|
November 9, 2002 - Saturday
It's been a year since the Star-Bulletin laid off staff and reduced salaries across the board. The "voluntary" cuts taken by newsroom staff have been partially restored, but after a year staff are still giving back 8 percent of their salaries to the company.
Here's a depressing view of the job market in a link provided by the National Writers Union earlier this week. The story is from Seattle, but, as NWU notes, could be Anywhere USA.
These observations from a reader using the name Media Veteran:
Did the Star-Bulletin Web site critic fail to note the link to BREAKING NEWS or ELECTION RESULTS?
I noticed, or should I say, failed to notice in your Honolulu Weekly piece, any disclosure that your employment was not renewed by the new Star-Bulletin owners. You point one finger at someone and you've got three others pointing right back at you.
I have considered that the Weekly might have declined to run such a disclosure in its own pages but for ethics' sake I would think you would make the disclosure on your Web site.
Just my two cents.
The disclosure question is interesting. Frankly, I might have been inclined to mention that history in a different kind of story, perhaps more of a free form or subjective assessment of the Star-Bulletin's management. But this piece for the Weekly is a pretty straight-forward question of election law. It isn't about my opinion of the Star-Bulletin, and my own personal history with the company, such as it is, just isn't relevant to it.
Warning: The following story requires parental discretion.
I got an email this week from an old friend, someone I haven't seen in easily 20 years. He's living in Berkeley now, and stumbled across this web site. In any case, he ended his long missive with this recollection of something that happened back when I was working in the local office of the American Friends Service Committee. It's an incident I can't dredge out of my own memory banks, but I like the story, and so I'll assume its accuracy:
He writes:
I have to share one memory of you. Back about '76, nat'l AFSC was campaigning against the B-1, and they sent us a poster. It went on for many lines of texct about the number of schools which could be bought for the same price of one crummy bomber, etc. You asked me what I thought of it. Knowing nothing, I said I thought it was OK. You replied that it would be better if it just read in large letters "FUCK THE B-1". I've always thought this was a brilliant PR insight, and I've never forgotten it.
November 8, 2002 - Friday
Friday. And not a moment too soon. Just a few fragments to share.
Election tales. "Two things I can't forget," the writer says.
At Lingle's HQ, the 4-girl group that was serenading the crowd much of the night -- I don't know who they were -- announced at one point that Linda Lingle would be making an appearance.
The girls decided to whip up the crowd, yelling "Go, Linda and Duke!" One of the girls followed with, "Ya! Go, Linda Lingle and Duke Bainum!"
Another member of the group then scolded her, 'Noooooo, it's Duke Aiona!!"
Embarrassed giggle.
At Hirono's even worse. Ben Cayetano sang "Unforgettable" to the crowd after the second printout.
If he thought that eased their pain he was mistaken.
And here's a stinging observation by a reader on election coverage:
It's 2:36 PM (on Wednesday, the day following the election).. I am looking at the Bulletin's home page. It's yesterday's news even though everything has changed. You would think someone down there would have had the foresight to give a go ahead to posting the paper online ASAP the day after an election (heck, the night of). Further illustrates your point about the Bulletin squandering a decent Web site by making people wait to see it until they already know what's going to be on it -- not exactly the news, is it?
And, finally, this report from the circulation war, courtesy of a regular reader:
On Tuesday, a telemarketer offered me a weekly subscription to the Honolulu Advertiser for $2.25. The breakdown, he said, was that I would get the Monday through Friday papers for free in exchange for paying for the Saturday and Sunday papers. Looks like they're being creative about the phrase, "paid subscription." I declined.
November 7, 2002 - Thursday
Over at the Star-Bulletin newsroom, word is that reporter Gordon Pang is leaving to join the staff up the street at the Advertiser. Gordon has covered politics and policies at city hall, and despite that is a genuinely nice guy. Ask him about his G.I. Joe collection some time. Good luck, Gordon!
From the trial of Gary Rodrigues (included here because there were no other reporters in the courtroom during this testimony):
The executive assistant to United Public Workers chief Gary Rodrigues told a federal court jury yesterday he was asked to falsify vacation records dating back a decade to conceal trips UPW staff made to Oregon at union expense where they helped to build the union leader's personal residence.
Dayton Nakanelua said he made numerous trips along with other UPW staff to two properties owned by Rodrigues near Bend, Oregon beginning about 1986. During those trips, Nakanelua said, he helped build two walls of Rodrigues' large log home, laid pipes for a sprinkler system, and fenced the large property, which he estimated at approximately 80 acres.
Nakanelua was hired by Rodrigues in 1982 to serve as UPW's Oahu director, just months after Rodrigues was first elected state director. He left for several years to work for the state, including an appointment as director of the state Department of Labor during the second term of Gov. John Waihee.
Nakanelua said Rodrigues asked him if he was "ready" to rejoin the union staff in April 1997, and he moved back to UPW the following month.
