“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.” – General Norman Schwarzkopf, United States Army

1. Dear Governor Ige, Lieutenant Governor Tsutsui, Senate President Kouchi, Mr.
Souki, Mayor Arakawa, Mayor Carvalho, Mayor Kenoi, Mayor Caldwell,
Members of the Hawaii Senate, Members of the Hawaii House of Representatives,
Members of the Maui County Council, Members of the Kauai County
Council, Members of the Hawaii County Council, Members of the Honolulu City
& County Council,
“The board overseeing Honolulu’s rail project will hold a special
meeting early next month to continue its behind-closed-doors
assessment of the executive director’s job performance. Honolulu
Authority for Rapid Transportation board President Colleen Hanabusa
announced the Aug. 8 session Thursday after board members emerged
from nearly three more hours of confidential talks on HART
Executive Director Dan Grabauskas.
“It comes as the rail project faces another massive budget shortfall,
future uncertainty and a decline in public confidence. It also comes
during an election year in which rail is once again dominating
Honolulu’s mayoral race. The HART board’s latest self-imposed
deadline to issue a report on Grabauskas is Aug. 21, and the body has
one more regular meeting scheduled before then, on Aug. 18. The
meeting that Hanabusa scheduled, on Aug. 8, falls ahead of Hawaii’s
Aug. 13 primary election.
“Hanabusa speculated that the Council might take solace when it sees
that HART has already started addressing what to do about property
acquisitions along the rail line’s last stretch through town. “They may
find that acceptable,” she said.”
Source: NEWS of HAWAII. July 28, 2016.
https://newsofhawaii.com/board-extends-review-of-rails-chief/
Political and personal dissension and dysfunctional working relationships erode the
efficiency and effectiveness of government.

2. Who is ultimately accountable? The Carnegie Council posed this question.
Please watch the Video presentation from Ideapod
https://www.ideapod.com/idea/Who-Is-Ultimately-Accountable/530b6bfc776562608c530100
Featured
 Ethan Zuckerman, MIT Center for Civic Media
 Carne Ross, Independent Diplomat
 Chan Heng Chee, National University of Singapore
 Thomas Pogge, Yale University
 Jonathan Sacks, United Synagogue
 Rachel Kleinfeld, Truman National Security Project
 Enrique Penalosa, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
 Brent Scowcroft, Former US National Security Advisor
 Ian Bremmer, Eurasia Group
WE ALL ARE ACCOUNTABLE
Earnest Hemingway – “Courage is grace under fire.”
Describing Santiago, The Old Man and The Sea:
“...a man who lives correctly, following the ideals of honor, courage and
endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always
painful.”
Santiago exerts himself bravely:
“But I have had worse things than that....My hand is only cut a little and the
cramp is gone from the other. My legs are all right....The fish is my
friend....But I must kill him.”

3. For HART Executive Director Dan Grabauskas completing the elevated rail transit
project is his great fish.
As a critic who has on many occasions called for the firing of Mr. Grabauskas, my
recommendation to Mayor Caldwell, the Honolulu City Council and the HART
Board of Directors is to continue Mr. Grabauskas’ contract, reaffirm his authority
as HART Executive Director and restore trust and faith in his experience,
qualifications and ability to get the job done.
The fact that Mr. Grabauskas has stood firm on his decisions and is engaged to
finding mutually acceptable solutions with the Honolulu City Council and the
Federal Transit Authority amidst being assailed, assaulted and insulted from all
sectors, demonstrates the character of a person who lives correctly and is firmly
committed and dedicated to completing the Rail Project is demonstrative of
Courage and Grace under fire.
The Hawaiian Hawk