ON THE GRAVY TRAIN:

ON THE GRAVY TRAIN: The somewhat depraved corruption of Mark Hubbard and his Kaua`i Ethics Board continued it’s utter disregard for ethics again in yet another kangaroo court proceeding Thursday.

As we reported previously Hubbard, who represents Grove Farm before the County in development proceedings, has again called the law “absurd” because he himself is apparently illegally occupying the Ethics Board Chair slot.

The law simply says that “no officer or employee of the county shall appear in behalf of private interests before any county board, commission or agency.”. Yet Hubbard says that somehow some kind of tortured reading makes it illegal for those subject to the law to obtain a drivers license.

Ethics laws like this are ubiquitous and to appear in behalf of private interests does not ever mean applying for personal matter like filing taxes or applying for a drivers’ license. In those cases there is no “representation” nor is there any “private interest” being represented. Personal representations are not “private interests” which can include business interests owned by a single person.

Only on Kaua`i can people like Hubbard and Jonathan Chun- who the Board ruled was not in violation despite his appearance before the County Council and Planning Commission representing the Board of Realtors recently and, in fact, getting his way with the Council- get away with this.

Chun is the head of the Charter Review Commission and will reportedly soon be deliberating on a measure to repeal the ethics law as part of that job.

Another commissioner Judith Lenthall asked if when she appeared before County Council as Executive Director of the Kaua‘i Food Bank she violated the law- which by any reading she did..

She reportedly said “It can be taken to the level of absurdity,”

Yes Judy but the abusdity is not that you don’t belong on a board or commission if you are representing private interests before the body that appoints you. It’s the ridiculous and yes “absurd” notion that either you aren’t breaking the law or that there is something wrong with the law.

There is apparently something absurdly wrong with you and Hubbard if you can’t understand why you two should not be on the Board of Ethics and Chun should not be on the Charter Commission.

When people who commonly ask the council for favors sit in judgment of them- as Lenthall admitted she will be reciprocating during in the upcoming case of Mel Rapozo- who, as we detailed, is illegally applying for a contract with the county that “shockingly” was not bid upon by any other firm who hopes to do business with the county that Mel helps run and make the rules for- that is called corruption, kiddies.

Lenthall at least said “I continue to be a little confused. I’m going to abstain because I can’t figure it out whether it’s a yes or no.”.

Although she feigned confusion Lenthall is not an idiot. But she did abstain rather than voting yes and sending a clear message by asking Hubbard to join her in resigning from the Board and asking Chun to do the same... and Rapozo to refrain from doing business with the county too.

Chun, who is not reportedly an idiot either, referred to a “chilling effect” on people who lobby and request favors from the county stopping them from serving on its boards and commissions by saying “they would have to make a choice (because) under a strict interpretation, I can’t speak my mind before any other board.” .

Damn straight Jonathan. And that’s a good thing because they shouldn’t be serving in the first place. That’s why the rule is there.

And that’s why the whole system of boards and commissions is utterly corrupt on Kaua`i.- because somehow good people like Lenthall are bamboozled by crooks like Hubbard and Chun and Rapozo into being “confused” because she also shouldn’t be there.

Most of the slots on board and commissions are filled by revolving-door developers and their pals hand-selected by the Mayor and Council who, because they are beholden to the politicians, commonly rule the way the politicians expect them to rule. That’s especially true with the Ethics Commission which acceded to the witch hunt against former Police Commission chair Michael Ching and Chief KC Lum a couple of years back while also clearing Council Chair Kaipo Asing of ethics violation charges recently and are expected to clear Rapozo soon... and will then again come before the Council and Administration “hat” in hand for money for private interests when the next time they represent them.

And guess what- putting on a different hat doesn’t make you a different person... a lot of crooks find that out.

The only ones who seeming don’t understand why this is a forbidden activity are the ones benefiting from it.

“Nobody seemed to care that it might be a violation of 20.02D”, Hubbard was quoted as saying” Why can’t Jonathan Chun do that and Mel Rapozo can?”.

Ah, here in the back Mark... someone does care.

Rapozo shouldn’t be able to do it either and won’t unless some the most corrupt of all members of the community Mark Hubbard and his corrupt Ethics Board declares it to be hunky-dory.
The very fact that these people who are playing both sides of the fence can question whether the law should be enforced seems speak volumes on why it is illegal- and apparent to anyone who doesn’t try to pull this fast one on the people of Kaua`i. Perhaps they’ll all resign and get people to take on those positions who do not have a vested money interest in the outcome of the proceedings.

And perhaps pigs will fly.