Nakanelua said he approached by Rodrigues in early 1999 after a newspaper article described the Oregon trips and prompted protests by UPW members, who began attending union board meetings to raise questions.
The article, which appeared in the Star-Bulletin on January 11, 1999, was part of my award-winning series.
According to Nakanelua, Rodrigues suggested he retroactively apply for vacation for the trips, and also contact others who took part in the trips and ask them to do the same.
Nakanelua said he declined to make the retroactive changes.
"I felt it would be inappropriate," said Nakanelua, who testified staff were being paid their union salaries while working on Rodrigues' residence. In addition, he said, "we had received money from the union in the form of per diem."
When defense attorney Doron Weinberg suggested Rodrigues might have been misunderstood, Nakanelua answered with a definitive "no".
"It was on the basis of 'submit the vacation' because questions had been raised (in the newspaper) at that time."
Nakanelua, second in command at UPW and once considered likely to succeed Rodrigues as the union's state director, also testified he was not told Rodrigues' daughter, Robin Sabatini, was being paid as a consultant to the union until some time in 1999.
Although Nakanelua said he was positioned to know more about the union's records than anyone other than Rodrigues, he testified he did not know what Sabatini actually did in her role as consultant.
For a different view of the Rodrigues trial, check my overview in this week's Honolulu Weekly.
Star-Bulletin publisher Don Kendall attempted to kill the brief item I wrote for Honolulu Weekly in this week's issue, which examines the possibility that S-B contributions to Linda Lingle's campaign could have violated the federal prohibition on foreign participation in U.S. elections.
When I contacted him for comment, Kendall said some rather rude things about my reporting, and refused any further comment. But he then phoned Weekly publisher Laurie Carlson to make his pitch, saying he would answer questions from someone else. When contacted yesterday by Weekly editor Curt Sanburn, he again disparaged my reporting, huffed and puffed about legal action, and spoke at length only off the record, according to what I was told later about the conversation.
He did disclose that the S-B contributed the same amount to the Hirono campaign sometime last week, more than a month after the first check went to Lingle, but it does not appear on Hirono's campaign spending report of last minute contributions received through November 1. It looks like the last minute attempt at even-handedness might have come after the Lingle contributions were publicly disclosed on this site a week ago.
November 6, 2002 - Wednesday
I've got an election night hangover, as many other folks probably do as well. I dragged myself out of bed at some insane hour to check the web for election results. I fell back into bed wondering if I would wake up from the bad dream.
"Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville-- mighty Casey has struck out."
Enough said.
The New York Times carried a fascinating story yesterday on the way in which the shift to cell phones has undermined traditional political polling methods, which have relied on telephone contacts for decades. Pollsters are going to have to develop a whole new methodology, or give up the effort. This is a must read for political junkies looking ahead into the future.
I've got a couple of short pieces in the issue of Honolulu Weekly that hit the stands today. There's a story behind the Honolulu Diary item (which discusses the Star-Bulletin's campaign contributions). More on the "behind the scenes" tomorrow.
The news media have missed an interesting story up at the University of Hawaii Manoa Campus, where the Faculty Senate last month rejected a new Navy ROTC program.
According to minutes of the Senate's October 16 meeting, the vote was taken against "the backdrop of an impending war," which impacted the vote. In addition, a number of faculty were concerned about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which might impact students enrolled in the ROTC program.
Final vote was 19 against the Naval ROTC, 10 in favor, and 6 abstaining
The UH administration is now seeking a reconsideration of the question, which remains up in the air.
| The new kitten is keeping us busy. I've been commuting with new parent gear--a carry bag with kitten formula and other feeding paraphernalia. This week Meda gets to have the pleasure.
He has doubled in weight since he was rescued a week ago. Now Duke is most interested, but it isn't clear whether that interest is paternal or culinary.
|
Duke & kitten
(click for larger version)
|
November 5, 2002 - Tuesday
Election day. We'll be driving out to Hauula to vote shortly after 7 a.m. It's going to be an interesting day of voting and night of results.
Regarding the UH president's endorsement of the Dem candidate for governor:
"I can corroborate," writes one reader. "I saw the spot. It's a 1:00 (minute) commercial where Dobelle talks on about what the state needs, then advocates Hirono as the person who can ensure the fulfillment of that need."
The UHPA, the faculty union, previously endorsed the Republican team. Perhaps this just means the university covered all the bases.
From another reader: "By the way, there was a very well-dressed gentleman (white short and tie, suspenders, no jacket) on the corner of Dole and University this morning before 8 a.m. holding a large sign saying DOBELLE RESIGN."
He was later seen walking around Bachman Hall, the administration building. No word on any problems as a result.
Credit to the Advertiser, which carried a brief item on the Dobelle endorsement in their Saturday edition. I missed it, but was pointed towards it yesterday morning.
