Trick shots come up short as talent searches heat up

Our leaders at Hono­lulu Hale were busy leaving taxpayers behind the 8-ball as we "flASHback" on the week’s news that amused and confused:

» The City Council included $8 million in extraneous pork for members’ districts in the 2014 operating budget, but Mayor Kirk Caldwell says he won’t spend it. Council members insisted their largesse was transparent, and it was: a transparent attempt to buy votes.

» The federal government wants the city to repay $8 million for a mismanaged social services grant that allegedly involved political favors and improper loan forgiveness by city officials running for election. So is $8 million the new benchmark for city giveaways?

» City leaders promised we won’t see sewage floating in the Ala Wai anymore after completion of a $90 million repair job begun after a major spill in 2006. If only sewage was the worst thing we’ve seen floating in the Ala Wai.

» Belgian and Dutch railways canceled train contracts with the company providing cars for Oahu’s rail system, citing Ansaldo’s poor performance, but city transit chief Dan Grabauskas responded to Ansaldo’s new troubles with his usual, "What, me worry?" Smart cities learn from the mistakes of others; we copy them.

» Film producers are recruiting extras on Oahu for a remake of "Godzilla," but the star is computer-generated and the actors won’t see what the colossal lizard that tramples everything in its way looks like. My guess is it will have HART painted on its side.

» More than 2,000 "Godzilla" hopefuls showed up to audition for parts that mostly involve running in terror from a monstrous threat to the community. Directors could have just used out-of-session state legislators, but that would be typecasting.

» Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill passed by this year’s Legislature establishing "Civil Liberties and Constitution Day" in Hawaii. It’ll be celebrated on the day we all turn over our phone records to President Barack Obama.

» The University of Hawaii Board of Regents named two committees to head the search to replace retiring President M.R.C. Greenwood. One group will find out who Abercrombie wants theregents to pick while the other checks who legislators want.

» The Hawaii and Alaska congressional delegations met in Washington to continue the longtime alliance between the states forged by the late Sens. Daniel Ino­uye and Ted Stevens. The only difference is that Inouye and Stevens made deals, while the new group makes photo ops.

And the quote of the week, from state film Commissioner Donne Dawson on the "Godzilla" filming: "They will be doing a lot of shooting with a lot of people. It’s probably not going to be evident from the shooting what is actually going to take place on the screen." Much like the City Council’s budget process.

Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com or blog.volcanicash.net.