THE DOG ATE ALL THE BOOKS: Our continuing serialization of the controversial book KPD Blue by Anthony Sommer has spurred quite a bit of backlash- some of it personal- to Sommer’s charges of pervasive racism and sexism in Kaua`i county government, especially the Kaua`i Police Department.
But Sommer’s biggest difficulty may be what appears to be a blatant attempt to keep the book out of the hands of Kaua`i readers by the top bookseller on the island, Borders Books at Kukui Grove.
Borders’ story as to why they have refused to carry the book has morphed over the past three months from what appeared to be laziness on the part of manager Helaine Perel to the creation of a new policy on the part of Borders locally- one apparently created specifically for KPD Blue.
After we could never seem to reach or get our calls to “the manager” returned we called and got the real scoop from the clerk who answered the phone and the supervisor who both told us that a “new policy” has been instituted and they will no longer carry what are known as “print on demand” (POD) or “print to order” books.
POD is the latest trend in publishing and through on-line outlets like amazon.com the book is printed and shipped within a couple of days of when it is ordered.
According to the Borders clerk “we don’t want to order them and then be stuck with them when they don’t sell”.
But even on its face the contention seems a bit perplexing in the case of KPD Blue given that Borders has received daily requests for the book probably totaling over a thousand requests since the book’s release the supervisor admitted..
Sommer told us how the story has changed since the book’s release in September.
In an email last week Sommer wrote:
“I was getting email complaints that it wasn't available at Borders (for some reason, at least some people on Kauai haven't figured out how to buy stuff on line)”
He figured it was just a miscommunication so he called and talked to Perel in late September.
She told him that she had had over 200 requests at the time for the book and seemed eager to carry the book.
Sommer says:.
“I called Helaine and she said she had been trying to contact me (anyone on Kauai who knows me is aware I live in Phoenix and my phone number is listed, so I don't think she tried very hard). She said she wanted to order the books but didn't have the ISBN numbers needed for the order. I sent them to her”
“That was the last time I talked to her. I've called her repeatedly and left messages and as recently as two weeks ago left the ISBN numbers again.
No response.
It's very bizarre and maybe there's a rational explanation but I can't imagine what it is.
Except that maybe she's afraid of retaliation by the KPD or other county officials. That fear is very real on Kauai.
But over the years Border’s has been a great supporter of self-publishing and books on demands. Books such as Georgia Mossman’s "Kaua`i Police Blotter” as well Chris Cook’s tome recounting the many movies shot on Kaua`i and a dozen other Kaua`i based books with limited printing and POD have lined their shelves over the past 10 or 15 years..
And a look through the Kaua`i based books tables shows many others that are apparently POD.
Sommer at first was a little perplexed at the short sightedness of Borders in not carrying his book saying:
A book like mine that has a built-in demand, I would think they would stock a small supply for those good customers who ask for it. Borders on Kauai has a very loyal client base. Might be nice to keep them happy.
Again, if I lived there I would be out peddling copies to WalMart and Costco and even Safeway and Foodland. That's what's normally done with self-published books.
Frankly, from a selfish standpoint, I would rather people bought them from Amazon. At Amazon, I get a royalty of 35 percent on the retail price (about $5.50 royalty per book). If the books are sold wholesale for about $10, I only get 10 percent of the wholesale price, or about $1 royalty).
But my real interest is in getting the books out there. Other than covering my costs (which were covered the first two months), the profit motive isn't that big a deal to me. In a few months no one will be buying it anyway. I really just want to get people thinking and talking about what a shitty government Kauai County has (in my humble opinion, of course).
Sommer said that the book is available wholesale though his publisher, Booksurge- Amazon’s publishing house wing. And apparently Borders has it’s own POD service called Lulu so the story that they don’t carry POD quite obviously doesn’t stand up very well.
He added that
“I know Booksurge sells through Baker & Taylor, the nation's largest book wholesaler and Borders has an account there. Or book stores and libraries (apparently Hawaii public libraries are ignoring the book as well) also can buy directly from Booksurge. See the Wholesale section (t)here.”
After we told Sommer of what the clerk and night manager told us he said he thinks he knows the real reason why KPD Blue is on the “do not carry” list and it goes way beyond any competition or getting stuck with books.
He wrote in his usual bombastic style adopted since his retirement from journalism after almost 40 years of reporting both here and in Arizona:.
I'm even more convinced my theory that Borders is afraid to sell the book is correct and NOT some conspiracy.
Borders (and just about every merchant) is not willing to risk pissing off KPD and Benito Carvalho by selling a book that takes an honest and critical look at what a fascist government Kauai County really has.
If the Kauai merchants sell the books and they need a county permit in the future, they are afraid they will be fucked by the county. And they probably will be.
And if they run a stop sign? Go directly to jail.
"Reward your friends and punish your enemies" is the primary theme of Kauai politics and I repeat it in "KPD Blue" over and over like a mantra because that's the way it really is.
And, as we know too well, Da Mayor (at least Bryan and Bernard is his protégé) is not above pressuring the KPD to bring false criminal charges against his enemies.I know that from personal experience. Bryan tried his best to have me thrown in jail on a phony charge. KPD Chief K.C. Lum refused (editor’s note: as did the prosecutor as PNN previously detailed) and that's one of the reasons Lum was fired
They even brought absurd criminal charges against Lum to derail his campaign for County Council. That's as dirty as politics can possibly get: "Kauai Style!"
Lum was arrested and his computer with all his campaign records confiscated one week before the council election on a bizarre charge of altering county documents when a fax-feeding error by his attorney inadvertently combined pages of an ethics commission document. Lum was cleared of all charges- after the election).
Sommer continued:
What many people on Kauai don't realize is how oppressive their county government really is.
Why should they? If they were "Born on Kauai" (the best pedigree a local believes he can show), they really don't know anything different.
They don't know what real democracy is supposed to be. Worse, they don't know that they don't know!
Borders? They're scared to sell a book that challenges authority, that criticizes Da King.
Because, in the great Kanaka tradition that dates back to way before Kamehameha I, Da King might just whack them over the head with his club.
Well, Da King ain't gonna swing that club at anyone at Amazon.com. That's why I chose to have them sell my book.
