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| Malia Zimmerman |
In Texas this week for a conference, I stopped at the state Capitol in Austin, and a brief visit there told me the Hawaii state government has a great deal to learn from the Lone Star State.
First, the capitol in Texas is people friendly and actually makes visitors feel welcome.
The first major clue that the Texas government actually wants people to participate in the legislative process -- parking is ample and free for the first two hours in the capitol parking lot and after that, it is priced affordably.
Visitors have the welcome feeling reinforced when they walk into the capitol. There is a reception desk on virtually every floor of the capitol where people can get information on the building itself, on the Texas state government and on the state.
There is even a full retail store where people can buy souvenirs, more expensive gifts and postcards from Texas as well as a slew of literature on what makes Texas so special in the eyes of the people who live and work there.
In addition, there is a cafeteria, separate from the store but located close by, where people can actually go and buy real hot meals and have a variety of foods and drinks to choose from.
In Texas, the people also make an extra effort to be friendly and approachable, no matter if they are guards or elected officials or other capitol employees. In the legislative chambers, where a special session is ongoing this week, the rules allow visitors to take photos with a flash and walk in and out at their discretion.
The capitol structure itself is immaculate and clearly emulates the pride Texans feel about their state. Every inch of every floor, every wall and every railing shines. The Texas seal is emblazoned on every door, including the elevator doors. And there is history celebrated throughout the entire building, whether in the statutes, the writings on the wall, the displays, the artwork or the architecture.
The surrounding grounds are no different in Texas -- the grass, trees and bushes are perfectly manicured and there is no trash in sight.
Unfortunately in Hawaii at the state capitol, the story is much different. Those who frequent the Hawaii State Capitol know how unfriendly the facilities are to those who are not elected.
The first clue no outsiders (meaning visitors, residents and people not employed at the capitol) are welcome, is the terrible and downright hostile parking situation.
There are just a few spaces under the capitol and some times during busy days, visitors without a monthly pass can circle the parking lot for an hour and not find a space. Should they find a space, they need to have the right amount of quarters for the meter (unless they are really savvy and know where to get a parking pass and are lucky enough to be issued one). And they need a great deal of quarters as the parking is extremely expensive and cumbersome -- visitors must pay the meters 25 cents every 15 minutes, with the amount rising to 25 cents for every 8 minutes after two hours. Should visitors be late by even a minute, they risk getting a ticket that is more than $30 and can go as high as $65 if they don't pay it within a certain amount of time. They can also have a warrant issued for their arrest if they accumulate enough tickets and take too long to pay them, and can be banned from getting a new drivers' license and car registration if the tickets are not paid and their record is not cleared by the state.
Visitors who go to the Hawaii State Capitol have to look awful hard for literature on Hawaii. There are some limited materials in the governor's office on the 5th floor, but most people enter from the basement parking or the street level, and don't always make it all the way to the top of the building to get information. Legislators also might have materials on Hawaii in their offices, but there isn't really one central visitor location that is welcoming to visitors -- at least not one I've seen in the 10 years I've worked at and visited the capitol.
Not to put down the tiny store in the Hawaii State Capitol basement, but it has a small variety of stale candy, a few postcards and bumper stickers that are downright tacky, an occasional item resembling fresh produce, and expensive bottled water, juice and soda. The best part about the store is it does attempt to offer some cafeteria style seating, but with very little to eat, there is not much sense in providing those seats.
Many people at the Hawaii State Capitol are friendly, including the capitol police and the sergeant-at-arms, but there is almost a 50-50 chance of running into someone who would just as likely tell you to buzz off or ignore you all together. Hawaii also has much stricter rules when visitors attend legislative sessions, including no flash photography, no talking, no food, no drinks, no cell phones, no beepers, no standing too close to the edge of the railing, and no leaving during the beginning prayer. In general, there are an awful lot of rules and nos. The dress code during the legislative session on the floor of the session also is strict. Women are supposed to wear stockings and no jeans or shorts, and men must wear ties, jackets and socks, with the exception of Fridays, when aloha wear is not only welcomed, it is appreciated. Some of those rules regarding dress were not as strictly enforced when "the floor Nazi" left his job as one of the assistant sergeant-at-arms and a nicer replacement was found.
Hawaii state capitol also needs to have more art in its halls. Not the ugly art the state bought with taxpayer subsidies, but more art like the displays in the basement made and donated by the children of Hawaii and statutes and writings that tell with pride the history of Hawaii and its statehood.
But the biggest contrasts between Texas and Hawaii, besides the parking and atmosphere, are the maintenance of grounds and facilities.
Texas shines, while Hawaii is surrounded by a cesspool of yellow, green and brown muck, mixed with trash. There once were vibrant fresh water pools filled with fish and running water surrounding the capitol, but now the water is stagnant, smelly and downright too representative of what sometimes goes on in that government building. What fish haven't died have been removed.
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| No, this is not a view from the Space Station. It's a closer look at the pond scum at the state Capitol. |
The grass is not always manicured and is allowed to grow ankle high before being cut, and there are few flowers surrounding and in the capitol, when the structure should be surrounded by the very vibrant and fragrant tropical flowers Hawaii is so well known for. The furniture in the governor and lieutenant governor's office, especially the reception area, looks as if it has been there for the last 40 years the Democrats have been in power. And there are many other small touches that could be added that would make Hawaii look less impoverished and more proud, without spending a fortune or being wasteful of taxpayer dollars.
There were some similarities between the two states worth noting: the Republicans and Democrats still fight over policies and principles, no matter what state they are in. The day I visited the Texas state capitol, Sept. 24, was a historic one -- Republicans and Democrats were fighting over redistricting and the Republican plan finally passed after much predictable debate by the Democrats who previously dominated the Senate and redistricted the state for generations. Republicans and Democrats each had a Dell laptop, as many Hawaii legislators do since the 2003 session (except those Republican senators who gave them back to save taxpayer funds). But Texans also had on the floor their own individual desk and phone that they could easily move if there was a reorganization. Another similarity -- nearly every Texas senator who stood to speak on the floor said they really didn't plan to speak, but then launched into a 20 to 30 minute speak that seemed well-rehearsed. That's something Hawaii legislators do too, especially in the state senate where there is no time limit for floor speeches.
But the bottom line is the differences between Hawaii and Texas are embarrassing, unnecessary and they have to be addressed.
The Hawaii government needs to take more pride in the very structure that is supposed to represent democracy, freedom, the Aloha state and all the people of Hawaii.
The capitol policies and people need to be much more welcoming to those who come to visit, no matter if they are from out of state or are the very taxpayers who pay the salaries of the people who work there.
That way the people of Hawaii, who are not necessarily the elected elite, won't be punished by fees, fines and hassles for participating in what is supposed to be a democratic process. They will be welcomed.
And a little change in attitude from those at the top, and word that the capitol is now "open for business" of the people, will slowly begin to make a difference in connecting Hawaii's notorious uninvolved citizenry to the people who are supposed to represent them.
Reach Malia Zimmerman, editor and president of Hawaii Reporter, at: mailto:Malia@HawaiiReporter.com Pond Scum photo courtesy of Melvin Ah Ching of Melvin Ah Ching Productions.
