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quote:
Agreed. I just don't think either activity (campaigning or chicken selling) rises to the level of a safety issue. To suggest that we are so susceptible to distraction while driving would open the debate to restrictions on having children in the car with you, or playing music, or allowing other vehicles to be painted bright colors...
DaVinci, I have to disagree. I've seen campaigners cause distraction and the whole point of sign waving is to distract drivers - why do it otherwise? The sole intent is to take drivers' attention away from driving to see the signs and/or wave back. That intent is not there when you have kids in the car, turn the radio on or paint your car a bright colour (although I grant you the last one might be!).
I didn't want this to get into a legal discussion, I was more interested in why some politicians or potential politicians feel it's necessary to use this tactic at a place where they ought to know it'll slow traffic down and potentially cause a hazard. It's a common sense thing I feel and those wanting to be in office ought to show a bit of that while also having public safety in mind.
It's still noticeable that those running for public office who post on this forum have still not said a thing on this thread. I really am curious as to what they have to say. Maybe I should post something in the politics section.
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TomK...
You wrote "I didn't want this to get into a legal discussion, I was more interested in why some politicians or potential politicians feel it's necessary to use this tactic at a place where they ought to know it'll slow traffic down and potentially cause a hazard. It's a common sense thing..."
If the incumbents campaigning in this fashion had common sense, they wouldn't station themselves at the traffic jam bottleneck, the most glaring monument to their inefficiency in addressing the needs of their constituency.
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quote:
Originally posted by TomK
It's still noticeable that those running for public office who post on this forum have still not said a thing on this thread. I really am curious as to what they have to say. Maybe I should post something in the politics section.
Believe me, they will find it right here.
In all honesty, this is a tough one for any politician. On one hand they know how this looks to many, but on the other hand, it's a gift they gave themselves so far be it for any politician to take something away from themselves. Silence is the best "political" move. By saying nothing, you never have to go on record of being against something your fellow politicians could use against you. But later, they can honestly say they never supported it.
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You all have to realize that there is a degree of local tradition to this. I am not aware of any accidents resulting from the waving... if there were it might be different. It is Hawaiian Style campaigning on local roads that you can't do on Interstate 5.
It doesn't bother me much. I saw Solomon Singer on his horse on the way home just now. Didn't slow me down any.
I don't see any reason to be upset about it. There are worse things than taking a wave from the shoulder in slow traffic. This is Hawaii, slow down and enjoy the view.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Rob is right. It's a tradition. You all are ascribing way more thought to these decisions than is likely on their part. They go and wave where people will see them. They don't brainstorm to figure out where they can wave that will draw the least attention to their inability to deal with traffic issues. They go to the traditional spots. You see the irony; they probably don't, and I bet a whole lot of voters don't think twice.
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Alas Kathy, I think most voters don't even think once... but I agree, it is a harmless practice, validated by the fact that it is a tradition. I didn't know that until just now, so thank you Rob, for educating me. In many ways I am still a Puna newbie, as my Punaweb "rank" will attest. I did meet Solomon Singer at SPACE last Saturday though, and he seems like a very nice young man. Youngest candidate in the entire country, he pointed out proudly to me. Another thing I am growing to love about my new home is the hand painted campaign signs you pass on the highway. Very 1930s... (very Burma Shave, as my wife so aptly offered...)
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quote:
It doesn't bother me much. I saw Solomon Singer on his horse on the way home just now. Didn't slow me down any.
Rob - just to be clear, was he at the Keaau bottleneck or elsewhere?
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Heading toward Pahoa he was before the bottleneck by the high school.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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So well before the bottleneck where traffic has to merge? I'll give this a rest soon because the thread has run its length I think, but I do want to take issue with the point that you and Kathy say this is tradition, and certainly with DaVinci's claim that it's harmless.
For me the word tradition means it's been going on for decades. This is not the case here. In general, I have no problem with sign waving and agree it has gone on long enough to be traditional, but not at the Keaau bottleneck. It's only been there a few years, certainly much less than a decade, so campaigning there is not something I'd call traditional. You may think differently of course.
As for harmless, if it causes a backup, and in my experience it does, I don't think you can really call that harmless. I've seen enough aggressive driving at the bottleneck, especially when the traffic is backed up, to know tempers are being raised. Even when there isn't a backup I see drivers flooring the gas pedal to get ahead of others (only to slow down when they catch up with the traffic in front - what's the point?). Combine that with a bunch of people trying to distract drivers at the point where two lanes merge to one, well, it isn't harmless in my view and is a major cause of backups.
I don't think I should even mention the amount of money spent on gas and lost time in a traffic jam...
Tom
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Hummm.....
Tradition and Past Practice sounds a lot like "Things As Usual" and "Status Quo" for politicians. Got to remember that when politicians are accused of keeping things the way it was.
If a private citizen out there waving at motorist with a sign that read "Haole's Stay Out of Puna" or "Shop Hilo - Great Discounts", how long will they be allowed to remain until they are told its unsafe and a violation of some law? If the law places restrictions on roadside activities based on public right of way and safety, what makes political campaigning any safer?
Sounds to me like some have no issue with politics as usual. If that's the message the area wants to send, that's fine so long as you understand they may continue that “tradition” after they are elected.
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