The book is reportedly available at Ching Young Shopping Village in Hanalei at “the pizza place” there, reportedly through the graces of mall-owner and former police Commission Chair Michael Ching, the subject of a witch-hunt detailed in the book.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Borders. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Borders. Sort by date Show all posts
Monday, December 8, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
LATEST TAIL
LATEST TAIL: Earlier this month we looked into what appeared to be, shall we say reluctance on the part of the biggest book retailer on the island, Borders Books, to carry the controversial tome KPD Blue.
On December 9 we published a scathing report essentially laying out the case for Borders’ conspiratorial censorship of the book based on interviews with employees and some conclusions reached by author Anthony Sommer as to what was really going on after we tried and failed to reach the manager Helaine Perel
But the next day a phone call from her supposedly set us straight and so we reported the following:
(W)e understand there is a new and final reason why Borders will not be carrying KPD Blue- they apparently can’t get a decent wholesale price.
We finally got a call from Borders manager Helaine Perel who told us that despite what the publisher had told author Anthony Sommer book stores cannot apparently get a decent wholesale price from the distributor and would not only have to take the books on a “no-return” basis but would only get a 5% discount off retail and have to pay for shipping.
“In no way did I ever try to keep the book out of the store. It’s completely mercenary- we just couldn’t make any money on it” said Perel.
Ah, it was all just a silly misunderstanding- all’s well that ends, if not well, then just finally ends.
But it seems the actual story is somewhere in between.
It now appears that Borders will be getting in a couple of dozen copies in a couple of weeks and will continue to stock the book because apparently Perel never actually asked the book’s publisher Booksurge- but rather just asked Borders main distributor Baker and Taylor.
Had she, they would have told her that while the “no-return” policy is in effect, there actually was a “40% off” wholesale price not just the 5% that Perel claimed was the main obstacle to carrying the book.
Sommer says he didn’t really know for sure either. He just recently found out while talking to the publisher on another matter when he happened to mention the difficulty Perel reported.
But what was of just as much interest if not more than the specifics of Borders and KPD Blue was another assertion made by Perel to explain why they don’t stock the book
As we reported she told us:
.
“’Print on demand’ is a bad way to go for writers- there’s just too many problems” for the anyone who also want their book in book stores in addition to on-line orders
Print on demand or POD is a modern marvel for authors who cannot find a publisher that will publish the book and take on the risk of whether it will sell.
Rather than just give up or go to the old “vanity press” where authors basically pay to print up a large order and then personally market and distributed it, for a very minimal cost- as little as a hundred dollar people can now print and distribute their book without a huge outlay of funds and the associated risk.
POD books are actually printed only when the order for it comes in and then it’s sent to the buyer- all within a day or so
Sommer’s book published this way because although regular publishers like it they thought the market for it was limited to those on Kaua`i.
And, as Sommer described in our first report, he never expected book stores on Kaua`i to carry it anyway because of the subject matter and figured that everyone knows how to use Amazon.com to get a book- something that is apparently not true on Kaua`i judging by the more than a thousand requests at Borders.
The fact that Perel could have found out from Booksurge about the wholesale price with a little effort- about the same effort she put into calling us to “correct” our censorship story- leaves us scratching out head over her criticism of “print on demand” and her discouragement of authors from publishing that way- a subject she want into at length during our call.
As we reported, Amazon.com owns Booksurge and Borders apparently has some sort of agreement with a print on demand outlet called Lulu, which may explain why, while her “completely mercenary” explanation may be valid, the exact avaricious mechanism may not be as clear.
Anyone who is seriously considering publishing a book via POD should do some research and there are consumer-driven web sites describing all the pitfalls and criticizing the various POD providers.
The point at these web sites seems to be more along the lines that each self-publishing company- whether POD or standard “vanity”- has their own way of scamming the author so caveat emptor.
But nowhere could we find anyone claiming that book stores would not carry their book because it was published via POD.
As to KPD Blue, there are also more copies reportedly on their way to the Hanalei Pizza in Ching Young Village and although Sommer says he doesn’t care about making money from the book and just wants people to read it for the information it contains, for those who do care, he will be making only 20% as much per book for the ones at Borders as those at Amazon.com or the pizza place.
On December 9 we published a scathing report essentially laying out the case for Borders’ conspiratorial censorship of the book based on interviews with employees and some conclusions reached by author Anthony Sommer as to what was really going on after we tried and failed to reach the manager Helaine Perel
But the next day a phone call from her supposedly set us straight and so we reported the following:
(W)e understand there is a new and final reason why Borders will not be carrying KPD Blue- they apparently can’t get a decent wholesale price.
We finally got a call from Borders manager Helaine Perel who told us that despite what the publisher had told author Anthony Sommer book stores cannot apparently get a decent wholesale price from the distributor and would not only have to take the books on a “no-return” basis but would only get a 5% discount off retail and have to pay for shipping.
“In no way did I ever try to keep the book out of the store. It’s completely mercenary- we just couldn’t make any money on it” said Perel.
Ah, it was all just a silly misunderstanding- all’s well that ends, if not well, then just finally ends.
But it seems the actual story is somewhere in between.
It now appears that Borders will be getting in a couple of dozen copies in a couple of weeks and will continue to stock the book because apparently Perel never actually asked the book’s publisher Booksurge- but rather just asked Borders main distributor Baker and Taylor.
Had she, they would have told her that while the “no-return” policy is in effect, there actually was a “40% off” wholesale price not just the 5% that Perel claimed was the main obstacle to carrying the book.
Sommer says he didn’t really know for sure either. He just recently found out while talking to the publisher on another matter when he happened to mention the difficulty Perel reported.
But what was of just as much interest if not more than the specifics of Borders and KPD Blue was another assertion made by Perel to explain why they don’t stock the book
As we reported she told us:
.
“’Print on demand’ is a bad way to go for writers- there’s just too many problems” for the anyone who also want their book in book stores in addition to on-line orders
Print on demand or POD is a modern marvel for authors who cannot find a publisher that will publish the book and take on the risk of whether it will sell.