Now, if you think you had a bad weekend, consider the plight of the 30,000 folks who had the bad luck of staying at a Holiday Inn. It's a traveler's nightmare, for sure.
And here's some preliminary feedback to Mr. Duke's candidacy:
McDermott didn't know he played right into Duke's paws with that statement.
So Duke really is ready to pounce, even without any previous political experience? Will Duke run as an independent?
Will he promise to cat-alyze the economy? Does he have any feline about the Iraq issue he'd want to share with us? Will he convert Rod Tam's old idea to let lawmakers take naps into U.S. House legislation? Can he think out-of-the-box?
November 4, 2002 - Monday
The Advertiser ran a story today about Oliver North's stop in Honolulu to film an episode of his television show, War Stories.
What wasn't mentioned anywhere in the story is that the episode is based on "Advance Force-Pearl Harbor", a book by Star-Bulletin reporter and military history buff Burl Burlingame.
Here's Burl's description from his own "Honolulu Newspaper War" web site:
The funny thing is -- one of the producers told me -- that North had been interviewed earlier in the day by a Gannett Advertiser reporter, and when the reporter was told why North was here, he flipped out and got way-surly. It will be interesting to see what backflips they perform to avoid mentioning the reason for North's visit in the story.
S-B reporter Tim Ryan's gubernatorial profiles, zapped here yesterday, drew this reader's defense:
Tim Ryan's profiles on the candidates focused on the trivial? Hardly. If Tim was a better reporter he would have told us what kind of lipstick Linda Lingle was trying to apply and where Mazie got her purple suit.
I know, Ian, how you are loathe to report on anything that didn't come out of an archive or a court file or doesn't have four legs and fur, but try not to knock reporters who try, in the presence of seasoned professional bullshitters like gubernatorial candidates, not to report canned Q & A.
When you ask a candidate a question, because they are professionals, they give you a prepared answer....for everything. So the only way to report about them, is to report the details around them.
Linda Lingle's lipstick tells us everything about how she would run this state. If the reader complaining about Tim's reporting wants issues and needs to know Lingle's position on offshore drilling, she should log onto Linda's website, or turn on the news for the party line.
And perhaps this comment from a Star-Bulletin staffer is the last word on those campaign contributions:
Hey, let's look at the bright side. If the owners have that kind of loose cash lying around to be given away, we should be getting our pay restored soon. Right?
I haven't seen it, but I'm told UH President Evan Dobelle endorsed Democratic candidate Mazie Hirono in a television ad the other night.
I wonder if he'll endorse Duke? By the way, Duke's getting his campaign together. Today he wants to make something purfectly clear. Check it out.
November 3, 2002 - Sunday
The Star-Bulletin is making a big marketing push based on its deal with the New York Times. Here's an announcement just distributed throughout the UH Manoa campus:
During Nov. 4-30, the weekday New York Times and Honolulu Star-Bulletin will be available free at the UH Bookstore after 2:30 p.m. while supplies last.
The Bookstore is also making copies available to UH Libraries and reading rooms.
Starting in December, the newspapers will be available for 85 cents for both.
And speaking of the S-B--Tim Ryan's profiles of the two leading candidates for governor drew loud boo's for its focus on the trivial. This view from one angry woman:
Friday's Star Bulletin has separate articles on Linda and Mazie, next to each other.
I learned this: Linda doesn't have pierced ears and only wears a watch for jewelry whereas Mazie wears a couple rings and earrings. Linda is getting better at applying her "trademark" red lipstick while being driven in a van but still isn't good at it. She wasn't good at two marriages, she says, and she says she has NEVER tasted beer and doesn't drink other alcohols. (Right there, I'm not voting for her). She said she agrees that Duke Aiona is more attractive and smaller than her. I learned that Mazie had a miscarriage at age 42 which is none of my frickin' business. Linda swims most mornings at the Y but Mazie had to give up jogging and hired a personal trainer instead. The articles also talked a lot about the clothes they wear and how they wear their hair.
There was more but I'm trying to forget it--shouldn't have read it in the first place.
I ask you, would we publish this type of crap about male candidates for Gov. and DOES IT TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT HOW ONE OR THE OTHER WOULD LEAD OUR STATE????????
It could have beenworse. Another woman suggested they "publish what brand tampons they use, if still menstruating, and if not, have them describe menopause and what it means to them in great detail."
To be fair, Tim probably would write about male candidates in the same style. It's what he does.
| Finally, I was talking with a friend the other night about the forty-something candidates lining up for the special 2nd District Congressional election. It seems like just everybody's off and running. Even Bob McDermott's dog, Elvis, has been dragged into the fray. One thing led to another, and a campaign was born. |
|
Previous week • Other
Search this site,
courtesy of the folks at Atomz.com
\*/.
|
Online Store 
More choices
|
