NIPPER’S NEWSHOUND: It will come as no surprise to anyone who has tried to call us between 5:30 and 6:22 p.m. that that we voraciously consume TV news before chomping on anything else, managing to watch all three national network and four local news programs- juggling tapes and skipping commercials and those stupid “Making a Difference” and “Assignment America” non-news “good news” human interest segments- hopefully finishing up by the time PBS news ends at 7:30 p.m. and leaving a half-hour breathing room before the real news with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show at 8.
Not that we believe a word of it- although through triangulation some “facts” may be gleaned- but finding out what drivel the rest of America is seeing and swallowing as a substitute for real in depth coverage helps us understand why most Americans- as well as most denizens of Honolulu- are apparently too stupid to live.
But recently our burden has been diminished significantly ever since earlier this year when local NBC affiliate Channel 8/KHNL abandoned what was the top local news program (how's that for damming with faint praise and/or the soft prejudice of low expectations) for what they bafflingly called “content”- apparently anything that bleeds on camera or they can steal from other news gathering sources.
It’s so bad we often zip right through without stopping.
It allowed the thin gruel of Channel 9/KGMB news to serve as the, shall we say, least objectionable program followed by either the skimpy KHON Channel 2 and the classically inadequate KITV Channel 4 depending on who they fired this week or whether Joe Moore is spewing one of his wing-nut-rants.
That’s why today’s “breaking news” in both Honolulu papers is especially baffling.
According to the Star Bulletin’s version:
KGMB-TV will merge operations with KHNL/KFVE-TV in a deal announced to each station’s staff this morning.
The months-in-the-making arrangement will skirt federal regulations that prohibit single ownership of three TV stations in Honolulu. KGMB is owned by MCG Capital, while both KHNL-TV and KFVE-TV are owned by Raycom Media.
KGMB is the CBS affiliate in the islands while KHNL is the NBC affiliate.
Paul McTear, president and chief executive officer of Raycom, will discuss details of the new shared services agreement with reporters today.
We’ve yet to hear the details but this can’t be good news for news if KGMB is going to do anything but provide more “content” to KHNL as opposed to presenting a watered down version on both stations.
We certainly don’t expect any added coverage of neighbor islands to come out of this- KGMB seems to be the only ones that are even aware we exist and even they rarely if ever have coverage of any significant local stories on Kaua`i, Maui or Hawai`i island.
But the “skirting” of federal regulations can’t bode well for shedding more rather than less light on the notorious Hawai`i government corruption which is already given the shortest of shrifts in Honolulu, not to mention out here in the boonies.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
BAG O’ CATS
BAG O’ CATS: The gushing over Sunday’s piece by Mayor Bernard Carvalho’s “Five magic words: I don’t need a bag” commentary in the local newspaper- one we suspect was ghost-written by his top aide and mouthpiece Beth Tokioka- flooded cyberspace yesterday.
“Ditto!!” wrote one environmental activist. “To all of us, we ARE making a difference and this mayor is an example of together, we can!! I'm bowled over!!”
Another couldn’t contain herself saying “OMG thank you thank you thank you thank you and thank you!”.
And of course refusing those nasty and often deadly non-biodegradables floating petro-products is something anyone with a cloth bag can and should do as Diana LaBedz letter today reiterates.
But for the politically astute it’s what Carvalho didn’t say that sticks out like a shearwater’s plastic-distended belly- a promise to support and sign the bill set for public hearing on Wednesday that would ban stores from distributing those nasty pollutants.
As a matter of fact for the more cynical among us it might seem like Carvalho is indeed saying that the real solution is not in the legislation introduced by Tim Bynum and Lani Kawahara but solely in people refusing to accept them and instead bringing their own bags.
Yeah- that’ll work... it’s worked so well that despite years of campaigns by groups like LaBenz’s Surfrider Foundation the bags are more ubiquitous and causing more destruction than ever.
Gee, it couldn’t be because businesses who filled Carvalho’s campaign coffers last November are howling over the prospect of spending a few cents more on the biodegradable bags that are now or soon to be required on Maui, in San Francisco and in any growing number of jurisdictions across the country.
The suspicions are well founded. Carvalho recently has been accused of trying to sabotage the curbside recycling part of the county’s solid waste reform efforts using the county’s standard “fire, ready, aim” operating procedure to institute a “pilot” curbside recycling program in Lihu`e despite the fact that there is no materials recovery facility or MRF yet to accommodate the separation of those collected recyclables.
Why? Well that’s because, according to the administrations solid waste coordinator Troy Tanegawa, purchasing the bins with already appropriated monies was “the low hanging fruit” of recycling efforts.
Of course the crop was nowhere near ripe but politically it will provide a good sounding half truth during November 2010 campaign when Carvalho claims he “instituted curbside recycling”.
While the naive and easily duped might at best see it as the usual county incompetence others see it as a cynical attempt to make sure the pilot program fails so the county can build it’s long-desired “silver bullet” incinerator to burn all our rubbish (supposedly for energy) and in addition build a new landfill- two insanities that result from their refusal to hire a “zero waste” consultant and rather go with good old boy’s favorite consultants R.W. Beck that has been behind the failure to properly deal with solid waste on the island for over 20 years now.
We- and Zero Waste Kauai- been proponents of a full curbside recycling preceded by the construction of a MRF, a “hard to recycle good” facility, composting of green waste and other trash stream reduction measures.
We’ve even suggested shipping the small amount of waste that’s left (some say as low as 10% or less although 20-25% is commonly cited) off island where mainland landfills are fighting over who will get Honolulu’s waste.
We’ve even been proponents of a “ship it in, ship it out” law requiring that larger businesses whose products generate huge amounts of waste to deal with the aftermath.
While some say it’s “unethical” to foist our opala on others they forget that we are in a unique situation where all but our green waste is already shipped in and shipping that stuff out is only the fulfillment of the ecosystem we’ve created.
And, despite 15 years of asking, Beck has never done a full cost analysis of shipping trash including all the secondary and even tertiary expenses of our current land filling adventures although this time they have a brief dismissive paragraph in their latest report.
We can “do” zero waste here- as a matter of fact we’re uniquely situated and circumstanced to make it work. But that would take some vision and ability to grasp a changing paradigm for dealing with solid waste- a can of worms that our politically motivated elected officials have kicked down the road for decades.
Watch out for the Trojan Horse- let the mayor know that telling people to “just say no” is an ineffective substitute for banning the non-biodegradable plastic bags entirely by law.
You can do so at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday (8/19) in the council chambers at the historic county building when bill 2321 is up for pubic hearing . If you can’t make it you can email testimony to counciltestimony@kauai.gov ... and make sure you email a copy to hizzonnah and let him know you expect him to support and sign the bill when it lands on his desk.
“Ditto!!” wrote one environmental activist. “To all of us, we ARE making a difference and this mayor is an example of together, we can!! I'm bowled over!!”
Another couldn’t contain herself saying “OMG thank you thank you thank you thank you and thank you!”.
And of course refusing those nasty and often deadly non-biodegradables floating petro-products is something anyone with a cloth bag can and should do as Diana LaBedz letter today reiterates.
But for the politically astute it’s what Carvalho didn’t say that sticks out like a shearwater’s plastic-distended belly- a promise to support and sign the bill set for public hearing on Wednesday that would ban stores from distributing those nasty pollutants.
As a matter of fact for the more cynical among us it might seem like Carvalho is indeed saying that the real solution is not in the legislation introduced by Tim Bynum and Lani Kawahara but solely in people refusing to accept them and instead bringing their own bags.
Yeah- that’ll work... it’s worked so well that despite years of campaigns by groups like LaBenz’s Surfrider Foundation the bags are more ubiquitous and causing more destruction than ever.
Gee, it couldn’t be because businesses who filled Carvalho’s campaign coffers last November are howling over the prospect of spending a few cents more on the biodegradable bags that are now or soon to be required on Maui, in San Francisco and in any growing number of jurisdictions across the country.
The suspicions are well founded. Carvalho recently has been accused of trying to sabotage the curbside recycling part of the county’s solid waste reform efforts using the county’s standard “fire, ready, aim” operating procedure to institute a “pilot” curbside recycling program in Lihu`e despite the fact that there is no materials recovery facility or MRF yet to accommodate the separation of those collected recyclables.
Why? Well that’s because, according to the administrations solid waste coordinator Troy Tanegawa, purchasing the bins with already appropriated monies was “the low hanging fruit” of recycling efforts.
Of course the crop was nowhere near ripe but politically it will provide a good sounding half truth during November 2010 campaign when Carvalho claims he “instituted curbside recycling”.
While the naive and easily duped might at best see it as the usual county incompetence others see it as a cynical attempt to make sure the pilot program fails so the county can build it’s long-desired “silver bullet” incinerator to burn all our rubbish (supposedly for energy) and in addition build a new landfill- two insanities that result from their refusal to hire a “zero waste” consultant and rather go with good old boy’s favorite consultants R.W. Beck that has been behind the failure to properly deal with solid waste on the island for over 20 years now.
