It is time for Gov. David Ige to admit that the “Navigator” experiment is a complete bust. It has been two months and the only thing they have to show the public is a flashy website with nothing but links and zero useful “how to” content to help the public sector or individuals navigate government programs, which is what Alan Oshima told the Senate Ways and Means Committee was their main purpose.

We are seeing lines grow at food drives and businesses declaring they are going out of business on a daily basis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are government programs to help with both these major societal issues, and we all thought the Navigator was supposed to help navigate them — but that has not been the case. Thankfully, the state Department of Human Services has been doing the Navigator’s supposed job by running ads to let the public know about some of the services it provides.

Leadership is not just issuing emergency proclamations; it is also admitting when a previous decision was a mistake, like creating the Navigator. I had concerns when the Navigator was announced since Ige appointed Oshima to lead it. Oshima has zero government experience, has not been vetted by the Senate, has no oath of office to put the needs of taxpayers over those of corporations — and there is no confirmation that he is maintaining the records as required by law for what they are doing. My concerns were not alleviated when I remembered that his last “public service” was the attempt to sell HECO to the Florida- based NextEra.

The Navigator has been cloaked in secrecy since Ige shut down the Sunshine and Open Government laws. Taxpayers have a right to know what contracts they have awarded, who the contractors are and what are their deliverables. If it’s safe to get a haircut or dine in a restaurant, then it should be safe for taxpayers to have access to government records, committees to post their agendas and make sure their meetings are available to the public, if only online.

The Navigator appeared to be tasked with doing the job that the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) is, by statute, supposed to be doing. Which leads to the question: Why does the state need the Navigator since we already have DBEDT? Then, DBEDT Director Mike McCartney exploded at state senators during a hearing, forbidding anyone from DBEDT to testify, when the senators were only asking professional and pertinent questions. Then the Navigator sort of made sense. What did not make any sense was the Governor’s Office’s response: Instead of apologizing for McCartney’s overreaction, it doubled down — and that didn’t help those who are struggling.

It is my hope that Ige and his administration will start making the survival needs of the taxpayers a priority.

First step, dissolve the Navigator, especially since House Finance Budget Chairwoman Sylvia Luke, rightly so, zeroed out that $10 million budget request.

Second, remind the DBEDT director of his responsibility to the state of Hawaii, have him apologize to the senators for his unprofessional behavior and remove his ban from DBEDT testifying in front of the Legislature. If he refuses, replace him with someone who will put the critical needs of the citizens of the state of Hawaii over his issues.

These leadership steps will help give the citizens of Hawaii hope that our state government will be doing what is best to help ensure that we will all come out of this pandemic stronger and on a path to a better, brighter future.

Michael Golojuch, Jr. is a civil rights advocate and community organizer with a focus on LGBTQIA+, women and labor rights.