An editorial in Pacific Business News this week blasts what it calls the Lingle administration’s “showboating with other people’s money”.
Triggering the editorial was a press release announcing that Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and Human Services director Lillian Koller would be presenting over $13 million to hospitals for charity care.
PBN opines:
This is just the most undisguised example of self-promotion that has become a hallmark of the Lingle administration, which announces every “release” of state money as if it came from the personal checkbook of the queen.
“No one is fooled by this sort of shameless display,” the editorial says, concluding:
Next time, unless it’s their own money, politicians should just send the check and skip the photo op.
Also noted in PBN–a foreclosure suit filed by U.S. Bank NA against Denise Cypher Decosta “for alleged non-payment of $274,950 plus interest.” Although I haven’t had a chance to call DeCosta, it appears that this case involves a condominium owned by Honolulu City Clerk Denise DeCosta in the Cliff View Terrace in Kaneohe.
Earlier this year, Unifund CCR obtained a judgement for $9,793.40 against DeCosta in a separate court action.
No hint of any wrongdoing anywhere in this, just another sign of the bad times.
Let’s see. The state is seeking to expand a contract with the law firm of Watanabe Ing & Komeiji to defend the Department of Education in three lawsuits in which the state faces millions of dollars of potential liability. The original value of the contract was $500,000, but the Attorney General is asking to more than triple the cost to $1,740,750, citing the need for extensive discovery.
Although John Komeiji left the firm earlier this year for a position at Hawaiian Telcom, I guess the name of the partnership has not been changed.
Also noted–The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is paying the Sheraton Waikiki $73,577 for a two day conference involving a maximum of 172 representatives of Hawaiian homestead associations, including meals and overnight accommodations. The total cost of the conference, including air fares, isn’t reported.
![[text]](/images_2008/shoes100808.jpg)
I broke in a new pair of shoes yesterday morning. I was sure that the glare from the pure whiteness was going to distract drivers in the early morning light, but we got to the beach without causing any accidents. Now it’s time to wear some of the new off of them.
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It’s a bit late to lawyer up for the first case. It should go to the jury today in Judge Kay’s courtroom at the federal courthouse. The trial resumes at 9:00 this morning.
Taxpayers should be up in arms. Had these children been provided with the services they needed to begin with, not only would their lives not have been devastated, but we would not be paying these legal expenses (with more to come, of course, if/when the families prevail).
But that’s the past, some would say.
Check out the newspaper headlines that the DOE is planning to cut Student Services Coordinators who arrange services for special ed children.
They’ll need to pay more lawyers in the future, if they follow through with special ed cuts.
Like the bailout money, government just takes it from our wallets. Where are the protests? Where is the journalism that would do more than just stenography and ask questions about what’s implied by government statements? When the DOE says it will cut SSC positions, which reporter asks what that will do to services for the children, services required by state and federal law?
If citizens knew what the proposed SSC and other special ed cuts will likely cost them in the future, would the cuts be made?
When the jury decides this first case, we’ll have a hint.
Uh, the reason why Klompus et. al., keep cranking out these press releases/staged performances is that, by and large, it works.
Previous governors simply released the funds for this or that project. The Lingle-Aiona has elevated what was a ministerial function to a theatrical high.
Here’s the formula: call up a school and say that the governor would like to make a guest appearance and announce the releasing of funds for the new parking lot. Request that the school gather all the students and staff and inform the parents as well.
On the appointed day and time, Lingle steps out of her car to thunderous applause and proceeds to make a hoary announcement of how the new parking lot will help student achievement, protect health and safety, etc.
Everyone cheers and applauds the wisdom and generosity of the governor. Never mind that the project was part of the BOE’s budget request and the governor had nothing to do with it.
(Of course, don’t invite the area legislators to this “event” for fear that the adoring masses might actually think the legislature had anything to do with the project.)
Repeat this dozens and dozens of times during your term and voila! you may very well wake up one day as a U.S. Senator.
It’s a great strategy if your goal is to be a U.S. Senator.
It’s a terrible strategy if your goal was to propose and implement smart public policy.
Oh, and PBN is wrong about no one being fooled least of which are the media. I mean, read the Advertiser’s “breaking news” about the governor releasing funds and they literally print the governor’s press release word-for-word.
The television news last night showcased Mayor Mufi’s version of this: Him handing out photographs of the zoo’s new tiger cubs to kids. It’s good to know he’s got the government’s business so under control that he can take time to pander to the kids – and their voting parents.
Good point Dave. I wonder why PBN (and Ian) never seem to mind it when Mufi does the same type of thing?