One of the most overlooked aspects of our Hawaiian government reform concerns the issue of character and the fact that some people are not ideally suited for public office. We often talk about ideology or partisanship, but government is not just about beliefs: it is the people who work in it who make or break a state.
Now that we are about to enter the start of a new campaign cycle, voters need to think about the type of people and personalities they want to lead their government. Think about the horror of the Maui wildfires and all the controversy that surrounded how our government responded to them. And now ask yourself, what kind of people do you want to handle the next crisis or answer the next “3 a.m. phone call”?
In my experience working with many elected officials over the past two decades, I witnessed a phenomenon where candidates were elected because they believed and said everything voters wanted to hear, but once in office , these same individuals had personality flaws that made them unproductive. or toxic.
Personally, I would prefer to have someone in office who, even if they are not in my party or share my political beliefs, have a personality suited to work well with others.
There are many types of “problem people” who can find their way into government – you might even be thinking of one or two right now – but in my experience, these are the types of people who cause the most problems for Hawaii’s government.
People who can’t say no
At first glance, you would think that having people who say “yes” to everything would be beneficial to local government. But the danger arises when people are so concerned with being in power, not being criticized or rejected, that they become complete cowards.
Often these types of people say things like “I don’t want to delay this.” But really, it’s less about not being an obstructionist and more about not being able to set and enforce healthy boundaries.
Do you want to know how public officials can fall into the trap of corruption? Have you ever wondered how regulations or laws are selectively enforced? Curious how cover-ups begin? Don’t you know how obviously bad bills go by so easily?
![The voter places his or her ballot in the official ballot box located at Honolulu Hale.](https://d1l18ops95qbzp.cloudfront.net/wp-content/2022/11/07141328/Official-Ballot-Drop-Box-Honolulu-Hale-v5-1024x683.jpg)
More often than not, it’s people who don’t have the ability to say “no” and stick with their “no” that are the cause of these kinds of problems.
You can easily spot this personality type because you will notice that this type of person always defers to whoever has power or who has the most money at any given time. As a result, they are often weak when it comes to supporting their constituents and advocating for the issues they were supposedly elected to address, and they are useless when a real crisis arises that requires leadership.
People who cannot make a timely decision
It may seem counterintuitive, but Hawaii’s government is full of people who don’t like governing. How can this happen? Personally, I suspect some voters think that by voting for someone passive or seemingly uninspired, they will be able to preserve their livelihood and independence. In reality, these types of people result in a loss of both, because when they are put in a position to “answer the 3 a.m. phone call,” they freeze up and are not able to make a decision.
While the first type can’t say “no”, this problem group is infamous for not being able to make up their minds at all. For some people, a chronic fear of being wrong or making mistakes leads to habitual hesitation and inaction. These people may say things like “it will get better on its own” or “let the free market decide.” But they often hide the fact that they don’t know what to do or are afraid to make decisions (while still wanting to be in the top position that is supposed to make those decisions).
Usually this personality type is voted out of government either by highly competitive challengers or agitated voters, but we lack both in many political contests here in Hawaii.
People who crave fame, attention and wealth
This is a difficult question. Politics, by its very nature, tends to attract people who gravitate toward or need to be affirmed by fame, attention, and/or wealth. Although this is inevitable, the danger arises when one craves these things to such an excess that they become the true driving force of everything one does.
This can lead these people to have diminished empathy towards others, while simultaneously believing that they themselves are superior or “special”, in a way that gives them the right to lie or do whatever they want. want without consequence. In many cases, this type views people as disposable assets rather than individuals.
To me, one of the red flags for this guy is a high turnover rate in their office or in the government agencies they control. Often this is because they triangulate people against each other in order to control loyalties or shift blame from themselves to others.
Personalities matter. Choose the best candidates and we will get the best government for the people.
One thing this type of person can never do is admit that they have made a mistake, because they view themselves as both a messiah to be worshiped and a victim to be sympathized with.
This person may start with an all-star team, because the fame or popularity of others propels them to the forefront, but ultimately it doesn’t last. These people are extremely difficult to work with and are often responsible for the burnout or dismissal of experts, academics and career civil servants.
If you see this type of person running for office or running for higher office, stop them in the next election, even if they are a member of the same party as you. This is the most dangerous type of person you can find in Hawaii government.
Put it all together
This may seem like insider baseball, but the truth is that many of our problems in Hawaii are not a question of conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, but a question of personality. It is considered rude to say that someone does not have the right personality for a position, but as we see so many crises and problems facing our state, we really need to address this topic and act like good people. hiring managers when we vote for or support candidates.
If we want to reform government, we need to have these difficult conversations and a deeper analysis of the problems affecting our system. Personalities matter. Choose the best candidates and we will get the best government for the people.