VOTE FOR NEIL ABERCROMBIE FOR GOVERNOR
Neil Abercrombie is the best candidate for governor we’ve seen in a generation or two- perhaps ever- and PNN wholeheartedly supports his candidacy in the September 18 democratic primary.
While we have been severely disappointed with Neil for things like his support for war funding and the militarization of the islands along with his recent flip flop on off-shore oil drilling, he presents a genuine chance for the kind of progressive leadership we seek from the fifth floor of the capitol.
His opponent Mufi Hannemann is a master of corrupt “pay to play” politics and one of the sleaziest politicians in the political history of the islands. Mufi is a corrupt, ego-driven, heartless braggart and bully that could be actually somehow be worse for the state than current governor Linda Lingle.
He has managed to take an extremely popular idea, a rail system for the city and county, and turn it into a divisive project by insisting on a “my way or the highway” elevated design that has been rejected in almost every major city in the country of late- one designed to enrich favored developers and construction companies rather than one derived through good planning and a public-input-based buy-in.
His horrific rousting and demonization of the homeless of Honolulu makes the damage he could do to these poor souls as governor alarming. His penchant for dirty politics is legendary as is his fondness for surrounding himself with “yes-men” to carry out his policies designed only to further his political career.
While we’ve been around the block enough times to know that campaign promises don’t mean much, Abercrombie’s support for sustainable practices and a clean-energy future for the state along with his stand on civil rights and other issues makes him an obvious choice for governor.
While it does say something about the choices we are routinely faced with at the polls, Neil Abercrombie is the probably the best option for governor we’ve ever had on the ballot and we’re happy to support him.
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Note: Because 14 of the 14 candidates for Kaua`i County Council will be moving on to the November elections we will NOT be picking council candidates for the primary elections.
(The date of the primary in the original post was incorrect. This version has been corrected)
Showing posts with label Mufi Hannamann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mufi Hannamann. Show all posts
Friday, September 3, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
SITTING ON A SOFA ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON
SITTING ON A SOFA ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON...: Few who saw it would deny that Monday’s gubernatorial debate was a disgusting display of ego-driven bravado, and rabblerousing, childish repartee with an emphasis on zingers and gotcha moments that made no one look good.
And the candidates themselves were pretty out there too.
Of course we’re not talking about Neil and Mufi but the (what passes for) Hawai`i News Now(a'days) production which was more reminiscent of a World Wrestling Federation event than a political forum.
The circus extravaganza- led by Kaua`i-born Keahi Tucker in the “Lets’ get ready to grumble” Vince McMahon role- wasn’t something that just got out of hand but was apparently a preplanned attempt to keep an audience glued to the tube through an hour and a half of “you stink, no you stink, nani-nani-boo-boo, halahhh!” rather than inform the electorate.
First they invited an audience straight out of Jerry Springer even setting up “sides” of the room with the most rabid of supporters of each candidate. Then they told them they could whoop and holler in a cheering manner but no hissing and booing.
Yeah, that’ll work.
Then there was Tucker, running around like Phil Donahue on steroids during the “lightening round”. After not asking but telling the two candidates that he was going to address them by their first names- eliciting a slight scowl from both- he proceeded to whip the crowd into a frenzy with insipid questions straight out of an MTV “news” segment.
It was a good thing he ran out of time before asking “boxers or briefs”.
And the questions from the so-called distinguished panel- including the “weather-bunny” turned anchor, the hack reporter/analyst from the co-sponsoring Star(ved for actual news) Advertiser that hasn’t had a political insight since the Burns administration. Only Dan Boylan’s presence prevented the group from having the cumulative political IQ of a sea cucumber.
We fully expected a scantily clad model to waltz across the stage holding up cards indicating which round it was..
Not that political races are by any means dignified affairs these day but you’d think the sponsors would do all they could to encourage a semblance of decorum rather than pulling up to the stage in a tiny car and unloading a group of clowns to ask the questions.
We expect bread and circuses from the pols but when the media provides the big top and the virtual popcorn. it’s no wonder campaigns are decided by who, issues be damned, is the least objectionable.
And the candidates themselves were pretty out there too.
Of course we’re not talking about Neil and Mufi but the (what passes for) Hawai`i News Now(a'days) production which was more reminiscent of a World Wrestling Federation event than a political forum.
The circus extravaganza- led by Kaua`i-born Keahi Tucker in the “Lets’ get ready to grumble” Vince McMahon role- wasn’t something that just got out of hand but was apparently a preplanned attempt to keep an audience glued to the tube through an hour and a half of “you stink, no you stink, nani-nani-boo-boo, halahhh!” rather than inform the electorate.
First they invited an audience straight out of Jerry Springer even setting up “sides” of the room with the most rabid of supporters of each candidate. Then they told them they could whoop and holler in a cheering manner but no hissing and booing.
Yeah, that’ll work.
Then there was Tucker, running around like Phil Donahue on steroids during the “lightening round”. After not asking but telling the two candidates that he was going to address them by their first names- eliciting a slight scowl from both- he proceeded to whip the crowd into a frenzy with insipid questions straight out of an MTV “news” segment.
It was a good thing he ran out of time before asking “boxers or briefs”.
And the questions from the so-called distinguished panel- including the “weather-bunny” turned anchor, the hack reporter/analyst from the co-sponsoring Star(ved for actual news) Advertiser that hasn’t had a political insight since the Burns administration. Only Dan Boylan’s presence prevented the group from having the cumulative political IQ of a sea cucumber.
We fully expected a scantily clad model to waltz across the stage holding up cards indicating which round it was..
Not that political races are by any means dignified affairs these day but you’d think the sponsors would do all they could to encourage a semblance of decorum rather than pulling up to the stage in a tiny car and unloading a group of clowns to ask the questions.
We expect bread and circuses from the pols but when the media provides the big top and the virtual popcorn. it’s no wonder campaigns are decided by who, issues be damned, is the least objectionable.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
BUT DID IT HAVE TO BE A TOOTHLESS HOUND AND AN OLD GRAY MARE
BUT DID IT HAVE TO BE A TOOTHLESS HOUND AND AN OLD GRAY MARE?: The blurry line between journalists and public relations hacks and flacks is getting more indistinguishable every day with reporters who started out afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted downsized into suckling on the teat of corporate conniving to sell you what you don’t want and never needed.