Rather than just give up or go to the old “vanity press” where authors basically pay to print up a large order and then personally market and distributed it, for a very minimal cost- as little as a hundred dollar people can now print and distribute their book without a huge outlay of funds and the associated risk.
POD books are actually printed only when the order for it comes in and then it’s sent to the buyer- all within a day or so
Sommer’s book published this way because although regular publishers like it they thought the market for it was limited to those on Kaua`i.
And, as Sommer described in our first report, he never expected book stores on Kaua`i to carry it anyway because of the subject matter and figured that everyone knows how to use Amazon.com to get a book- something that is apparently not true on Kaua`i judging by the more than a thousand requests at Borders.
The fact that Perel could have found out from Booksurge about the wholesale price with a little effort- about the same effort she put into calling us to “correct” our censorship story- leaves us scratching out head over her criticism of “print on demand” and her discouragement of authors from publishing that way- a subject she want into at length during our call.
As we reported, Amazon.com owns Booksurge and Borders apparently has some sort of agreement with a print on demand outlet called Lulu, which may explain why, while her “completely mercenary” explanation may be valid, the exact avaricious mechanism may not be as clear.
Anyone who is seriously considering publishing a book via POD should do some research and there are consumer-driven web sites describing all the pitfalls and criticizing the various POD providers.
The point at these web sites seems to be more along the lines that each self-publishing company- whether POD or standard “vanity”- has their own way of scamming the author so caveat emptor.
But nowhere could we find anyone claiming that book stores would not carry their book because it was published via POD.
As to KPD Blue, there are also more copies reportedly on their way to the Hanalei Pizza in Ching Young Village and although Sommer says he doesn’t care about making money from the book and just wants people to read it for the information it contains, for those who do care, he will be making only 20% as much per book for the ones at Borders as those at Amazon.com or the pizza place.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
KPD BLUE TOPS KAUA`I BEST SELLER LIST
KPD BLUE TOPS KAUA`I BEST SELLER LIST: KPD Blue is and has been topping the Lihu`e Boarders Books’ best seller list for almost a month now and according to author Tony Sommer “they can’t keep it on the shelves”.
The book, which we are proud to have serialized since September, has lifted a shroud for the thousands on Kaua`i who bought the book or read it at “ ....got windmills?”.
It’s unfortunate that not one Kaua`i official, past or present, elected or appointed. has even acknowledged much less tried to deal with any of the systemic problems- in both the Kaua`i Police Department and county government in general- that persist and some say have worsened since Sommer left Kaua`i.
“Tony” as everyone calls him lives a comfortable retirement in Arizona these days after receiving a big bag of cash to just go away and after he refused to report on Kaua`i as an “isn’t it cute the way they do it like corrupt third world countries” story.
Sommer says he hasn’t really gotten a lot of phone calls despite the fact that his number Phoenix is listed. But he does say he’s overwhelmed by the Borders sales numbers and had to laugh about them in light of the story of how the store- the only large bookseller on Kaua`i after they drove the rest of them out of business- originally wasn’t going to carry the book.
Borders didn’t stock the book until PNN wrote about widespread allegations on Kaua`i that the book was being censored and that Borders was being threatened by KPD officials to keep it off the shelves.
But it seems from the recent sales numbers that it really didn’t matter to Sommer financially that he allowed us to help him tell the story “on line” for free.
Sommer said that having people on Kauai know the true story was far more important to him said than making and money from the book.
“I just want the true story to be told” he said then and now.
The only problem the way we see it is that apparently the whole “we can’t carry KPD Blue at Borders” line was a way to gouge Sommer on the per-book royalty he receives.
The amount Sommer gets from each book sold at Borders is small fraction of what he gets from each Amazon.com purchase- about a buck-and-change on each Borders sale.
This weekend and the next we will post first KPD Blue’s Table of Contents- which we probably should have done originally- and then the index. We will include the “pages” as they were designated in the physical book with the TOC so that when we post the index in two weeks readers can find the chapter for each subject in the index.
We will be leaving up the archive at “gw?”. All we ask in return is that each reader on Kaua`i do at least one thing to help clean up county government on Kaua`i by actively taking on one aspect of the opaque paternalistic patronage system that has made our county’s government a laughing stock.
That system may provide endless material for a rabble-rousing activist reporter but it can’t be good for anyone who has to live under the Kaua`i county government’s corrupt reign.
The book, which we are proud to have serialized since September, has lifted a shroud for the thousands on Kaua`i who bought the book or read it at “ ....got windmills?”.
It’s unfortunate that not one Kaua`i official, past or present, elected or appointed. has even acknowledged much less tried to deal with any of the systemic problems- in both the Kaua`i Police Department and county government in general- that persist and some say have worsened since Sommer left Kaua`i.
“Tony” as everyone calls him lives a comfortable retirement in Arizona these days after receiving a big bag of cash to just go away and after he refused to report on Kaua`i as an “isn’t it cute the way they do it like corrupt third world countries” story.
Sommer says he hasn’t really gotten a lot of phone calls despite the fact that his number Phoenix is listed. But he does say he’s overwhelmed by the Borders sales numbers and had to laugh about them in light of the story of how the store- the only large bookseller on Kaua`i after they drove the rest of them out of business- originally wasn’t going to carry the book.
Borders didn’t stock the book until PNN wrote about widespread allegations on Kaua`i that the book was being censored and that Borders was being threatened by KPD officials to keep it off the shelves.
But it seems from the recent sales numbers that it really didn’t matter to Sommer financially that he allowed us to help him tell the story “on line” for free.
Sommer said that having people on Kauai know the true story was far more important to him said than making and money from the book.
“I just want the true story to be told” he said then and now.
The only problem the way we see it is that apparently the whole “we can’t carry KPD Blue at Borders” line was a way to gouge Sommer on the per-book royalty he receives.
The amount Sommer gets from each book sold at Borders is small fraction of what he gets from each Amazon.com purchase- about a buck-and-change on each Borders sale.
This weekend and the next we will post first KPD Blue’s Table of Contents- which we probably should have done originally- and then the index. We will include the “pages” as they were designated in the physical book with the TOC so that when we post the index in two weeks readers can find the chapter for each subject in the index.
