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December 11, 2008 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3
Here's something pretty cool: Hawaii is on track to become the first state to install widespread electric car charging stations, according to an Associated Press report. The stations, which will be built by a California-based company called Better Place, are set to open in 2012 and will number between 50,000 and 100,000. Better still, the power will supposedly be drawn exclusively from alternative sources, making this, seemingly, a genuine break from fossil fuel dependence rather than a lip-servicey attempt to "green up"¯ business as usual. OK, great idea. Now the hard part begins—executing it...In other, much less hopeful news: A headline from an AP story printed in today's Maui News: "Poor economy has more troops re-enlisting."¯ Yep, nothing keeps the Army stocked with warm bodies quite like a spiraling financial crisis. Let's see, greed got us into this war, greed got us into this economic mess, now the economic mess is going to keep the war stocked with soldiers...I'm sensing a pattern.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4
Quoted in today's Maui News, Wayne Nishiki's lawyer called the backlash against his client "overblown."¯ The statements reiterate the same argument we've already heard: lots of politicians file forms late, what's the big deal? But that dodges the real question, which is, what was the motivation behind the late filing? Some have blamed forgetfulness. That's awfully weak. Others seem to want to shrug it off as "Wayne being Wayne."¯ Weaker. The only plausible explanation is that Nishiki knew how a $100,000 loan from a big, bad developer was going to look—especially in light of the shots he took at his opponent—and wanted to keep the whole mess under the radar. The notion that after years of fighting big development Nishiki is suddenly going to become Dowling's lapdog seems far-fetched at best—but that's what makes this whole thing such an absurd bit of self-sabotage: by concealing the loan, Nishiki fed the fire rather than dousing it, and in the process raised serious questions about his integrity. The next step in the unfolding melodrama is a December 17 date with the Board of Ethics. We'll be there.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5
It's funny how some Republicans have created a mythical image of Ronald Reagan in their minds that in no way lines up with reality, and now use that image to make arguments that are actually self-defeating. Here's an example: I got a press release today from the group Vision And Values touting an essay titled "Shades of Reagan: Sarah And the Leakers."¯ The basic premise is that the post-election Palin-bashing coming from "liberal journalists and moderate Republican[s]"¯ echoes what Reagan went through when he first burst onto the national scene. The conclusion is that Reagan turned out to be the Greatest Leader the World Has Ever Seen, so Palin must have similar potential if she's sparking the same outrage from all those commie journalists with their "gotcha"¯ follow-up questions. The reality of course is that there is a parallel between Ronnie and Sarah, just not the one the Vision And Values folks want to draw: both were more style than substance, and both successfully played on the base instincts of their party's far-right fringe by winking, framing complex issues in dangerously simple terms and harkening back to some whitewashed utopian America that never really existed.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6
That's gonna be awkward: According to multiple sources, Gov. Lingle has invited President-elect Obama to meet with her during his upcoming holiday visit to Oahu. Lingle, you'll recall, campaigned hard for McCain-Plain, taking some not-so-veiled shots at Obama and even throwing her own state under the bus in the process. More recently, she was a conspicuous no-show at a meeting between Obama and the nation's governors. If Lingle really is angling for a Senate seat in 2010 as the buzz suggests, it might be time to make nice.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7
Best line of the week, from state Farm Bureau chief Dean Okimoto, quoted in today's Maui News: "Agriculture is the Rodney Dangerfield of the economy."¯ For them, sex is like shooting pool with a rope, I tell ya...
MONDAY, DECEMBER 8
Just got word that Rep. Bob Nakasone died yesterday. Nakasone has been battling cancer but decided to run for re-election last month and won easily. Now, Democrats have to submit a list of names to Gov. Lingle, who will pick Nakasone's successor. So two things: first, and most important, a nod to the life of a longtime public servant and respected community member; second, a watchful eye on who will be tapped to serve out his term...In other news: Nader wins! At least one of the people challenging Obama's citizenship is also claiming runner-up McCain is ineligible to serve as president because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone. The courts, backed by strong evidence, have repeatedly slapped these things down, but we know at least one third party candidate, and third-place finisher, who's sitting at home with his fingers crossed.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9
As reported in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin, only 42 percent of football players at the University of Hawaii go on to earn diplomas, according to a recent study. That puts them in second-to-last place among NCAA schools, ahead of only the University of Arizona. Even worse, there's a sadly-not-surprising racial component to the Warriors' abysmal showing: 60 percent of white players at UH graduate compared to just 40 percent of black players. In the Bulletin article, school administrators made the right overtures about fixing the problem, but talk—unlike a college education—is cheap. MTW
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| Entertainment and lifestyle news for Maui, Hawaii and the surrounding Islands. Maui Time Weekly is Mauis only independent and locally owned newspaper.
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