LIVEBLOG -- KGMB Concon Debate -- 10/14 @ 6:30p

[Kaunaloa]

Last nite, our very own Ed and the LG REPRESENTED for the pro side, Colleen H. put up a reasoned response against, and Gary H., frankly, embarrassed himself by spending the complete hour bloviating that our state is teetering on bankruptcy and the [imagined] cost of a concon would be the sole item that pushes us into receivership [!]

Tonight, the pro and con sides throw down once more at another local station -- and our very own Della Au Belatti is among the pro participants!

Tune in to KGMB9 at 6:30 for an hour on-air, then jump to kgmb's website at 7:30 for a bonus 1/2 hour online discussion. Annnd, keep one window open to hawaiiconcon the entire time so, y'know, someone other than me posts on the thread
:-0

And Della, I promise to not keep a running tally of non-words uttered by participants as they speak their minds tonite!
:-)
:-)

[Kaunaloa]

Colleen jumps at the chance to point out the native rights COULD be eroded as the result of a concon
Mark points out that the same electorate that consistently elects reps. who are foursquare native rights would be GREATLY unlikely to elect delegates who wish to remove them ...
Colleen counters that the gop effort to dissolve oha counts as consistently trying to erode native rights [!!]
Mark flatly states his strident opposition to the death penalty
Colleen, Anne, and Della [Della only so much] are opposed to initiative and referendum, Mark is not.
Mark is opposed to right-to-work-state items, he also would prefer the AG remaining appointed [shocka]
Anne mentions the "shock" the public could receive if a very large number of changes would make it to the ballot
Mark advocates for "outsiders" to be delegates, similar to '78 ...
Colleen talks about the leg. controlling some parameters of the concon, Mark counters that this has harmed UH over the years
Next to last quest. re: office of elections; Colleen talks about restrictions of certain offices being under the executive branch
Last viewer quest. points out that he/she is now in favor of a concon because it coudl STRENGTHEN native rights; Anne talks about the '68 convention being necessary , the '78 not, "but it gave a lot of good things" [!]
Colleen feels leg. fine-tuning is superior to a concon right now [sigh]

annnd that's a wrap ...

[Kaunaloa]

all 4 of our distinguished panelists seem to be unclear on the concept of a "lightning round"
:-)

[Kaunaloa]

Anne discusses how the concon question gets on the ballot
Mark and Colleen talk about potential items that could be addressed in a concon
Anne talks about amendment voting and the blank vote issue; Mark speaks of the difference between amendment votes and concon votes, and slips in some deft union bashing re: the subsequent lawsuit [!]
Colleen vehemently disagrees with Mark's take on the blank vote item -- but uses a [imo] poor analogy re: legislative quorums vs. ballot questions
Della criticizes the leg. leadership for not putting the "blank vote" question onto the ballot; Colleen bristles at that in her response
[is it just me, or are Colleen and Della not about to have tea anytime soon after tonite?!?!]

[Kaunaloa]

Della closes by highlighting the education issues yet again and obliquely attacking the head of the HSTA [!] for their opposition to structural changes that will affect schoolchildren
Colleen closes with downplaying any actual results of a concon ["not a magic pill"] and attempting to paint a happy face on the school system as it currently is [!!]
Mark pulls a Duke and lists nearly a dozen items that could & should be addressed by a concon
Anne claims Mark's list may [or may not!] be actually addressed by concon delegates
Online discussion to continue at kgmb9.com for the next 30 min. ...

[Kaunaloa]

Colleen attacks Della [that's twice tonite so far] for daring to ask questions about national unions using their monies -- SCORE for the dist. 25 rep.!
:-)

[Kaunaloa]

Della responds to "uncertainties" by pointing out that a bill to remove said organizational uncertainties was killed in the leg. by the anti-concon interests

[Kaunaloa]

Mark flatly states that a concon could add to the number of counties
Anne points out that not only that, but they could abolish the counties too as it is entirely a creation of the state government

[Kaunaloa]

Colleen states that being against the concon is part of being for the underdog right now [sigh]
Anne talks about other avenues to modification outside of a concon

[Kaunaloa]

Della rejects the premise of a "hidden agenda" for the pro side, pointing out the content will be up to the delegates; brings up charter school reform and a failed recent bill
Anne keeps with her line that it's ok if bills die in the legislature
Mark turns the lack of a federal concon as a negative since it took so long to amend certain human rights and suffrage issues; points out weaknesses in the current state ed. model
Colleen shrugs off the education issue by pointing to 3 previous failed amendments on the ballots

[Kaunaloa]

Anne is given a softball re: what she "fears" could be change by a concon; she deflects it partially by pointing out she is not motivated by fear and knows that any changes would have to be passed on the ballot -- she cites the "right to privacy" as one which she holds dear [sigh ... ]
Della points out that concons add, not take away, from enumerated rights
Colleen tries to again conflate the concon and a leg. "supersession"
Mark hits up on the fear theme and slams the nea for cultivating it
interesting exchange between Anne and Mark -- she seems to be rather skeptical of the voters [!!], while Mark expresses his inherent faith in them