within normal ranges dating back to our ability to accurately track and record their measurements. Hurricane Dora, which caused the high winds stoking the Maui wildfires, was very much within those normal measurements.
Fire data from the past two decades shows massive fluctuation in the amount and severity of wildfires from year to year. It’s an ebb and flow, depending on the many factors that coincide each year.
It’s now common to use climate change as cover, capitalizing on fear and political opportunity, regardless of what the data says. Gov. Green took his cue from Washington, D.C. and dove in.
The data clearly demonstrates that there is nothing unusual about the weather in August 2023 compared to previous years. The same is true of July. Everything was as expected. Even the winds from the hurricane were expected based upon decades of hurricane data.
Blaming his failed leadership and bad policies on climate change shows Gov. Green’s complete contempt for Hawaiʻi’s people. He lacks the honesty, humility, and respect to hold himself or others accountable.
Gov. Green lied to the people of Hawaiʻi to avoid accountability. But if the Governor won’t hold state officials accountable, who will (or can)?
Our local media printed Gov. Green’s claims as-is without any real journalism. The media also went to great lengths to cover over Pres. Biden’s many gaffes and insults prior to and during his helicopter ride and guided tour of Lahaina – even when he compared the devastation to his kitchen fire and the loss of life to his vintage Corvette.
Gov. Green claimed in his Face the Nation interview that, “…we’ve had six fire emergencies this August, we had six fire emergencies between 1953 and 2003.” This cherry-picked date range is very suspect – and 20 years outdated. He’s clearly proof texting the data. The definition of “fire emergency” is also entirely subjective and it’s unlikely the data even exists to verify that claim. Reporting standards have changed drastically over the years.
Gov. Green’s Democrat Party has been in control of our government since the 1960s. The only thing Gov. Green has proven is that our problems have steadily and significantly gotten worse during the Democrat Party’s decades-long tenure.
The big reason we had only a few serious wildfires in Hawaiʻi between 1953 and 2003 (the dates conveniently selected by Gov. Green) is because so much of the land was used for agriculture. Agriculture and land cultivation are major deterrents to wildfires because they remove the fuel needed for these fires, and irrigation keeps the plants green and the ground moist.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of protection,” a salient quote by Chief Eric Moller, from the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization’s website.
The ‘miracle house’ in Lahaina is a perfect example of how different the results of a fire can be when the factors that feed fires are reduced. The owners of the miracle house had recently upgraded to a metal roof and removed vegetation that grew against the house. It’s highly likely that without those two changes their house would be ash today.
Factually, well-maintained agricultural lands have a significantly lower risk of serious wildfires – especially pineapple fields. Pineapple offers nothing significant to burn and little way to create significant heat – along with built-in fire protection from the dirt rows and irrigation. But as pineapple has nearly disappeared across our Islands, significant change follows, especially since it’s not being replaced with any other crops.
Wildfires thrive off of large areas filled with thick brush, like most of Hawaiʻi’s former pineapple fields and other agricultural lands that have sat neglected for decades growing brush and non-native grasses.
There is little risk from serious wildfires if there is little to fuel them, regardless of any and all climate factors.
In short, proper land management is critical fire prevention, which brings us full circle to GOVERNMENT NEGLIGENCE.
The land is sitting neglected and wildfire-ready, largely due to laws and permitting that limit or prohibit their use for general agriculture, and because of completely negligent caretaking of the land. The red tape and dysfunction is near-to endless.
This is all despite two reports in the last decade warning specifically about wildfire risks in Lahaina and elsewhere on Maui due to the thick brush and non-native grasses, with mitigation recommendations that were never taken.
Lack of leadership defines Hawaiʻi’s present existence.
Democrat policies slowly choked out agriculture in the time since Green’s cherry-picked date of 1953, with agriculture falling significantly in every decade since, as our historical economy was crushed and the land eventually falling into neglect. Gov. Green has advanced to the highest position in our government since moving here, but still seems aloof to some of the basic history and culture of Hawaiʻi.
Gov. Green’s approach to dangerous town-devouring fires is not that surprising. His home state of Pennsylvania has its own fire that’s been burning underground for over 50 years, after Centralia town officials recklessly built a dangerous underground landfill in a coal mine shaft, which ignited. This created an environmental and health disaster that swallowed the entire town – and still threatens the health and safety of the region. No solution has been found to extinguish that fire or restore the town, and estimates suggest that the underground fire could continue to burn for 250 more years!
Conclusion: Gov. Green is where accountability must begin. But it is not where accountability ends.
The near-to endless list of bad policies, poor land and water management, negligent emergency management, and overall government waste, corruption, and inefficiency have created the environment for catastrophic wildfires on Maui – AND continue to threaten even more communities with wildfires and other major disasters.
Gov. Green’s statements prove to be both false and offensive – while also FAILING TO ADDRESS THE REAL PROBLEMS.
Anger must turn to action. Accountability means CHANGE.
Upcoming parts II, III, IV, and V of this article will dive into the many other government-driven factors that created the highest single-day death toll of any disaster in Hawaiʻi’s history – and are poised to cause many more tragedies if we don’t reverse course.
The next election is in 2024. Start voting. Start running for office. However, WE DEMAND CHANGE NOW.
HAWAIʻI CONSERVATIVES CALLS ON GOV. GREEN TO IMMEDIATELY MAKE ALL DOCUMENTS AND DATA RELATING TO THE MAUI WILDFIRES AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
FURTHERMORE, WE CALL ON GOV. GREEN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CLEAR FAILURES OF POLICY, MANAGEMENT, AND LEADERSHIP THAT LED TO THIS PREVENTABLE DISASTER, INCLUDING AN EXPLANATION ON LAND AND WATER MANAGEMENT, AND THE STATE’S FAILURE TO ACT ON THE FINDINGS OF THE TWO REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED ABOVE.
Gov. Green and Lt. Gov. Luke are betraying the trust of Hawaiʻi’s people by denying accountability for the government. They have also proven themselves completely incapable of handling the critical tasks that their offices demand, as emergency efforts and critical aid are still falling short.
Hawaiʻi deserves better.
Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono
This is just the beginning. Accountability does not stop at the Governor.
Please donate today to support our efforts now and at the ballot box.
Author’s Note: Violence is not the answer. This is an unimaginable tragedy and it’s critical that we don’t let that tragedy spread any further. If you or a loved one are struggling to cope with what’s happened, that’s perfectly normal, but please do not hesitate to seek help. The American Red Cross has a hotline you can call: 1-800-985-5990. You can also get some helpful information on their website: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/recovering-emotionally.html. I’ll be praying for you.
