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A fireworks ban didn’t stop the shake, rattle and roll as we start the new year with another “FLASHback” on the week’s news that amused and confused:
>> With much of Oahu still reverberating from the blasts of illegal aerial fireworks on New Year’s Eve, Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha declared the situation vastly improved from last year and defended the lack of arrests. Obviously, his New Year’s resolution was to see no evil, hear no evil.
>> The state Supreme Court struck down the Reapportionment Commission’s plan to stop Oahu from losing a Senate seat to the Big Island by counting nonpermanent residents. I’m not usually superstitious about Pele’s revenge, but wasn’t it amazing how the vog over Oahu immediately cleared?
>> The attorney general’s office was in the position of representing both sides in the reapportionment dispute after Gov. Neil Abercrombie opposed the commission’s plan. No biggie. The legal profession is built on the principle of one hand whitewashing the other.
>> Former Gov. Ben Cayetano said he might come out of retirement to run against Mayor Peter Carlisle and stop the city’s $5.27 billion rail project. Carlisle seemed puzzled; he thought the mayor’s job
was retirement. >> Anti-rail candidate Panos Prevedouros announced he won’t make a third run for Honolulu mayor in 2012, saying this isn’t the right year for an engineer. Especially one who doesn’t want to drive the train.
>> The Federal Transit Administration said it still has serious concerns about the financial plan for Honolulu rail. Faith-based budgeting went out with the last administration.
>> Patty Teruya resigned from her city job overseeing Honolulu City Lights and other special events after the Ethics Commission cited her for 2,677 alleged violations involving misuse of city resources. How can we trust government if the employee responsible for Shaka Santa is a bad little girl?
>> As the Ethics Commission declared Teruya unfit for city employment, Councilman Tom Berg offered her a $55,000 job on his staff, then withdrew the offer, then said he still might hire her. He badly needs somebody around who can make him look good by comparison.
>> Former Councilman Rod Tam turned himself in over the New Year’s weekend to serve the two-day jail sentence imposed on him by Judge Randall Shintani for misusing public money. After his release, he was taken to Queen’s to be treated for the slap on his wrist.
And the quote of the week … from Mitt Romney on President Barack Obama’s Hawaii vacation while GOP rivals campaigned in Iowa: “He’s in Hawaii right now. We’re out in the cold and the rain and the wind because we care about America.” If standing in the cold is their measure of political virtue, no wonder Republicans seldom win in Hawaii.
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