But those few who are left working for mainstream publications and TV news outlets are under more and more pressure to swallow any dog and pony show that provides innocuous and subservient news-hole fodder.
So it should come as no surprise that the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders have nothing on the Hawai`i press corps when it came to swallowing whole Linda Lingle’s latest PR stunt- her supposed economic stimulus program comprised of already approved projects repackaged with a shiny new bow.
You really have to search hard to find out anything that is actually being done in the supposed “fast tracking” and as a matter of fact no one in Honolulu that we can find has actually uncovered the fact that there is actually nothing being done this week that wasn’t being done last week except for the grin and grip for three neighbor island mayors seeking to appear as though they are “doing something to fix the economy”.
A look at the two major Honolulu dailies shows piss poor journalism in ballyhooing Lingle’s application of porcine makeup with not a one actually asking- much less reporting on- exactly what kind of “fast tracking” will actually be done.
The Advertiser’s Peter Boylan is particular smitten, leading his report by saying.
The state is looking to fast- track $1.86 billion worth of capital improvement projects to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
The 1,521 projects include highway improvements; maintenance and new construction at public schools and university and community college campuses; public library upgrades and repairs; small boat harbor upgrades and expansion; Hawaiian Homes construction; public housing facility repairs and renovations; and hospital and healthcare facility improvements.
After a paragraph saying Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann refused to show up for the farce he continues to describe the sow’s ear as a silk purse, saying
The projects identified by Lingle have already been budgeted and approved by the Legislature, and construction could begin within the next 18 months. The projects are set to be put out to bid by September 2009 and awarded by June 2010, Lingle said.
Lingle said she wants to stimulate the economy because "no one is coming here to rescue us. It is up to us."
She added: "My bottom line is it can't be business as usual. That won't work in these times."
The state will pay for the projects with a series of bond issues or by taking money from $3 billion it has in the bank, Lingle said.
Then he’s off on a tangent of Honolulu’s need for other projects turning his piece into a he said/she said political battle between the mayor and governor, never getting back to exactly what the real “news” is
The Star Bulletin’s usually astute Nina Wu was even more vapid. She not only fails to report what specific “fast tracking” there will be she doesn’t even mention that phrase much less explain that they are just a recycled and repackaged list of projects.
Wu simply regurgitates Lingle’s PR crew’s descriptions of the wondrous amounts of money Lingle will single handedly be bestowing on we commoners saying
Calling it an unprecedented initiative, the governor said the main goal was to create jobs.
"It's about real families," said Lingle. "When I talk to our team, I don't talk about it in terms of CIP or projects; I talk about it in terms of your neighbors, your friends, your family being able to have a decent life, being able to make their mortgage payments. That's what the effort is all about."
And that’s nothing compared to the editorial in today’s Star-Bulletin which proclaims “Lingle stimulus plan should work, in time” saying
GOING forward with state construction projects in an expedited timeframe announced by Gov. Linda Lingle should help the state climb out of its current financial ditch but not overnight. The move to hurry along approved state projects in cooperation with federal and county actions is laudable but limited by processes that cannot be sidestepped.
Lingle said more than 1,500 projects statewide that were approved by the Legislature will be put on a fast track, an 80 percent increase of projects previously put on such a schedule. Even then, she said at a news conference, the projects will be put out to bid by next September and contracts awarded by a year-and-a-half from now.
Want a more pantingly pedantic point of virew? Try today’s blog post from Advertiser columnist Dave Shapiro who has apparently been looking for something to butter up his fave on the fifth floor after being forced more and more recently to acknowledge her failed administration.
Instead of pointing out the emperor’s lack of appropriate apparel he pushes to what appears to be the Advertiser’s party line, turning the story into a hit piece on Hannemann. He wrote:
So what happened when Lingle called Hawai’i mayors together to work on an economic plan? Hannemann skipped out, and he deserves as much criticism as he earlier heaped on Lingle.
Before puking out political punditry that praises the Governor and the neighbor island mayors and faults His Mufiness for having more important things to do than participate in ding-a-Lingle’s no-news news-event.
Of course none of the TV news programs had anything more in their fleeting coverage than what they were spoon-fed and most were decidedly worse in terms of not reporting the deceit itself much less details of it.
But credit where credit is due- even if it is from what is usually the worst paper in the state- or country for that matter- The Garbage- er, Garden Island (TGI) on Kaua`i.
In reading relatively new reporter Michael Levine’s article you get a feeling that he wasn’t buying the gift wrapped turd.
Apparently he actually asked some of these questions and after describing the already-in-the-pipeline nature of the projects and listing some of the amounts of money to be spent he writes
However, the announcement should not be seen as Lingle actually releasing the funds from the state’s coffers — Pang said projects in which bids have not yet been awarded are not ready for release, and that the standard process, including planning and permitting, still has to occur on a case-by-case basis.
As an example of what’s not new he reports that
Nearly half of Kaua‘i’s funding total is expected to be used to widen a two-mile stretch of Kaumuali‘i Highway between Anonui Street and the Lihu‘e Mill Bridge.
According to information on the CIP Web site, that project alone is projected to cost just over $70 million.
The project is expected to go out to bid in June 2009, to be awarded in September 2009, and to begin construction in February 2010. The contract time is projected to be 825 days.
So the project, which was always scheduled for that timeframe as he reported previously, will now be scheduled for that same time... only this time it’s thanks to Lingle with an assist in doing nothing from Kaua`i Mayor Bernard Carvalho
According to Levine there’s nothing specific they will be doing to fast track anything except for determining what if anything they can do- which is probably nothing.
“These projects will help in getting our construction and building trade sectors moving,” Mayor Bernard Carvalho, who pledged support for the program at an afternoon press conference with Lingle and other county mayors, said in a release.
Beth Tokioka, executive assistant to Carvalho, said the mayor’s staff was continuing to look through the list to determine what assistance the county can provide to help speed up the process.
Additionally, Carvalho said in a press release that the county is compiling its own list of high-priority CIP projects for immediate and near-term implementation.
“Millions of dollars at the county level are already in the pipeline or are ready to be awarded,” he said.“We are currently preparing for a bond float so that we can fund additional CIP projects.
Supporting our economy during these difficult times remains a top priority for my administration.”
