Gary Hooser | Policy and Politics
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Below is a condensed version of an actual online conversation I had recently.

“Hello Gary,

I’m a long-time resident, business owner, conservative, and devout Christian. I have a deep-seated desire to keep America free and love our Constitution. I know this brings big issues between man’s ways and the Bible.

Our country’s been going in the wrong direction for a long time.

Mr. Trump and Elon Musk are working on stopping the misuse of our tax dollars. Their actions will cause discomfort for people and markets – and that is unavoidable.

I’ve been running a business for over 40 years and if I ran it like the government does I’d be out of work fast!

Instead of fighting back and calling for heads to roll, we as Americans should work together to root out corruption and misuse of taxpayers dollars.

Thanks Gary, have watched your career and know you care about Kauai and Hawaii in general.”

My response:

“Aloha and mahalo for the note and cordial, respectful tone.

Yes, there’s waste, fraud, and abuse in government – as there is in all large organizations. But there are legal, moral and ethical processes in place to address these issues.

There’s Civil Service laws, union agreements, basic employment law, and of course there is Congress who established and funded these programs in the first place.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to approach the worthy goal of increasing efficiency and getting rid of waste – and the DOGE/Musk/Trump way … is not the way it works in a democracy.

I’ve spent 20 years owning and operating small businesses here in the islands myself.

I think you’ll agree, most businesses are operated as dictatorships, not constitutional democracies.

That’s the fundamental flaw in the argument coming from those who want to run our government like a business.

Our democracy is founded upon the principle of three separate but equal branches of government – administrative, legislative and judicial. The governing process is intentionally designed to balance power and keep out dictators.

Our democracy is also founded on the separation of church and state.

Christian, Jew, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and atheist … all are equal under the law. The law also prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or age.

Until we are all able to accept and embrace the core principles present in our Constitution — we will remain on opposite sides.

Our world is a much more dangerous place today than it was just 60 days ago.

From the dangerous, contradictory approach to the Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Gaza/Yemen/Iran conflicts, to the trade war and tariffs, dismantling the Department of Education, the frivolous nature in which they’re treating Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and so many other critically important programs. … It’s clear America is being ruled by a handful of men of privilege, not governed by the democracy outlined in our Constitution.

University students and professors legally living in the U.S. are being arrested and jailed simply for expressing their political views.

Now they/we are rounding up people based on the color of their skin and content of their tattoos, shipping them off to some hell-hole in El Salvador – without trial, without due process, and without proof they’ve committed any crime whatsoever – and not allowing them even one frigging phone call.

I cannot agree to disagree on this. The situation is too dire, the risk too great, and the harm to my family and friends is real and tangible.

My hope is you and so many others, will come to understand the fundamental differences between our constitutional democracy and the dictatorship being forced upon us by the Trump/Musk agenda.”

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Gary Hooser served eight years in the state Senate, where he was majority leader. He also served for eight years on the Kauai County Council. He presently writes on Hawaii policy and politics at www.garyhooser.blog.