Every year the state Legislature opens in January with the same list of promises.

Every year the state Legislature closes with the same predictable report cards: the one from the Democrats about what a great job they did, the one from the Republicans about all the great stuff the Democrats wouldn't let them do, and the one from the media about the big pile of nothing that actually came out of all those months of talking.

And in between the opening notes and the closing curtain, the actual show is always more about the special effects than the message. Dazzle them with dazzle, make it look like we were busy, too busy to get to the hard stuff.

The distraction is usually like a firecracker or sparkler — lots of smoke and noise, easy to ignite, dies out on its own and doesn't pose a life-or-death threat to anyone.

The van cams were perfect.

It was something that everyone who travels by car could opine about endlessly, something that had the feel of vague injustice and widespread impact, but not really so serious as to cause true heartache among the unfortunate. Nobody was going to live or die if the van cams lived or died.

And here we go, election year coming up, nobody wants to do anything that might be misconstrued by opponents or misunderstood by voters, so the safest thing is to pile on a big distraction.

Say hello to the gas cap, this year's van cam.

Gov. Linda Lingle had a chance to kill this thing last year but instead allowed the measure to become law without her signature. It was a brilliant move for her party and purposes. Republicans can now play political volleyball, scoring off the mistakes of the opposing team.

As a plan B, there's always Bev Harbin. Lingle served that hot potato right over the net to the other side.

What can be done?

Voters have to convince them we want them to focus. We have to tell them what we want them to focus on.

It's like we send them shopping with a four-page, two-side list (which they forget at home). They get to the supermarket confused and flustered, grab an armful of whatevers and expect us to come up with dinner.

What we need are essentials. Never mind the pudding snacks and the pizza rolls.

If they do one, basic thing — make public school facilities safe, clean and fully functioning — we'll call this session a success and maybe next year we can try to fix something else.

But if we get through to the far shore of the next session and the schools are still broke and broken while both sides are still spouting bad math and big theories about the gas cap, whether the cap is there or gone, we'll know we got played again.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.