We- and Zero Waste Kauai- been proponents of a full curbside recycling preceded by the construction of a MRF, a “hard to recycle good” facility, composting of green waste and other trash stream reduction measures.
We’ve even suggested shipping the small amount of waste that’s left (some say as low as 10% or less although 20-25% is commonly cited) off island where mainland landfills are fighting over who will get Honolulu’s waste.
We’ve even been proponents of a “ship it in, ship it out” law requiring that larger businesses whose products generate huge amounts of waste to deal with the aftermath.
While some say it’s “unethical” to foist our opala on others they forget that we are in a unique situation where all but our green waste is already shipped in and shipping that stuff out is only the fulfillment of the ecosystem we’ve created.
And, despite 15 years of asking, Beck has never done a full cost analysis of shipping trash including all the secondary and even tertiary expenses of our current land filling adventures although this time they have a brief dismissive paragraph in their latest report.
We can “do” zero waste here- as a matter of fact we’re uniquely situated and circumstanced to make it work. But that would take some vision and ability to grasp a changing paradigm for dealing with solid waste- a can of worms that our politically motivated elected officials have kicked down the road for decades.
Watch out for the Trojan Horse- let the mayor know that telling people to “just say no” is an ineffective substitute for banning the non-biodegradable plastic bags entirely by law.
You can do so at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday (8/19) in the council chambers at the historic county building when bill 2321 is up for pubic hearing . If you can’t make it you can email testimony to counciltestimony@kauai.gov ... and make sure you email a copy to hizzonnah and let him know you expect him to support and sign the bill when it lands on his desk.
Friday, August 14, 2009
HYDROPHOBIC HYSTERIA
HYDROPHOBIC HYSTERIA: Back during the waning days of the reign of Crawford Texas’ village idiot most of the brain dead, consumerist, greedy, self absorbed Americans figured out what the wise knew in 2000- and Bush’s “popularity” hovered at about 20%.
Most progressives saw this as an encouraging development in that three-in-five of the US’ ditto-headed, brain-dead fat-tubs-of-lard that pass themselves off as human beings had wised up after being been beaten silly for almost eight years due to their own actions at the ballot box.
But really it the most astonishing part of the poll was that there were still 20% of hard core dim-witted knee-jerk “too stupid to live” left tucked away in mega-churches and mini-malls of America the country.
“Who are these people?” we wondered but more importantly “where are they?”
Well we found them this month- the hard core, “don’t confuse me with the facts”, chest-pounding twits- raising gorilla dust at the various health care reform town meetings held recently.
And even though they probably represent only half of those die hard knuckleheads that argued among themselves whether Bush was “a great president or the greatest president”, the media- in their typical “’both’ sides of the issue” coverage- still cling to the notion that this “movement” is really about health care and not just a diminishing clique of white people who see their majority status in the land they stole from brown people slowly disappearing and want to wrest back control of “our” country back from the hands of a black president.
Perhaps the thing that baffles the pea-brained pundits most is where are those 80% of Americans- as polls indicated earlier this year- that demand real health care reform?
Well what the press hasn’t grasped is that those of us who understand that the only form of reform that can demonstrably be launched fully formed- the single payer “Medicare for all” format- gave up on true heath care reform months ago when it was conveniently taken “off the table” by the president and congress.
The noisiest of squeaky wheels have not only gotten the grease they’ve provided the context for lazy, simplistic, easy-answer-seeking reporters to file stories defining the “opposition” as those shrieking drivel in the non-sequitor, talking-point Hannity/ Limbaugh/ Beck echo chamber, as they spew high decibel inanities at their cameras.
The corporate media refuse to think through why there is seemingly little of no support for the “single payer is off the table” non-reform that we’ve been offered.
With their Hobson’s choice loaded-question, in true corporate governance bought-and-paid-for style, it’s just a matter of how much they will allow the insurance industry to continue to screw us in the butt, essentially asking us whether we want our sh-t sandwich on white or wheat.
And they expect us to enthusiastically show up and fight the “keep the government away from my Medicare” crazies for, at best, a kinder gentler insurance industry (yeah, that’ll happen).
The fact is, unless you’re still one of those among the delusionally naive Obama-as-messiah sycophantic minions- a group whose numbers are shrinking daily as they meet the new boss’ war-mongering corporate-kow-towing style- you’ve given up on the centrist Democratic Party’s “bend-over” opposition to the slack-jawed, wing-nut creationist, gun-toting Republicans.
The ribbon placed on the repackaging of the old-boss is but an illusion that we who’ve long since rejected the duopoly warned of when, as always, Tweedledum ran against Tweedledumber.
Health care reform is dead. It died when all the members of congress decided we couldn’t have the only reform that would and could be fair, affordable and cover everyone as we detailed last month because the other 534 corporate lackeys had been bought off by the insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Don’t expect us to stand up and defend the insult to our intelligence that the Democrats are trying to substitute for basic human right to heath care we all want deserve and could have had.
Most progressives saw this as an encouraging development in that three-in-five of the US’ ditto-headed, brain-dead fat-tubs-of-lard that pass themselves off as human beings had wised up after being been beaten silly for almost eight years due to their own actions at the ballot box.
But really it the most astonishing part of the poll was that there were still 20% of hard core dim-witted knee-jerk “too stupid to live” left tucked away in mega-churches and mini-malls of America the country.
“Who are these people?” we wondered but more importantly “where are they?”
Well we found them this month- the hard core, “don’t confuse me with the facts”, chest-pounding twits- raising gorilla dust at the various health care reform town meetings held recently.
And even though they probably represent only half of those die hard knuckleheads that argued among themselves whether Bush was “a great president or the greatest president”, the media- in their typical “’both’ sides of the issue” coverage- still cling to the notion that this “movement” is really about health care and not just a diminishing clique of white people who see their majority status in the land they stole from brown people slowly disappearing and want to wrest back control of “our” country back from the hands of a black president.
Perhaps the thing that baffles the pea-brained pundits most is where are those 80% of Americans- as polls indicated earlier this year- that demand real health care reform?
Well what the press hasn’t grasped is that those of us who understand that the only form of reform that can demonstrably be launched fully formed- the single payer “Medicare for all” format- gave up on true heath care reform months ago when it was conveniently taken “off the table” by the president and congress.
The noisiest of squeaky wheels have not only gotten the grease they’ve provided the context for lazy, simplistic, easy-answer-seeking reporters to file stories defining the “opposition” as those shrieking drivel in the non-sequitor, talking-point Hannity/ Limbaugh/ Beck echo chamber, as they spew high decibel inanities at their cameras.
The corporate media refuse to think through why there is seemingly little of no support for the “single payer is off the table” non-reform that we’ve been offered.
With their Hobson’s choice loaded-question, in true corporate governance bought-and-paid-for style, it’s just a matter of how much they will allow the insurance industry to continue to screw us in the butt, essentially asking us whether we want our sh-t sandwich on white or wheat.
And they expect us to enthusiastically show up and fight the “keep the government away from my Medicare” crazies for, at best, a kinder gentler insurance industry (yeah, that’ll happen).
The fact is, unless you’re still one of those among the delusionally naive Obama-as-messiah sycophantic minions- a group whose numbers are shrinking daily as they meet the new boss’ war-mongering corporate-kow-towing style- you’ve given up on the centrist Democratic Party’s “bend-over” opposition to the slack-jawed, wing-nut creationist, gun-toting Republicans.
The ribbon placed on the repackaging of the old-boss is but an illusion that we who’ve long since rejected the duopoly warned of when, as always, Tweedledum ran against Tweedledumber.
Health care reform is dead. It died when all the members of congress decided we couldn’t have the only reform that would and could be fair, affordable and cover everyone as we detailed last month because the other 534 corporate lackeys had been bought off by the insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Don’t expect us to stand up and defend the insult to our intelligence that the Democrats are trying to substitute for basic human right to heath care we all want deserve and could have had.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
UGLY
UGLY: About a week or so ago we received an email from talented and beloved kama`aina Bobbee Downs describing an horrific sexual assault that she recently endured in her home at Kalepa Village.
Then today we received another saying it had happened again to someone else in Kelepa.
We are posting both the original followed by today’s letter below.
---------------
Dear Friends,
This note is intended to inform and create female partnerships on Kaua`i in combating sexual violence, and I suppose to debunk the myth that age is a particular factor in sexual abuse, which occurs anytime a perpetrator does anything of a sexual nature (verbal or physical) without the expressed consent of the victim or victims.
Early this morning, around 4:30 am, I awoke with a man standing over me touching me in the genital area. I SHOUTED at him to stop, and then he placed one strong hand on my chest, pushing me into the bed, and said, "no.” I continued to shout and SCREAM, which actually woke-up the baby next door, who started crying…and then he left! He didn’t bolt or run, he just walked quietly out and down the stairs.
I always keep my phone by my bed, but I couldn’t find it – he had hidden it under the bed. When I did find it I called 911 and the response team was here within 5 minutes. Another unit was immediately out looking for the perp, and actually did locate someone, but my description wasn’t close enough to hold him. A short time later the detectives also arrived and re-questioned me, hoping I could add some detail about hair, clothing, etc., but I had only focused on his face, which I have now sketched and given to them, since the two sketch artists with KPD had have retired.
