Musings: Spectacle

It was earlier than usual when the dogs and I went out walking, with no light save for that provided by a spectacular array of Jupiter, Venus and Makalii (Pleides), lined up vertically in the eastern sky, gilding the edge of a cloud that drifted near as two Newell's shearwaters wheezed out calls enroute to their mountain burrows.

It provided quite a wholesome contrast to a spectacle of another sort: Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho's expletive-redacted, and no doubt spittle-flecked, rant of finger-pointing, blame-shifting, cry-babying, reputation-tarnishing and boomerang political-paybacking that appeared in today's newspaper.

Yes, The Garden Island finally covered the POHAKU Board of Ethics referral in a piece that proves it really is possible to shoot yourself in the foot and then stick it in your mouth.

Though the article disappointingly left out two key details — Shay and POHAKU are also being investigated by the county Finance Department and state Attorney General's office — it does helpfully provide a “POHAKU flow chart” graphic (wtf?) and a few eyebrow-raising revelations from the Shayster herself.

Like her disclosure that the Office of Prosecuting Attorney doesn't have contracts with any of the agencies that provide it with services, including the YWCA, which got a big chunk of money that previously supported the victim-witness program. Oh, and that the Ethics Board had already launched an investigation by the time the Council finally approved such a request of its own.

Then there was her revelation that she had tape-recorded Chief Procurement Officer Ernie Barrera on Wednesday. Wonder if he knew, or if it was another one of those secret tape recordings for which Shay and her top deputy, Jake Delaplane, have such a perverse penchant.

And let's not forget Shay's claim that “the county Finance Department told her the [earlier] Ethics investigation was initiated after a request by 'council members.'” Now either Shay and/or the reporter mixed up the Ethics investigation with the Finance Department's procurement investigation, or Finance is revealing confidential or false information to a person it's supposed to be scrutinizing.

Still, nothing matches the hubris Shay displayed in accusing Councilman Tim Bynum — a man she prosecuted for a non-existent crime out of her own desire for political retribution — of engaging in political payback. Meanwhile, she again smeared Ti'ms name by referencing the zoning charge — thankfully, the reporter noted she'd been pulled off the case, and it was dismissed — and a theft charge against his son. I'm sure that will help fuel Tim's impending lawsuit against the county.

And I couldn't help but wonder if former Prosecuting Attorney Craig DeCosta is contemplating his own lawsuit now that Shay has publicly, and almost certainly falsely, accused him of illegally accepting money in exchange for dismissing cases. 

Sadly, Shay is so busy dealing dirt and shifting blame that she never does explain why, if she was aware of all the misdeeds Craig supposedly committed in setting up a contract with a service provider, that she didn't then follow the correct process herself.

Then there's puzzling diatribe (emphasis added):

“JoAnn (Yukimura) has got to be so full of (expletive deleted), because we received absolutely no money, and they know that Craig (De Costa) received monies because they saw the contract, but they don’t want to bring out Craig’s stuff because they’re only out to target our office because it’s an election year and they want Justin Kollar to win because that’s their candidate,” she said.

Wait, what about $9,800 paid by the 49 people who supposedly have gone through POHAKU? Where did that money go?

And I loved the part about how she's “threatening to file a complaint against Castillo and Deputy County Attorney Mona Clark 'for lying to the council.'”

Mmmm, what about all your lies to the Council, Shay? You know, the bogus crime stats, the BS about why you eliminated Erin Wilson's victim-witness position, the claims that all those deputies you fired were dishonest, when their real “crime” was being mainland haoles, the utter crap about how Tim couldn't ask you any questions because he was being prosecuted for a crime and would withhold funding for your office.

Then there's the biggest lie of all: that you couldn't answer any questions about POHAKU during budget hearings unless you were given a special attorney to protect your rights. Yet you have absolutely no compunction about indiscreetly blabbing to the local paper, where you pretend you wanted the attorney only because you didn't want to implicate Craig unnecessarily — after you've just dragged his reputation through the mud.

Whoa. Like I said, it's a spectacle. A sad and sorry spectacle.

In all the court proceedings I've ever sat through, taking personal responsibility for one's actions is considered paramount. Indeed, it's a prosecutorial mantra that people should have the book thrown at them if they fail to accept responsibility for what they've done.

So how about it, Shay? When are you planning to own up and take responsibility for lying, mismanaging the OPA, using your office to engage in politically-motivated prosecutions, and treating your employees so badly that at least two have received EEOC settlements from the County?

Or should we just go ahead and render the harshest judgment, impose the stiffest sentence, by giving our votes to your opponent, Justin Kollar?