So let’s get this straight- even the fast-tracking is a con job because there’s no guarantee from Lingle that this will speed up her “release” of the funds or that she’ll do it any differently than what is proscribed by laws and rules. And, Carvalho will also be following the law and rules at the county level for permitting and planning approval.
We can only hope that someone like Levine- if not him- is named to replace the departing TGI Editor Adam Harju who is reportedly moving on to- believe it or not- “The Cambodia Daily”.
Levine has done some really exceptional reporting even though Harju has been a stalwart of censorship and drivel in service to publisher Mark Lewis.
But it appears, despite Harju’s denials when he took the job that he was “here to stay”, Kaua`i was for him just “another stop on the circuit” of small but increasingly larger community papers that younger mainland reporters ride to professional legitimacy.
Well the community’s gain is Harju’s loss- As everyone knows the only reason he was here was for the surfing anyway. We’ll most likely be looking forward to an even more out of touch malahini from “the circuit” taking the TGI reigns.
Keep it riel Adam and don’t take any bamboo ones. We’ll let Pol Pot’s living henchmen know they have nothing to worry about in the way of investigative work from you.
But those few who are left working for mainstream publications and TV news outlets are under more and more pressure to swallow any dog and pony show that provides innocuous and subservient news-hole fodder.
So it should come as no surprise that the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders have nothing on the Hawai`i press corps when it came to swallowing whole Linda Lingle’s latest PR stunt- her supposed economic stimulus program comprised of already approved projects repackaged with a shiny new bow.
You really have to search hard to find out anything that is actually being done in the supposed “fast tracking” and as a matter of fact no one in Honolulu that we can find has actually uncovered the fact that there is actually nothing being done this week that wasn’t being done last week except for the grin and grip for three neighbor island mayors seeking to appear as though they are “doing something to fix the economy”.
A look at the two major Honolulu dailies shows piss poor journalism in ballyhooing Lingle’s application of porcine makeup with not a one actually asking- much less reporting on- exactly what kind of “fast tracking” will actually be done.
The Advertiser’s Peter Boylan is particular smitten, leading his report by saying.
The state is looking to fast- track $1.86 billion worth of capital improvement projects to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
The 1,521 projects include highway improvements; maintenance and new construction at public schools and university and community college campuses; public library upgrades and repairs; small boat harbor upgrades and expansion; Hawaiian Homes construction; public housing facility repairs and renovations; and hospital and healthcare facility improvements.
After a paragraph saying Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann refused to show up for the farce he continues to describe the sow’s ear as a silk purse, saying
The projects identified by Lingle have already been budgeted and approved by the Legislature, and construction could begin within the next 18 months. The projects are set to be put out to bid by September 2009 and awarded by June 2010, Lingle said.
Lingle said she wants to stimulate the economy because "no one is coming here to rescue us. It is up to us."
She added: "My bottom line is it can't be business as usual. That won't work in these times."
The state will pay for the projects with a series of bond issues or by taking money from $3 billion it has in the bank, Lingle said.
Then he’s off on a tangent of Honolulu’s need for other projects turning his piece into a he said/she said political battle between the mayor and governor, never getting back to exactly what the real “news” is
The Star Bulletin’s usually astute Nina Wu was even more vapid. She not only fails to report what specific “fast tracking” there will be she doesn’t even mention that phrase much less explain that they are just a recycled and repackaged list of projects.
Wu simply regurgitates Lingle’s PR crew’s descriptions of the wondrous amounts of money Lingle will single handedly be bestowing on we commoners saying
Calling it an unprecedented initiative, the governor said the main goal was to create jobs.
"It's about real families," said Lingle. "When I talk to our team, I don't talk about it in terms of CIP or projects; I talk about it in terms of your neighbors, your friends, your family being able to have a decent life, being able to make their mortgage payments. That's what the effort is all about."
And that’s nothing compared to the editorial in today’s Star-Bulletin which proclaims “Lingle stimulus plan should work, in time” saying
GOING forward with state construction projects in an expedited timeframe announced by Gov. Linda Lingle should help the state climb out of its current financial ditch but not overnight. The move to hurry along approved state projects in cooperation with federal and county actions is laudable but limited by processes that cannot be sidestepped.
Lingle said more than 1,500 projects statewide that were approved by the Legislature will be put on a fast track, an 80 percent increase of projects previously put on such a schedule. Even then, she said at a news conference, the projects will be put out to bid by next September and contracts awarded by a year-and-a-half from now.
Want a more pantingly pedantic point of virew? Try today’s blog post from Advertiser columnist Dave Shapiro who has apparently been looking for something to butter up his fave on the fifth floor after being forced more and more recently to acknowledge her failed administration.
Instead of pointing out the emperor’s lack of appropriate apparel he pushes to what appears to be the Advertiser’s party line, turning the story into a hit piece on Hannemann. He wrote:
So what happened when Lingle called Hawai’i mayors together to work on an economic plan? Hannemann skipped out, and he deserves as much criticism as he earlier heaped on Lingle.
Before puking out political punditry that praises the Governor and the neighbor island mayors and faults His Mufiness for having more important things to do than participate in ding-a-Lingle’s no-news news-event.
Of course none of the TV news programs had anything more in their fleeting coverage than what they were spoon-fed and most were decidedly worse in terms of not reporting the deceit itself much less details of it.
But credit where credit is due- even if it is from what is usually the worst paper in the state- or country for that matter- The Garbage- er, Garden Island (TGI) on Kaua`i.
In reading relatively new reporter Michael Levine’s article you get a feeling that he wasn’t buying the gift wrapped turd.
Apparently he actually asked some of these questions and after describing the already-in-the-pipeline nature of the projects and listing some of the amounts of money to be spent he writes
However, the announcement should not be seen as Lingle actually releasing the funds from the state’s coffers — Pang said projects in which bids have not yet been awarded are not ready for release, and that the standard process, including planning and permitting, still has to occur on a case-by-case basis.
As an example of what’s not new he reports that
Nearly half of Kaua‘i’s funding total is expected to be used to widen a two-mile stretch of Kaumuali‘i Highway between Anonui Street and the Lihu‘e Mill Bridge.
According to information on the CIP Web site, that project alone is projected to cost just over $70 million.
