Monday, April 9, 2012

Musings: Bluster and Bling


The pale light of a cloud-streaked shrinking moon illuminated a damp world filled with melodically warbling birds when the dogs and I went walking this morning. And even though the dawn arrived, it hasn't gotten much brighter or lighter, hinting at a repeat of yesterday's blustery rain.

Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho is on the front page of The Garden Island today, asking the voters to let her do a repeat performance as she blusters about her record by spouting a lot of meaningless statistics that the reporter reports without question.

Which is why readers are left trying to decipher this kind of gobbledygook:

Iseri-Carvalho said youth crime on Kauai increased 142 percent in her first year, from increased crime and also from picking up on a backlog of unprosecuted cases. Juvenile crime is down 7 percent from last year.

You don't affect the rate of crime simply by picking up cases that weren't previously prosecuted.

I was especially amused by Shay's claim that she wants to protect Native Hawaiian interests when her office has been rabid about going after Dayne Gonsalves' Kingdom of Atooi badge — to the point of appealing Judge Kathleen Watanabe's order to return it.

What I found really interesting was Shay's claim that some of her deputies had been dismissed for abusing their power. So then she shouldn't be surprised if she's dismissed her for abusing hers...

Mostly, I was intrigued by the story's very convenient timing, coming on the heels of her office suffering a major embarrassment in being dismissed from the Tim Bynum zoning case. Wonder how she wrangled that, especially when the paper has yet to report on another prosecutorial embarrassment: the judge suppressing all the evidence in the suspected cocaine smuggling ring involving employees of Young Brothers and The Gas Co. because the cops lied to get a search warrant.

On the issue of timing, retired Army colonel and international peace activist Ann Wright will be speaking at the Kapaa Library conference room from 6:30 to 9 tonight. The topic: the military madness in the world today, of which there is no shortage. It will be followed by a Q&A session.

And today is the day the Koloa Camp folks are supposed to get out, though they are going to fight the eviction notice from Greed Farm in court. That may buy them a little time, though it's doubtful they'll be able to forestall it completely. 

But while so many people and businesses seem to be motivated solely by greed, I'm happy to report that not everyone everywhere is blindsided by bling. Residents of a remote Swiss village recently voted to reject a Canadian company's proposal to prospect for an estimated $1.2 billion worth of gold ore in the surrounding mountains, even though they would've gotten a share of the proceeds.

Of course the usual claims were made: economic revitalization, jobs for the kids who are leaving, extra business for the shops. Oh, and the mine would have just “a small footprint.”


Many people feared that the valley, with its crystal-clear streams, coniferous forests and timber barns, would have been irrevocably scarred by the mine, from which around five million ton of rock would have been dug.

"The money would have been nice," said 17-year-old Nicole Venzin, sitting on a bench on Curaglia's main street as elderly women entered the tiny supermarket with shopping bags. "But what sort of future would we have if we ruined the environment?"

We're lookin' at it right now....

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

The county should "trade her in" for a new police (meth sniffing) dog.

I bet we find more meth.....perhaps even in the county administrative offices.

Anonymous said...

Joan, this is the first time I disagree with you.
Shaylene was right to say that if there is a law to back uup the action she will stand by it.
Dayne didnʻt and doesnʻt have any semblance of a law to back up his actions.
Heʻs a loose canon.
His stupid badge should never have been returned.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I notice that guy Henry Noa goes to great lengths to follow laws (all of them) whenever his kanakas do something, like the license plates.
I donʻt see Shaylene harrassing him or his kanakas so what she said is true because Noa backed up his actions with law.

Anonymous said...

Kauai, she is way out of control, it is time for someone to stand up a hold her accountable, and her lap dog too!

Anonymous said...

I love the quotes in the Garden Island article:
"You have to run this office like a business. There are a lot of other issues besides litigation." Like traveling all over the place on the taxpayer's dime or driving the County's vehicles like they were her own or having a few during work hours.

Anonymous said...

I think Shay needs to stay away from alcohol. It's not good for her anger management.

SHE is the loose cannon in you have ever been in shooting range.

She is another example of "power going straight to her head" making her Heart like ICE.

Anonymous said...

If I'm reading on the comments of the tgi comments that Aurero Moore told Mel Rapozo that he feared for his life and then was killed soon afterwards.

Makes me wonder if there was conspiracy and collusion involved in the MURDER of Aurero Moore who was a victim of a robbery at safeway in Kapaa. Connecting the dots leads us to familiar faces in the history of Kauai's most heinous crimes.

We must learn from the man that was in a supervisors position who watched a victim get raped while in police custody. This makes him an accomplice and makes Kauai voters judge of ones character a big FAILURE.

