Posted on: Thursday, April 18, 2002

ISLAND VOICES
Safety net must be preserved

By Susan Au Doyle

Last year, we saw only too graphically how life can change in a second. Here in Hawai'i, our main economic engine was suddenly turned off. You could hear a pin drop — there were no planes.

The impact of Sept. 11 on our people was immediate and far-reaching. Spending went down. Workers lost hours and jobs. Job seekers were turned away. Parents were unable to pay for childcare. Tenants and homeowners faced homelessness.

And our community's health and human services network was there to comfort, counsel and care for us, to help us until we could help ourselves.

It's easy to take for granted, because like the air we breathe, the safety net just seems to be there when we need it.

But since Sept. 11, that safety net has been stretched to its limits. And it is seriously at risk in the current state budget crisis. That is important to everyone in our community, because if you fall through the safety net, there is no help.

And we know that there are already holes. According to the Hawai'i Uninsured Project, there were more than 120,000 people without health insurance even before Sept. 11. We can all see the homeless population growing on our streets and beaches.

Our government leaders have a daunting task this year. But in all the debate, one thing should be absolutely clear to everyone, decision-makers and the public alike: The top priority must be to save our safety net.

Saving the safety net is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. If we don't maintain it, we undermine the foundation for our personal well-being and our community's recovery. This is not the time to poke more holes in it, not when we need it the most.

Hawai'i Together is a task force drawn from the business, government, philanthropic, faith, educational, safety net and not-for-profit sectors asked by the governor to help assure our best statewide response to the people impacts of Sept. 11.

Usually, we're too busy doing our work, and those we help are struggling too much to speak out.

But we're coming together to speak out now, because we know how much our community depends on the safety net, and our safety net is in danger. We need to save our safety net, because life can change in a second.

Susan Au Doyle is co-chairwoman of Hawai'i Together and vice president for community building of Aloha United Way.