The project is expected to go out to bid in June 2009, to be awarded in September 2009, and to begin construction in February 2010. The contract time is projected to be 825 days.
So the project, which was always scheduled for that timeframe as he reported previously, will now be scheduled for that same time... only this time it’s thanks to Lingle with an assist in doing nothing from Kaua`i Mayor Bernard Carvalho
According to Levine there’s nothing specific they will be doing to fast track anything except for determining what if anything they can do- which is probably nothing.
“These projects will help in getting our construction and building trade sectors moving,” Mayor Bernard Carvalho, who pledged support for the program at an afternoon press conference with Lingle and other county mayors, said in a release.
Beth Tokioka, executive assistant to Carvalho, said the mayor’s staff was continuing to look through the list to determine what assistance the county can provide to help speed up the process.
Additionally, Carvalho said in a press release that the county is compiling its own list of high-priority CIP projects for immediate and near-term implementation.
“Millions of dollars at the county level are already in the pipeline or are ready to be awarded,” he said.“We are currently preparing for a bond float so that we can fund additional CIP projects.
Supporting our economy during these difficult times remains a top priority for my administration.”
So let’s get this straight- even the fast-tracking is a con job because there’s no guarantee from Lingle that this will speed up her “release” of the funds or that she’ll do it any differently than what is proscribed by laws and rules. And, Carvalho will also be following the law and rules at the county level for permitting and planning approval.
We can only hope that someone like Levine- if not him- is named to replace the departing TGI Editor Adam Harju who is reportedly moving on to- believe it or not- “The Cambodia Daily”.
Levine has done some really exceptional reporting even though Harju has been a stalwart of censorship and drivel in service to publisher Mark Lewis.
But it appears, despite Harju’s denials when he took the job that he was “here to stay”, Kaua`i was for him just “another stop on the circuit” of small but increasingly larger community papers that younger mainland reporters ride to professional legitimacy.
Well the community’s gain is Harju’s loss- As everyone knows the only reason he was here was for the surfing anyway. We’ll most likely be looking forward to an even more out of touch malahini from “the circuit” taking the TGI reigns.
Keep it riel Adam and don’t take any bamboo ones. We’ll let Pol Pot’s living henchmen know they have nothing to worry about in the way of investigative work from you.
Friday, December 5, 2008
(PNN/gw?) ABERCROMBIE : “I WILL BE RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR”
CIRCLING THE SEAT: PNN has learned that Congressman Neil Abercrombie has told Democratic leaders that in fact he will run for Governor in 2010.
According to sources close to Abercrombie he has been telling party leaders “I will be running for governor in 2010“.
One source who asked not to be identified because the announcement should come from Abercrombie himself said that the congressman, with prodding from his family feels it is time for him to “come back home” after turning 70 in June.
Speculation in the press has focused on what will happen in the various musical chairs scenarios that will no doubt commence with Abercrombie’s official announcement.
Also up for reelection in ‘10 is Senator Dan Inouye who, many believe will seek another term despite the fact that he will be 86 at the time but so far there’s been no announcement.
So as the beguine begins the list of suitors spocking out the various available chairs is growing by the day.
Former 2nd Congressional District (CD) Congressman Ed Case has sent out a rather strange email in the last few days asking recipients to recommend which office he should seek two years hence- governor or congress- saying he will support Inouye’s reelection in ’10.
Senate President Colleen Hanabusa is also said to be looking for new environs although Abercrombie’s decision could influence her reported interest in the gubernatorial race.
And of course there’s the always-running-for-something Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannamann. While he would have to resign to run for Governor he could run for congress without giving up his current digs.
While most of the speculation on the Mufster’s future has centered on an office on the 5th floor of the capitol, he might see the open congressional seat as an opportunity without a downside should he lose.
And on the Republican side there’s no dearth of ambitious “against all odds” candidates beginning with Governor Linda Lingle who’s pretty much played out any popularity she might have enjoyed six years ago.
Lingle has been mentioned often as a Republican opponent for Inouye’s seat but even though it’s probably pure delusion on her part to think that with her plummeting popularity she could win any race at this point, she may believe that running for an open congressional seat- against the winner of what promises to be a bloody battle in the Democratic primaries- might make more sense,
And the always comical Charles Djou, a Honolulu Councilman know for his somewhat bizarre manner and penchant for self aggrandizement who has already announced his probable losing run for Abercrombie’s seat.
Last and least of course there’s Lt. Governor Duke Aiona who has been running for governor for six years now with his right-wing-nut religious agenda. He gives whomever the Democrats nominate an almost free pass to Washington Place.
But these Honolulu habitants seem unaware that no matter what their support at home may be, half the state’s population not only doesn’t live “in town” and if their names are known at all out here in the boonies it’s because they are so roundly disliked.
That may be the reason why one name being thrown about now about is none other than Kaua`i Senator Gary Hooser.
As Honolulu Advertiser columnist and blogger Dave Shapiro told us in yesterday’s blog post on the “2010 political follies” notes: .
Hooser is running a banner ad on an online news site asking readers “Who is Gary Hooser?” and “What are his core values?” and inviting them to “Click here to watch The Gary Hooser Story.” But when you click through to his Web site, all you get is a teaser that it’s “coming soon” on Dec. 5.
If Hooser is making a big effort to increase his visibility, you have to assume he’s also got his eye on governor, lieutenant governor or Congress.
So we dialed up the always available Hooser- the only elected official we know of who widely circulates his personal cell phone number and urges people to call any time- to find out about his plans.
Hooser told us that his prime interest is in serving the 7th State Senate District but feels that perhaps there are future opportunities for him to serve out there and though he has no plans to leave the job he loves representing Kaua`i and Ni`ihau, he would like to have people in the state outside of Kaua`i know more about him and see what develops.
Hooser could run for either senate or congress in 2010 without giving up his seat to run although a lieutenant governor run would require him to “resign to run”. Hooser has said in the past that his passion is in legislative affairs far more than administrative.
The fact is that Hooser is wildly popular on the Garden Isle and when it comes to representation in Washington D.C we neighbor islanders haven’t had one of our own in congress since Patsy Mink.
And while the rest of the pack may have a tough time with their negative images among neighbor islanders Hooser biggest problem with culling the votes of city dwellers may be name recognition alone.
