Astronomy in Hawaii under threat?

[kalianna]

Hasn't the legislature already passed this bill? I'm wondering why it's addressed to the president (of the senate?) instead of the governor, who now holds veto power over the bill. Or was this before the bill was passed?

[TomK]

I think this was just before the bill was passed. I don't know about the president stuff, but all the senators were doing that - I think the president is just the person in charge of the session. The bill does indeed go to Ige now, and if he vetoes it, then both the Senate and House need a two-thirds majority to override the veto. If Ige intends to veto the bill, he has to file a notice of intent by June 27th IIRC.

[kalianna]

Thanks. It sure takes a long time for the second shoe to drop around here. It looks like TMT would be pau, but how would this affect the existing observatories?

[TomK]

kalianna - I tried to explain this earlier in the thread. For the existing observatories, the problem is that there would be nothing done on the master lease until 2028 and it expires in 2033. The observatories would have to plan on decommissioning while trying to get their funding agencies to pay for future support and development without knowing if the observatories will be there or not. It's not a viable option. It takes many years from a decision to decommission an observatory to when it actually happens as we've already found out with the CSO and the UH 24-inch.

Inouye is correct when she said astronomy on the island would have to start from scratch if the bill is eventually passed. Hawaii's reputation for hosting observatories at one of the world's best astronomical sites will be destroyed, as well as its willingness to support any scientific work (watch out USGS) as well as many small businesses on the island that support the observatories. Schools will suffer because they will no longer have access to the observatory education programs and opportunities for local engineers and scientists will disappear while the island will lose a stable income of millions of dollars.

If you see a good side to the bill finally passing, please let me know what it is.

[kalianna]

Yes, I knew these things.  I was thinking more about the jobs that people already have.  Would people employed there still have jobs until 2033 or would there be increasing staff cuts until then?  I'm gratefully not in a position to need to have an opinion about what should or shouldn't happen.  Just trying to understand the facts and implications, so if needed in the future, which is doubtful, I can then offer an informed voice.

[TomK]

Assuming the bill passes into law, then yes, jobs will be lost. Although it won't happen immediately, agencies will reduce funding because they see no future scientific investment in the observatories, and everything switches to keeping the staff that has some idea of how to decommission an observatory - not that anyone does. Even if an observatory wanted to recruit, who wants to take a job at a place that is planning to be decommissioned?

[AaronM]

Sad. Especially after 2 years of 'listen to the science'.

[TomK]

Sad. Especially after 2 years of 'listen to the science'.

What do you consider sad, and what does "2 years" listening to science have to do with astronomy on Mauna Kea?

[HawaiiEV]

Wonder if there is anything to learn from the situation, maybe change behavior in a way that would effect things positively in the future. Nah. We have always been right and this all the fault of anti science, superstitious, trashy, gambling Hawaiians driving lifted pickup trucks leaking oil. The nerve they had to even express their ignorant opinions, they’re too stupid to even consider equal peers, only accredited and peer reviewed white men from England should be listened to. Good riddance. Hope we don’t have any of their kind on Punaweb, this is a website for smart pro science white people only, properly isolated and segregated as it should be, others not welcome.

[kalakoa]

It's not about the "racism", it's the fact that Hawaii doesn't have "rule of law".