Did you read the news about Honolulu being named one of the “most livable” cities in America and think, “Wait, whaaaat? How did they come up with that?”
Honolulu is a great place to live. Sunshiny days, the blue ocean so near, a social compact that means most people really try not to be jerks.
But if “livable” means a place of convenient, frictionless living, then no. Oh no, no, no. Keeping a toe on a piece of paradise takes constant effort — two jobs, a side business selling crafts or watching people’s babies, a file of recipes to stretch a can of corned beef to feed 12.
Prizes and awards are funny little vanities that people often accept without question, though all but things like Olympic medals measured by hundredths of a second or a fraction of a centimeter are basically subjective.
Subjective means it’s somebody’s opinion. Opinions can be swayed, purchased, even dead wrong.
In this particular case the U.S. Conference of Mayors selected Honolulu as one of two Most Livable Cities from a pool of more than 150 applicants. Beverly Hills was the other winner. No kidding, right? If your address is in Beverly Hills, your life must be very livable.
According to the press release from the U.S. Conference of Mayors:
“The award recognizes mayoral leadership in developing and implementing programs that improve the quality of life in America’s cities, focusing on the leadership, creativity and innovation demonstrated by the mayors.”
OK, so the crown and sash don’t go to us, they go to Kirk. Got it.
But then, the press release essentially equates livability with how we handle our trash. The judges were especially impressed with HPOWER.
“H-Power has become critical to Honolulu’s municipal solid waste management plan, reducing Honolulu’s dependence on imported oil through annually displacing 700,000 barrels of oil and decreasing the demand on the island’s only municipal landfill.”
Um, OK.
Two things to give a bit of perspective:
HPOWER has been around for 26 years, so while it might have been innovative back then, it’s not exactly innovative now, and it wasn’t Kirk’s idea.
Also, 700,000 barrels of oil sounds like a lot, but in 2015, HPOWER provided 5.4 percent of the electricity used on Oahu. HPOWER isn’t exactly H-Powerful. Glad it’s there, but it doesn’t make you forget about traffic, homelessness and the cost of living.
But, as it goes with many awards, it all comes into focus when you realize who paid for the trophies.
The 37th annual Most Livable Cities awards were co-sponsored by Waste Management, a mainland company that operates the Waimanalo Gulch Landfill under contract with the city.
So, yeah.
Nice to know we’re in the company of Beverly Hills, but maybe this award should come with an asterisk or at least a more detailed inscription on the brass plaque (if there is one).
Because if the best measure of Honolulu’s livability is its trash-handling prowess, maybe we should be aiming higher. Or entering a different contest.
Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.
