BRINGING IN THE PAPER

BRINGING IN THE PAPER: A rare Sunday release of candidate election filing information today dishes three new courses for our electoral dining pleasure in the form of a pig, a ham and for desert, a smart cookie.

The porker that officially filed for council Thursday is rip-snorting Ron Agor whom we mentioned the other day. He’ll try to replace the Republican rats who fled the Council ship like Jay Furfaro and Jimmy Tokioka with a true Bushie believer and unswerving member of Linda Lingle’s “unified command”.

We don’t even have to wait for the candidates’ debates and voter guides to know how disastrous Agor’s election would be but we’ll detail his black little heart’s desires as the September 20 primary elections approach.

The ham, as also profiled in today’s local newspaper is the nicest guy you’d ever want to meet, local Wala`au celeb Dickie Chang. But we’re sorry to report that beneath that glad handing veneer is a guy who apparently never met a developer hotel or tourism industry project he didn’t like.

Today’s interview reveals some eyebrow raising details such as his god-like devotion to our dearly departed babooze-in-charge Bryan Baptiste.

And, in a time where our practically sole economic dependence on the tourism industry’s plunging visitor numbers is bringing about a horrific scenario for our working families and where our 30 years of political sweeping of economic diversification under the rug, Dickie just seems blind to that.

He speaks of his 30 years working in the visitor industry which he has approached with uncommon zeal. But we hope that when he says

Tourism is a critical part of the economy, he said, noting the pinch residents felt by the departure of two cruise ships.

“In reality, that’s what keeps the engine ticking,”

He recognizes that as meaning we have to move away from that dependence in an era of exponentially higher air fares and cruise ships, not that we have to keep throwing good money after bad.

And another concern might be this statement::

But (Chang) also has plans to take care of those who are unable to attend the weekly meetings to provide input on bills.

Many residents feel more comfortable talking story one on one, he said.

“I would be a messenger ... a voice for the majority,” Chang said.

Hoo boy. Either Dickie doesn’t know or doesn’t care that those types of sentiments and words are almost identical to those originally used by now State House Representative Jimmy Tokioka when he was on the council, allowing him to disregard people who actually took the time and energy to come and testify on matters before the Council.

Many saw in Tokioka’s words and deeds at the time in this area as a not-so-thinly-veiled racist attack on what he was overheard to say were “all the haoles who show up” at Council meetings and how he would rather “go out and talk to the local people”.

If nothing else the sentiment allows politicians to have another excuse to ignore public input they might not agree with and make up some “silent majority” to justify their often repressive and regressive ideas and projects.

Say it ain’t so Dickie. We know you’re new to politics and government but if you’re going to use terminology that speaks volumes to the politically savvy on Kaua`i, you’d better read up on the glossary.

But in all of this muck and mire a diamond has appeared in the form of Kaua`i Librarian Lani Kawahara- not to be confused with the despicable former County Attorney Lani Nakazawa.

The good Lani served as the volunteer coordinator for State Senator Gary Hooser’s bid for Congress in 2006 and is doing the same this year for his so far uncontested bid for reelection. She has also worked as a legislative aide in his Senate office.

She would be the freshest of all breaths of air in this election should she win a Council seat. We urge anyone who wants good governance and accountability and genuine smarts to grab a sign and make sure she stands out above the fray in the next two months.

From there we turn a trio of same-old-crap candidates we failed to profile the other day, one of whom has filed and two whom we hope lose their papers if they are planning on turning them in by the Tuesday deadline.

The filer is business biggie and Chamber of Commerce and Kapa`a Business Association hack Bob Bartolo. Just what we need- another anything for a buck settler who owns three businesses and supports all the rest in their quest to make sure government serves the bosses and their private interests rather than the public interests of the working stiffs..

Then there’s Thomas Leighton former owner of Two Wheels motorcycle who, with his ex-wife Ann, was one of the beneficiaries of recent construction of the huge resort monstrosity across the street from Safeway.

He and his buddies are among those referred to when the council and mayors bemoan past lack of “use it or lose it” provisions.

That allowed Leighton and his developer cronies to sit on resort zoning for 25 some odd years and then develop their hotel without proper infrastructure in place, adding to those more recently permitted visitor destinations to make the mess we all grumble about every day.

When you sit in Kapa`a traffic thank Tom Leighton.

Then there’s Nancy McMahon, the Kaua`i State Archeologist who has been mostly responsible for the recent plethora of desecrations of Hawaiian burial sites on Kaua`i, especially those in Waipouli and Wainiha.

She was recently cited in a letter from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to her Department of Land and Natural Resources bosses for lying to both the burial council and the Kaua`i Planning Commission regarding the law and the protection of “iwi kupuna”.

Here’s some of what Juan Wilson uncovered about her this past January when researching a project where burials had been found.

The archaeologist they are using yet again is, Nancy McMahon, who has been caught up in a law suit regarding her work with the State Historic Provision Division and the Burial Council.

"Nancy McMahon who was running a website advertising a 4x4 tour of ancient cultural sites as a side business, charging passengers of her excursion $150. On the website it says "Turn the clock back a thousand years on our Hummer expedition into Kauai's ancient rain forests. You will see historical sites; xperience the unforgettable feel of a rain forest, view spectacular waterfalls and secluded pools. See the lush tropical jungles the way ancient Hawaiians did." http://kauaihummersafari.com/

Some of these sites she gives tours on can only be accessed with use of 4x4 Hummer, off road vehicle.

Her business venture was exposed through a series of online blogs that began criticizing her work with the burial council and SHPD. Other allegations arose with other defendants including state workers, which the plaintiff says had pushed through reports to speed developments in getting past through the burial council and into the planning commission.

We urge anyone considering supporting McMahon to read Juan’s report in full.

And Mel Rapozo still hasn’t filed his papers for Mayor.

And a little birdie told us that it is unlikely that one of our favorites, long time and now fill- in Councilmember Darryl Kaneshiro will not be running for Council He, along with the dozens of people who would actually approach politics with real public service in mind rather than power and money mongering, says “why bother”.

That’s why one thing is for sure- we will get the government we deserve this year if we once again can’t tell private interest promoters from public interest servers.