We the people of Kauai deserve unsolved murders, sexual assaults, drug lords, failed judicial system, KIUC, GMO, Planning Department, Dirty Cops, Food Banksters, for profit orgs under the disguise of not for profit, Developers gone wild, out of control prosecutor and so forth.

We must take responsibilty for what we have created. Kauai's monster was created by the people and so we must live with this EVIL DEMONS.

The Lord has Risen! The Lord has Risen! The Lord has Risen!

Anonymous said...

Who are you talking about that witnessed a rape in custody?
Those are pretty strong words and a different story if youʻre referring to what I think you are.
Is the victim that duck-taped and brutally murdered her cousin? Is that the same ʻrapeʻ ʻvictimʻ?
Iʻm not sticking up for anyone but thatʻs some heavy embellishment to make a point of hatred.

Anonymous said...

I have reason to believe that was ducked taped and murdered girl probably was set up by carl ritchie.

Carl Ritchie was a convicted Pimp who was then allowed to run the free store in Kapaa. This is where things gets interested, as a convicted sexual predator he was allowed to run a store where woman would do their community service. Woman would complain that he was up to the same dirty deeds that landed him in prison.

A Probabtion officer who investigated comlaints against Carl Ritchie filed reports against him that were not investgated by higher authorities.

Probation officer filed restraining order that was denied by the GOB. Their network of trolls tried to cover up the incidents. Judge and court staff involved were force to quit, retire or be fired.

Carl Ritchie has something on the GOB, for him to be rewarded the way he was.

Anonymous said...

This was retaliation for the settlement. GOB will green light you when and if they feel necessary.

The GOB has their ways to get you back. Secret investigations, using family, unwarted phone taps, members, coworkers, friends and others to set you up. They will try many ways to set you up.

Now they must know that the ones who are watching are being watched. You have abused your power for too long.

FBI you are doing all wrong, hotel and police alerts people who alerts the criminals when you are in town. Renting a whole floor and trying to keepp that secret on Kauai is no secret.

FBI you need to get Donnie Brasco on every department on Kauai so what if it takes 5 Years. The time and money will be well spent when you put all of Kauai's GOB in the PEN. Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity

Anonymous said...

So why is it that we on Kauai always fall for the gold mine; our island is as beautiful as their Alpine setting.

Anonymous said...

"In our daily life, we encounter people who are angry, deceitful, intent only on satisfying their own needs. There is so much anger, distrust, greed, and pettiness that we are losing our capacity to work well together." Margaret J. Wheatly

Iseri Carvalho is mastefully manipulative, her deceitful trait is a classic requirement for the GOB. The rule of the law is that they will protect and serve those who they feel necessary.

Captain Kirk is caught in a blood in blood out battle, thank your parents for that law school ed but they never told you how eeeefed up Kauai's Judicial employees are.

You still have a choice, "do not be seduced by the dark side" "you're going to find out that many of the truths we cling to depends greatly on our own point of view"
Return of the Jedi

Anonymous said...

From the GI article; "When we find out someone has been dishonest we do terminate immediately. That has happened on way too many occasions than we would like to have happened." That explains why seventeen deputy prosecutors left the office, they were dishonest. Unlike Shay and Jake, those paragons of virtue.

Anonymous said...

Yea they were.
There were some real incompetent and criminal bastards running that office before she got re elected.

I canʻt go into details, although I would like to. Can say, one of them was that fat white guy. Full blown criminal, I am thankful he was too stupid to be in a higher, potentially larger scale damaging position. KInd of person Bush administration would have welcomed because they werenʻt that educated.
Basically white trash from the states. hmmmm

Anonymous said...

Who prosecutes the Prosecuting Attorney for all their early/illegal campaign signs, banners, and placards littering Kauai? Take 'em down already and wait for the green light please.

Anonymous said...

De Costa and Guyot??? Mirror images of what Kauai's OPA has always been, political puppets for the GOB. Objectives, functions, priciples of operation of the prosecutors office no longer applies once you step onto Kauai's red dirt. All become filthy

KamaKele said...

There's no need to try to criticize her for prosecuting those Kingdom of Atooi idiots. Those guys use every benefit the government provides but still try to claim the gov't has no jurisdiction over them, and that their Kingdom of Atooi license should somehow be valid while they're driving on Dep't of Transportation highways.

Anonymous said...

Yes, leave that poor woman alone. She's been through enough. Not.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the Garden Island Newspaper doesn't want to actually sell newspapers.

Anonymous said...

The Garden Island is a newspaper?

Anonymous said...

The Garden Island is a newspaper?
nah, just fish wrap