Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Musings: Evasive Tactics


Today is the day the County Council is supposed to get the briefing on the prosecutor's questionable POHAKU program that the County Attorney has been wanting to give for weeks now. 

But since it will be delivered in executive session, we the people won't hear it unless the Council — or more accurately, the members who are not actively protecting Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho — can figure out a way to bring the details into the light of day.

One way to do that would be through grilling Shay about her department's budget. Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura, who was prevented from asking the prosecutor about POHAKU at the surrealistic April 20 budget session, said at the time she wants Shay to come back and publicly answer questions.

But Shay has already informed the Council that she refuses to answer their questions about the Office of Prosecuting Attorney's (OPA) budget unless she has a special attorney to represent her.

So the Council will either have to approve her budget with their many questions unanswered, or kick down the dough so Shay can hire her own attorney, a process that could easily be stretched out past the deadline for adopting the county budget.

Can you spell evasion? And how many other department heads get to skate on having their budgets scrutinized because they've done something potentially illegal and so require legal representation? I'd say sure, she can hire her own attorney, so long as it's Craig DeCosta, Dan Hempey, Mark Zenger or another one of her many nemeses. 

Of course, the Council could empower the County Attorney to conduct a thorough investigation into whether Shay and her first deputy, Jake Delaplane, violated the state procurement law and county ethics code when they set up POHAKU. But given that a Council majority didn't even want timely information on the county's potential liability in this matter, that's rather unlikely.

In the meantime, Shay today managed to get yet another promo piece in The Garden Island — her third in 10 days. This one is about her “senior fraud presentations,” a thinly disguised ploy to campaign on county time. With the AARP, Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs and Kauai Senior Law Program, as well as KPD, all providing fraud alert services to seniors, it's really a stretch to think the supposedly overworked prosecutor needs to chime in, too. But seniors are a captive audience at the senior centers, and they vote, so they're easy targets for, you know, fraud.

While we're on the topic of the so-fine-as-to-be-essentially-invisible line between OPA promotional activities and the prosecutor's re-election campaign, check out the flyer the OPA sent out for the April 23 “kalo dedication ceremony” held at Babylon, aka the cop shop. It features the very same taro graphic that appears on the orange and black re-elect Shay banners posted around the island. Sure looks like a blatant use of county funds to promote a political campaign.

Meanwhile, Justin Kollar, who is running against Shay, may go down as the first politico in history to receive no — as in zero, zilch, nada, none — negative cracks in The Garden Island's comments section. Yup, in the 19 comments posted on an article about his campaign, nary was heard a negative word about Justin, though his opponent received a drubbing.

But will this actually translate into victory for Justin at the polls? Well, as “interesting” noted:

unfortunately, this guy is about to get introduced to the power of local-style mass-extended-family voting patterns

My own thought is that it's going to take more than a worthy opponent to dislodge Shay from the prosecutor's office, which is why some people are sweeping so feverishly to keep that dirt under the carpet.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't in good conscious vote for Justin Kollar. Apart from a couple of endorsements, he's really not known in the general community.

He may be endorsed by DeCosta and a police officer, Darla Abbatiello (gulp!)but he hasn't reached out to the community.

He may have lived here for a couple of years, but that doesn't make him electable.

Anonymous said...

Call the Council and the Mayor and demand that they get to the bottom of the Pohaku program. If something needs fixing, fix it. Don't cover it up.

Anonymous said...

in other important news of the day, the new powers-that-be at TGI summarily fired editor Renee Haines yesterday. that ship be sinking

Anonymous said...

It is just unbelievable that the Garden Island is not reporting on this.

A department head won't answer questions without a lawyer and the Council gives her a pass. Maybe that's understandable, but total failure on media's part - except you. Where is Civil Beat?

Anonymous said...

If Shay can not answer to the County Council on her own it just goes to show that she is hiding something. It is a shame that the Kauai County Council who represents all of us can not stand up to her. If there is wrong doings fix it and move on.

Anonymous said...

We are witnessing a meltdown of government. This is what happens when elected officials feel that they are all part of an same exclusive club, and that their job is to protect each other.

