While Hawai'i citizens had their eyes glued to the live streaming testimony on legalizing Marriage Equality that extended well into the midnight hours, another battle was being fought between the Governor and the environmental community.
Governor Neil Abercrombie, who rode to victory with major assistance from the Sierra Club, was trying to sneak a former GOP appointee in as Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control - a powerful position that advises on whether a project meets Hawai'i environmental law and can go forward or not.
The candidate, Genevieve Salmonson, in her prior incarnation as Director under Gov Lingle (R), over-ruled the Environmental Council who voted unanimously that Lingle's Superferry must do an EIS.
John Lehman, McCain's advisor in the 2008 presidential election was a major Superferry investor and Lingle desperately wanted the VP nomination. (Had she gotten it, the election might have turned out quite differently since, although she was a horrible governor, she's a heck of a lot smarter than Palin.) Lingle's pressure to push through this project reflected how much she desired that VP nomination.
Because of Director Salmonson's decision to let the project go ahead without an environmental review, the State of Hawai'i paid out $50,000,000 that it will never get back. The business plan was flawed, the ferry was unseaworthy and citizens (including the Sierra Club) sued to force an EIS. The Hawai'i Supreme Court agreed with them.
So that's the backstory on the Governor's nominee - a yes-woman who puts politics before the law.
You would think that when 10 environmental organizations begged the Governor to withdraw this nomination that he would say to himself, "Gee these are the people who put me in office. Maybe I should listen to their concerns."
But he didn't. Why? Speculation is that the Governor's advisors are taking him to the environmental dark side.
It appears this may true as Richard Borecca's column in the Honolulu Star Advertiser names Abercrombie's lobbyist/"Transition Team" member, John Radcliffe, as the one who recommended Salmonson.
This author is not sure what the "Transition Team" actually is, but it appears to be transitioning the Governor from a pro-environment to a pave-over-Hawaii position.
So when (as Borecca reports) John Radcliffe says:
"At this moment in history, the Sierra Club is the most powerful lobby in Hawaii. Arguably more powerful today than Bishop Estate or Gary Rodrigues/UPW ever was."
We have to be a little suspicious of his motives. He's no friend of the environment and he is most likely positioning for the Governor's re-election campaign. So what's with this fulsome praise?
True, the Governor was forced to withdraw the Salmonson nomination after the Sierra Club and 9 other environmental organizations circulated a letter publicly asking him to reconsider. And almost 1,000 voters signed a petition to the state senate asking them not to confirm her.
The Governor's deteriorating relationship with environmentalists started with his "Public Lands Development Corporation" which fast-tracked private development on public lands. This garnered so much citizen opposition that the Legislature (which had passed it at the request of the Governor) came back and repealed it. The Sierra Club was in the forefront of this effort, teaming up with Unite Here Local 5 to go door to door in key legislator's districts.
Initially the Governor had appointed pro-environment leader, Gary Hooser, as Director of OEQC, but was annoyed when Hooser didn't roll over for him. Hence the Salmonson nomination. A person who would do whatever he asked - legal or not.
So what's with the Governor's campaign guy praising the Sierra Club as the most powerful organization in Hawai'i politics when his anti-environmental actions are putting a Sierra Club endorsement in jeopardy? Observers assume he's going to fundraise from developers, Monsanto and others on this. (The Governor has been telling folks that the future of Hawai'i is in "seeds" which means GMO.)
How true is this statement about the Sierra Club?
Actually it is fairly accurate. But not because the Sierra Club itself is so powerful (although it is) but because the Sierra Club reflects the values of the majority of the voters in Hawai'i.
Hawai'i has traditionally had a close relationship with the land. "Malama 'Aina" (Cherish the Land) is a common phrase that has been used by activists for hundreds of years.
The Hawai'i state motto is Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono (The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness). Pono actually means, doing the right thing, being in harmony. "Righteousness" is a hold-over from missionary translations.
Can the Sierra Club make or break a political candidate?
Recent history shows that the Sierra Club's help can get a candidate elected. Certainly the Sierra Club works hard on behalf of their endorsees. And they have hundreds of thousands of members nationwide who tend to vote for these endorsed candidates.
In 2012, the Sierra Club candidate, Tulsi Gabbard, was propelled from over 20 points down to a 20 point win in the primary against better-known candidate Mufi Hannemann whose pay-to-play, pave-over-Hawaii positions were an anathema to environmentalists.
Sierra Club candidate, Mazie Hirono, faced a hard Senate election against Linda Lingle in 2012 and won by 63% to 37% landslide.
And in 2010 Sierra Club backed Neil Abercrombie defeated Mufi Hannemann by 20 points.
It will be interesting to see if Radcliff is being truthful or just setting things up to fundraise for Abercrombie as the underdog being picked on by the mighty Sierra Club.
We'll see a test in the next election where Colleen Hanabusa (supported by the very same people and organizations who supported Mufi Hannemann) faces off against Senator Brian Schatz (supported by the Sierra Club and about 3 dozen other union and environmental organizations)
Like Tulsi Gabbard, Schatz has lower name recognition than Hanabusa despite winning a state-wide election to Lt. Governor. But also, like Tulsi Gabbard, Schatz better reflects Hawai'i voters' values of "Malama 'Aina".