Hooser’s biggest obstacle is probably that not many outside Kaua`i know the answer to the question “Who is Gary Hooser/” although as Senate Majority Leader many who follow politics know not just his name but his reputation as a well-liked progressive legislator who’s not afraid to stand up for his constituents and to the special interests, even within his own party.
Abercrombie seems a shoo-in for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee and therefore governor at this point.
Hanabusa has a disproportionate and distorted image of her popularity outside her district and is blamed for quite a few fiascos and capitulations to special interests as Senate President.
And Case is a perennial primary loser known as a “DINO”- Democrat in Name Only- which may put him out of the running should he go up against Abercrombie, Hamabusa or Hannamann in a state-wide Democratic primary.
Maize Hirono, the current 2nd CD representative, like Case is from Honolulu and won the seat with less than 25% of the vote in the wild non-partisan special election that followed Case’s resignation to run against Sen. Dan Akaka in ‘06. And she faced no real opposition in her reelection campaign this year.
While it’s doubtful Hooser would take on a sitting congresswoman in his own party it’s certainly not out of the question. Hooser originally won election to the state Senate by taking on a Democratic incumbent, Jonathan Chun, in 2002.
The question that must be asked now is whether Hirono might run for Abercrombie’s urban 1st CD – the district where she grew up and actually resides.
Should that happen Hooser’s attempt to let voters know “Who is Gary Hooser?” might, in hindsight be an appropriate move- one that could bring real neighbor island representation to U.S. Congress for the first time in a long time.
According to sources close to Abercrombie he has been telling party leaders “I will be running for governor in 2010“.
One source who asked not to be identified because the announcement should come from Abercrombie himself said that the congressman, with prodding from his family feels it is time for him to “come back home” after turning 70 in June.
Speculation in the press has focused on what will happen in the various musical chairs scenarios that will no doubt commence with Abercrombie’s official announcement.
Also up for reelection in ‘10 is Senator Dan Inouye who, many believe will seek another term despite the fact that he will be 86 at the time but so far there’s been no announcement.
So as the beguine begins the list of suitors spocking out the various available chairs is growing by the day.
Former 2nd Congressional District (CD) Congressman Ed Case has sent out a rather strange email in the last few days asking recipients to recommend which office he should seek two years hence- governor or congress- saying he will support Inouye’s reelection in ’10.
Senate President Colleen Hanabusa is also said to be looking for new environs although Abercrombie’s decision could influence her reported interest in the gubernatorial race.
And of course there’s the always-running-for-something Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannamann. While he would have to resign to run for Governor he could run for congress without giving up his current digs.
While most of the speculation on the Mufster’s future has centered on an office on the 5th floor of the capitol, he might see the open congressional seat as an opportunity without a downside should he lose.
And on the Republican side there’s no dearth of ambitious “against all odds” candidates beginning with Governor Linda Lingle who’s pretty much played out any popularity she might have enjoyed six years ago.
Lingle has been mentioned often as a Republican opponent for Inouye’s seat but even though it’s probably pure delusion on her part to think that with her plummeting popularity she could win any race at this point, she may believe that running for an open congressional seat- against the winner of what promises to be a bloody battle in the Democratic primaries- might make more sense,
And the always comical Charles Djou, a Honolulu Councilman know for his somewhat bizarre manner and penchant for self aggrandizement who has already announced his probable losing run for Abercrombie’s seat.
Last and least of course there’s Lt. Governor Duke Aiona who has been running for governor for six years now with his right-wing-nut religious agenda. He gives whomever the Democrats nominate an almost free pass to Washington Place.
But these Honolulu habitants seem unaware that no matter what their support at home may be, half the state’s population not only doesn’t live “in town” and if their names are known at all out here in the boonies it’s because they are so roundly disliked.
That may be the reason why one name being thrown about now about is none other than Kaua`i Senator Gary Hooser.
As Honolulu Advertiser columnist and blogger Dave Shapiro told us in yesterday’s blog post on the “2010 political follies” notes: .
Hooser is running a banner ad on an online news site asking readers “Who is Gary Hooser?” and “What are his core values?” and inviting them to “Click here to watch The Gary Hooser Story.” But when you click through to his Web site, all you get is a teaser that it’s “coming soon” on Dec. 5.
If Hooser is making a big effort to increase his visibility, you have to assume he’s also got his eye on governor, lieutenant governor or Congress.
So we dialed up the always available Hooser- the only elected official we know of who widely circulates his personal cell phone number and urges people to call any time- to find out about his plans.
Hooser told us that his prime interest is in serving the 7th State Senate District but feels that perhaps there are future opportunities for him to serve out there and though he has no plans to leave the job he loves representing Kaua`i and Ni`ihau, he would like to have people in the state outside of Kaua`i know more about him and see what develops.
Hooser could run for either senate or congress in 2010 without giving up his seat to run although a lieutenant governor run would require him to “resign to run”. Hooser has said in the past that his passion is in legislative affairs far more than administrative.
The fact is that Hooser is wildly popular on the Garden Isle and when it comes to representation in Washington D.C we neighbor islanders haven’t had one of our own in congress since Patsy Mink.
And while the rest of the pack may have a tough time with their negative images among neighbor islanders Hooser biggest problem with culling the votes of city dwellers may be name recognition alone.
Hooser’s biggest obstacle is probably that not many outside Kaua`i know the answer to the question “Who is Gary Hooser/” although as Senate Majority Leader many who follow politics know not just his name but his reputation as a well-liked progressive legislator who’s not afraid to stand up for his constituents and to the special interests, even within his own party.
Abercrombie seems a shoo-in for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee and therefore governor at this point.
Hanabusa has a disproportionate and distorted image of her popularity outside her district and is blamed for quite a few fiascos and capitulations to special interests as Senate President.
And Case is a perennial primary loser known as a “DINO”- Democrat in Name Only- which may put him out of the running should he go up against Abercrombie, Hamabusa or Hannamann in a state-wide Democratic primary.
Maize Hirono, the current 2nd CD representative, like Case is from Honolulu and won the seat with less than 25% of the vote in the wild non-partisan special election that followed Case’s resignation to run against Sen. Dan Akaka in ‘06. And she faced no real opposition in her reelection campaign this year.
While it’s doubtful Hooser would take on a sitting congresswoman in his own party it’s certainly not out of the question. Hooser originally won election to the state Senate by taking on a Democratic incumbent, Jonathan Chun, in 2002.
