Visions of coconuts dancing on palm trees
As I was getting my hair cut this week, the barber mentioned that earlier in the day he cut the hair of one of the public officials traveling to Hawaii to attend a conference on managing pensions.
One of the Hawaii 14, as they’ve become known. I didn’t know whether to be flattered or insulted.
The barber, as barbers often do, offered his views on the subject. I was surprised by how understanding he was. None of the outrage I’ve heard from many. A little concern that sending 14 people from one county was a little over the top, but no anger.
He was willing to concede that Pension Board members should go to conferences to learn more about how to manage the money that has been placed in their care. And he seemed to buy their argument that Hawaii isn’t that much more expensive than Los Angeles, Miami or Boston, for example.
If you’ve been living in a cave for the last month, there was quite a stir when first the Detroit Free Press, then other newspapers including the Monroe Evening News, reported that Michigan was the leading state and Monroe among the leading communities in sending folks to the Hawaii convention (here’s the initial story).
Given the state of the economy in Michigan and Monroe, it seemed like a funny thing to do - spending public money (public pension money, not public tax money) to send 14 people to Honolulu (now 13; one pulled out for health reasons).
After our initial editorial on the subject, which generally concluded that two or three representatives should attend the conference and give a report to the others, The Evening News has been silent on the subject.
Our editorial board talked about adding further comment, after the Republican and Democratic parties recommended that any public officials pay their own way, and after two county commissisoners agreed to do that.
Should we congratulate the commissioners for listening to their constituents? Or should we lament that it’s really not very fair for the two of them to pay, while the other 11 go on the pension board’s dime? We decided to stand pat with our previous comment.
Personally, I have this added concern.
For months and perhaps years, whenever a government at any level really needs money for something important, visions of coconuts dancing on palm trees are going to swim through the heads of voters. Opponents of tax increases have been given a rallying cry that we’re sure to hear over and over again.
“They’ve got enough money to send 14 people to Hawaii. I’m voting no.”
It’s not fair. It’s comparing apples and oranges. But it’s likely to happen.
Aren’t we still hearing about $200 toilet seats?