FERC YOU: Anyone surprised at the FERC KIUC debacle wave your electricity bill in the air.
Okay- you can go back to sleep now. Because unless you were under the proverbial rock for the past decade you must have been fast asleep to be shocked at anything "this co-op" does.
Since day one when barnacle-on-the-butt-of-Kaua`i Gregg Gardiner convinced a group of good old boys and girls and Democratic Party bosses to pay way too much for the liability that was Citizen’s Electric- and stick the resultant debt on the backs of the island working people- the hew and cry of warnings has been a loud if ineffective undercurrent of stomach churning rage from rate payers.
"We're all for a co-op- just not THIS co-op" was the slogan of the original "nitpickers" whose moniker was proudly taken from former Mayor Marianne Kusaka's attempt to denigrate the effort that saved members $50 million and should have brought the price down by another hundred million.
But the makeup of the board was a who's who of the then, two factions of the Democratic Party- the old guard represented by aging, "442nd" party boss Turk Tokita vs the new guard of then-former Mayor and then-out-of-politics progressive JoAnn Yukimura.
And when the bylaws and rules were forced down the throats of members in an all-or-nothing vote- removing the promised precepts of the Sunshine law and giving all power to the board- the course was set for today's dictatorial decision-making by a handful of the power elite.
With today's news from Pacific Business News (via the local newspaper) that William Tam, deputy director for water at DLNR said that "the state does not want Hawai‘i's (sic) in-stream flow standards to be decided by a federal agency in Washington D.C. that does not have any experience with or understand Hawai‘i’s streams" and the announcement of an effort from anti-FREC forces leader Adam Asquith to get signatures to a full page ad fully explaining all that's insanely stupid about going through the feds, the tide seems to be turning- that despite the "that's my story and I'm stickin' to it" stance of the stumble-bums on the KIUC board.
And that includes the original three opponents- Carol Bain, Ben Sullivan and Jan TenBruggencate who were elected to be the voice of reason but who now, reportedly, have switched sides.
What the board seems to have forgotten are the lessons of another recent debacle- the ill-conceived and supremely bungled Superferry and the resultant battle.
The reason why, shockingly, the people of Kaua`i seemed to oppose the big bad boat was not the boat itself but for the way it usurped the processes that, although usually ineffective, are at least supposedly there to protect us from deregulatory invasion from Washington D.C. and Honolulu.
Just as the feds and state conspired to remove the environmental assessment and impact statement process for the Superferry, once again a bunch of power mongers have decided to allow a federal process to negate the unique water rights and management laws that have been carefully developed over decades in Hawai`i.
Then when challenged the powerful wielded their power to lie and deceive in such a blatant way that nobody failed to get the "sit down and shut up" message that General Linda Lingle and her unified command threw in the faces of those who usually, unless riled up by a lack of respect, act like sheeple.
And now though few understand the ins and outs of water usage, citizens feel the same kind of "like it or lump it" missive coming from elected officials who fail to get the message that their arrogance, not the project, is the becoming the issue.
Though it's too early to tell the rising tide of indignation over the attempted FERC KIUC sleight-of-hand indicates that the same kind of outrage that swept the island over the Superferry fiasco might just be at hand.
Because, as "this co-op" circles the wagons, the natives are getting restless.
Showing posts with label Gregg Gardiner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gregg Gardiner. Show all posts
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
HAPPY TRIALS
HAPPY TRIALS: We’ve never been much for “belief,” rather subscribing to the “half of what you see and none of what you hear” philosophy.
But our skepticism regarding a certain intrepid, red-suited, north pole denizen got a challenge with the news that the local newspaper’s courts and police reporter, Paul Curtis, is apparently no longer in their employ.
Assuming it was an involuntary separation- something we have it on fairly decent authority is the case, especially since his name has been purged from the staff page- it would be the third such termination for the Billy Martin of local reportage.
Although our celebration of the departure of government beat reporter Leo Azambuja was premature, we’ll proceed as if once burned, twice shy doesn’t apply here.
Last time Curtis was canned it was for causing then Business Editor Andy Gross to quit when Curtis tried to squelch Gross’ investigation of some of the shenanigans at the Kaua`i Island Utilities Coop (KIUC).
Curtis had been given his first job in reporting at the now seemingly defunct Kaua`i Times (despite a consent decree in a lawsuit forcing the local newspaper to continue to publish it) by Gregg Gardiner, who later pushed through the sale of Kaua`i Electric at an exorbitant price that continues to saddle rate payers with the highest rates in the country.
