Musings: Political Grenades

After a couple of weeks of steady rain, it's so delightful to see shadows and sunlight on the face of Waialeale, towering cumulous clouds tinged pink, droplets sparkling like diamonds on ironwood trees, a white moon, well-waned. Of course, now I can also see the sheen of mildew on the screens…..

It was a little surprising to see the state Attorney General's office hand KPD a political grenade to use against the police chief's arch enemy, Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. But that's what it did when confronted with the dispute over whether the mayor should've resigned for pleading the fifth in the county auditor's fuel card probe. As The Garden Island reported today:

“That particular investigation is something our department is deferring to the police department,” said Anne Lopez, special assistant to the AG’s office. “The police department can proceed with what they think is best.”

Gosh, are we gonna see Chief Darryl Perry arrest the mayor, bring him into the station for questioning, release a booking mug shot to the newspaper?  Send the SWAT team to take him down on the highway, ala Dayne Aipoalani? Maybe even Taser the big guy and claim he resisted arrest?

At issue is a comma in a statute — and years of political grudges involving Hanalei boatyard owner Mike Sheehan, county auditor Ernie Pasion and former prosecutor Shaylene Iseri. Even without the recent rains, there's always plenty of mud to sling during campaign season on Kauai.

Of course, this is all likely to go nowhere. Because even if KPD does pursue a complaint, it will land on Prosecutor Justin Kollar's desk. And he has neither an ax to grind against the mayor nor his predecessor's predilection for vendettas.

Speaking of which, it appears Councilman Tim Bynum's lawsuit against Shay and the county is close to resolution, with a special executive session set for Thursday to brief the Council on a settlement. As was mentioned during last week's Council meeting, the case has been turned over to the county's insurance company. And now, surprise-surprise, it's fast-tracking toward a settlement. Maybe the county should lower its deductible so cases get settled before we burn through half a million bucks in legal fees.

Meanwhile, BASF has joined the other chem companies in their lawsuit against the county over Ordinance 960, the county's pesticide/GMO regulatory law, prompting Councilman Gary Hooser to regurgitate one of his stock responses:

“BASF is the largest chemical company in the world and suing the smallest county in Hawaii for the right to spray poison next to schools fits right into their historical corporate culture.”

Except BASF is the only company targeted by the law that actually has no fields near schools, homes or hospitals. But why let the facts get in the way of a good sound bite?

As for bad sound bites, I happened to tune into KKCR while driving to the North Shore last evening, thinking I'd hear music. Instead, I got Gordon LaBedz and Ya Kaduce going on about how it was ridiculous that an experienced firm like Earthjustice wasn't allowed to represent the county pro bono against the chem corps.

Except Earthjustice didn't even submit a proposal, and as I wrote the other day, never ever intended to actually represent the county, only a community group(s). But why let the facts get in the way of a typically ill-informed KKCR dee-jay rant?

They next turned their attention to local elections. Ya identified Jimmy Trujillo, Jonathan Jay and Adam Asquith as KKCR dee-jay's and then endorsed them for the KIUC board. Though the station made the three candidates relinquish their shows during the campaign, it's allowing their buddies who remained on air to stump for them.

How can that be fair to the other candidates?

Jimmy, meanwhile, offered evidence of his own lackluster interest in the election by posting on Facebook, if you're like me, your KIUC ballot is still unopened.

But maybe he'll get around to opening it in the next couple of weeks and blackening the oval next to his name. His enthusiasm, yawn, is contagious.