TheBus executives get ethical

Without complaint, the top employees of the city’s TheBus and The Handi-Van services have agreed to be subjected to the same ethics training, ethics policies and civil penalties required of city employees.

City Councilman Joey Manahan’s bill rightly would require about 115 Oahu Transit Service employees not covered by the Teamsters union to follow rules prohibiting them from conflicts of interest. Roger Morton, the OTS president and general manager, says his management employees "don’t mind that" since he always has considered the firm to be a city entity. If only other bills were as easy.

Interim UH presidents seem to do pretty well

Another long, tense chapter in the annals of the University of Hawaii is about to begin: the search for, and acclimation to, yet another occupant of Bachman Hall. But first the regents will have to find an interim president to be in place when M.R.C. Greenwood steps down in August.

Funny thing, it seems the permanent picks of the recent past were the ones who had all the problems. Remember Evan Dobelle? And Greenwood’s tenure hasn’t been a walk in the park, according to her critics.

It seems to work out better when the regents hire a temp and then beg him to stay. Anyway, that’s what happened with David McClain, who got fairly good reviews. Maybe he’s still around and can be persuaded again.