Though rumors of kickbacks were rampant, nothing was ever proven.
But with Curtis’ departure it’s time for the paper to regain the professionalism it exhibited during the recent and brief golden age when current editor Nathan Eagle and the now departed Mike Levine provided hold no punches coverage of island news.
That’s going to take one of two things.
The first and least likely is to see one of the myriad professionals recently let go in the contraction of Honolulu newspapers being lured to Kaua`i despite the starvation wages the paper notoriously pays.
The best scenario is to see Publisher Randy Kozerski loosen the purse strings and spring for a living wage so as to lure one of them- or even one of the local professionals- to do the job.
We’re not expecting a miracle. Just another little present from a gift-giving fat man.
-----
Speaking of most likely, unless something forces us to sit in front of this screen, we’re gonna take a long weekend.
But our skepticism regarding a certain intrepid, red-suited, north pole denizen got a challenge with the news that the local newspaper’s courts and police reporter, Paul Curtis, is apparently no longer in their employ.
Assuming it was an involuntary separation- something we have it on fairly decent authority is the case, especially since his name has been purged from the staff page- it would be the third such termination for the Billy Martin of local reportage.
Although our celebration of the departure of government beat reporter Leo Azambuja was premature, we’ll proceed as if once burned, twice shy doesn’t apply here.
Last time Curtis was canned it was for causing then Business Editor Andy Gross to quit when Curtis tried to squelch Gross’ investigation of some of the shenanigans at the Kaua`i Island Utilities Coop (KIUC).
Curtis had been given his first job in reporting at the now seemingly defunct Kaua`i Times (despite a consent decree in a lawsuit forcing the local newspaper to continue to publish it) by Gregg Gardiner, who later pushed through the sale of Kaua`i Electric at an exorbitant price that continues to saddle rate payers with the highest rates in the country.
Though rumors of kickbacks were rampant, nothing was ever proven.
But with Curtis’ departure it’s time for the paper to regain the professionalism it exhibited during the recent and brief golden age when current editor Nathan Eagle and the now departed Mike Levine provided hold no punches coverage of island news.
That’s going to take one of two things.
The first and least likely is to see one of the myriad professionals recently let go in the contraction of Honolulu newspapers being lured to Kaua`i despite the starvation wages the paper notoriously pays.
The best scenario is to see Publisher Randy Kozerski loosen the purse strings and spring for a living wage so as to lure one of them- or even one of the local professionals- to do the job.
We’re not expecting a miracle. Just another little present from a gift-giving fat man.
-----
Speaking of most likely, unless something forces us to sit in front of this screen, we’re gonna take a long weekend.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
(PNN) LOCAL PAPER’S BUSINESS EDITOR ZICKOS FIRED DUE TO BUSINESS COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS
LOCAL PAPER’S BUSINESS EDITOR ZICKOS FIRED DUE TO BUSINESS COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS
(PNN) -- The local newspaper’s Business Editor, Coco Zickos, was fired last week because, she was told, the business community was unhappy with her reporting and she was doing too many environmental articles.
According to Zickos on August 4 she was called to a meeting with Editor Nathan Eagle and Human Resources Director Tamra Wedemeyer where she was told by Eagle that she was “not a good fit anymore” and to gather her belongings and go.
However Zickos says that when Eagle left the room Wedemeyer essentially told her that it was “not personal but you've been doing a lot of environmental stuff but not involved enough in the business community and the business community is unhappy with your business reporting” although she could not recall the precise words used by Wedemeyer
She says Eagle told her it was not her writing or journalistic skills but her “performance” that was at issue, saying she was pushed to attend more chamber of commerce promoted events and didn’t always do so.
“It was a total shock” Zickos said in a telephone interview conducted yesterday afternoon. “There was no warning- nobody ever pulled me aside and said there were any problems.”
Although no one said so, Zickos said she suspects the firing was at the behest of Publisher Randy Kozerski.
Although in the past the paper’s business editors also covered the “environmental” beat Zickos says she was not originally hired to cover environmental issues but, since that was her passion, she asked and was given permission to cover the beat.
Some sources who asked not to be identified said that it might have been the content of her environmental coverage such as the series on bacterial counts at local beaches that upset tourism industry officials who would rather bad news that could effect visitor count be squelched.
