Thursday, April 26, 2012

Musings: Things to Think About

The sky was a mosaic of gray, patches of clouds pieced together with white, blue, a few streaks of gold, when the dogs and I went walking this morning. It's the time of year when the days stretch long, when I can walk out my door and catch a whiff of some fragrant something in bloom somewhere, and the bird song is loud enough to muffle the cacophony of crowing.

As I spent some time in the garden at the end of yesterday, digging and weeding and pruning, in anticipation of planting under this Cancer moon, I was struck by how much it produces with relatively little effort, at least on my part. The sun and rain do most of the work. And that got me thinking about abundance, and what the term really means, especially after hearing a talk by Ervin Laszlo, in which he says we are already using resources at the rate of two and a half worlds, though we've only got one. So clearly our level of consumption is driven by distorted concepts of abundance, knocking everything out of whack.

I recalled an article I'd read that stated baby boomers need to have $900,000 saved to maintain a “comfortable life” through retirement, and I thought of how far-fetched that is for 99 percent of the people I know. And I wondered if that reality might cause us to rethink our definition of a “comfortable life” in something other than economic terms, prompt us to reassess what we believe we're entitled to. Will it inspire boomers to revisit their hippie roots, come together in communes to reduce living costs? Will it lead to a de-emphasis on militarism so we can fund a single-payer health care plan and other social programs to serve the growing numbers who need a safety net? Or will it feed the next wave of colonialism as American retirees flood “third world” nations where their Social Security checks have more buying power?

Just something to think about. Gardening does that to me.

Moving into local issues, Charter Commissioner Jan TenBruggencate called to say he objected to my suggestion that the Commission choked under pressure and so nixed a proposed charter amendment aimed at clarifying whether the Mayor can suspend the police chief. Jan said he voted no because he doesn't believe any clarification is needed. "There's something broken here, but it's not the charter," he said.

But will the brokenness be fixed by the court, when the Police Commission asks it for a ruling on the matter? And if it's determined the mayor acted improperly, are there ramifications for that action, other than a political black eye that likely will be healed by the next election, or the possibility of a lawsuit brought by the chief?

Just like will there be any ramifications for the actions that led to the suppression of evidence in the cocaine smuggling case against two Gas Co. and Young Brothers employees? The Garden Island finally reported the story, a whopping 20 days after I broke the news, but in stating that “the decision came down to the credibility of witnesses” it missed the salient point: cops  lied to get a search warrant.

The same reporter also managed to both bury and miss the news about the prosecutor's alleged POHAKU improprieties, even though Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura essentially handed him the story. Interestingly, I noticed that particular article didn't even make it into the lineup available via mobile devices, though one could read about such burning issues as pineapple upside down cake day.

Then for two days running, the paper published stories and photos prominently and positively featuring Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho. To read them, you'd think it was all good, with no scandals plaguing her office.

I was especially amused to read the piece that starts out: “Kaua‘i Prosecuting Attorney Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho has a vision of Ka Hale Maka‘i O Kaua‘i, the home of the Office of Prosecuting Attorney, the Kaua‘i Police Department and the Kaua‘i Civil Defense, becoming a center of healing.”

Because if you go to the Office of Prosecuting Attorney website, you will find that the vision page is blank.

Which is not to say the paper should bash her, or engage in what some in the comment section of this blog have termed a witch hunt, but it really does voters a disservice to totally sweep this stuff under the rug in an election year.

And then I realized, oh, the newspaper is actively propping her up, just as it continues to perpetuate the fraud that the Kauai Independent Food Bank is a viable entity. And then what do I find in the paper today? Another article about KIFB. Sadly, you can't make this stuff up.

Smart meter opponents have made up their their own opt-out form, but KIUC isn't accepting it. Though CEO David Bissell said the utility won't force anyone to take a smart meter “at this time,” it isn't going so far as to let folks submit a form that states their rejection is the final word on the matter, and the cost of the unwanted meter will be rebated to the member's account.

While many of the concerns raised about smart meters have focused on health issues, others worry about its implications for privacy.

Of course, if you've been following a series of shocking programs broadcast on Democracy Now! over the past week you'll have learned the government has already spent billions to invade our privacy. According to former National Security Agency whistleblower William Binney, domestic surveillance is expanding under the Obama administration:

Actually, I think the surveillance has increased. In fact, I would suggest that they’ve assembled on the order of 20 trillion transactions about U.S. citizens with other U.S. citizens.

