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Politics, Media, Commentary
Politics, Media, Commentary Wednesday
19Sep
It's in the HTH, so it must be true
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 06:18AM Couple of interesting followups in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald this morning (no links yet) that you've been reading about here already. Billy Kenoi announces he's running for mayor but doesn't offer any free beef, only a pledge to carry on where Harry Kim leaves off.
Also, in the Letters to the Editor section, Sydney Singer gets his letter published which is a coup of sorts for him to get that kind of recognition in the local paper. In the past he's complained about the newspaper similar to the way he's going after Hawaii Public Radio now.
Singer's style rankles a lot of people, especially mainstream journalists, as evidenced in some of the comments, and he's certainly embraced some offbeat theories (bras cause breast cancer?). But on coquis, he's closer to the mark than many give him credit for. The mad killing sprees are wasteful, potentially harmful, counterproductive and, metaphorically at least, akin to the War in Iraq.
Let's stop the wars and find a better way to live.
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Reader Comments (8)
When our chickens eat coquis, that's just part of life in the jungle.
My consciense is fine with the killing of coquis, whether wastefully sprayed by the government or productively eaten by a chicken (which I may kill to feed my family).
On the other hand, I am ashamed for the pain Chicken Hawk Cheney has inflicted on families of loved ones killed in his wars...
There is a quiet implication of coattails in all of this. My four decades of political coverage and watching suggests there probably are limited carry over effects.
Voters are too bright or too independent to allow office holders to bestow the seat to somene else. Further, few can endorse effectively in other elections. I known Hoffman and Yagong figure they helped Ford but I cannot be sure.
The only successful carryover I have seen was when Dan Inouye and Kimura went whole hog for Tom Fujii as councilman to oust a pretty good Republican incumbent (the late Rick Edwards.) Both, coincidentally, were far more effective for Puna than any of their many successors.
I have seen Harry in action since the late 1960s and I would be surprised if he plays in the 2008 mayoral event. He has been pretty much a political loner all the way, except when he endorsed Lorraine Inouye for mayor in her initial run against Steve Yamashiro.
Besides, if Andy Levin runs Kim would be personally conflicted to make a public choice.
I do believe Hunter's earlier comments of making Pilago a favorite holds more water than ever as the announcements keep coming out.
What has Billy done? I know there are others who can speak to other things but I know a couple of facts: That Billy has spent the last 20 years busting his butt to put himself through school (from a 1.8 gpa at Waiakea High School, to hitchhiking from Puna everyday to go to HCC and UH, then transferring to UMASS Amherst and graduating from the Honor Society, then getting his Law Degree from UH). That is testament to hard work, determination, and perseverance. He has spent his entire adult life serving others. While in Law School he volunteered at Legal Aid Society, the Sierra Club Legal Defense, and with the Judiciary. He then served as a Deputy Public Defender to do jury trials and "help those who couldn't help themselves". He was very successful as a trial attorney and earned the respect of attorneys, staff, and judges during his five years on Oahu as an attorney. Billy also worked in Washington DC for US Senator Daniel K. Inouye and he also worked at the State House and Senate so he could "answer questions when people needed help".
Since coming home to the Big Island, he has been given the toughest assignments from the Mayor – in fact every time the Mayor has declared an emergency, he gave the assignment to Billy. That speaks to the faith the Mayor has in Billy and his leadership ability, his willingness to take the tough assignments, and his gift at bringing people to work together. Remember 5 years ago when ICE was tearing apart every part of our community? The kids, the families, the crime, the fear, the feeling of helplessness? Billy was assigned the entire project by Mayor Kim. What did he do?
He didn't have any funds or any staff. He brought everybody together in the community to find out what needed to be done and then he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He found out that we needed a drug lab and went and got the federal funds for the lab for HPD. He found out our kids were being sent to Oahu every year for treatment (for decades) that didn't work because they were pulled out of the community and away from their families. Billy drafted legislation for $300,000 from the State, he wrote a grant for $900,000 from the feds, and he requested $1,000,000 from US Senator Daniel K. Inouye's office. He then assembled an all-star team to review proposals. He worked with the selected organization to establish the first adolescent residential treatment program for Hawaii Island. Billy wanted to make sure that the program wasn't just a warehouse for youth but had an experiential, cultural, and community-based program component. 3 years later the program sits on 14 acres above Laupahoehoe and was selected by the Feds for recognition in Washington DC and was awarded 6 years of funding by the State of Hawaii after the first three years of funding was exhausted. Our kids are home, being helped, and without a single county dollar spent.
That is Billy Kenoi. No ego, no desire for credit or recognition, just the fact that our kids now are getting help is enough. A lot of people can testify that these are all facts. When Billy is asked, he says that the credit deserves to go to the community for sounding the alarm, and to the Mayor and US Senator Daniel K. Inouye for their leadership and support. But most of all, to our kids for having the courage to get help. That is the type of person Hawaii Business magazine recognized this year as one of 25 people in the State of Hawaii who will shape Hawaii over the next 25 years.
That is the kind of Mayor I want for my Island and for my family. Someone who works hard to solve problems, who doesn't make excuses for not getting things done (how could this problem go unsolved for so long?), who works with everyone to find a solution, and who puts the kids in our community first. That is the Billy Kenoi I know. And that is the Billy Kenoi everyone will get to know in the coming months.
Like your style.
You give a very informative heads up.
You told me more about Mr. Kenoi than I knew prior to your post.Thanks.
It is a fair and honest statement by Mr. Kenoi that he intends to carry on where Mayor Kim has left off. Some politicians would try to have it both ways -- independent and loyal. For me, honesty is a good sign.
If this strategy was about coat tails, that would require a voter to be favorable to what the Kim Administration has done or has "left off."
Mayor Harry Kim is good man. Not many men anywhere can claim to have done so much for their community -- we should all strive to do so much.
As for his administration, most importantly, it has been free of scandal. Mr. Kenoi has been a part of that administration and would also seem unlikely to tolerate such botheration. Ethics are not so old fashioned and I like that.
Nevertheless, there are some substantial issues -- parks, roads, garbage -- that have not been handled well by the Kim Administration and will land in the next Mayor's lap with a thud.
Does Mr. Kenoi still live in Puna? I know he's FROM here, but can't remember if he actually lives here. I think that matters because a resident of Puna would more or less HAVE to know that we have been shortchanged by the Mayor Harry (and most of his predecessors.) And yes, I still have a chip on my shoulder from the patronizing, obfuscating response I got from Mr. Kim when I asked him directly about Puna's needs. "I'm not going to give you all the old excuses, but here they are. And by the way, we lose money on your district on the property tax base."
Mr. Kenoi needs to do better than that.
They did get studied, though ;)
Not to change the subject but as a female I thought that Syd and Soma's reasoning behind why they believed that BRAS CAUSED CANCER made a lot of sense to me. While the topic might have seemed offbeat, I am sure it was appreciated and well received by many bra wearing human beings.
http://www.breathing.com/articles/brassieres.htm
http://www.all-natural.com/fibrocys.html