This is not the first time the paper’s business editor has left the paper due to complaints over content that upset some in the business community. Editor Andy Gross quit after being told to stop covering Kaua`i Island Utilities Coop (KIUC) issues raised by co-op members by current Police and Courts Editor Paul Curtis who was weekend and assistant editor at the time.
Curtis was then let go by the Editor Adam Harju due to the incident but has returned to the paper under Eagle.
Before that Curtis was employed by KIUC founder Gregg Gardiner at The Kaua`i Times newspaper before it was bought out by TGI.
Zickos says she guesses that she angered some powerful people in the business community somehow although she didn’t venture a guess as to whom that might be.
Though she said she had no experience or training in journalism she said she “learned a lot” by working at the paper.
Pressed with the $64 question often raised by PNN as a reason why journalistic skills and experience are apparently given short shrift during hiring- especially given the number of experienced journalists out of work after the “merger” of the Honolulu newspapers- Zickos would only give her salary “range” of “between 12 and 15 dollars an hour”.
The paper has apparently not as yet hired a new business and/ or environmental editor and Zickos’ name has been purged on the staff page.
For the record Zickos did not initiate contact with PNN, we sought her out for this story.
(PNN) -- The local newspaper’s Business Editor, Coco Zickos, was fired last week because, she was told, the business community was unhappy with her reporting and she was doing too many environmental articles.
According to Zickos on August 4 she was called to a meeting with Editor Nathan Eagle and Human Resources Director Tamra Wedemeyer where she was told by Eagle that she was “not a good fit anymore” and to gather her belongings and go.
However Zickos says that when Eagle left the room Wedemeyer essentially told her that it was “not personal but you've been doing a lot of environmental stuff but not involved enough in the business community and the business community is unhappy with your business reporting” although she could not recall the precise words used by Wedemeyer
She says Eagle told her it was not her writing or journalistic skills but her “performance” that was at issue, saying she was pushed to attend more chamber of commerce promoted events and didn’t always do so.
“It was a total shock” Zickos said in a telephone interview conducted yesterday afternoon. “There was no warning- nobody ever pulled me aside and said there were any problems.”
Although no one said so, Zickos said she suspects the firing was at the behest of Publisher Randy Kozerski.
Although in the past the paper’s business editors also covered the “environmental” beat Zickos says she was not originally hired to cover environmental issues but, since that was her passion, she asked and was given permission to cover the beat.
Some sources who asked not to be identified said that it might have been the content of her environmental coverage such as the series on bacterial counts at local beaches that upset tourism industry officials who would rather bad news that could effect visitor count be squelched.
This is not the first time the paper’s business editor has left the paper due to complaints over content that upset some in the business community. Editor Andy Gross quit after being told to stop covering Kaua`i Island Utilities Coop (KIUC) issues raised by co-op members by current Police and Courts Editor Paul Curtis who was weekend and assistant editor at the time.
Curtis was then let go by the Editor Adam Harju due to the incident but has returned to the paper under Eagle.
Before that Curtis was employed by KIUC founder Gregg Gardiner at The Kaua`i Times newspaper before it was bought out by TGI.
Zickos says she guesses that she angered some powerful people in the business community somehow although she didn’t venture a guess as to whom that might be.
Though she said she had no experience or training in journalism she said she “learned a lot” by working at the paper.
Pressed with the $64 question often raised by PNN as a reason why journalistic skills and experience are apparently given short shrift during hiring- especially given the number of experienced journalists out of work after the “merger” of the Honolulu newspapers- Zickos would only give her salary “range” of “between 12 and 15 dollars an hour”.
The paper has apparently not as yet hired a new business and/ or environmental editor and Zickos’ name has been purged on the staff page.
For the record Zickos did not initiate contact with PNN, we sought her out for this story.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
COMING HOME TO ROOST
COMING HOME TO ROOST: It never fails to amaze us how the level of satisfaction of a “we told you so” moment is inversely proportional to the time elapsed.
Nevertheless it’s another somewhat empty cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face victory today as "Earthjustice" is finally going to sue KIUC for it’s diligent lack of action in protecting endangered Hawaiian petrel and Newell’s shearwater, according to an article in today’s local newspaper.
