What is the State of Hawaii hiding on COVID19? Lt. Governor Green banned from talking?

COVID19 is now spreading in the State of Hawaii and it turned deadly yesterday. The second-highest official in the State Lt. Governor Josh Green is also an emergency room doctor on the Island of Hawaii. Was Lt. Governor Josh Green too outspoken for Hawaiian politics?

If Governor Ige would have listened to Green, perhaps the Aloha State would have been able to control the person to person spread of the deadly virus?

According to a news report in Civil Beat today, the Hawaii Lt. Governor Josh Green has directed administration officials to leave Lt. Gov. Josh Green, out of the state’s coronavirus response effort. Green has also been told to leave press conferences involving the governor and the Hawaii Department of Health.  eTurboNews was not allowed to attend press-conferences involving Governor Ige and the Hawaii Department of Health, or ask questions.

What is the State of Hawaii hiding in regards to Coronavirus? 

Today Chad Blair, a reporter of the outspoken independent Hawaii Civil Beat News reported the second man in the State of Hawaii, Lt. Governor Josh Green was banned by Governor Ige, because the Lt. Governor is also an emergency physician and had been outspoken for the State to close down and prepare better for COVID19.

eTurboNews reported on what “An Emergency Room Physician urges who is also a Lt. Governor.”

A week before the State of Hawaii and Governor Ige announced the lockdown for the State, Lt. Gov. Josh Green had called for the suspension of all non-essential travel from and to Hawaii and the closure of all businesses and schools until April 30 to prevent a mass outbreak of the coronavirus in the islands.  Tourism to Hawaii must end now was Green’s message on March 18 already

It took Governor Ige almost another week to listen to his deputy, and this may have caused the virus is now aggressively spreading also in the State of Hawaii most likely killing the State’s economy, what is tourism, for an unforeseeable time to come. Not listening to the Lt. Governor could mean Hawaii may have missed the time window necessary to stop the deadly spread of coronavirus.

Civil Beat says in its report: “Several sources with direct knowledge of the state’s response to COVID-19 say Gov. David Ige has ordered his Cabinet officials and others to not consult Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who is a medical doctor.”

Civil Beat continued to report saying: Green has made it no secret that he’s disappointed with the administration’s response to the coronavirus crisis, particularly with what he sees as the inadequacy of the Department of Health’s testing program.

Green apparently thought the State’s approach was a total fail.
According to Civil Beat Jodi Leong, the deputy communications director, and press secretary said the Lt. Governor was not banned and said Green “is still the administration’s healthcare liaison.  eTurboNews did not receive a response by Governor Ige or Lt.Governor Green.

Minutes after this article was published Gary L. Hooser sent this comment: 

Gary L. Hooser is a former State Senate Majority Leader representing Kauaʻi and Niʻihau since 2002. He formerly served on the Kauaʻi County Council for 4 years before becoming a Senator.

He says: By now you have probably heard about the unfortunate conflict between the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor.

My thoughts on the article: Honestly, I am not surprised. The Lieutenant Governor was given the role of a key Lieutenant whose job it was to be a liaison and coordinate with the medical community. As evidence from his many interviews and public statements, he much preferred being the General.

Whether driven by political ambition and ego, or genuine passion and concern for the health of the community his public statements in the local media tended to undermine and not support Governor Ige’s efforts at dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic in Hawaii.

The Governor was elected to be the leader of our State and he is entitled to put together his team. The L.G. is elected separately and not obligated to be a team player. However, when he accepted the Governor’s appointment to take on the role of liaison to the health community the L.G. in effect joined the team and should act accordingly. Or, he should leave the team. IMHO

The whole matter is a bit sordid, in a political sense and now is definitely not the time for these kinds of games. Hawaii’s people deserve more and the optics for Governor Ige and L.G. Green both – look terrible. Let’s hope fences get mended quickly as we cannot the distraction of political infighting at this particular point in time.

In any case. Hang in there my friends.

Aloha kekahi i kekahi

Hours later the Star-Advertiser in Honolulu reports that Rep. Cynthia Thielen is calling for the state Legislature to appoint Lt. Gov. Josh Green as Hawaii’s COVID-19 emergency director.

Thielen, who is working remotely from her home, said she wants a House resolution passed that would have the Legislature fund and appoint Green to the position.