The question that must be asked now is whether Hirono might run for Abercrombie’s urban 1st CD – the district where she grew up and actually resides.
Should that happen Hooser’s attempt to let voters know “Who is Gary Hooser?” might, in hindsight be an appropriate move- one that could bring real neighbor island representation to U.S. Congress for the first time in a long time.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
TWO BITS A YELP
TWO BITS A YELP: The Honolulu rail debate has been a circus.
And one of the pro-rail’s biggest of clowns Doug Carlson has now been exposed by Disappeared News’ Larry Geller today for putting up a blog of hypocritical drivel and getting paid for it with his supposed “full disclosure” buried and blurred. In it, though it’s an ordeal to find it, he “admits” he’s being paid to produce this pro-rail blog- although by whom isn’t quite clear- but pooh-poohing any concerns he’s unduly biased.
And in a comment on Geller’s post today Carlson refused to tell Geller who is financing him claiming it would violate his financial privacy.
But the most galling part of Carlson’s little shilling adventure is his contention that only the anti-rail people are engaged in below-the-belt distraction-from-the-real-issues discourse while his pro-rail crowd would never stoop to that, all the while maintaining that the whole purpose of his blog is to separate the “Sideshow” from the “Big Tent” .
Carlson who has held various jobs as a corporate spokesperson and worked for Hawaiian Electric Company as their mouthpiece for 10 years, tries in his blog to paint the anti-rail people as not addressing the issues while he is focused on debating as to core rail issue.
He says:
After reading hundreds of letters to the editor and comments in the newspapers about rail, it seems to me they fall into one of two groups – the Big Tent or the Sideshow.
The Big Tent’s center ring features the primary reason to build this system, which is traffic avoidance. Commuters who can’t tolerate the lost time and immense frustration caused by traffic congestion or for whom reliance on their own car is too costly are attracted by this reason to ride the train. They want back their mobility, which they’ve lost. That’s the reason to build this system.
The anti-rail crowd pretty much avoids the Big Tent altogether. For whatever reason, they can’t or won’t even look at the traffic-avoidance issue and instead hang out in the Sideshow where everything but the main issue is on stage.
The Sideshow’s leading “barkers” are well known, and some have been shouting about what’s behind their tents’ curtains since the last time this circus was in town. You’ve heard it all – how HOT Lanes will be the cheap and easy solution to traffic; why a vote on this issue would be the democratic way, etc.
Yet the only arguments Carlson raises- again and again and again- boil down to “we need rail therefore we need THIS rail system”.
His writings are filled with the wonders of rail transit in general and the benefits of getting cars off the road but not once does he relate those arguments to the specific controversial- and some say corrupt- proposal for Honolulu.
Geller on the other hand has written entries on the subject and they are perhaps the only intelligent discourse we’ve read on the subject, saying that “rail or no rail” is not the issue as much as is the absolute dearth of any community based planning on the system’s specifics like location, stops, need, type etc.... especially given that the lines seem to go places where the intent appears be to open up certain areas for development rather than serve the already populated neighborhoods..
Yet, Geller says, there was never any community based planning, which is typical of Honolulu in all development matters.
Geller says he is not against mass transit or even rail per se, he just wanted to back up a little and get a real plan going, asking rhetorically if anyone has even heard of “smart growth”.
And we’ve agreed with both statements wholeheartedly.
But more significant is the fact that the rail system has been turned into a revolving-door boondoggle for Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann’s administration as we also detailed.
Here’s what the Honolulu Advertiser had to say on June 29
The project's largest contractor is Parsons Brinckerhoff, which has an $86 million deal with the city. The other major contractor is InfraConsult LLC, which has an $11.5 million deal to manage the rail project for the city. InfraConsult was founded in part by former Parsons Brinckerhoff employees.
The train project is run by the city transportation department, which is led by director Wayne Yoshioka, a former Parsons Brinckerhoff engineer. Yoshioka has promised to recuse himself from key decisions regarding his former employer.
And this on May 4"
Contractors on Honolulu's $3.7 billion transit system and their employees have contributed $163,000 to Mayor Mufi Hannemann's re-election campaign.
Between November 2004, when Hannemann was elected, to December 2007, he has raised $2.26 million for his campaign, and $163,000, or 7.2 percent, has come from contractors involved in the planning of the project, their employees and families, according to an Advertiser search of Hawai`i Campaign Spending Commission records.
The $163,000 donation figure includes companies already receiving money from the city but does not include contributions from land owners and developers, labor unions, other future beneficiaries of the transit project.[Honolulu Advertiser 5/4/2008
Carlson doesn’t mention these issues at all in his blog but rather sounds like Frankenstein describing food, smoke and fire
“Mass Transit, gooooood. Rail gooooood. anti-rail – arrrgh”. No further debate needed. And if you don’t agree Doug claims you’re just a name-calling, partisan sideshow geek.
That’s rational, focused “Big Tent” discussion of the real issues? Sounds more like his little side show might just have more headless chickens than you can shake a blog at.
And now he is calling Geller’s revelation a “part of the side show” although in questioning Carlson's ’s credibility Geller does only what the rest of Carlson’s blog attempts to do.
The difference is Geller is spot-on right about Carlson while Doug apparently makes up things to attack.
The blog appears to be one of those “Wizard of Oz on steroids” sites: i.e.-. more straw men than Ray Bolger and Buddy Ebsen combined could have depicted.
His most recent entry tries to excoriate Governor Linda Lingle’s recent signing of the stop-rail petition and although she- genuinely or disingenuously- is saying she is just doing it to “let the people decide via the ballot box”, Carlson belittles any such notion by saying
Governor Linda Lingle’s signature is now on a petition whose sole purpose is to prevent the construction of Honolulu’s proposed rail transit system. Since signing a petition implicitly supports its intent, her insistence that she’s not advocating for or against rail rings hollow.
He then goes on to say what he wished she had said, misrepresenting, mocking and personally deriding her but not making any real arguments for rail, just against her and what he imagines her motives are.
That had been preceded on the blog with another personal attack that avoids any of the issues:
People sign petitions to support the intent of the petition, which in this case is an unambiguous attempt to kill Honolulu’s rail project now and forever, once and for all time. Her signature – if it’s actually been affixed – sends a clear message, no matter what his 800-word explanation says.