As the article reports, according to a press release:
(Earthjustice attorney David) Henkin said a “series of recommendations” — such as lowering power lines, attaching lines to bridges, switching from a vertical array of wires to a “traditional” T configuration and planting trees which shield lines — provided to Kaua`i Electric in 1995 have yet to be taken up by KIUC.
And surprise-surprise- KIUC’s response has been to file for permits to continue to kill birds rather than acting on the recommendations.
But whether through the cost of complying with the law or the “$50,000... that each violation of seabird take is subject to” it’s going to cost co-op members a pretty penny.
The irksome part is that we shouldn’t have to be paying for it.
It all harkens back to the original purchase from Kaua`i Electric and the price paid which, even after it was lowered once was still quite obviously as much as twice what it was worth.
And one of the liabilities that the “nitpickers” predicted would come back to bite us in the ass was that very 1995 list of unfollowed recommendations.
As a matter of fact it was at that point that the people fighting for a reduced price were first called “nitpickers” by then Mayor Maryanne Kusaka who had been busy flip-flopping her Republican butt on the purchase because the original board was comprised of Democratic machine honchos and whatever they wanted she didn’t.
The original purchasing board and their slick-talking honcho Gregg Gardiner and his stooge Walt Barnes simply ignored the all research, facts and figures presented by the about a dozen members of the public including the “birds liability” and the facts about members’ potential liability for the cleanup of the toxic waste dump underneath the `Ele`ele power plant, as PNN reported in 2002.
Stay tuned- there are plenty of other little surprises-on-the-rug to come as KIUC continues the be the gift that keeps on taking. As some said at the time of the pig-in-a-poke, “elephant?- what elephant?” purchase, they should have paid us to take KE off their hands.
Nevertheless it’s another somewhat empty cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face victory today as "Earthjustice" is finally going to sue KIUC for it’s diligent lack of action in protecting endangered Hawaiian petrel and Newell’s shearwater, according to an article in today’s local newspaper.
As the article reports, according to a press release:
(Earthjustice attorney David) Henkin said a “series of recommendations” — such as lowering power lines, attaching lines to bridges, switching from a vertical array of wires to a “traditional” T configuration and planting trees which shield lines — provided to Kaua`i Electric in 1995 have yet to be taken up by KIUC.
And surprise-surprise- KIUC’s response has been to file for permits to continue to kill birds rather than acting on the recommendations.
But whether through the cost of complying with the law or the “$50,000... that each violation of seabird take is subject to” it’s going to cost co-op members a pretty penny.
The irksome part is that we shouldn’t have to be paying for it.
It all harkens back to the original purchase from Kaua`i Electric and the price paid which, even after it was lowered once was still quite obviously as much as twice what it was worth.
And one of the liabilities that the “nitpickers” predicted would come back to bite us in the ass was that very 1995 list of unfollowed recommendations.
As a matter of fact it was at that point that the people fighting for a reduced price were first called “nitpickers” by then Mayor Maryanne Kusaka who had been busy flip-flopping her Republican butt on the purchase because the original board was comprised of Democratic machine honchos and whatever they wanted she didn’t.
The original purchasing board and their slick-talking honcho Gregg Gardiner and his stooge Walt Barnes simply ignored the all research, facts and figures presented by the about a dozen members of the public including the “birds liability” and the facts about members’ potential liability for the cleanup of the toxic waste dump underneath the `Ele`ele power plant, as PNN reported in 2002.
Stay tuned- there are plenty of other little surprises-on-the-rug to come as KIUC continues the be the gift that keeps on taking. As some said at the time of the pig-in-a-poke, “elephant?- what elephant?” purchase, they should have paid us to take KE off their hands.
Friday, September 12, 2008
PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A DOG
PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A DOG: Tony Sommer’s new book KPD Blue has spent a week dotting the “i’s” and crossing the “t’s” on allegations of two reported cases of apparent police misconduct and even abuse as we reported this week... and over the last six months in many other incidents.
Sommer’s book is now available at amazon.com . Throughout the fall PNN will continue serializing the book on weekends with the hilariously deadly serious Chapter 5 entitled Marianne Kusaka coming tomorrow.
In chapter 5 we meet “the Queen” through details of her early efforts to sell jewelry out if the Mayor’s office through her abject anti-“haole” racism and into the driver’s seat of her taxpayer-leased, unbudgeted, red, luxury Chrysler. .
(Parenthetically, 30 years ago her 2nd grade students- and of course we parents- knew you didn’t want to be white in that class... especially when she let kids off early on “kill-a-haole day”).