We will be leaving up the archive at “gw?”. All we ask in return is that each reader on Kaua`i do at least one thing to help clean up county government on Kaua`i by actively taking on one aspect of the opaque paternalistic patronage system that has made our county’s government a laughing stock.
That system may provide endless material for a rabble-rousing activist reporter but it can’t be good for anyone who has to live under the Kaua`i county government’s corrupt reign.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
MAYBE THE DINGO ATE YOUR BOOK
MAYBE THE DINGO ATE YOUR BOOK: One aspect of yesterday’s discussion of the, if not censorship at least apparent, reticence on the part of Borders book store to carry the book KPD Blue - and their slew of questionable excuses as to why they won’t- drew a phone call within moments of pushing the publish button.
It was librarian/councilmember Lani Kawahara at Kapa`a library calling with the news that, despite Sommer’s contention that “Hawaii public libraries are ignoring the book as well”, she had ordered and received copies for the Kapa`a library- where there is a waiting list of seven people as of yesterday- and facilitated getting copies over to Koloa and other libraries on Kaua`i.
David Thorpe at the Koloa Branch conformed that and told us that
When (Lani) received it she sent it to our Cataloging Section in Honolulu for original cataloging. That process does take a little while, but it is the only way to enable to book to be circulated by the Hawaii State Public Library System. When there seemed to be a growing interest in the book (as evidenced by an GI editorial by Walter Lewis last week), I asked the Friends of Koloa Library to order 2 copies for each branch on Kauai. The order came in today and the books have been sent out to the branches. The books should be available for borrowing soon.
But more importantly we understand there is a new and final reason why Borders will not be carrying KPD Blue- they apparently can’t get a decent wholesale price.
We finally got a call from Borders manager Helaine Perel who told us that despite what the publisher had told author Anthony Sommer book stores cannot apparently get a decent wholesale price from the distributor and would not only have to take the books on a “no-return” basis but would only get a 5% discount off retail and have to pay for shipping.
“In no way did I ever try to keep the book out of the store. It’s completely mercenary- we just couldn’t make any money on it” said Perel.
Sommer said in a phone call today that he can get them at a reasonable wholesale price but it would take 90 days or more because “it’s the holiday season” as the publisher warned him months ago. Even then Borders would have to pay for them up front, which he says Perel told him would take her 90 days clear.
Perel confirmed that and said she could order them from Sommer now with a credit card but Sommer says he’s certainly not set up to do that.
“Print on demand is a bad way to go for writers- there’s just too many problems” for the anyone who also want their book in book stores in addition to on-line orders. Perel added
Interestingly Perel said she spoke to former councilmember and mayoral candidate Mel Rapozo about the book and his role in it and the “lap dancing at the station house” episode the book begins with “
“You probably lost the election because of the book” she told him,
“You’re probably right” he said.
Nothing was mentioned about how his actions had allowed Sommer to detail them in the book in the first place.... seems as usual in politics it’s getting caught that ruins everything.
“I would have loved to sell it- I could have sold a thousand copes but it would have cost more than I would have made on each book” she said.
Sommer said he’s satisfied with Perel’s explanation. Whether Borders will or won’t get them in is anyone’s guess.
---------------
To update and correct our projection last month of how the newly passed citizen’s charter amendment giving “teeth” to the general plan will effect the Planning Department’s processing of tourism accommodation projects, it seems that actually charter amendments don’t take effect until 30 days after they are passed according to the charter, as opposed to “immediately upon passage” as we reported.
And that would make tomorrow’s meeting of the Planning Commission the first where an illegal approval might take place.
According to Juan Wilson piece at his Island Breath web site
Well, those pesky developers continue to plague south Kauai. They have not dried up and blown away in the wind with all that phony money.
In fact they threaten another attack.
Two items come up before the County Planning Commission tomorrow. Both should be turned down. Kauai needs your voice there to help make that happen.
First is final approval for The Knudsen Trust (read Stacey Wong and lawyer Walter Hong) are going for a final approval on plans for Phase One of the Village at Poipu subdivision.
This, as you may know, is planned to stretch from Poipu to Koloa and displace and destroy much of the most significant Hawaiian settlement remaining on Kauai, or anywhere else. Knudsen Trust has not gotten a sign-off on this project from the State on this.
Whether anyone will raise the issue as to the jurisdiction of the planning commission in approving the project is anyone’s guess but what is apparent is that according to the county charter the county council, not the commission, is the only entity that has that power at present.
The meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the Lihue Civic Center, Moikeha Building Meeting Room 2A-2B
It was librarian/councilmember Lani Kawahara at Kapa`a library calling with the news that, despite Sommer’s contention that “Hawaii public libraries are ignoring the book as well”, she had ordered and received copies for the Kapa`a library- where there is a waiting list of seven people as of yesterday- and facilitated getting copies over to Koloa and other libraries on Kaua`i.
David Thorpe at the Koloa Branch conformed that and told us that
When (Lani) received it she sent it to our Cataloging Section in Honolulu for original cataloging. That process does take a little while, but it is the only way to enable to book to be circulated by the Hawaii State Public Library System. When there seemed to be a growing interest in the book (as evidenced by an GI editorial by Walter Lewis last week), I asked the Friends of Koloa Library to order 2 copies for each branch on Kauai. The order came in today and the books have been sent out to the branches. The books should be available for borrowing soon.
But more importantly we understand there is a new and final reason why Borders will not be carrying KPD Blue- they apparently can’t get a decent wholesale price.
We finally got a call from Borders manager Helaine Perel who told us that despite what the publisher had told author Anthony Sommer book stores cannot apparently get a decent wholesale price from the distributor and would not only have to take the books on a “no-return” basis but would only get a 5% discount off retail and have to pay for shipping.
“In no way did I ever try to keep the book out of the store. It’s completely mercenary- we just couldn’t make any money on it” said Perel.
Sommer said in a phone call today that he can get them at a reasonable wholesale price but it would take 90 days or more because “it’s the holiday season” as the publisher warned him months ago. Even then Borders would have to pay for them up front, which he says Perel told him would take her 90 days clear.
Perel confirmed that and said she could order them from Sommer now with a credit card but Sommer says he’s certainly not set up to do that.
