By Jerry Burris

When government officials decide to hold a convention, the work is often well spiced with golf tournaments, cocktail parties and other opportunities to get together after a hard week of doing the public's business.

But not the sober group that gathered this past Friday at the Campus Center of the University of Hawai'i-Hilo. This gathering of about 100 public servants was all business. Well, almost all business.

The occasion was the first conference of "Government Watchdogs in Hawaii," an informal coalition of the often-discounted organizations that are supposed to keep watch on government and politics for Hawai'i's public.

Representatives were on hand from the Ombudsman's Office, the state and four county ethics commissions, state and county elections officials and the State Campaign Spending Commission.

It was, surprisingly, the first time these organizations had ever come together to talk story and share ideas. For the most part, these commissions operate in splendid isolation, struggling to stay afloat in an era of budget cuts and — at times — outright hostility from the elected and appointed officials they are supposed to oversee.

Among those on hand were Moya Gray from the state Office of Information Practices; Robin Matsunaga, the state Ombudsman; Dan Mollway, executive director of the State Ethics Commission; Dwayne Yoshina, director of the state Office of Elections; and Bob Watada, executive director of the State Campaign Spending Commission.

Each of these officials had a similar story to tell: The public is demanding increased accountability from their public servants while budgets for the watchdog agencies charged with ensuring that accountability are being regularly purged.

The work of these groups is as current as today's headlines. The problems faced by such high-profile officials as Rene Mansho, Andy Mirikitani and even Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris had their origins in these regulatory commissions.

While most officials who get into big trouble eventually have to face county, state or federal prosecutors, their story often begins with the spending commission, ethics commission or some other such group. That's where transgressions first surface.

In that sense, these agencies are like the canary in the mineshaft: They are the first signal that something is wrong.

In this election year, candidates will make great noise about the disgraces and transgressions that appear to be all too commonplace. It is time, you will solemnly be told, to "clean up this mess."

Whenever you hear a candidate making one of those chest-beating "good government" speeches, challenge them: If they are truly interested in open, accountable and honest government, are they willing to put up money and support for the agencies that make all that possible? Will they give the spending commission, the ethics and information commissions the money and staff they need to do their job properly?

Try to close the deal now. Because you can bet that once the candidate gets into office, the needs of these so-called "watchdog" groups will be the very last thing on their mind.