Political commentary not role of moderator
Last Friday, Gov. David Ige and select members of his administration came to our wonderful community college, Palamanui, to share information and listen to the community. I was encouraged to learn this would be a moderated session.
The moderator has a critical role in keeping the meeting on track and prevents participants from grandstanding, all the while remaining neutral and refraining from adding their own political comments. A good moderator is a selfless servant to the forum process. Unfortunately, that is not what transpired.
Most of our community is familiar with LAVA 105 FM and the programs hosted by Sherry Bracken. Long ago, I was interviewed on that show, and I was pleased by the fairness of the conversations. On Friday night, what I witnessed was not moderation. It was “FOX News like,” a biased and slanted commentary on statements by the state as well as pejorative comments on some questions that were written by the folks in attendance. People were allowed to blurt out questions and comments, while most of us respected the request to write ours.
The commentator, in this case, made arguments for increased state programs and funding for some programs she liked and had negative comments about expanding administrative rules she did not. In this case, the question suggested we need much more clarity on what constitutes an allowable commercial use of lands within the state zoning designation of conservation.
To that, the so-called moderator said in effect, we don’t need any more regulations. Thus, on one hand, she advocated more government and spending and on the other, less. Such hypocrisy, overt bias, and excessive “insider” comments made the evening the “Sherry Show” and less of a useful dialog with the state officials.
Richard Bennett
Honaunau