He had also taken the time to go through my purse, stealing money, and went through several drawers in my dresser, plus he had completely rolled all of the bedding to one-side of my king-size bed. I live on the 2nd floor, the buildings are very well-lit, we have on-site police patrol, and my neighbors headboard is probably no more than 15 feet from mine, yet she didn’t actually hear me yelling…thank God for the baby!
Anyway, the number one error I made was in not closing & locking my front door, instead I left it open, with only the screen door locked. I’ve been doing that for years…but times have changed on Kaua`i.
Kalepa is a safe place to live, and the on-site KPD policeman patrols the complex-but he can’t see through walls! I also mistakenly thought that when one reaches a certain point-in-life you have some immunity. Untrue.
Here are some facts about sexual violence:
1 of every 6 American women and 1 of every 33 American men has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.
Nearly 7 in 10 rape and sexual assault victims know their attacker. (I ABSOLUTELY have seen this man, either walking in the area, or maybe at 7-11, which is why I was so focused on his face…I was trying to place him!)
Acquaintance rape and date rape are more common than left-handedness, heart attacks or alcoholism. Rape and sexual assault are the least reported violent crime.
So, this man is out there, and he is pretty damned bold, potentially violent, and a threat to all of us. He is 5’7-5’9, medium build, medium skin tone, and neither Caucasian, Black, or Japanese, has medium to dark brown hair, slightly wavy, and worn back from his face, he has no facial hair, brown eyes, and though I only heard one word, he seemed to have a deep voice.
The KPD were excellent in all ways, asking the tough questions gently, giving me advice, offering services, doing a complete dusting of all possible surfaces, even giving me personal cell phone numbers to call. Jen & Joel were here in minutes, and as of an hour ago, I have a new roommate for awhile - Manapua the terrifying Boston Terrier has come to visit.
I don’t know when I’ll feel safe again, but I am taking back my power via a deadbolt, a dog, and a determination to not be ashamed to tell this story. We all need to be aware, even on Kaua`i
Please feel free to forward this to any friends or family who may benefit - especially women living alone or alone with small children.
Aloha, Bobbee
bobbeed(at)hotmail.com
---------
Aloha,
I am so sorry to report yet ANOTHER break-in (sliding glass door unlocked because the victim unexpectedly fell asleep watching TV.) She woke up with him on top of her, trying to take her clothes off!! This woman is in her 40's and tough as nails - she fought like a gladiator and got him off her and running out the door. It is possible that in this case the police will be able to collect DNA, and fingerprints.
She and I met this morning to compare notes - she didn't see his face, but he fits my description, and he used the same voice saying "no, no" trying to quiet her. I am going to show her my sketch later today, as I have to redraw it because I didn't make a copy of the 1st one I gave to the police.
So how did I learn about this episode, which happened at 2am Monday morning? Was there a flyer on my door? As of today, Thursday, NO information has put out by the management because the woman hadn't specifically asked them to, although she is doing so this afternoon. I heard about it from a neighbor last night, and I was immediately right back to where I was when it happened to me!
Again, please forward this on, the more people looking and watching, AND alerting friends or family at Kalepa Village the better. He is NOT a worker here, nor do I think he lives here...but he is entirely comfortable...there have been seven attempts over the last year or so, where he has been scared away. However he is definitely escalating, and gains more courage and power every time he ISN'T caught.
I believe the KPD are doing their job, and I don't want to become a vigilante or hinder their work in any way, but I am working on putting together a safety seminar, and Neighborhood Watch program. And again I reiterate, Kalepa Village is a well-run, safe place to live - this guy just has practiced here enough times to continue to terrorize the single woman who live alone here (over 70 of us, all ages.)
Here is the description again, with a bit more specific information than before:
He is 5’6-5’10, medium build, medium skin tone, and tends to look Filipino, though I believe he is probably a combination of ethnicities
He has medium to dark brown hair, slightly wavy, and worn back from his face with a short tight ponytail
He has no facial hair, brown eyes, and though I only heard one word, "no, no" he seemed to have a deep voice
He is very strong
He fits in anywhere, he is neat, clean, (no odor), and doesn't seem to be high or 'hopped' up. He walks among us everyday, he is someone you would NEVER think of as a perpetrator.
Thank all of you who have sent your kind words and good wishes, they definitely have helped me regain my sense of self. My move from victim to survivor was quick because I found a 'voice' through all of you who have passed this on. Please continue to do so, and there is no need to omit my name or telephone number. There are more than one of these perpetrator's out there, and we need to relearn and rethink the safety precautions we take. We need to reclaim Kaua`i's gentle lifestyle!
Aloha, Bobbee Downs
Ma ka hana ka ‘ike.
In working one learns.
Then today we received another saying it had happened again to someone else in Kelepa.
We are posting both the original followed by today’s letter below.
---------------
Dear Friends,
This note is intended to inform and create female partnerships on Kaua`i in combating sexual violence, and I suppose to debunk the myth that age is a particular factor in sexual abuse, which occurs anytime a perpetrator does anything of a sexual nature (verbal or physical) without the expressed consent of the victim or victims.
Early this morning, around 4:30 am, I awoke with a man standing over me touching me in the genital area. I SHOUTED at him to stop, and then he placed one strong hand on my chest, pushing me into the bed, and said, "no.” I continued to shout and SCREAM, which actually woke-up the baby next door, who started crying…and then he left! He didn’t bolt or run, he just walked quietly out and down the stairs.
I always keep my phone by my bed, but I couldn’t find it – he had hidden it under the bed. When I did find it I called 911 and the response team was here within 5 minutes. Another unit was immediately out looking for the perp, and actually did locate someone, but my description wasn’t close enough to hold him. A short time later the detectives also arrived and re-questioned me, hoping I could add some detail about hair, clothing, etc., but I had only focused on his face, which I have now sketched and given to them, since the two sketch artists with KPD had have retired.
He had also taken the time to go through my purse, stealing money, and went through several drawers in my dresser, plus he had completely rolled all of the bedding to one-side of my king-size bed. I live on the 2nd floor, the buildings are very well-lit, we have on-site police patrol, and my neighbors headboard is probably no more than 15 feet from mine, yet she didn’t actually hear me yelling…thank God for the baby!
Anyway, the number one error I made was in not closing & locking my front door, instead I left it open, with only the screen door locked. I’ve been doing that for years…but times have changed on Kaua`i.
Kalepa is a safe place to live, and the on-site KPD policeman patrols the complex-but he can’t see through walls! I also mistakenly thought that when one reaches a certain point-in-life you have some immunity. Untrue.
Here are some facts about sexual violence:
1 of every 6 American women and 1 of every 33 American men has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.
Nearly 7 in 10 rape and sexual assault victims know their attacker. (I ABSOLUTELY have seen this man, either walking in the area, or maybe at 7-11, which is why I was so focused on his face…I was trying to place him!)
Acquaintance rape and date rape are more common than left-handedness, heart attacks or alcoholism. Rape and sexual assault are the least reported violent crime.
So, this man is out there, and he is pretty damned bold, potentially violent, and a threat to all of us. He is 5’7-5’9, medium build, medium skin tone, and neither Caucasian, Black, or Japanese, has medium to dark brown hair, slightly wavy, and worn back from his face, he has no facial hair, brown eyes, and though I only heard one word, he seemed to have a deep voice.
The KPD were excellent in all ways, asking the tough questions gently, giving me advice, offering services, doing a complete dusting of all possible surfaces, even giving me personal cell phone numbers to call. Jen & Joel were here in minutes, and as of an hour ago, I have a new roommate for awhile - Manapua the terrifying Boston Terrier has come to visit.
I don’t know when I’ll feel safe again, but I am taking back my power via a deadbolt, a dog, and a determination to not be ashamed to tell this story. We all need to be aware, even on Kaua`i
Please feel free to forward this to any friends or family who may benefit - especially women living alone or alone with small children.
Aloha, Bobbee
bobbeed(at)hotmail.com
---------
Aloha,
I am so sorry to report yet ANOTHER break-in (sliding glass door unlocked because the victim unexpectedly fell asleep watching TV.) She woke up with him on top of her, trying to take her clothes off!! This woman is in her 40's and tough as nails - she fought like a gladiator and got him off her and running out the door. It is possible that in this case the police will be able to collect DNA, and fingerprints.
She and I met this morning to compare notes - she didn't see his face, but he fits my description, and he used the same voice saying "no, no" trying to quiet her. I am going to show her my sketch later today, as I have to redraw it because I didn't make a copy of the 1st one I gave to the police.
So how did I learn about this episode, which happened at 2am Monday morning? Was there a flyer on my door? As of today, Thursday, NO information has put out by the management because the woman hadn't specifically asked them to, although she is doing so this afternoon. I heard about it from a neighbor last night, and I was immediately right back to where I was when it happened to me!
Again, please forward this on, the more people looking and watching, AND alerting friends or family at Kalepa Village the better. He is NOT a worker here, nor do I think he lives here...but he is entirely comfortable...there have been seven attempts over the last year or so, where he has been scared away. However he is definitely escalating, and gains more courage and power every time he ISN'T caught.
