Musings: Heart Rending

I've been seeing a lot of heart-shaped clouds lately, and not the ones you kinda have to visually fudge, but full-on well-formed hearts, floating in the sky. And that's a good thing, because the world always needs more love, especially with election season in full swing.

We also need a better approach to road repairs on this island, what with traffic on the east side all jam up for two days in a row as they work on both Kaumualii and Kapule highways and Wailua Bridge. Last evening I was getting texts from a friend who was either stopped, or moving 2.5 mph, all the way from Kapaa to Lihue. It's bad for tourism, you know. Cause “The Descendants” never depicted traffic backed up from Lihue to Kealia — or from Hanalei Bridge to Waioli Stream, for that matter. Seriously, WTF are they thinking?

And WTF is The Garden Island thinking, rehashing the POHAKU story they totally muddled the first time around? Oh, I see, it's another chance to stroke Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho, with “gag me” language like this:

If the end result will be that POHAKU can continue running, then consider that the program needs assistance for equipment, food and volunteer worksite coordinators, not as task masters, but responsible organization representatives.

Actually, I think I've figured out why TGI has bent over backwards to suck up to Shay. Two years ago, she went after them with both barrels blazing over an article that Paul Curtis wrote. And excuse the mixed metaphors, but they've had their tail between their legs ever since. Sad.

It was also a little sad to hear Solette Perry — the police chief's wife — featured in an attack radio ad for Shay. Solette has never forgiven Justin Kollar for not preventing the chief from being suspended, and that has turned her into a Shay loyalist. I can totally understand where she's coming from. Hell hath no fury like a woman whose husband has been scorned. 

But aside from creating awkwardness for the Chief — who yesterday told me he still has not officially endorsed anyone, and was only photographed smiling with Ale Quibilan, Roy Asher and Shay at her recent fundraiser because “my wife asked me to go and I support my wife” — Solette's “I'm for Shay because I despise Justin” stance raises some sticky political questions.

Like, do we have to hate Justin, just because we like the Chief? Can't you dislike the mayor and the county attorney, yet still see good reason to vote against Shay? Can you continue to like KipuKai Kualii and Mel Rapozo, even though they've backed Shay? Do you have to like Tim Bynum just because Shay screwed him with that prosecutorial vendetta? Should you reject or embrace Dickie Chang and Nadine Nakamura because they essentially remained silent on Shay? Does Jay Furfaro get extra points because he was able to keep Shay and JoAnn Yukimura from scratching each other's eyes out?

It's all so muddled. 

Still, I did have to laugh a little, thinking what might happen if Justin decided to turn the tables on Shay and employ the same negative campaign tactics. He could marshal a sizable army of detractors among her former staff — heck, just among those who have successfully settled EEOC claims against her.

And I had to laugh a lot when I heard Solette say that Shay helps “people wronged by those who are corrupt with power. Shay will fight for what is right. Shay will fight for what is pono.”

OK, if you say so. I'll just totally ignore all the evidence to the contrary, starting with rice cooker gate and continuing on through those EEOC settlements.

Speaking of which, one of those who got money from the county because Shay treated her so shitty is Erin Wilson, the single mom who moved here all the way from Colorado to work as a victim witness coordinator, only to be fired a couple of months into the job because there supposedly wasn't enough work. Yeah, and lil Miss Pono timed it so Erin's last day of work was the day before Thanksgiving, the same day OPA had a big staff party and Shay sent out an email telling everyone how "blessed" she felt to have them working there. What a sensitive gal. No wonder cold-hearted Koloa Camp evictor Mike Tresler supports her.

Now Shay is back before the Council today, asking for permission to apply for both federal and state funds to — you guessed it — beef up the victim witness program. You know, the same one that just nine months ago supposedly did not have enough work to keep Erin busy.

Oh, and she wants to get money for a “keiki POHAKU,” too.

Curious, how she's timed this to get on TV right before the election, even though one would presume she would have already applied for the dough, seeing as how the funding periods start Aug. 1 and Aug. 15, respectively.

But then, that's politics. And as a friend reminded me the other day, there's a lot more going on the world than the prosecutor's race. 

Which is definitely true. So how about if I intersperse posts about Shay with posts about the end of the world?

Those who would rather check out completely might prefer this entertaining video. Which got me thinking, when people start to boycott a restaurant because it serves animals raised in disgustingly dirty and horribly inhumane factory farms, well, then the human race might be showing some sign of evolving. But we're obviously not there yet.