“Print on demand is a bad way to go for writers- there’s just too many problems” for the anyone who also want their book in book stores in addition to on-line orders. Perel added
Interestingly Perel said she spoke to former councilmember and mayoral candidate Mel Rapozo about the book and his role in it and the “lap dancing at the station house” episode the book begins with “
“You probably lost the election because of the book” she told him,
“You’re probably right” he said.
Nothing was mentioned about how his actions had allowed Sommer to detail them in the book in the first place.... seems as usual in politics it’s getting caught that ruins everything.
“I would have loved to sell it- I could have sold a thousand copes but it would have cost more than I would have made on each book” she said.
Sommer said he’s satisfied with Perel’s explanation. Whether Borders will or won’t get them in is anyone’s guess.
---------------
To update and correct our projection last month of how the newly passed citizen’s charter amendment giving “teeth” to the general plan will effect the Planning Department’s processing of tourism accommodation projects, it seems that actually charter amendments don’t take effect until 30 days after they are passed according to the charter, as opposed to “immediately upon passage” as we reported.
And that would make tomorrow’s meeting of the Planning Commission the first where an illegal approval might take place.
According to Juan Wilson piece at his Island Breath web site
Well, those pesky developers continue to plague south Kauai. They have not dried up and blown away in the wind with all that phony money.
In fact they threaten another attack.
Two items come up before the County Planning Commission tomorrow. Both should be turned down. Kauai needs your voice there to help make that happen.
First is final approval for The Knudsen Trust (read Stacey Wong and lawyer Walter Hong) are going for a final approval on plans for Phase One of the Village at Poipu subdivision.
This, as you may know, is planned to stretch from Poipu to Koloa and displace and destroy much of the most significant Hawaiian settlement remaining on Kauai, or anywhere else. Knudsen Trust has not gotten a sign-off on this project from the State on this.
Whether anyone will raise the issue as to the jurisdiction of the planning commission in approving the project is anyone’s guess but what is apparent is that according to the county charter the county council, not the commission, is the only entity that has that power at present.
The meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the Lihue Civic Center, Moikeha Building Meeting Room 2A-2B
Monday, February 28, 2011
OH YOU MEAN THAT QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS
OH YOU MEAN THAT QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS: Even though on-line posting of the paperwork associated with Kaua`i County Council agenda items has been promised and re-promised for years it is still impossible to get access to it without a drive to Lihu`e.
That may be why a week or so back our friend Ken Taylor came running up to our door with his hair on fire, waiving a stack of papers showing us a passage, way at the end of a memo attached to a money bill- #2397- to request “funding to cover shortages in operating budget accounts for solid waste disposal and collection.”
Cryptically as all get out it reads:
The Shrimp Farm extracted approximately $250,000 to provide assurance that the white spot syndrome would be mitigated flying trash within there (sic) property and laying (sic) in their ponds that could potentially lead to the spread of the disease. The cost of mitigation beyond the settlement is questionable as well as the negative publicity that could have a direct impact on our future landfill siting efforts.(emphases added)
What it sounds like is that the county, at some time or another, paid the shrimp farm that borders the landfill a quarter of a million dollars for, well, it’s not quite clear what for.
We generally try to keep track of quarter million dollar settlements by the county, as does Ken and neither of us ever remember seeing it taken up at a televised meeting or even on a county council agenda.
So when the bill came up for public hearing last week Taylor basically read the above sentence and said neither he nor anyone remembers seeing it on the agenda much less a vote for payment of the money.
"Even a $900 park bench donation has to be approved by the council” Taylor said, also raising questions about why we would have to pay the shrimp farm anything since it was they who built their farm next to the existing dump, not the other way around.
Council Chair Jay Furfaro responded that “it appeared as a claim” against the county “on a previous agenda” and that he did remember an executive session (ES) on the matter.
When Taylor asked when the ES was and started demanding more answers, Furfaro said that Taylor’s “questions will be noted and I will raise those concerns with the legal department” regarding why the settlement- which apparent was made- was never voted upon in open session.
Taylor refused to settle for such a nebulous promise- one Furfaro has made many times on many matters without any follow-up repeatedly asking “when” he might get an answer.
Furfaro, saying he doesn’t even know if the case was indeed settled and that it might still “be open,” promised multiple times that “I’ll get the date (of the ES) and agenda item within a week.”
The matter appears on the Public Works Committee agenda this Wednesday which will be exactly one week from the Furfaro’s promise.
That may be why a week or so back our friend Ken Taylor came running up to our door with his hair on fire, waiving a stack of papers showing us a passage, way at the end of a memo attached to a money bill- #2397- to request “funding to cover shortages in operating budget accounts for solid waste disposal and collection.”
Cryptically as all get out it reads:
The Shrimp Farm extracted approximately $250,000 to provide assurance that the white spot syndrome would be mitigated flying trash within there (sic) property and laying (sic) in their ponds that could potentially lead to the spread of the disease. The cost of mitigation beyond the settlement is questionable as well as the negative publicity that could have a direct impact on our future landfill siting efforts.(emphases added)
What it sounds like is that the county, at some time or another, paid the shrimp farm that borders the landfill a quarter of a million dollars for, well, it’s not quite clear what for.
We generally try to keep track of quarter million dollar settlements by the county, as does Ken and neither of us ever remember seeing it taken up at a televised meeting or even on a county council agenda.
So when the bill came up for public hearing last week Taylor basically read the above sentence and said neither he nor anyone remembers seeing it on the agenda much less a vote for payment of the money.
"Even a $900 park bench donation has to be approved by the council” Taylor said, also raising questions about why we would have to pay the shrimp farm anything since it was they who built their farm next to the existing dump, not the other way around.
Council Chair Jay Furfaro responded that “it appeared as a claim” against the county “on a previous agenda” and that he did remember an executive session (ES) on the matter.
When Taylor asked when the ES was and started demanding more answers, Furfaro said that Taylor’s “questions will be noted and I will raise those concerns with the legal department” regarding why the settlement- which apparent was made- was never voted upon in open session.
Taylor refused to settle for such a nebulous promise- one Furfaro has made many times on many matters without any follow-up repeatedly asking “when” he might get an answer.