I believe the KPD are doing their job, and I don't want to become a vigilante or hinder their work in any way, but I am working on putting together a safety seminar, and Neighborhood Watch program. And again I reiterate, Kalepa Village is a well-run, safe place to live - this guy just has practiced here enough times to continue to terrorize the single woman who live alone here (over 70 of us, all ages.)
Here is the description again, with a bit more specific information than before:
He is 5’6-5’10, medium build, medium skin tone, and tends to look Filipino, though I believe he is probably a combination of ethnicities
He has medium to dark brown hair, slightly wavy, and worn back from his face with a short tight ponytail
He has no facial hair, brown eyes, and though I only heard one word, "no, no" he seemed to have a deep voice
He is very strong
He fits in anywhere, he is neat, clean, (no odor), and doesn't seem to be high or 'hopped' up. He walks among us everyday, he is someone you would NEVER think of as a perpetrator.
Thank all of you who have sent your kind words and good wishes, they definitely have helped me regain my sense of self. My move from victim to survivor was quick because I found a 'voice' through all of you who have passed this on. Please continue to do so, and there is no need to omit my name or telephone number. There are more than one of these perpetrator's out there, and we need to relearn and rethink the safety precautions we take. We need to reclaim Kaua`i's gentle lifestyle!
Aloha, Bobbee Downs
Ma ka hana ka ‘ike.
In working one learns.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
REALLY BIG SHOE
REALLY BIG SHOE: Thousands have read the PNN Investigative Report: KKCR- A Study In Brown And White that’s been linked on our right rail since we completed it a year ago April.
We detailed what local people refer to as “haole radio in Princeville” and the institutionalized often race-based bias and clique-ism perpetuated by the “settler” North Shore community that almost exclusively populates their airwaves and how it has served to send a “keep out” message to the wider local community.
We focused on and critiqued the station’s lack the local public affairs programming that is normally the hallmark of “community radio” across the country, which at KKCR was essentially limited to two (now three) hour-and-a-half “call-in” sessions a week with hosts that are generally clueless as to local government politics and other local issues.
We explained how music had dominated the station since a takeover-by-theft by music industry shills in the early days of the station- as PNN reported on 1999 in our “Parxist Conspiracy” TV Newsmagazine- and how not only had nothing changed but that music programming had become a bastion of “vanity radio” with programmers vehemently defending their fiefdoms against any incursion by local public affairs programming.
We told of how over the years kama`aina and local people with the experience, knowledge and talent to produce local public affairs programs have been driven away instead of encouraged to share their knowledge and experience, through a programming system designed to reward those who volunteer with a music program after performing menial office work with the sufficient sycophantic zeal.
Since then a promised apology with a “give us another chance” message for the decade of exclusion never came and not only has nothing changed but, with the hiring of a prominent music industry promoter as the new station manager, the “all music, all the time” format has flourished with almost no additional local pubic affairs programming.
While some of the faces have rotated in and out of the limited general local public affairs slots the number of hours per week has remained the same with the exception of the addition of an extra hour and a half in the 4-5:30 p.m. slot on Monday’s to supplement the Tuesday and Thursday slots at that time.
That’s not including of course a few weekend cultural programming slots as well as some essentially business promotional slots here and there- ones the station points to often as public affairs. Even most those have been virtually unexpanded over the last couple of years.
But despite the lack of any measurable progress PNN has remained silent so as to allow the station to prove itself. Yet the issues still bubble up throughout the community and those who had tried to share their talents and were rebuffed from the front door of KKCR- after being told they had to come, some from as far as Kekaha, and clean the bathrooms for days before being “considered”- tell us they haven’t heard from anyone at the station to tell them things have changed or to ask them to share their knowledge and experience on KKCR’s airwaves.
That may have something to do with why KKCR has apparently added insult to injury with their new roving “‘Be Heard’ Town Hall Meetings”, the first of which is scheduled for its tonight and called “The Current Economic Downturn on Kaua`i - How You, Your Family, and Friends Are Coping"
Note- it’s “you” not “we”.
In typical “white man’s burden” style the announcements themselves are instructive of the division between the KKCR elite and the community rabble, with a tone of “we grand magnanimous ‘owners’ of the airwaves are deigning to come out to give voice to ‘you’ and your problems”.
Here’s how they begin the tone-deaf promotion on their web site:
Rather than come to KKCR, let KKCR come to you!
In other words, we’ve blocked you from the front door so come around the back door.
Next they say:
For years, KKCR has invited callers and guests to its studio to express viewpoints, opinions, concerns, and ideas on a wide range of topics. Now, KKCR has decided to come to you -- the community -- by launching a series of town hall meetings near your neighborhood.
Exactly right- instead of those with the “viewpoints, opinions, concerns, and ideas” hosting community based programs “we” have invited “you” to have a couple of well controlled minutes on “our” airwaves.
Instead of trying to hold a conversation “among us”, in the community radio model, the KKCR honchos dreamed up this attempt to answer criticism by making it clear that they see it in terms of “us” at the station and “you”- the great unwashed, mostly dark skinned people, at large.
The fact that they throw in the line:
It is important that our focus is "bottom up" and "grass roots" rather than "top down"
doesn’t make it true.
The rest of the narrative treats the community as if they have nothing better to do but come down and tell their tales of woe to others, something that is culturally abhorrent to most local people who “feel shame” at having to expose their woes- economic or otherwise- to others at all, much less in such a public manner.
Then, as if to deny their grassroots claims, they actually have the nerve to dictate the topics:
A Partial List of Questions To Be Asked During The Meetings:- How has the current economic climate affected you as individuals?- How has the current economic climate affected your local neighborhoods?- What are the sources and causes of the issues?- What would you like to see done to fix the issues?(emphasis added)
No one who has any connection to local working class people would come up with this- anyway, anyone really feeling the economic pinch is probably working three partime jobs and has little time to come and make the idle rich of Princeville feel like they’re doing something by allowing us to gripe about how we feel about being poor working schlubs.
To put it in the terms of “race” that were apparent a year ago January and upon which we based our report, “now that we stopped you brown people from crossing the threshold of our whites-only bastion we will allow you on the air through the servants entrance.
“So come out and we’ll stick our microphone in your face so you can speak on a topic that’s not of local making and control- and one of our choosing”... one that anyone who knew and understood the local culture would know would be seen as being designed to bring indignity and humiliation to anyone who participates.
We can’t imagine anyone showing up for these “open mikes”. The publicity- other than on KKCR- has been almost non-existent and there is nothing to draw people there- no speakers, no “program”, not even a local MC and- the biggest slap in the face of local culture of all- no pupus.
Uh, Mister Haole Guy... when we get together here, we like eat.
A year-and-a-half after the KKCR debacle nothing has changed. Despite the claim that, in the words of one KKCR official, “things are changing already” nothing has changed on the air. General local public affairs programming is still limited for the most part to the same faces, in the same two- now three- public affairs time slots as they have been for a decade or more.
And there’s no indication that anyone at KKCR plans to expand them, even after completing a “strategic plan” that did nothing to really address concerns raised in January ’08.
The one recent bright spot is that experienced local news reporter Joan Conrow has managed to elbow her way into one of those regular slots on a irregular basis. But in true KKCR fashion, we hear from KKCR insiders that she had to battle (and have someone on the inside battle for her) to be allowed to get a foot in the door and that happened only with a promise from her- one that was opposed by the vanity radio gang because she hadn’t done it before appearing on air- that she will answer telephones and do things like “stuff envelopes” at some future date.
We’ve pretty much given up on KKCR but when we heard about this “let’s let the local people bitch on the air” forum and asked around with some the people to whom we had spoken for our investigative report, we felt compelled to report their reaction to the “grumble and make humbug” meetings.
It’s only what we’d expect from a corporate-controlled bastion of institutionalized racism like KKCR that, despite being confronted with their own shortcomings, refused to change their tune and apologize as a first step toward ending their system of exclusion and follow that with a concerted attempt to open public affairs programming by reserving more slots for it and seeking out and recruiting those with the knowledge of local government and politics and the talent to do it on-air... all without having to kiss someone's ass and join the vanity radio clique to do it.
We do want to say that this is not about us. We are at the point where, after offering to produce local public affairs programming for 15 years- most recently earlier this year- we’re not willing to continue to bang our head against that wall.
It’s about the literally dozens of knowledgeable and well spoken advocates and activists we’ve heard from on Kaua`i who have been actively denied access to the community radio airwaves because the KKCR “advertisers”- or as they euphemistically call them “underwriters”- don’t want “controversy”.
If at this point KKCR opens up a bunch of slots and gets down on their knees and begs them to produce programming, we’ll get down on ours and salute the flying pigs.
r
We detailed what local people refer to as “haole radio in Princeville” and the institutionalized often race-based bias and clique-ism perpetuated by the “settler” North Shore community that almost exclusively populates their airwaves and how it has served to send a “keep out” message to the wider local community.