But worse was the total ineptitude of all those around her and her ability to use their stupidity to let them all get away with highway robbery. She would have gotten rich too if the Coco Palms renovation project hadn’t gone belly up.
Poor Marianne. She was responsible for dozens of inept bozos getting corporate positions when they became too inept for believability. But her attempt to finally cash in herself- after she had to give back the Kealia Kai house site- was the now defunct Coco Palms deal in which she had to give back millions, some say 10 or more- in the deal, as PNN reported in July.
Sommer’s story is spot on and documented by someone who collected the information first hand.
But the book does have an understandable error regarding how the term “nitpickers” arose, with Sommer crediting it to TGI Editor Sue Dixon Strong.
But although Dixon used the term as her own she was actually quoting Kusaka’s who used the term to describe all those who were complaining the original price of KIUC was too high, an amount subsequently dropped by $50-100 million depending on whose numbers you use.
When famed Kaua`i government watchdog Ray Chuan finally gathered a bunch of Princeville ex-financial energy consultants and engineers they made her look silly for supporting the co-op as it was. And after seeing all the documents the council irregulars joined in.
The original almost $300 million price was insane . And complaints about that and management were met with a public statement by Kusaka that people were just “nitpicking” the deal.
But eventually they dropped the price 70 million and it was still too high, some say as much as twice or more what it was worth. .
The leadership of the Democratic Party in the person of the venerable Turk Tokita had joined the organizing board and when Democrat JoAnn Yukimura joined she squelched DOH documents- despite PNN reports- on our `Ele`ele plant toxic waste dump.
More importantly she gave the board united Democratic Party support. And Republican Kusaka didn’t like it, especially when KIUC top dog Greg Gardiner was being excoriated over his current- and sometimes past- documented deceits and dirty deeds.
Kusaka wanted the deal done. But the council was sitting through hours of televised meetings starring the “nitpickers”- who had adopted the name in a statement of ridicule of Kusaka. They were now credited with “saving” consumers tens of millions and trying to save tens if not a hundred more.
They filed up to have their three or six minutes tirades against the price and not the co-op concept but against “this” co-op- the one with the widely reviled and defamed Gardiner in charge
And Kusaka didn’t care. Her new-found Republican buddies- the ones who put her in office like Charlie King- had a big stake in seeing Republican-leaning, former “Kaua`i Times” newspaper owner, Gardiner look good.
The council was the last obstacle because the self appointed co-op board had essentially put it in their hands. The Council, in an effort to not pay the exorbitant price, actually passed a charter amendment creating a municipal power authority that remains unused today.
Finally the council got Kusaka to come and have her tell them face-to-face why they should take the give or take $225 million deal.
But unbelievably enough it was scheduled on the agenda as a secret executive session (ES) meeting,
The nitpickers and the public in general were outraged. And especially when they met under a Sunshine law provision [HRS 92-5(a)4] supposedly to meet with their “attorney” and there was no lawyer in the room- just the council and Kusaka.
(Correction- Attorney Bill Milks was in the room but was essentially there as camouflage while Kusaka and the council cut the deal.)
That’s when and where Kusaka and the council cut the deal for KIUC’s final approval
They came out of ES and everything was signed, sealed and delivered. No discussion. Vote- 7 ayes, Mr. Chair. Meeting adjoined..
Anthony Sommer, the author of “KPD Blue” and a reporter for the Honolulu Star Bulletin Kaua`i Bureau Chief at the time read the Sunshine law and didn’t believe what he just saw happen.
Having been at The Garden Island for a brief spell he knew that unlike real newspapers TGI doesn’t go to court for open meetings matters and freedom of information type requests. ... ever... at all... as a matter of policy.
But Sommer didn’t know that the Star Bulletin wasn’t going to back him up either by hiring a lawyer to find out what was discussed and just how they could decide a major public policy issue in secret .
So Sommer sued on his own nickel.
He won his case although it took years and of course by then the co-op was a thriving company with the highest rates in the country by a wide margin.
Enjoy Chapter 5- see ya Monday.
Sommer’s book is now available at amazon.com . Throughout the fall PNN will continue serializing the book on weekends with the hilariously deadly serious Chapter 5 entitled Marianne Kusaka coming tomorrow.