What is so wrong with just having the workings of a supposedly democratic government done in the OPEN?

All I can say is VOte, Vote, VOTE. Jay F just lost one supporter.

Anonymous said...

Let the truth be known that the good ol boys and gals have played this game many a times. They know that controlling what TGI reports is crucial in protecting their POWER and CONTROL over Kauai, while committing criminal mischiefs. The majority of votes comes from the people who read TGI and most of the people on kauai are as gullible as a child that believes in Santa Claus. The only way Justin can win is by going to community centers and talking to the people and exposing Shayme, Jake, POHAKU, SJP, and all of the other dirty deeds. Wake up and smell shays beer farts

Anonymous said...

Shay has told the Council all that she wanted to. What more do they want to know?

Anonymous said...

You gotta hand it to these lawyers. Shay accuses Al who now says he has a conflict so go pay some shyster a fat fee and he can tell Shay to not answer on the advice of counsel. We won't learn anything but we'll be out a few grand in taxpayer dollars. What a racket.

Anonymous said...

Justin Kollar gets my vote. Better him, than Shyster Shaylene.

Anonymous said...

From Andy Parx April 25, 2011 blog: "Many sources describe the Kaua`i prosecutor's office as "a mess". They say that virtually all the long-time prosecutors have either been fired or were "quitted"- as in "you can't fire me, I quit"- along with career support staff. The newbies are all inexperienced attorneys, fresh out of law school, imported from the mainland, with no knowledge of the local community much less courtroom experience. There is only one attorney that is a long time Kaua`i resident left in the office."

Well, that one last long-time resident has now quit the OPA, and she has been seen waving JUSTIN KOLLAR signs on the highway. If anyone knows Tracy, her decision to leave and support Kollar should be an eye-opener.

Anonymous said...

lol. I've met Justin Koller...he was getting drunk at a bowling function with Shauna Cahill. First, he obviously photoshopped his Garden Isle photograph to make himself look more brown. Second, the guy sounds like peewee herman. Joan you have reduced yourself to counting negative vs positive comments to garden isle newspaper stories. wtf? Anyone who reads and comments there knows that there's 5 characters that post under 6 different names: 8BallinSidePocket, John_Brown, UncleAina, justsaying, and Fred_Garvin. Their comments are worth about as much as the Birthers comments to Obama stories. You are losing something Joan, perspective.

Anonymous said...

That's really funny! People who have socialized with Shay and Justin would associate Shay with "drunk," but not Justin!

Anonymous said...

The truth is I've never met an attorney that doesn't drink. In fact I've only met a couple people on this entire island that doesn't drink, and they were Morman.

Anonymous said...

Drinking, but not to the point where you're ridiculously loud, obnoxious, and crying about your lost love. Or drinking to help you make it through the day.

Anonymous said...

I know attorneys who don't drink or smoke or fornicate and I know attorneys that do. There are the outliers.

Anonymous said...

I've definitely done the former. Best dang woman I ever had!

Anonymous said...

What would Shay the councilwoman say about Shay the prosecutor?

Anonymous said...

Shayme: "ainokea i do what I like"

Tim Bynum: Free at Last- Hawaii AG sees the Judicial corruption on Kauai

This is a day to Honor The State of Hawaii Judicial system that acknowledges the injustices and criminal acts committed by Kauai's judicial employees.

How many have suffered and how many will continue to suffer from Kauai's Terrorists.

Anonymous said...

Aikea fo all da pepo who had die and neva been solv. Pilau dis kine pepo and dey talk about Pono. Wat BS excuse dey gonna come up wit now. Get so much oda kind big city crimes on Kauai dat TGI refuse to report on. Wat happen to da days wen Kauai was safe. mo and mo lookin like oahu with da crime families, serve an protect who Shayme

Anonymous said...

What's the point of drinking if you aren't trying to fornicate?

Anonymous said...

Ay how come TGI neva report the robbery of da Coffee Bean in Waipoli. Shibai that newspaper garden island news. No good dis guys bachi