We focused on and critiqued the station’s lack the local public affairs programming that is normally the hallmark of “community radio” across the country, which at KKCR was essentially limited to two (now three) hour-and-a-half “call-in” sessions a week with hosts that are generally clueless as to local government politics and other local issues.
We explained how music had dominated the station since a takeover-by-theft by music industry shills in the early days of the station- as PNN reported on 1999 in our “Parxist Conspiracy” TV Newsmagazine- and how not only had nothing changed but that music programming had become a bastion of “vanity radio” with programmers vehemently defending their fiefdoms against any incursion by local public affairs programming.
We told of how over the years kama`aina and local people with the experience, knowledge and talent to produce local public affairs programs have been driven away instead of encouraged to share their knowledge and experience, through a programming system designed to reward those who volunteer with a music program after performing menial office work with the sufficient sycophantic zeal.
Since then a promised apology with a “give us another chance” message for the decade of exclusion never came and not only has nothing changed but, with the hiring of a prominent music industry promoter as the new station manager, the “all music, all the time” format has flourished with almost no additional local pubic affairs programming.
While some of the faces have rotated in and out of the limited general local public affairs slots the number of hours per week has remained the same with the exception of the addition of an extra hour and a half in the 4-5:30 p.m. slot on Monday’s to supplement the Tuesday and Thursday slots at that time.
That’s not including of course a few weekend cultural programming slots as well as some essentially business promotional slots here and there- ones the station points to often as public affairs. Even most those have been virtually unexpanded over the last couple of years.
But despite the lack of any measurable progress PNN has remained silent so as to allow the station to prove itself. Yet the issues still bubble up throughout the community and those who had tried to share their talents and were rebuffed from the front door of KKCR- after being told they had to come, some from as far as Kekaha, and clean the bathrooms for days before being “considered”- tell us they haven’t heard from anyone at the station to tell them things have changed or to ask them to share their knowledge and experience on KKCR’s airwaves.
That may have something to do with why KKCR has apparently added insult to injury with their new roving “‘Be Heard’ Town Hall Meetings”, the first of which is scheduled for its tonight and called “The Current Economic Downturn on Kaua`i - How You, Your Family, and Friends Are Coping"
Note- it’s “you” not “we”.
In typical “white man’s burden” style the announcements themselves are instructive of the division between the KKCR elite and the community rabble, with a tone of “we grand magnanimous ‘owners’ of the airwaves are deigning to come out to give voice to ‘you’ and your problems”.
Here’s how they begin the tone-deaf promotion on their web site:
Rather than come to KKCR, let KKCR come to you!
In other words, we’ve blocked you from the front door so come around the back door.
Next they say:
For years, KKCR has invited callers and guests to its studio to express viewpoints, opinions, concerns, and ideas on a wide range of topics. Now, KKCR has decided to come to you -- the community -- by launching a series of town hall meetings near your neighborhood.
Exactly right- instead of those with the “viewpoints, opinions, concerns, and ideas” hosting community based programs “we” have invited “you” to have a couple of well controlled minutes on “our” airwaves.
Instead of trying to hold a conversation “among us”, in the community radio model, the KKCR honchos dreamed up this attempt to answer criticism by making it clear that they see it in terms of “us” at the station and “you”- the great unwashed, mostly dark skinned people, at large.
The fact that they throw in the line:
It is important that our focus is "bottom up" and "grass roots" rather than "top down"
doesn’t make it true.
The rest of the narrative treats the community as if they have nothing better to do but come down and tell their tales of woe to others, something that is culturally abhorrent to most local people who “feel shame” at having to expose their woes- economic or otherwise- to others at all, much less in such a public manner.
Then, as if to deny their grassroots claims, they actually have the nerve to dictate the topics:
A Partial List of Questions To Be Asked During The Meetings:- How has the current economic climate affected you as individuals?- How has the current economic climate affected your local neighborhoods?- What are the sources and causes of the issues?- What would you like to see done to fix the issues?(emphasis added)
No one who has any connection to local working class people would come up with this- anyway, anyone really feeling the economic pinch is probably working three partime jobs and has little time to come and make the idle rich of Princeville feel like they’re doing something by allowing us to gripe about how we feel about being poor working schlubs.
To put it in the terms of “race” that were apparent a year ago January and upon which we based our report, “now that we stopped you brown people from crossing the threshold of our whites-only bastion we will allow you on the air through the servants entrance.
“So come out and we’ll stick our microphone in your face so you can speak on a topic that’s not of local making and control- and one of our choosing”... one that anyone who knew and understood the local culture would know would be seen as being designed to bring indignity and humiliation to anyone who participates.
We can’t imagine anyone showing up for these “open mikes”. The publicity- other than on KKCR- has been almost non-existent and there is nothing to draw people there- no speakers, no “program”, not even a local MC and- the biggest slap in the face of local culture of all- no pupus.
Uh, Mister Haole Guy... when we get together here, we like eat.
A year-and-a-half after the KKCR debacle nothing has changed. Despite the claim that, in the words of one KKCR official, “things are changing already” nothing has changed on the air. General local public affairs programming is still limited for the most part to the same faces, in the same two- now three- public affairs time slots as they have been for a decade or more.
And there’s no indication that anyone at KKCR plans to expand them, even after completing a “strategic plan” that did nothing to really address concerns raised in January ’08.
The one recent bright spot is that experienced local news reporter Joan Conrow has managed to elbow her way into one of those regular slots on a irregular basis. But in true KKCR fashion, we hear from KKCR insiders that she had to battle (and have someone on the inside battle for her) to be allowed to get a foot in the door and that happened only with a promise from her- one that was opposed by the vanity radio gang because she hadn’t done it before appearing on air- that she will answer telephones and do things like “stuff envelopes” at some future date.
We’ve pretty much given up on KKCR but when we heard about this “let’s let the local people bitch on the air” forum and asked around with some the people to whom we had spoken for our investigative report, we felt compelled to report their reaction to the “grumble and make humbug” meetings.
It’s only what we’d expect from a corporate-controlled bastion of institutionalized racism like KKCR that, despite being confronted with their own shortcomings, refused to change their tune and apologize as a first step toward ending their system of exclusion and follow that with a concerted attempt to open public affairs programming by reserving more slots for it and seeking out and recruiting those with the knowledge of local government and politics and the talent to do it on-air... all without having to kiss someone's ass and join the vanity radio clique to do it.
We do want to say that this is not about us. We are at the point where, after offering to produce local public affairs programming for 15 years- most recently earlier this year- we’re not willing to continue to bang our head against that wall.
It’s about the literally dozens of knowledgeable and well spoken advocates and activists we’ve heard from on Kaua`i who have been actively denied access to the community radio airwaves because the KKCR “advertisers”- or as they euphemistically call them “underwriters”- don’t want “controversy”.
If at this point KKCR opens up a bunch of slots and gets down on their knees and begs them to produce programming, we’ll get down on ours and salute the flying pigs.
r
Monday, August 10, 2009
WHEN DARRYL COMES MARCHIN’ HOME
WHEN DARRYL COMES MARCHIN’ HOME: Prominent Kaua`i attorney Warren Perry is suing his brother, Kaua`i Police chief Darryl Perry for defamation in a real head-scratchier for those who followed Perry’s path to the top cop job according to an article in today’s Honolulu Advertiser.
Seems that, according to Warren’s lawsuit in 5th Circuit court on Kaua`i
Darryl Perry, Eugene Perry, Antone Perez Perry and others filed a groundless complaint with the Hawai`i Office of Disciplinary Council accusing him of concealing the fact that he used insurance settlement money to make repairs to a Perry family estate home in Lawai, Kaua`i, that was damaged by Hurricane Iwa in 1982 and Hurricane Iniki in 1992.
In his lawsuit against Darryl and the other Perry brothers, Warren Perry claimed the "frivolous ODC" complaint was leaked to the Kaua`i County Council in 2007, ruining his chances of becoming Kaua'i's (sic) county attorney.
Warren Perry said he had to decline a second offer, in 2008, to become county attorney because of the allegations contained in the ODC complaint.
The lawsuit came to light when Allstate Insurance Co. filed a case in U.S. District Court saying “that it should not have to pay the legal costs of Kaua`i Police Chief Darryl D. Perry in defending himself in a defamation lawsuit” according to the article.
During the KPD scandals in the early to mid ‘00’s--
...from Darryl Perry’s bitter defeat by KC Lum for the Chief’s job, opened up specifically for Perry when Mayor Marianne Kusaka forced Chief George Freitas out by buying him off with a huge “settlement” after he beat her trumped up charges,
...through the attempted and failed removal of Police Commissioner Leon “Angus” Gonsalves for making racist remarks about Lum (calling him “Hop Sing”), a feigned attempt forced by public pressure upon the late Mayor Bryan Baptiste and the county council,
...through the Ethics Board “trials”- many say on Perry’s behalf- of Police Commission Chair Michael Ching and Co-Chair Carol Furtado on phony charges of favoritism toward Lum, with allegations filed by Council Chair Kaipo Asing, who, although he filed the complaint on county council letterhead avoided a “trial” of his own on ethics charges by claiming he made a “mistake” in using council stationary and was actually filing as a private citizen,
...to the hiring of Perry after Ching and Furtado were gone from the commission and Lum was forced to resign to keep his pension when County Director of Finance- now Grove Farm VP in charge of lobbying the county- Mike Tressler threatened to illegally withdraw Lum’s contract,
-- Warren Perry was reportedly and observably one of the main operatives pulling the behind-the-scenes strings locally to insure his brother got, not just the job but revenge on those who opposed him.