That includes almost all of the emails sent and received from most people living in the United States, as well as phone records and other personal data.

Meanwhile, Congress is considering CISPA, a bill drafted by a former FBI agent that will create, according to Michelle Richardson of the ACLU, “an exception to all existing privacy laws so that [cyber] companies can share very sensitive and personal information directly with the government, including military agencies like the National Security Agency. And then, once the government has it, they can repurpose it and use it for a number of things, including an undefined national security use. The violations of privacy are just amazing.”

We've all bought into the computer age, which is oh-so-handy for researching and reaching out to friends and buying stuff anywhere in the world. But it also gives the government an unprecedented ability to track our every move, compile vast amounts of data on every aspect of our existence. And according to those in the know, it is.

The question is, why? Just what does it plan to do with all this stuff?

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

In reference to the Police Chief---Mayor issue, wasn't there a "little" detail about Perry asking the Mayor to put him on leave? something about to protect him (Perry) from a hostile workplace & potential lawsuit? I vaguely remember mention of this in TGI and the Mayor making similar statement in an interview weeks ago. IF this (leave status) was initiated by Perry, the clarification should be on WHO can terminate his leave status once Perry decided he was fit & ready & "safe" for him to return to work. Curiouser & curiouser...

Anonymous said...

No the chief called the Mayor to tell him he was going to work at home because it might be a hostile work place. Also wouldn't a employee that has an issue with management go to their union in this case SOHPO and ask them for help. That is the way it should work. They have a contract with the County of Kauai on work conditions. Did the Mayor take action on an issue that should be in the action in the SOHPO and the County, thus interfering in a workers contract?

The Charter states the Mayor has the power to make decisions in the employees he has "Direct Control" of, meaning the people he appoints or hires to fill a position. He DOES NOT have Direct Control over the Police Chief, Fire Chief etc. as they hired or removed by a commission. The key word is remove. Remove can mean many things.

Anonymous said...

The Garden Island needs to hire a new reporter or editor. That the Prosecuting Attorney could blatantly disregard the law and not be asked about it by the reporter is unbelievable. Bring back Michael Levine.

Anonymous said...

Whether print or broadcast, media which is dependent on commercial ads for income, will always bend over backwards to avoid offending their advertisers (and their customers).

Mainstream media just feeds us THEIR version of news.

Anonymous said...

How would reporting facts found in public records offend anyone except the offending parties? One would think that it is newsworthy when a prosecuting attorney refuses to answer questions about a program that is featured in her PowerPoint presentation to the Council without an attorney to advise her. Is she taking the fifth? That can't happen very often.

Kalamaika'i said...

Joan go get a job at TGI since you know it all and report on everything FIRST as you boldly indicate in this posting. So Joan, and all of you that keep hammering away at the OPA and the PA: It's sad that you find the effforts of so many people who joined the Prosecuting Attorney, the Police Chief, the crew at Waipa, the Kumu, all of the kupuna and the various agencies who provide the much needed support and services to protect and help crime victims and their families "AMUSING". So what if it is positive press to actually have the nerve to honor National Crime Victims Rights Week. Frankly, with all of the crap and grumbling that is udone here, we all can use a positive boost through an important and meaningful gathering such as the one that was held on Monday.

Better yet, go run for PA or Chief of Police and show all of us how much better you can get things done.

Anonymous said...

Better yet, vote for Justin Kollar. Less photo ops and more integrity. Politicians on Kauai spend way too much time honoring each other. So what if its victims week. I'd rather see my prosecutor at work and the chief of police briefing the detectives on how to avoid the next evidence suppression, instead of smiling for cameras and typing up press releases for the garden island to regurgitate.

Anonymous said...

Hello. No one was honoring each other you fool, but coming together in observace of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. So what if its victims week, you say? Careful with how words spill from your mouth. Heartless and incompassionate ranting is waste of energy.

Anonymous said...

Did the Prosecutor commemorate National Crime Victims' Rights Week last year, or the year before? Seems she's only calling attention to it this year because it's an election year and she's in dire need of some good press and photo ops to deflect all her wrongdoings.
The gesture and symbolism was nice, and victims and their plight should be recognized. But do it because it's the right thing to do, not just so you can get your photo in the paper and try to make yourself look good.

Anonymous said...

Shay doesn't need an attorney. She's well versed in criminal law and doesn't need someone to tell her when to remain silent. But the public has a right to know: Is the Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Kauai "taking the fifth" and asserting her right to remain silent? She has that right, but we should know if that's what she's doing. If not, she should waive her rights and answer questions.

