Misbehaving at GOP headquarters

As if the Republicans in Hawaii don’t have enough real problems this election cycle, there was drama on Tuesday at GOP-Hawaii Central. (And they do have problems: The Republicans fielded no candidates in about half of the partisan races for the state House and Senate seats.)

Hawaii Republican Party Chairman Fritz Rohlfing and party activist Mike Palcic couldn’t get through a news conference about the races without teetering on the brink of a shoving match, complete with expletives. Apparently the fight was over whether candidates could use the HQ offices to announce their candidacy.

Boys, boys! Sit up straight and behave, or we’re going to turn this party bus around and go right home.

For a fee, HTA gets a cultural guide

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has a new director of Hawaiian cultural affairs in Kalani Kaanaana, 29, who previously worked in The Queen’s Health Systems’ Native Hawaiian Health Program. After the abrupt, criticized ouster of his predecessor in January, we wish Kaanaana well.

But what goes with the $15,000 paid to an executive search firm to fill this $75,000 post? That’s quite an outlay of funds — especially when compared to, say, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center’s search for a new director. There, an internal search committee was formed; no search firm was paid thousands to help fill that prominent, $410,004-a-year job, now going to renowned colon cancer expert Dr. Randall Holcombe.