Much of this is described in detail in the book KPD Blue, serialized here at Parx News Daily (linked on the right rail).
So it seems odd that Warren would be suing Darryl or that Darryl would have filed a disciplinary action against Warren after Warren had apparently been one of his main benefactors in obtaining the job of KPD Chief.
The only clue, if true, might come from an unsubstantial claim made in the comments section of the article.
And it’s a big “if”.
“LocalKineStyle”- who like others making comments on the article supporting Perry “registered” to comment at the Advertiser site only today- said in “fake pidgin”:
One thing else. Da chief neva file the ODC the complaint, one of ths sistas when do that.
How the commenter would know that if he or she isn’t party to the suit is unclear since OCA complaints are confidential unless and until a disciplinary action is taken..
Warren Perry is a long-time active member of the Republican Party, and a long time leader in the Royal Society of Kamehameha who served in the county attorney’s (CA) office more than a decade ago. New CA Al Castillo, a Democrat, was hired this year by the current all-Democratic mayor and council.
Warren’s name did not come up publicly either this year or when former Judge Matthew Pyun replaced Lani Nakazawa as the CA after Baptiste- a Republican- was re-elected and while two Republicans- both since turned Democrats (Jimmy Tokioka and Jay Furfaro)- served on the council.
It is not stated in the article exactly who “leaked” the OCA complaint to the council or if the council actually saw the document or were simply “informed” of it but, although it was never done publicly, it was presumably Darryl and/or one of the others named in Warren’s lawsuit who “told” them.
PNN will try to get hold of the lawsuit filings and, if possible, find out more about the ODC complaint but for now it certainly seems to indicate a falling out between Darryl and his family- to whom, he stated, he wanted to be closer when giving reasons for returning to Kaua`i... and whom he would seemingly be abandoning by moving back to Honolulu to take the Chief position at HPD, a job for which he applied a week or so back.
It remains speculative as to whether the suit has anything directly to do with Darryl Perry’s sudden “jilting of Kaua`i” after publicly indicating upon taking the Kaua`i job that he was home to stay until his retirement.
Seems that, according to Warren’s lawsuit in 5th Circuit court on Kaua`i
Darryl Perry, Eugene Perry, Antone Perez Perry and others filed a groundless complaint with the Hawai`i Office of Disciplinary Council accusing him of concealing the fact that he used insurance settlement money to make repairs to a Perry family estate home in Lawai, Kaua`i, that was damaged by Hurricane Iwa in 1982 and Hurricane Iniki in 1992.
In his lawsuit against Darryl and the other Perry brothers, Warren Perry claimed the "frivolous ODC" complaint was leaked to the Kaua`i County Council in 2007, ruining his chances of becoming Kaua'i's (sic) county attorney.
Warren Perry said he had to decline a second offer, in 2008, to become county attorney because of the allegations contained in the ODC complaint.
The lawsuit came to light when Allstate Insurance Co. filed a case in U.S. District Court saying “that it should not have to pay the legal costs of Kaua`i Police Chief Darryl D. Perry in defending himself in a defamation lawsuit” according to the article.
During the KPD scandals in the early to mid ‘00’s--
...from Darryl Perry’s bitter defeat by KC Lum for the Chief’s job, opened up specifically for Perry when Mayor Marianne Kusaka forced Chief George Freitas out by buying him off with a huge “settlement” after he beat her trumped up charges,
...through the attempted and failed removal of Police Commissioner Leon “Angus” Gonsalves for making racist remarks about Lum (calling him “Hop Sing”), a feigned attempt forced by public pressure upon the late Mayor Bryan Baptiste and the county council,
...through the Ethics Board “trials”- many say on Perry’s behalf- of Police Commission Chair Michael Ching and Co-Chair Carol Furtado on phony charges of favoritism toward Lum, with allegations filed by Council Chair Kaipo Asing, who, although he filed the complaint on county council letterhead avoided a “trial” of his own on ethics charges by claiming he made a “mistake” in using council stationary and was actually filing as a private citizen,
...to the hiring of Perry after Ching and Furtado were gone from the commission and Lum was forced to resign to keep his pension when County Director of Finance- now Grove Farm VP in charge of lobbying the county- Mike Tressler threatened to illegally withdraw Lum’s contract,
-- Warren Perry was reportedly and observably one of the main operatives pulling the behind-the-scenes strings locally to insure his brother got, not just the job but revenge on those who opposed him.
Much of this is described in detail in the book KPD Blue, serialized here at Parx News Daily (linked on the right rail).
So it seems odd that Warren would be suing Darryl or that Darryl would have filed a disciplinary action against Warren after Warren had apparently been one of his main benefactors in obtaining the job of KPD Chief.
The only clue, if true, might come from an unsubstantial claim made in the comments section of the article.
And it’s a big “if”.
“LocalKineStyle”- who like others making comments on the article supporting Perry “registered” to comment at the Advertiser site only today- said in “fake pidgin”:
One thing else. Da chief neva file the ODC the complaint, one of ths sistas when do that.
How the commenter would know that if he or she isn’t party to the suit is unclear since OCA complaints are confidential unless and until a disciplinary action is taken..
Warren Perry is a long-time active member of the Republican Party, and a long time leader in the Royal Society of Kamehameha who served in the county attorney’s (CA) office more than a decade ago. New CA Al Castillo, a Democrat, was hired this year by the current all-Democratic mayor and council.
Warren’s name did not come up publicly either this year or when former Judge Matthew Pyun replaced Lani Nakazawa as the CA after Baptiste- a Republican- was re-elected and while two Republicans- both since turned Democrats (Jimmy Tokioka and Jay Furfaro)- served on the council.
It is not stated in the article exactly who “leaked” the OCA complaint to the council or if the council actually saw the document or were simply “informed” of it but, although it was never done publicly, it was presumably Darryl and/or one of the others named in Warren’s lawsuit who “told” them.
PNN will try to get hold of the lawsuit filings and, if possible, find out more about the ODC complaint but for now it certainly seems to indicate a falling out between Darryl and his family- to whom, he stated, he wanted to be closer when giving reasons for returning to Kaua`i... and whom he would seemingly be abandoning by moving back to Honolulu to take the Chief position at HPD, a job for which he applied a week or so back.
It remains speculative as to whether the suit has anything directly to do with Darryl Perry’s sudden “jilting of Kaua`i” after publicly indicating upon taking the Kaua`i job that he was home to stay until his retirement.
Friday, August 7, 2009
ACHTUNG AHMADINASING
ACHTUNG AHMADINASING: Democracy took it’s lumps at Wednesday’s council meeting as the first real votes on specific resolutions were squelched by the now well-defined majority which used every trick in the book to avoid taking actions to resolve simplest of issues brought forward by reform Councilmembers Tim Bynum and Lani Kawahara.
The total lack of rationality and recognition of reality was striking. The meeting served as a coming out party for good-old-boy-in-waiting Prince Derek Kawakami who, with established defender of the realm Darryl Kaneshiro, flanked-in-phalanx the besieged Chair Kaipo Asing with a feigned rhetorical “problem?... what problem” blindness topped with a flourish of “that’s my story and I’m sticking to it”.
Everyone knew there’d be trouble as soon as the resolution to form an ad hoc committee to study and propose changes to the council rules was read and Kaneshiro quickly moved to receive- meaning kill- the resolution before Bynum or Kawahara could move to approve it.
After Bynum tried to briefly detail the problems he and Kawahara have had with the rules- especially rule 10(c) pertaining to placing items on the agenda- it quickly degenerated into a series of misdirections and silly personal attacks from Kawakami, Kaneshiro and Asing himself.
Although it was the ad hoc committee resolution that was on the table Kawakami started the distractions by saying that there was no need for a clarification of 10(c) because another rule- 15(c)- allowed placement if items on the agenda by a council 2/3 vote.
Of course that had failed to be enough to do the trick when Bynum tried to get an item on the agenda on June 3.
That started the whole thing. Not only that but of course the real issue is that councilmembers should have the right to introduce any item with or without support from four other members.
Yet that was to become a rallying cry when the actual resolution to clarify rule 10(c) came up later on the agenda.
The first silliness came from the reliably clueless Councilmember Dickie Change who attacked Bynum by saying that at the June 3 meeting, when County Attorney (CA) Al Castillo stifled discussion of the non-agendaed item as a sunshine law violation, councilmember Jay Furfaro had moved to defer the matter but no one seconded it
“I was shocked no one seconded it” Chang said using hindsight to tell Bynum he had the opportunity to put it on a future agenda right there even though the motive for the request for deferral was unknown at that moment- and because a motion for deferral ends discussion.