Furfaro, saying he doesn’t even know if the case was indeed settled and that it might still “be open,” promised multiple times that “I’ll get the date (of the ES) and agenda item within a week.”
The matter appears on the Public Works Committee agenda this Wednesday which will be exactly one week from the Furfaro’s promise.
Friday, September 10, 2010
(PNN) ALLEGED WESTSIDE SERIAL KILLER WILSON SAID TO BE “OUT OF JAIL AND BACK ON ISLAND” ACCORDING TO MAYOR’S A.A. HEU
ALLEGED WESTSIDE SERIAL KILLER WILSON SAID TO BE “OUT OF JAIL AND BACK ON ISLAND” ACCORDING TO MAYOR’S A.A. HEU
ADMINISTRATION IN “DAMAGE CONTROL” AFTER EMAIL CIRCULATES WIDELY
(PNN) -- In the wake of the unsolved murders of Amber Jackson in June and tourist Nola Rebecca “Becky” Thompson- whose body was found this morning after having been missing for the last week- the man alleged to be the “west side serial killer” is thought to be on the loose and living in Puhi according to a source who quoted Kaua`i County Administrative Assistant Gary Hue as telling her to “be careful” because of it.
ADMINISTRATION IN “DAMAGE CONTROL” AFTER EMAIL CIRCULATES WIDELY
(PNN) -- In the wake of the unsolved murders of Amber Jackson in June and tourist Nola Rebecca “Becky” Thompson- whose body was found this morning after having been missing for the last week- the man alleged to be the “west side serial killer” is thought to be on the loose and living in Puhi according to a source who quoted Kaua`i County Administrative Assistant Gary Hue as telling her to “be careful” because of it.
Waldorf “Wally” Wilson was identified as the man thought privately by many- including privately some Kauai Police Department (KPD) officers- to be “the west side serial killer” in the book “KPD Blue” by former Kaua`i Bureau Chief for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin Anthony Sommer.
Waldorf "Wally" Wilson, taken 1/25/10 (provided by Department of the Attorney General’s Online Sex Offender Search)
According to an email circulated widely yesterday and obtained by PNN, a woman who asked not to be identified said that Hue told her that Wilson “is out of jail and apparently back on island” and, she says that, “apparently he rides a bike - targets middle-aged Caucasian women and is currently thought to be living in Puhi.”
But the administration got hold of the email and went into “damage control” and convinced the woman that because Wilson “was never convicted of any crimes here on Kaua`i and what I wrote about him borders on libel and slander”.
Saying she “committed a grave blunder and forgotten that all of us have rights and are innocent until proven guilty” the originator of the email said that “(t)he email I sent has gotten back to the office of the mayor and they are in damage control mode right now and I am the subject of this damage control. They do not wish to create widespread panic about this situation which I helped to create.”
According to KPD Blue’s Chapter 8- The Serial Killer which PNN serialized in 2008 (see left rail):
In the spring and summer of 2000 on Kauai’s west side, three white women were stabbed and sexually assaulted. Two died. The third was left for dead and so severely injured that it took her three hours to crawl to a telephone only a few yards away and call for help....
KPD detectives quickly identified a prime suspect but insisted they could never gather enough evidence to arrest or charge him.
The suspect’s brother was a veteran KPD officer....
On April 7, 2000, the battered body of Lisa Bissell, 38, was found in a roadside ditch near Polihale State Park on Kauai’s west side.... On May 22, 2000, a 52-year-old haole woman was beaten and stabbed in the yard of a remote Kekaha beach home where she was house-sitting... The third victim was found on Aug. 30, 2000, at her camp site near Pakala Point Beach, a popular surfing spot. She was identified as Daren Singer, 43, of Paia, Maui...
In early September, KPD detectives rounded up all 70 registered sex offenders on the island. They said they didn’t find any suspects but, of course, they had.
On Sept. 12, 2000, the KPD announced it had arrested a convicted rapist on a parole violation. The man’s name and mug shot were released through the mayor’s office.
The press release was almost instantly followed by another insisting the parole violator was in no way a suspect in the west side attacks and his only crime was violating the conditions of his parole.
The KPD was so vehement in pointing out that the man was not the serial killer, every editor in the state bought it. Except for one Honolulu television station, which used his name and broadcast his picture, all the “news executives” were frightened by the KPD’s threat of libel suits.
The next day, the KPD, through the mayor’s office criticized the lone television station that identified the arrested man for “irresponsible reporting.”
The television station was correct. It was the KPD that was lying. And the mayor’s office knew it but lying to the press was pretty much standard operating procedure. Next, Inspector Mel Morris, head of the investigations bureau, began dragging a red herring claiming, “KPD has not ruled out the possibility that there may be more than one person responsible.”
He said the man arrested is “unrelated to any of these cases. Any impression that might have been given that these cases are close to being solved is flat-out wrong.”
The arrested man was, of course, KPD’s primary, in fact only, suspect and (off the record, of course) they were certain he was the killer but they couldn’t prove it.
His name was Waldorf “Wally” Wilson, and his name and picture were all over the west side on anonymously printed flyers.
But the Honolulu media executives would not publish his name until two years later—and then only because Wilson filed a lawsuit against KPD, a newspaper and a magazine.
Wilson was convicted in 1983 of a brutal rape on Oahu. He was paroled on Jan. 9, 1999 and in January 2000 moved to Kauai. The attacks began three months later.
Wally Wilson’s brother was a KPD officer, Buddy Wilson, a long-time member of the Vice Squad known for his somewhat less than subtle tactics in investigating narcotics cases.
(Once again the circle that began with the Randy Machado trial looped back. Kelly Lau was a witness for Machado at his trial. Lau indicated quite clearly she was a confidential informant working for Buddy Wilson.)
All the while, KPD insisted Wally Wilson was not a suspect. For the next two years, the KPD engaged in tactics that Wally Wilson later claimed in his lawsuit violated his Constitutional rights.
But he was kept off the streets without ever actually being charged with any crime.
And there were no more attacks.
According to Wally Wilson’s lawsuit, KPD “coerced” him into taking a polygraph test on Sept. 12, 2000 and then “strongly pressured” the Hawaii Parole Authority to revoke Wilson’s parole. The results of the polygraph test were not given in the lawsuit.
