Y OU couldn't have asked for a better example of why the Hawaii economy resembles an abandoned car on blocks instead of a highly tuned race car than the recent rigamarole involving the coming of the Rolling Stones. Status quo is
nothing to brag aboutThe biggest positive economic news in months was that we WEREN'T going to lose the Pro Bowl. Everyone was patting themselves on the back that the status quo had been maintained through the extraordinary efforts of people like Mufi Hannemann. It's great that we didn't lose the Pro Bowl. But it shows the mind-set of the bureaucrats in charge of everything from the stadium to garbage collecting.
Now, imagine if the bureaucrats in charge of Pro Bowl Week had actually sat down and said, "OK, we've got the Pro Bowl. Now, what can we do to make it even better?"
Imagine if someone had said, "Say, what if we got a really big band to kick off the week, like the Rolling Stones or Eagles?"
Board members would have said, "No, we could never do that. Those bands are too big. It would take too much planning. It would be too hard."
But it turned out that local promoter Tom Moffatt already had arranged for the Rolling Stones to perform in Hawaii. Did the stadium bureaucrats jump up and down and say, "Great! This is perfect timing. We can pull it all together and show the world what Hawaii is willing to do to attract visitors, pump up the economy and give local residents world-class entertainment!"
No, they started making excuses as to why the Rolling Stones COULDN'T use Aloha Stadium. Some of them even went on radio to belittle the economic impact that having the Stones performing here would have on Hawaii. They said that while the Pro Bowl would bring in $100 million, the Stones would generate a measly $200,000 for the state.
This was pure shibai. The Stones will generate millions for Hawaii businesses, from hotels to drive-ins. But it showed to what extent the small thinkers in government were willing to go to keep their lives simple.
Finally, Gov. Ben Cayetano stepped in and did what had to be done so that not only would the Stones perform, they would be part of the Pro Bowl celebration.
Cayetano and Hannemann deserve credit for what they did. But the incident shows what is wrong with the entire system. Bureaucrats, like department heads, don't have an entrepreneurial bone in their body. It's not that they don't want Hawaii's economy to improve, it's just that they have no clue how business works.
All you have to do is imagine how much money would come into the state if the politically appointed bureaucrats were replaced by a private hustler like Tom Moffatt on a state contract to keep the stadium fully utilized. Tom would be consumed with filling that stadium. He wouldn't whine about how long it takes for paint to dry.
What happened here with the Rolling Stones happens every single day somewhere in government on smaller levels. These "Just Can't Do It" government types have never run businesses or made a private payroll. Their job is to protect their jobs. That means taking no risks, because risk involves some failures. And any failure means the bureaucrat will not rise in the bureaucracy.
The system of motivation is all wrong. And the Rolling Stones incident proves it.
Like privateers who used to get a cut of enemy ships they captured, it would almost be worth allowing department heads to take kickbacks on any business they bring in just so they'd have some motivation to do something other than maintain the status quo.
Because the status quo is killing us.