Chang seemingly either forget or wasn’t aware that as a councilmember he could have seconded it himself.
The mouth, if not brain-engaged Chang then indicated that he was now going to oppose the resolution that he co-introduced with Furfaro saying it wasn’t really “the 360” it appeared to be, forgetting to stop ay 180 and indicating that the audience wasn’t the only one getting dizzy with all the spinning.
Then it was time for Asing to issue the first of his lip-service repetitions of a statement he made on July 22nd saying that “the chair does not have absolute power” despite the fact that he had exercised such by routinely stopping Bynum and other members from placing matters on the agenda- something Bynum has documented at his kauaiinfo.org web site with the actual memos sent to Asing.
“Pay attention to what I say, not what I do” Asing had admitted refusing to place matters on the agenda while denying it in the same breath at the 22nd – as PNN reported last week- and again later during Wednesday’s meeting.
Asing glared at Bynum and called Bynum’s well documented problems with agenda placement “manufactured problems” stating with palms raised “I don’t understand- where did it come from?”.
Next Kawahara made a statement that would be butchered, misquoted and used to attack her by Kaneshiro and Kawakami later in the meeting, saying to Asing that changes in the rules “that were actually brought up to you in the six months I’ve been here” but were not given a place on the agenda.
During the discussion of the rule change itself Kaneshiro would be adamant in heatedly accusing Kawahara over and over of lying by saying she personally had sent memos asking to introduce measures even though she said no such thing.
But the issue of the ad hoc committee was what was actually on the table and there were real problems with the idea- problems that became clear when one of the proposed members, former council chair Ron Kouchi, spoke.
After saying he might have a “perceived conflict of interest” since his employer has a bill coming up on the council’s agenda, he pointed out that the committee would need council staff time and therefore have to direct staff- something he said non-members would have all sorts of difficulty doing.
He said in the past such committees and “task forces’ always had one or two councilmembers to direct staff.
That led to some discussion by Kaneshiro and others regarding the possibility of putting a resolution on a future agenda to form a committee with up to the two councilmembers- the number sunshine law allows to communicate on council matters- to study the rules although there was no real commitment to do so.
The resolution was then "received" by a 4-3 vote with Furfaro- if not Chang- supporting his own resolution along with Bynum and Kawahara.
But the show was just beginning and after lunch the fireworks were lit when the actual rule change resolution- one to clarify that rule 10(c) couldn’t be used by the chair to keep items off the agenda indefinitely - came to the floor.
The change seemed simple and straightforward enough but again Kaneshiro quickly moved to receive and kill the resolution and it was quickly seconded by Kawakami as the script apparently called for.
Kawakami again brought up rule 15(c) repeatedly calling it an “alternative mechanism” for placing things on the agenda even though the measure would then require a 2/3 vote to go foreword.
Bynum tried to calmly explain- as if anyone could forget- all the hassle he had when he tried to get something on the agenda that way and Kawahara reiterated that a 2/3 vote certainly was a “different level” of support that needed to be met and wasn’t “equal” to the simple rule 10(c) which guarantees councilmembers the basic right of a representative in a democracy- to introduce measures for the agenda.
Then it was Kawakami’s time to shine and show his stuff to any good old boys who might have doubted his ability to get down and dirty by defending Asing and the status quo- a very important skill in their eyes and a trial by fire that many sycophants have had to endure to be accepted into the club.
He and Kaneshiro then lit into Kawahara over and over with the ‘you said you had submitted things for the agenda” which of course she didn’t say- and was of course a distraction from the self evident story that has been told over and over about Bynum’s well documented two and a half year quest for democracy... one that everyone had witnessed since June 3 when the two month plus circus of attempting to get the rule change on the agenda began.
Bynum then tried to refocus back on the issue at hand reading the rules and trying to again briefly recap the hassles he’s had even trying to get something on the agenda, even through the 2/3 vote method.
He then called for Castillo to come up so he could ask him if it’s even possible to use the 15)c) “alternative mechanism” since it was Castillo who had said everything he tried to do on June 3 violated the sunshine law because it wasn’t on the agenda- a catch-22 PNN has described in detail over the past couple of months .
Bynum asked simply “can a councilmember make a motion to put something on a future agenda”.
But Castillo hemmed and hawed and eventually refused to answer him, even reverting back to the bad old days of former CA’s who requested everything be put in writing, saying he needed a “specific set of facts” to “make a ruling”.
Then it was time for Asing to repeat his “the chair does not have absolute power” line adding “I don’t believe one person should have that power”.
And of course Kaneshiro, Kawakami and Chang agreed with that and praised Asing for saying- if not doing- it. They also agreed that there was no problem since the chair had said it so it must be true.
And why change the rule if there was no problem they reasoned, acting as if the last two months had never happened and they hadn’t read the documents or heard the testimony.
That was when Asing had his own meltdown trying to say that he had never blocked anything from the agenda at the same time as admitting it had happened quite a few times.
Some of the back and forth exchanges were priceless. At one point Bynum asked Asing “didn’t you tell me you wouldn’t put (a resolution) on the agenda”.
Asing screamed “no!” before giving an excuse as to why he didn’t put it on the agenda.
Another time Asing denied blocking Bynum’s Po`ipu Beach Erosion Study bill which, at the July 22nd meeting, Asing had admitted he had blocked.
And when Bynum finally asked Asing if he had blocked the very resolution that was on the table- the one Bynum and Kawahara had fought for two months to get placed on the agenda- Asing, after having debated for ten minutes, finally said “I’m not going to get into a debate”.
In previous meetings former councilpersons JoAnn Yukimura and Mel Rapozo had testified that they also had the experience of having bills refused agenda placement but when Bynum tried to say that, Asing yelled “that’s an accusation”- something that made no sense (of course it was) and something he’s done before when cornered.
First Asing countered the Yukimura denial by talking about a bill that she wanted to introduce that, he said, had not been “cleared by the county attorney” and admitting that he blocked the bill- vowing he’d do it again if it hadn’t been run by the CA.
But Bynum said that he had forgotten about that bill but what he was really talking about was that Yukimura had tried to introduce a resolution opposing the Superferry coming to Kaua`i without an EIS and Asing refused to put it on the agenda because it was “too controversial”.
That caused the clueless Chang to agree with Asing’s decision saying “I can see the reason why the chair would not put that on the agenda” mentioning the controversy in the community at the time and citing the convention hall debacle with the governor being shouted down.
All this of course should have been enough to indicate that the rules needed clarification but led by Kawakami the three “D’s”- Derek, Dickie and Darryl- each said they personally had never had any problem placing matters on the agenda so there didn’t seem to be any problem with the rules.
Finally, in the ultimate “are you going to believe me or your lyin’ eyes” statement, Kawakami said told the council that “nothing (in the rules) gives the chair that kind of power (to refuse agenda placement)... the rules in place, properly applied, work just fine”, completely ignoring that the rules had very apparently not been “properly applied” and the resolution sought to clarify them so they would be.
Finally to no one’s surprise despite the fact that, as Bynum said, “there has been a problem- that’s as clear as a bell”, the resolution was “received” by a 4-3 vote with Furfaro joining Bynum and Kawahara in voting against the move to kill the rule change and Kaipo and the three D’s standing together in the same majority that put Asing in the council chair last December.
In case we haven’t done a good enough job in conveying the “through the looking glass” tone of the whole meeting, we’ve taken the opportunity sum it up with a re-write of the psychedelic Carrollian favorite, “White Rabbit” by the Jefferson Airplane.
***************
One bill makes him shudder and
Another makes you bawl
And the one the chair initials
Don’t do anything at all.
Ask Peter when he’s 10 feet tall.
And if you go chasing minutes
And you see them in the hall
Tell ‘em a reso-toting Minotaur
Has told you, “you’ve got gall”
Call Dickie when he was just small,
When men who rule on ethics
Get up and tell you they don’t know
And you’ve just missed weeks of email
And your mind can’t grasp it all
Ask Kaipo- I think he’ll know
When logic and proportion
Are received and, now they’re dead
And Darryl’s shredding Roberts
And Derek’s knocking head’s
Remember what the old boys said
Stay in bed
We’re all in bed
The total lack of rationality and recognition of reality was striking. The meeting served as a coming out party for good-old-boy-in-waiting Prince Derek Kawakami who, with established defender of the realm Darryl Kaneshiro, flanked-in-phalanx the besieged Chair Kaipo Asing with a feigned rhetorical “problem?... what problem” blindness topped with a flourish of “that’s my story and I’m sticking to it”.
Everyone knew there’d be trouble as soon as the resolution to form an ad hoc committee to study and propose changes to the council rules was read and Kaneshiro quickly moved to receive- meaning kill- the resolution before Bynum or Kawahara could move to approve it.
After Bynum tried to briefly detail the problems he and Kawahara have had with the rules- especially rule 10(c) pertaining to placing items on the agenda- it quickly degenerated into a series of misdirections and silly personal attacks from Kawakami, Kaneshiro and Asing himself.