A judge ultimately threw out Wilson’s lawsuit but by then KPD’s tactics were pretty obvious, as was its complete inability (or unwillingness) to bring criminal charges against him involving the three attacks.
Initially, Wilson’s parole was rescinded because he had been in contact with a woman on Kauai that his parole conditions specifically directed him to avoid. The revocation lasted until Feb. 28, 2002, when he was set free. On June 15, 2002, Wilson was again sent back to prison for violating his parole by failing a polygraph test.
To this day, KPD never has stated Wilson was a suspect at all in the West Side attacks. Yet every time he was released, his parole was violated on one technicality or another, and he was sent back to prison.
The problem is, Wilson has now “maxed out,” served the full term for his earlier conviction, and is back on the street. Since he no longer is on parole, he can’t be hauled in for parole violations.
The case of the one and only serial killer in Kauai’s history remains unsolved.
According to Wilson’s page at the Department of the Attorney General’s Online Sex Offender Search page, Wilson is 50 years old, 5’ 11”, 185 lbs with black hair and brown eyes with tattoos on his right shoulder and left ankle. Although it lists a Honolulu address that is from 2004.
According to the site Wilson was convicted of first degree rape, first degree sex abuse and kidnapping on July 26 1983.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
YOU REALLY GOTTA ASK
YOU REALLY GOTTA ASK?: Yeah, yeah, we know- hope springs eternal and all that stuff. But to tell you the truth it doesn't look good.
This year we just may find out what would happen if they had an election and nobody ran.
It's really hard to find anyone who isn't ready to throw the bums out this November, but usually there are plenty of new bums standing in line to replace them. Except, as the June 5 deadline for candidates to file approaches, other than incumbents, there is nary a Kaua`i legislative candidate who has even "pulled papers" much less filed them.
Despite the fact that all of of our legislators on Kaua`i voted for the dreaded bill that would have more or less repealed parts of HRS 343- the Hawai`i Environmental Protect Act (HEPA)- by exempting projects from local review, permitting, and of course public hearings, all thus far are running unopposed.
In State Senator District 8 Ronald D Kouchi, and in the House, State Representatives in District 14, 15 and 16, Derek S K Kawakami, James K Tokioka and Daynette S Morikawa (respectively) will get free passes if nothing changes, although we hear there may be a surprise announcement from a familiar name as the filing deadline approaches.
And while both incumbent Shaylene C Iseri-Carvalho and challenger Justin F Kollar have filed to run for Kauai Prosecuting Attorney, no one has filed to challenge any of the incumbent council members.
Six of the current seven- Dick S Chang, Joseph J Furfaro, Kipukai L Kuali'i, Nadine K Nakamura, Melvin Rapozo and Joann A Yukimura- have pulled papers with Rapozo and Kuali`i having actually filed them. But only three challengers- all pretty much unknown and with little chance of garnering enough support to oust any of the incumbents- have pulled papers and none of those has yet filed.
According to a Facebook page under that name, the first challenger, Christina Gutierrez-More of Kapa`a
is a Northern San Joaquin Valley, California native residing on Kauai for the past 9 years. She has been a dedicated mother of two and hardworking entrepreneur for the past 6 years. Her goal is to represent the Kauai people in issues that matter most to our island community. She is focused on positive growth, sustainability, renewable energy, affordable living and finding the means to support our ailing public school system and salvaging it's fundamental art programs. The natural beauty of Kauai and its residences' are dear to her heart and in her best interest. Please support her campaign and enable her to represent your community and make a stand for Kauai as a council member.
At a page called "Keikilane" a profile of someone named Leialoha L Sanchez- also of Kapa`a according to her filing- says
I was born in the Philippines to a Navy Captain, William Flores of Kailua and a domestic engineer, Debra Naihe of Waimanalo. I have 2 older brothers, Kalani and Kaipo and a younger sister, Ka’ohu. After the death of our father, our family relocated to Kaua’i. We spent the remainder of our childhood there and like most ‘ohana’s living in rural Hawai’i; we are “thick as thieves”. I am happily married to my best friend, Robin, who weird enough shares the same middle name as me. We have 2 beautiful flowers (girls) who add to our arrangement, Ka’uolani who's 7 years old and Kaumakakaihuia who will be 3 years old in December. The day I became a teacher was the day I became a mother.
In 1997, I moved to Hilo to further my education. I attended Ka Haka Ula o Ke’elikolani Hawaiian Language College at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo. I graduated with my Bachelors of Arts degree in Hawaiian Language with a minor in Pacific Island History. My Bachelor’s degree has allowed me to work in several Hawaiian immersion schools and other charter schools that serve Native Hawaiian students and or provides a Native Hawaiian perspective to its students.
Reflection
As a teacher, I found it to be true that education is the one constant in many children’s lives and has an immense influence in shaping the person they become. My work experiences have made more appreciative of education as a way of life rather than a career.
Assuming it is the same person who filed, Elizabeth K Toulon of Koloa is a scion of the kama`aina Knudsen/Toulon clan. According to "campaignmoney.com," she has given money to right wing PACS such as "Minuteman PAC Inc," an anti-immigration, "secure borders" organization and "Eagle Forum PAC," an anti-abortion PAC apparently under the control of Republican activist Phyllis Schlafly as well as to the brief 2008 presidential campaign of Elizabeth Dole, former Secretary of Transportation under President George W Bush.
And that it. Of course the deadline could be extended depending on a ruling from the federal courts- expected any day now- on the Hawai`i reapportionment plan. But that doesn't change the fact that no one seems interested in serving in office.
And who can blame them. As jobs go it's a real stinker and can be a career killer. The salary sucks for both legislator and council and, although each is considered a part time job, they take up most of your time and limit your employment choices because an "understanding boss" is a necessity.
Job security is a real conundrum. If you do keep getting reelected you then get pegged in the public's eye as one of those "professional politicians" that no one likes. As soon as you're an incumbent you're automatically just the latest bum to be thrown out.