No, you da liar- no, you da liar- no, you da liar. Yeah- real erudite and honest argumentation Doug... during a trash talk session with 12 year olds.
One has to wonder if Mr. Carlson’s M.O. is based on the famous legal case of Rubber v Glue.
His previous posting before the one where he attacked Larry for disclosing the corporate and/or governmental funding for his blog, attacked rail opponent, Honolulu Councilperson Charles Djou personally because he used the word “propaganda” on a radio program in characterizing the city’s use of taxpayer money and Hannamann’s own campaign funds to promote the project and discourage those signing the petitions.
One of the more bizarre red herrings is this little previous ditty:.
We talked yesterday with a friend who has signed the anti-rail petition and asked what his big objection to rail is, and it came down to Honolulu’s alleged inability to maintain a rail system due to our climate, rust, etc. So I pointed out that dozens of elevators and other key equipment in town are maintained with no apparent problem and that train systems apparently are maintained well around the world in caustic conditions. He had no response, because the “maintenance issue” is another Sideshow act that attracts attention but has no substance.
Where did he dig someone up who claimed this? We’ve read almost every article in the mainstream papers and dozens of alternative news sites and blogs and no one has ever seriously said “oh it’ll rust too quick here so we shouldn’t have rail”. Gee- it couldn’t be one of those corporate spinmeister tricks of making up a bad argument, creating something to rail against (pun intended)...could it?
Boy it’s a good thing he’s concentrating on the issues and not just personally attacking those anti-rail people who he actually criticizes for not doing anything but criticizing the pro rail people... otherwise we might think that his disingenuity stems from his being a paid hack.
Preceding the circus post were various other attacks on anyone daring to question the wisdom of the project as it is currently designed and sited including an excoriation of former Governor Ben Cayetano who wrote an essay in the paper before he and his wife were character-assassinated by Carlson without discussing specific issues
Before that was a piece promoting a big pro-rail demonstration containing no discussion of the merits but plenty of attempted ridicule of the anti-rail people and another post with a bunch of attacks on the reputation and temperament of Panos D. Prevedouros, a UH Engineering professor and outspoken opponent of rail itself (he prefers to spend the transit money on high occupancy freeway lanes) who is now running for mayor against Carlson’s presumed employer, Hannemann.
As much as Larry Geller represents the best of journalism- a reasoned and well researched web site “appearing” the Disappeared News- Carlson represents the worst.
Carlson says he used to be a journalist but now, as we can see, he is an anything-for-a-buck con artist who, unlike any journalist with ethics, doesn’t feel like he needs six showers a day after running his three-card-Monte and shell-game public relations and marketing scams.
Mainstream media pundits like to deride and question the accuracy of on-line citizen-journalist postings. But few things are more reprehensible than people who trade on their good name for being honest and factual reporters to do the paid dirty work of crooks, whether they basically agree with them or not.
This kind of thing isn’t acceptable in an ethical newsroom. If the Advertiser has big banner ads for the Superferry at least it acts as disclosure. A site like Carlson’s needs a “sponsored by” box at the top of the side column at the very least.
Otherwise it’s a trick- a PR ploy to try to get your marketing campaign to look “grassroots” and “go viral”
Larry Geller says today that “I am still a great fan of Doug Carlson’s writing and his work”. That may be the only thing we’ve ever read at from Larry that really doesn’t make sense.
And one of the pro-rail’s biggest of clowns Doug Carlson has now been exposed by Disappeared News’ Larry Geller today for putting up a blog of hypocritical drivel and getting paid for it with his supposed “full disclosure” buried and blurred. In it, though it’s an ordeal to find it, he “admits” he’s being paid to produce this pro-rail blog- although by whom isn’t quite clear- but pooh-poohing any concerns he’s unduly biased.
And in a comment on Geller’s post today Carlson refused to tell Geller who is financing him claiming it would violate his financial privacy.
But the most galling part of Carlson’s little shilling adventure is his contention that only the anti-rail people are engaged in below-the-belt distraction-from-the-real-issues discourse while his pro-rail crowd would never stoop to that, all the while maintaining that the whole purpose of his blog is to separate the “Sideshow” from the “Big Tent” .
Carlson who has held various jobs as a corporate spokesperson and worked for Hawaiian Electric Company as their mouthpiece for 10 years, tries in his blog to paint the anti-rail people as not addressing the issues while he is focused on debating as to core rail issue.
He says:
After reading hundreds of letters to the editor and comments in the newspapers about rail, it seems to me they fall into one of two groups – the Big Tent or the Sideshow.
The Big Tent’s center ring features the primary reason to build this system, which is traffic avoidance. Commuters who can’t tolerate the lost time and immense frustration caused by traffic congestion or for whom reliance on their own car is too costly are attracted by this reason to ride the train. They want back their mobility, which they’ve lost. That’s the reason to build this system.
The anti-rail crowd pretty much avoids the Big Tent altogether. For whatever reason, they can’t or won’t even look at the traffic-avoidance issue and instead hang out in the Sideshow where everything but the main issue is on stage.
The Sideshow’s leading “barkers” are well known, and some have been shouting about what’s behind their tents’ curtains since the last time this circus was in town. You’ve heard it all – how HOT Lanes will be the cheap and easy solution to traffic; why a vote on this issue would be the democratic way, etc.
Yet the only arguments Carlson raises- again and again and again- boil down to “we need rail therefore we need THIS rail system”.
His writings are filled with the wonders of rail transit in general and the benefits of getting cars off the road but not once does he relate those arguments to the specific controversial- and some say corrupt- proposal for Honolulu.
Geller on the other hand has written entries on the subject and they are perhaps the only intelligent discourse we’ve read on the subject, saying that “rail or no rail” is not the issue as much as is the absolute dearth of any community based planning on the system’s specifics like location, stops, need, type etc.... especially given that the lines seem to go places where the intent appears be to open up certain areas for development rather than serve the already populated neighborhoods..
Yet, Geller says, there was never any community based planning, which is typical of Honolulu in all development matters.
Geller says he is not against mass transit or even rail per se, he just wanted to back up a little and get a real plan going, asking rhetorically if anyone has even heard of “smart growth”.
And we’ve agreed with both statements wholeheartedly.
