A look at power uncovers a lot of weak-mindedness

It’s the last Sunday in July and time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused:

>> After Gov. David Ige opposed the sale of Hawaiian Electric Co. to NextEra Energy, saying it won’t get us to 100-percent renewable energy, Oahu was hit by two days of emergency HECO power outages. I hope the emergency wasn’t CEO Connie Lau’s possible loss of her $10.6 million payout.

>> With less fanfare, Ige approved a tax break for imported coal used at Oahu’s largest generator, where the outages originated. Our 21st-century energy policy detours through the 19th century.

>> Ige signed off on Hawaii medical marijuana dispensaries, and the Health Department aimed to have rules and procedures by January. If they mess it up as badly as the Obamacare exchange, at least we can all get high.

>> Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s official portrait is behind schedule as he decides what attributes to emphasize and picks an artist. He’s thinking it may take two painters to capture his whole intellect.

>> Despite big glitches in Hawaii’s last two elections, the Elections Commission gave election chief Scott Nago a $10,000 raise. In our state government, nothing succeeds like failure.

>> State Rep. Tom Brower, who last made headlines for taking a sledgehammer to shopping carts of the homeless, was beaten while photographing the Kakaako homeless camp. If you keep popping up like a Whac-A-Mole, sooner or later you get whacked.

>> Rep. Sylvia Luke said the Kakaako problem is unfortunate because lawmakers knew what was going on, but “put our heads in the sand and hoped that somebody else would take care of it.” Was she referring to the homeless problem or the Brower problem?

>> As homelessness explodes, 175 state public housing units are vacant and the number will multiply because legislators didn’t provide funding for repairs. The funds were needed for a new luxury office tower to house state employees.

>> After blowing $170,000 on a restaurant safety inspection database that didn’t work, the state is paying a new vendor $158,000 to get the information online. If at first you don’t succeed, pay, pay again.

>> The Hono­lulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is seeking applicants for an opening on its board of directors. Preference will be given to candidates who can prove they failed math.

>> A city and federal partnership based on Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move! Outside” campaign encourages Oahu youth to spend more time outdoors. That’s one way to change homelessness from a liability to an asset.

And the quote of the month … from city Customer Services Director Sheri Kajiwara on the Caldwell administration’s $80,000 effort to rid city facilities of feral chickens: “We are concentrating where chickens roost and where they propagate.” If the administration targets the City Council like that, does it violate separation of powers?

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