Who needs it? Just to get started, as anyone who knows the drill will tell you, the first thing you need to do is get out your extensive address book and call 100 friends and ask them each for $100. If you can't do that successfully you better just forget it. And if you get that done then it's time to cold-call a list of another 1000 people and ask each of them for $100.
If you do happen to get elected- usually not because the voters especially like you but because they really dislike the other guy- every one of those people who gave you money is going to call you and ask you for something... usually something you'd rather not do. And if you want to get reelected you have to either do what they ask or figure out how to turn them down without pissing them off.
Of course that's not to mention spending every waking moment you're not at work at the high school girls' water polo games, Tutu's baby lu`au or Uncle's birthday and every other boring vacuous event you'd never in your right mind attend... oh- and walk up to and schmooze everyone there, even those assholes you'd never otherwise talk to.
Do you really need to ask why no one is running? We're surprised that anyone ever does.
This year we just may find out what would happen if they had an election and nobody ran.
It's really hard to find anyone who isn't ready to throw the bums out this November, but usually there are plenty of new bums standing in line to replace them. Except, as the June 5 deadline for candidates to file approaches, other than incumbents, there is nary a Kaua`i legislative candidate who has even "pulled papers" much less filed them.
Despite the fact that all of of our legislators on Kaua`i voted for the dreaded bill that would have more or less repealed parts of HRS 343- the Hawai`i Environmental Protect Act (HEPA)- by exempting projects from local review, permitting, and of course public hearings, all thus far are running unopposed.
In State Senator District 8 Ronald D Kouchi, and in the House, State Representatives in District 14, 15 and 16, Derek S K Kawakami, James K Tokioka and Daynette S Morikawa (respectively) will get free passes if nothing changes, although we hear there may be a surprise announcement from a familiar name as the filing deadline approaches.
And while both incumbent Shaylene C Iseri-Carvalho and challenger Justin F Kollar have filed to run for Kauai Prosecuting Attorney, no one has filed to challenge any of the incumbent council members.
Six of the current seven- Dick S Chang, Joseph J Furfaro, Kipukai L Kuali'i, Nadine K Nakamura, Melvin Rapozo and Joann A Yukimura- have pulled papers with Rapozo and Kuali`i having actually filed them. But only three challengers- all pretty much unknown and with little chance of garnering enough support to oust any of the incumbents- have pulled papers and none of those has yet filed.
According to a Facebook page under that name, the first challenger, Christina Gutierrez-More of Kapa`a
is a Northern San Joaquin Valley, California native residing on Kauai for the past 9 years. She has been a dedicated mother of two and hardworking entrepreneur for the past 6 years. Her goal is to represent the Kauai people in issues that matter most to our island community. She is focused on positive growth, sustainability, renewable energy, affordable living and finding the means to support our ailing public school system and salvaging it's fundamental art programs. The natural beauty of Kauai and its residences' are dear to her heart and in her best interest. Please support her campaign and enable her to represent your community and make a stand for Kauai as a council member.
At a page called "Keikilane" a profile of someone named Leialoha L Sanchez- also of Kapa`a according to her filing- says
I was born in the Philippines to a Navy Captain, William Flores of Kailua and a domestic engineer, Debra Naihe of Waimanalo. I have 2 older brothers, Kalani and Kaipo and a younger sister, Ka’ohu. After the death of our father, our family relocated to Kaua’i. We spent the remainder of our childhood there and like most ‘ohana’s living in rural Hawai’i; we are “thick as thieves”. I am happily married to my best friend, Robin, who weird enough shares the same middle name as me. We have 2 beautiful flowers (girls) who add to our arrangement, Ka’uolani who's 7 years old and Kaumakakaihuia who will be 3 years old in December. The day I became a teacher was the day I became a mother.
In 1997, I moved to Hilo to further my education. I attended Ka Haka Ula o Ke’elikolani Hawaiian Language College at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo. I graduated with my Bachelors of Arts degree in Hawaiian Language with a minor in Pacific Island History. My Bachelor’s degree has allowed me to work in several Hawaiian immersion schools and other charter schools that serve Native Hawaiian students and or provides a Native Hawaiian perspective to its students.
Reflection
As a teacher, I found it to be true that education is the one constant in many children’s lives and has an immense influence in shaping the person they become. My work experiences have made more appreciative of education as a way of life rather than a career.
Assuming it is the same person who filed, Elizabeth K Toulon of Koloa is a scion of the kama`aina Knudsen/Toulon clan. According to "campaignmoney.com," she has given money to right wing PACS such as "Minuteman PAC Inc," an anti-immigration, "secure borders" organization and "Eagle Forum PAC," an anti-abortion PAC apparently under the control of Republican activist Phyllis Schlafly as well as to the brief 2008 presidential campaign of Elizabeth Dole, former Secretary of Transportation under President George W Bush.
And that it. Of course the deadline could be extended depending on a ruling from the federal courts- expected any day now- on the Hawai`i reapportionment plan. But that doesn't change the fact that no one seems interested in serving in office.
And who can blame them. As jobs go it's a real stinker and can be a career killer. The salary sucks for both legislator and council and, although each is considered a part time job, they take up most of your time and limit your employment choices because an "understanding boss" is a necessity.
Job security is a real conundrum. If you do keep getting reelected you then get pegged in the public's eye as one of those "professional politicians" that no one likes. As soon as you're an incumbent you're automatically just the latest bum to be thrown out.
Who needs it? Just to get started, as anyone who knows the drill will tell you, the first thing you need to do is get out your extensive address book and call 100 friends and ask them each for $100. If you can't do that successfully you better just forget it. And if you get that done then it's time to cold-call a list of another 1000 people and ask each of them for $100.
If you do happen to get elected- usually not because the voters especially like you but because they really dislike the other guy- every one of those people who gave you money is going to call you and ask you for something... usually something you'd rather not do. And if you want to get reelected you have to either do what they ask or figure out how to turn them down without pissing them off.
Of course that's not to mention spending every waking moment you're not at work at the high school girls' water polo games, Tutu's baby lu`au or Uncle's birthday and every other boring vacuous event you'd never in your right mind attend... oh- and walk up to and schmooze everyone there, even those assholes you'd never otherwise talk to.
Do you really need to ask why no one is running? We're surprised that anyone ever does.
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