Although it was the ad hoc committee resolution that was on the table Kawakami started the distractions by saying that there was no need for a clarification of 10(c) because another rule- 15(c)- allowed placement if items on the agenda by a council 2/3 vote.
Of course that had failed to be enough to do the trick when Bynum tried to get an item on the agenda on June 3.
That started the whole thing. Not only that but of course the real issue is that councilmembers should have the right to introduce any item with or without support from four other members.
Yet that was to become a rallying cry when the actual resolution to clarify rule 10(c) came up later on the agenda.
The first silliness came from the reliably clueless Councilmember Dickie Change who attacked Bynum by saying that at the June 3 meeting, when County Attorney (CA) Al Castillo stifled discussion of the non-agendaed item as a sunshine law violation, councilmember Jay Furfaro had moved to defer the matter but no one seconded it
“I was shocked no one seconded it” Chang said using hindsight to tell Bynum he had the opportunity to put it on a future agenda right there even though the motive for the request for deferral was unknown at that moment- and because a motion for deferral ends discussion.
Chang seemingly either forget or wasn’t aware that as a councilmember he could have seconded it himself.
The mouth, if not brain-engaged Chang then indicated that he was now going to oppose the resolution that he co-introduced with Furfaro saying it wasn’t really “the 360” it appeared to be, forgetting to stop ay 180 and indicating that the audience wasn’t the only one getting dizzy with all the spinning.
Then it was time for Asing to issue the first of his lip-service repetitions of a statement he made on July 22nd saying that “the chair does not have absolute power” despite the fact that he had exercised such by routinely stopping Bynum and other members from placing matters on the agenda- something Bynum has documented at his kauaiinfo.org web site with the actual memos sent to Asing.
“Pay attention to what I say, not what I do” Asing had admitted refusing to place matters on the agenda while denying it in the same breath at the 22nd – as PNN reported last week- and again later during Wednesday’s meeting.
Asing glared at Bynum and called Bynum’s well documented problems with agenda placement “manufactured problems” stating with palms raised “I don’t understand- where did it come from?”.
Next Kawahara made a statement that would be butchered, misquoted and used to attack her by Kaneshiro and Kawakami later in the meeting, saying to Asing that changes in the rules “that were actually brought up to you in the six months I’ve been here” but were not given a place on the agenda.
During the discussion of the rule change itself Kaneshiro would be adamant in heatedly accusing Kawahara over and over of lying by saying she personally had sent memos asking to introduce measures even though she said no such thing.
But the issue of the ad hoc committee was what was actually on the table and there were real problems with the idea- problems that became clear when one of the proposed members, former council chair Ron Kouchi, spoke.
After saying he might have a “perceived conflict of interest” since his employer has a bill coming up on the council’s agenda, he pointed out that the committee would need council staff time and therefore have to direct staff- something he said non-members would have all sorts of difficulty doing.
He said in the past such committees and “task forces’ always had one or two councilmembers to direct staff.
That led to some discussion by Kaneshiro and others regarding the possibility of putting a resolution on a future agenda to form a committee with up to the two councilmembers- the number sunshine law allows to communicate on council matters- to study the rules although there was no real commitment to do so.
The resolution was then "received" by a 4-3 vote with Furfaro- if not Chang- supporting his own resolution along with Bynum and Kawahara.
But the show was just beginning and after lunch the fireworks were lit when the actual rule change resolution- one to clarify that rule 10(c) couldn’t be used by the chair to keep items off the agenda indefinitely - came to the floor.
The change seemed simple and straightforward enough but again Kaneshiro quickly moved to receive and kill the resolution and it was quickly seconded by Kawakami as the script apparently called for.
Kawakami again brought up rule 15(c) repeatedly calling it an “alternative mechanism” for placing things on the agenda even though the measure would then require a 2/3 vote to go foreword.
Bynum tried to calmly explain- as if anyone could forget- all the hassle he had when he tried to get something on the agenda that way and Kawahara reiterated that a 2/3 vote certainly was a “different level” of support that needed to be met and wasn’t “equal” to the simple rule 10(c) which guarantees councilmembers the basic right of a representative in a democracy- to introduce measures for the agenda.
Then it was Kawakami’s time to shine and show his stuff to any good old boys who might have doubted his ability to get down and dirty by defending Asing and the status quo- a very important skill in their eyes and a trial by fire that many sycophants have had to endure to be accepted into the club.
He and Kaneshiro then lit into Kawahara over and over with the ‘you said you had submitted things for the agenda” which of course she didn’t say- and was of course a distraction from the self evident story that has been told over and over about Bynum’s well documented two and a half year quest for democracy... one that everyone had witnessed since June 3 when the two month plus circus of attempting to get the rule change on the agenda began.
Bynum then tried to refocus back on the issue at hand reading the rules and trying to again briefly recap the hassles he’s had even trying to get something on the agenda, even through the 2/3 vote method.
He then called for Castillo to come up so he could ask him if it’s even possible to use the 15)c) “alternative mechanism” since it was Castillo who had said everything he tried to do on June 3 violated the sunshine law because it wasn’t on the agenda- a catch-22 PNN has described in detail over the past couple of months .
Bynum asked simply “can a councilmember make a motion to put something on a future agenda”.
But Castillo hemmed and hawed and eventually refused to answer him, even reverting back to the bad old days of former CA’s who requested everything be put in writing, saying he needed a “specific set of facts” to “make a ruling”.
Then it was time for Asing to repeat his “the chair does not have absolute power” line adding “I don’t believe one person should have that power”.
And of course Kaneshiro, Kawakami and Chang agreed with that and praised Asing for saying- if not doing- it. They also agreed that there was no problem since the chair had said it so it must be true.
And why change the rule if there was no problem they reasoned, acting as if the last two months had never happened and they hadn’t read the documents or heard the testimony.
That was when Asing had his own meltdown trying to say that he had never blocked anything from the agenda at the same time as admitting it had happened quite a few times.
Some of the back and forth exchanges were priceless. At one point Bynum asked Asing “didn’t you tell me you wouldn’t put (a resolution) on the agenda”.
Asing screamed “no!” before giving an excuse as to why he didn’t put it on the agenda.
Another time Asing denied blocking Bynum’s Po`ipu Beach Erosion Study bill which, at the July 22nd meeting, Asing had admitted he had blocked.
And when Bynum finally asked Asing if he had blocked the very resolution that was on the table- the one Bynum and Kawahara had fought for two months to get placed on the agenda- Asing, after having debated for ten minutes, finally said “I’m not going to get into a debate”.
In previous meetings former councilpersons JoAnn Yukimura and Mel Rapozo had testified that they also had the experience of having bills refused agenda placement but when Bynum tried to say that, Asing yelled “that’s an accusation”- something that made no sense (of course it was) and something he’s done before when cornered.
First Asing countered the Yukimura denial by talking about a bill that she wanted to introduce that, he said, had not been “cleared by the county attorney” and admitting that he blocked the bill- vowing he’d do it again if it hadn’t been run by the CA.
But Bynum said that he had forgotten about that bill but what he was really talking about was that Yukimura had tried to introduce a resolution opposing the Superferry coming to Kaua`i without an EIS and Asing refused to put it on the agenda because it was “too controversial”.
That caused the clueless Chang to agree with Asing’s decision saying “I can see the reason why the chair would not put that on the agenda” mentioning the controversy in the community at the time and citing the convention hall debacle with the governor being shouted down.
All this of course should have been enough to indicate that the rules needed clarification but led by Kawakami the three “D’s”- Derek, Dickie and Darryl- each said they personally had never had any problem placing matters on the agenda so there didn’t seem to be any problem with the rules.
Finally, in the ultimate “are you going to believe me or your lyin’ eyes” statement, Kawakami said told the council that “nothing (in the rules) gives the chair that kind of power (to refuse agenda placement)... the rules in place, properly applied, work just fine”, completely ignoring that the rules had very apparently not been “properly applied” and the resolution sought to clarify them so they would be.
Finally to no one’s surprise despite the fact that, as Bynum said, “there has been a problem- that’s as clear as a bell”, the resolution was “received” by a 4-3 vote with Furfaro joining Bynum and Kawahara in voting against the move to kill the rule change and Kaipo and the three D’s standing together in the same majority that put Asing in the council chair last December.
In case we haven’t done a good enough job in conveying the “through the looking glass” tone of the whole meeting, we’ve taken the opportunity sum it up with a re-write of the psychedelic Carrollian favorite, “White Rabbit” by the Jefferson Airplane.
***************
One bill makes him shudder and
Another makes you bawl
And the one the chair initials
Don’t do anything at all.
Ask Peter when he’s 10 feet tall.
And if you go chasing minutes
And you see them in the hall
Tell ‘em a reso-toting Minotaur
Has told you, “you’ve got gall”
Call Dickie when he was just small,
When men who rule on ethics
Get up and tell you they don’t know
And you’ve just missed weeks of email
And your mind can’t grasp it all
Ask Kaipo- I think he’ll know
When logic and proportion
Are received and, now they’re dead
And Darryl’s shredding Roberts
And Derek’s knocking head’s
Remember what the old boys said
Stay in bed
We’re all in bed
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