DRUG WAR CAN BE WON IF ISLAND PULLS TOGETHER

LIHU'E - The island's drug problem is bigger than the mayor, according to
the mayor-elect.

It is bigger than the police department, and bigger than the state judicial
system, said County Councilmember Bryan Baptiste, who in less than two weeks
will be sworn in as mayor.

But, it is not bigger than the island, said Baptiste, who feels a collective
effort can make a difference in the local war on drugs.

"We need to give this problem the attention it deserves," Baptiste told over
30 members of the Lihue Business Association at its monthly meeting
yesterday at Hawaiian Classic Desserts on Rice Street here.

Around 80 percent of all the island's crime is drug-related, and currently
there are not enough people focusing on the problem, Baptiste said.

"That's where the root of most of our problems are now," with those addicted
to drugs needing to steal to raise funds to support their habits, he said.

"It's a team effort here, guys. This is our problem," not the KPD's problem
alone, not the judges' problem, and not government's problem, but the entire
island's problem, he stressed.

"And we won't solve it without seeing it that way."

An important first step he'll take as mayor is to work as quickly as
possible to fill the 18 existing vacancies in the Kauai Police Department.

"We can't do anything without the manpower."

Baptiste was the guest speaker at the LBA monthly meeting, but spoke only
briefly before opening up the floor for comments and questions from members
and guests.

"I need your direction and your ideas."

A member of the audience asked what the new mayor might be able to do to
encourage better customer service from public servants.

Baptiste said 85 percent to 90 percent of county employees want to do a good
job, but need to know how to do that. Leadership has to walk the walk, too,
he added, playing a key role in helping to "activate their hearts and minds
to be part of the solution."

That starts by letting county workers know that they'll be listened to, that
their ideas are important and significant. "Because there are great minds
there, too. I believe you have to change the way we're doing things," and
empower employees to be part of the solution, to look for solutions instead
of identifying problems.

"I'm not saying there's no dead wood in the county," but to get around the
problems to the solutions requires making all county employees parts of
solutions, he continued.

Showing employees that they're listened to is something of a reward for
starters, he added.

The art of listening must also be practiced by government leaders where the
general public is concerned as well, Baptiste said, continuing a theme from
his mayoral campaign.

"Government gotta start listening" to the people, or county government won't
be able to help move the county forward. Government must adopt a "'we-can'
attitude," he said.

To ensure citizen input in county decision-making, Baptiste said he will
assign a community to each of his appointed department heads, and it will be
part of their jobs to go out and meet with members of their assigned
communities once a month.

The forums must be open enough so people won't be afraid to ask questions
and voice opinions, or worried their ideas will be scorned or ignored.

Professional facilitators will be hired for these meetings, he said. There
will be one rule for community participation, said Baptiste: If you come
with a problem, come with a solution, or stay home.

Through this process, government by working with citizens and organizations
like churches, schools, and business and social organizations, will be able
to recognize concerns, prioritize concerns, and come up with action plans.

As an example, Baptiste talked about the annual county road-paving program.
Now, county officials tell citizens which roads will get paved. He'll work
to implement a system where county officials will ask citizens which roads
need paving.

Through his experience with the county's Ho'olokahi community-volunteer
program, he knows people want to participate, and figures that same kind of
public participation in other matters can have a positive, profound impact
on delivery of county services.

Getting community "buy-in" of projects and priorities might take more
up-front time, but will result in informed, involved citizens, greater
acceptance of projects and plans, and less headaches and disagreements at
ends of projects, he said.

"I hope you folks will be willing to help," he told those at the LBA
meeting.

Initially, he asked every citizen to spend 15 minutes a day thinking about
how to better the island community.

His promise to take down the reserved parking signs in the Lihu'e Civic
Center parking lot now mostly for county employees drew applause from the
audience.

"I guess I gotta walk farther to get to work, but I guess I could use it."

Baptiste said he wants to work with the Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative to
help reduce the island's dependence on imported oil, and further to look at
reviving the old Lihue Plantation mill power plant so that it can continue
burning bagasse and other biomass to generate electricity.

Bagasse is a biofuel and byproduct of sugar harvesting.

A new radio station on the island, 98.1 FM, sponsored Wednesday's LBA
meeting.