KamaKele said...

Hey Joan, are you happy that your blog has turned into a Justin Koller campaign tool? Because it has.

I'm just wondering.

Anonymous said...

Or, one could conclude, that Shaylene herself is the best Justin Kollar campaign tool.

I mean this lady keeps giving and giving, scandal and vendetta that is...... and screaming in council ---- just the opposite of a distinguished public servant. Vulgar and temperamental.

Anonymous said...

Hey KamaKele, is the Prosecuting Attorney taking the fifth? Can you ask her? She won't answer questions without a lawyer. What is she afraid of?

Anonymous said...

I'm just wondering.

Anonymous said...

KamaKele, all the posts on Joan's blog are merely expressions of opinion--same as yours. You seem to defend Shay at every turn.

Anonymous said...

KamaKele wants Joan to stop telling the truth and do what the Garden Island does: repeat the press releases without question.

KamaKele said...

Kamakele sees this place as VERY one-sided, and has no problem being the devil's advocate

Anonymous said...

KamaKele, you're not a devil's advocate. You're just defending the Shay-devil.

Anonymous said...

Ok,KamaKele, tell us, what is Shay's side of the story? Why does she need a lawyer to answer questions about Pohaku? Is she invoking her right to remain silent?

Anonymous said...

KamaKele = Shayme

How many of the positive posts could be anyone else?

Anonymous said...

KamaKele=Shayme + Melfeasance

KamaKele said...

look Shay's no angel. Put anyone under the microscope for a little while and you'll find dirt.

My problem is that there is plenty of dirt to go around. Koller has plenty of dirty laundry, he is not "squeaky clean" and so does mayor carvalho and Al Castillo's dirty laundry could fill Vidinha Stadium. But none of that gets any attention.

Post after ranting post is about the prosecutors, and sorry but the last thing I want is that little kid that looks and SOUNDS like Pee-Wee Herman becoming our next prosecutor. Do you know what would happen if EVERYONE in the government was Mayor Carvalho's Yes-Man? He's already got the county attorney, the planning director, and he had the police commission and police chief until he screwed it up. No thanks. I don't care how much dirt she has, she stands up to that would-be island dictator.

Joan Conrow said...

"But none of that gets any attention. "

Oh, come on. I write critical things about the mayor and county attorney all the time, and I have also written critical things about Justin Kollar.

Anonymous said...

What's Shay's side of the story? Will she waive her rights and answer questions? It doesn't matter to some people.

Anonymous said...

Kamakele-

For those of us who have followed this blog for awhile know that Joan covers stories wherever there is one and where tgi fails to "investigate" or touch w/ a 10 ft pole. Shay is one of many. She just happens to be front and center right now. But no worries, someone else will occupy that spot soon, it never fails. Whether its the latest antics of KIUC, the Mayor, Al Castillo or the Planning Dept, get plenty people who could replace her in an instant.

Anonymous said...

Keep an eye on Shay and her unethical ways. She's just hoping that someone else will garner her negative spotlight. Rest assured that all of the press releases coming out of OPA from now until the Primary Election, will try to accentuate the positive, if that's possible.

Anonymous said...

"I have also written critical things about Koller." If that is the case, why did you call him "squeaky clean?"

Anonymous said...

Maybe because he hasn't violated the Code of Ethics, Procurement Code, Code of Professional Responsibility, Penal Code, etc.

Anonymous said...

The political system is dysfunctional...no matter who runs. Aint any wonder why there's so much apathy. Vote them out? Only to be replaced by more of the same. People have to take responsibilty for their own lives and stop waiting for the next political savior. Shay is part of the same system that allows no accountability and let's political manuvering supercede ethics and serving the will of the people. We need public funded elections to take $$ out of the process. Until then money talks and bullshit walks.

Anonymous said...

Exactly Anonymous at 10:09AM. Give each candidate a lump sum amount of money for their campaign war chest. If they can't get themselves elected with "x" amount of dollars, oh well...At least that's a step in keeping the campaigning clean and on an even keel. Once a candidate is in office though, how to prevent nepotism?

Anonymous said...

Exactly Anonymous at 10:09AM. Give each candidate a lump sum amount of money for their campaign war chest. If they can't get themselves elected with "x" amount of dollars, oh well...At least that's a step in keeping the campaigning clean and on an even keel. Once a candidate is in office though, how to prevent nepotism?