But more significant is the fact that the rail system has been turned into a revolving-door boondoggle for Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann’s administration as we also detailed.
Here’s what the Honolulu Advertiser had to say on June 29
The project's largest contractor is Parsons Brinckerhoff, which has an $86 million deal with the city. The other major contractor is InfraConsult LLC, which has an $11.5 million deal to manage the rail project for the city. InfraConsult was founded in part by former Parsons Brinckerhoff employees.
The train project is run by the city transportation department, which is led by director Wayne Yoshioka, a former Parsons Brinckerhoff engineer. Yoshioka has promised to recuse himself from key decisions regarding his former employer.
And this on May 4"
Contractors on Honolulu's $3.7 billion transit system and their employees have contributed $163,000 to Mayor Mufi Hannemann's re-election campaign.
Between November 2004, when Hannemann was elected, to December 2007, he has raised $2.26 million for his campaign, and $163,000, or 7.2 percent, has come from contractors involved in the planning of the project, their employees and families, according to an Advertiser search of Hawai`i Campaign Spending Commission records.
The $163,000 donation figure includes companies already receiving money from the city but does not include contributions from land owners and developers, labor unions, other future beneficiaries of the transit project.[Honolulu Advertiser 5/4/2008
Carlson doesn’t mention these issues at all in his blog but rather sounds like Frankenstein describing food, smoke and fire
“Mass Transit, gooooood. Rail gooooood. anti-rail – arrrgh”. No further debate needed. And if you don’t agree Doug claims you’re just a name-calling, partisan sideshow geek.
That’s rational, focused “Big Tent” discussion of the real issues? Sounds more like his little side show might just have more headless chickens than you can shake a blog at.
And now he is calling Geller’s revelation a “part of the side show” although in questioning Carlson's ’s credibility Geller does only what the rest of Carlson’s blog attempts to do.
The difference is Geller is spot-on right about Carlson while Doug apparently makes up things to attack.
The blog appears to be one of those “Wizard of Oz on steroids” sites: i.e.-. more straw men than Ray Bolger and Buddy Ebsen combined could have depicted.
His most recent entry tries to excoriate Governor Linda Lingle’s recent signing of the stop-rail petition and although she- genuinely or disingenuously- is saying she is just doing it to “let the people decide via the ballot box”, Carlson belittles any such notion by saying
Governor Linda Lingle’s signature is now on a petition whose sole purpose is to prevent the construction of Honolulu’s proposed rail transit system. Since signing a petition implicitly supports its intent, her insistence that she’s not advocating for or against rail rings hollow.
He then goes on to say what he wished she had said, misrepresenting, mocking and personally deriding her but not making any real arguments for rail, just against her and what he imagines her motives are.
That had been preceded on the blog with another personal attack that avoids any of the issues:
People sign petitions to support the intent of the petition, which in this case is an unambiguous attempt to kill Honolulu’s rail project now and forever, once and for all time. Her signature – if it’s actually been affixed – sends a clear message, no matter what his 800-word explanation says.
No, you da liar- no, you da liar- no, you da liar. Yeah- real erudite and honest argumentation Doug... during a trash talk session with 12 year olds.
One has to wonder if Mr. Carlson’s M.O. is based on the famous legal case of Rubber v Glue.
His previous posting before the one where he attacked Larry for disclosing the corporate and/or governmental funding for his blog, attacked rail opponent, Honolulu Councilperson Charles Djou personally because he used the word “propaganda” on a radio program in characterizing the city’s use of taxpayer money and Hannamann’s own campaign funds to promote the project and discourage those signing the petitions.
One of the more bizarre red herrings is this little previous ditty:.
We talked yesterday with a friend who has signed the anti-rail petition and asked what his big objection to rail is, and it came down to Honolulu’s alleged inability to maintain a rail system due to our climate, rust, etc. So I pointed out that dozens of elevators and other key equipment in town are maintained with no apparent problem and that train systems apparently are maintained well around the world in caustic conditions. He had no response, because the “maintenance issue” is another Sideshow act that attracts attention but has no substance.
Where did he dig someone up who claimed this? We’ve read almost every article in the mainstream papers and dozens of alternative news sites and blogs and no one has ever seriously said “oh it’ll rust too quick here so we shouldn’t have rail”. Gee- it couldn’t be one of those corporate spinmeister tricks of making up a bad argument, creating something to rail against (pun intended)...could it?
Boy it’s a good thing he’s concentrating on the issues and not just personally attacking those anti-rail people who he actually criticizes for not doing anything but criticizing the pro rail people... otherwise we might think that his disingenuity stems from his being a paid hack.
Preceding the circus post were various other attacks on anyone daring to question the wisdom of the project as it is currently designed and sited including an excoriation of former Governor Ben Cayetano who wrote an essay in the paper before he and his wife were character-assassinated by Carlson without discussing specific issues
Before that was a piece promoting a big pro-rail demonstration containing no discussion of the merits but plenty of attempted ridicule of the anti-rail people and another post with a bunch of attacks on the reputation and temperament of Panos D. Prevedouros, a UH Engineering professor and outspoken opponent of rail itself (he prefers to spend the transit money on high occupancy freeway lanes) who is now running for mayor against Carlson’s presumed employer, Hannemann.
As much as Larry Geller represents the best of journalism- a reasoned and well researched web site “appearing” the Disappeared News- Carlson represents the worst.
Carlson says he used to be a journalist but now, as we can see, he is an anything-for-a-buck con artist who, unlike any journalist with ethics, doesn’t feel like he needs six showers a day after running his three-card-Monte and shell-game public relations and marketing scams.
Mainstream media pundits like to deride and question the accuracy of on-line citizen-journalist postings. But few things are more reprehensible than people who trade on their good name for being honest and factual reporters to do the paid dirty work of crooks, whether they basically agree with them or not.
This kind of thing isn’t acceptable in an ethical newsroom. If the Advertiser has big banner ads for the Superferry at least it acts as disclosure. A site like Carlson’s needs a “sponsored by” box at the top of the side column at the very least.
Otherwise it’s a trick- a PR ploy to try to get your marketing campaign to look “grassroots” and “go viral”
Larry Geller says today that “I am still a great fan of Doug Carlson’s writing and his work”. That may be the only thing we’ve ever read at from Larry that really doesn’t make sense.
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