I’m sitting at my desk killing zombies on my computer when my iPhone starts making loud, urgent noises.

Yipes, it’s an emergency text message.

Um, high surf advisory.
Brought to me by…the Mayor.

Pull up a seat and let me tell you about a nationwide service called NIXIE.US

It provides emergency text notices to cellphones in the area where you live.

People can sign up for free and get important notices from police, fire, and other official-type people like the weather service.

Good idea?
You bet.

Except when politicians get involved and that’s making me grumpy.

You can go to the city’s Department of Emergency Management to sign up.

The idea of Nixie is to pass on to people information that could be important to the safety of them or their family.

Things like high surf warnings, flooding, hurricanes, stuff like that.

This actually comes from the Weather Service but it’s taken, reformatted to be shorter and then sent out through this service under the banner of the old Civil Defense, now called Emergency Management.

So why am I all grumped out over it?

Because the Mayor has attached his name to these texts.

Right at the middle of the text is says “@MayorKirkHNL”.

Okay, he’s the head of the city but this is a political, get-my-name-out-there plug.

As someone who spent thirty years with the old Civil Defense, seven as the Chair of the Civil Defense Commission and almost fifteen years with the City – most as a cabinet member – I can tell you Kirk Caldwell is not sitting there pecking this stuff out himself for your pleasure.

I think somewhere, someone said, “Hey, get the Mayor’s name in there so he gets some credit.”
For all I know maybe he was the one to order it.

A quick check of Nixie texts in other jurisdictions doesn’t show any politician’s name.

Apparently only in Hawaii.
I guess we’re special…or more egotistical.

One line of available – and maybe important – information is cut out so Caldwell can get his name mentioned.

Sorry to get into politics but this should make you grumpy too.