In chapter 5 we meet “the Queen” through details of her early efforts to sell jewelry out if the Mayor’s office through her abject anti-“haole” racism and into the driver’s seat of her taxpayer-leased, unbudgeted, red, luxury Chrysler. .
(Parenthetically, 30 years ago her 2nd grade students- and of course we parents- knew you didn’t want to be white in that class... especially when she let kids off early on “kill-a-haole day”).
But worse was the total ineptitude of all those around her and her ability to use their stupidity to let them all get away with highway robbery. She would have gotten rich too if the Coco Palms renovation project hadn’t gone belly up.
Poor Marianne. She was responsible for dozens of inept bozos getting corporate positions when they became too inept for believability. But her attempt to finally cash in herself- after she had to give back the Kealia Kai house site- was the now defunct Coco Palms deal in which she had to give back millions, some say 10 or more- in the deal, as PNN reported in July.
Sommer’s story is spot on and documented by someone who collected the information first hand.
But the book does have an understandable error regarding how the term “nitpickers” arose, with Sommer crediting it to TGI Editor Sue Dixon Strong.
But although Dixon used the term as her own she was actually quoting Kusaka’s who used the term to describe all those who were complaining the original price of KIUC was too high, an amount subsequently dropped by $50-100 million depending on whose numbers you use.
When famed Kaua`i government watchdog Ray Chuan finally gathered a bunch of Princeville ex-financial energy consultants and engineers they made her look silly for supporting the co-op as it was. And after seeing all the documents the council irregulars joined in.
The original almost $300 million price was insane . And complaints about that and management were met with a public statement by Kusaka that people were just “nitpicking” the deal.
But eventually they dropped the price 70 million and it was still too high, some say as much as twice or more what it was worth. .
The leadership of the Democratic Party in the person of the venerable Turk Tokita had joined the organizing board and when Democrat JoAnn Yukimura joined she squelched DOH documents- despite PNN reports- on our `Ele`ele plant toxic waste dump.
More importantly she gave the board united Democratic Party support. And Republican Kusaka didn’t like it, especially when KIUC top dog Greg Gardiner was being excoriated over his current- and sometimes past- documented deceits and dirty deeds.
Kusaka wanted the deal done. But the council was sitting through hours of televised meetings starring the “nitpickers”- who had adopted the name in a statement of ridicule of Kusaka. They were now credited with “saving” consumers tens of millions and trying to save tens if not a hundred more.
They filed up to have their three or six minutes tirades against the price and not the co-op concept but against “this” co-op- the one with the widely reviled and defamed Gardiner in charge
And Kusaka didn’t care. Her new-found Republican buddies- the ones who put her in office like Charlie King- had a big stake in seeing Republican-leaning, former “Kaua`i Times” newspaper owner, Gardiner look good.
The council was the last obstacle because the self appointed co-op board had essentially put it in their hands. The Council, in an effort to not pay the exorbitant price, actually passed a charter amendment creating a municipal power authority that remains unused today.
Finally the council got Kusaka to come and have her tell them face-to-face why they should take the give or take $225 million deal.
But unbelievably enough it was scheduled on the agenda as a secret executive session (ES) meeting,
The nitpickers and the public in general were outraged. And especially when they met under a Sunshine law provision [HRS 92-5(a)4] supposedly to meet with their “attorney” and there was no lawyer in the room- just the council and Kusaka.
(Correction- Attorney Bill Milks was in the room but was essentially there as camouflage while Kusaka and the council cut the deal.)
That’s when and where Kusaka and the council cut the deal for KIUC’s final approval
They came out of ES and everything was signed, sealed and delivered. No discussion. Vote- 7 ayes, Mr. Chair. Meeting adjoined..
Anthony Sommer, the author of “KPD Blue” and a reporter for the Honolulu Star Bulletin Kaua`i Bureau Chief at the time read the Sunshine law and didn’t believe what he just saw happen.
Having been at The Garden Island for a brief spell he knew that unlike real newspapers TGI doesn’t go to court for open meetings matters and freedom of information type requests. ... ever... at all... as a matter of policy.
But Sommer didn’t know that the Star Bulletin wasn’t going to back him up either by hiring a lawyer to find out what was discussed and just how they could decide a major public policy issue in secret .
So Sommer sued on his own nickel.
He won his case although it took years and of course by then the co-op was a thriving company with the highest rates in the country by a wide margin.
Enjoy Chapter 5- see ya Monday.
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