Isles would have hit jackpot if rail had been Powerball

May has careened by like a runaway train as we “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused:

>> The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation raised the estimated cost of Oahu rail to $6.9 billion, then a few days later to $8.1 billion. HART is tracking its budget with a Powerball jackpot counter.

>> The City Council nominated businessman John Henry Felix to the HART board. Felix, who got rich in the funeral business, is uniquely qualified to guide rail to its final destination.

>> Mayor Kirk Caldwell said he supports more taxes for rail because he’s taking the long view. He expects more public support when the kids who were brainwashed by HART’s coloring books reach voting age.

>> Caldwell launched his campaign for re-election by declaring, “I love sewers!” It’s touching when a man finds a place where he fits in.

>> Former Mayor Peter Carlisle is running to reclaim the job, citing unfinished business. He wants to complete his around-the-world junket that was rudely interrupted when voters booted him in 2012.

>> The Board of Education decided not to tie public school teacher evaluations to their students’ test performance. As usual, teachers will be graded on how much their union contributes to political campaigns.

>> After paying the state $75,000, the first eight medical marijuana licensees were cleared to sell pot starting July 15. It’s not quite “The Hunger Games,” but let the munchies begin.

>> The rare “corpse flower” bloomed at Foster Botanical Garden, drawing curious visitors to its stench of rotting flesh. It was a great makeup opportunity for those who missed the Legislature’s finale.

>> State Rep. Matt LoPresti couldn’t explain why his and a dozen other ethics and lobbying reforms died in the 2016 Legislature, saying, “I don’t know why half the things here die. It’s a mystery.” Our Legislature would make a good case study for the Centers for Disease Control.

>> A national study showed Hawaii is proportionately the highest non-English-speaking state. If you take House Speaker Joe Souki out of the equation, we score close to the average.

>> State House Minority Leader Beth Fukumoto Chang was booed by Donald Trump supporters at the state Republican convention and invited to leave the GOP. Is it an insult or a compliment to get kicked out of a clown car?

>> As wild chickens proliferate, city officials announced a new phase of their feral fowl management program. They’d outsource it to Colonel Sanders, but the unions would complain.

And the quote of the month, from city Transportation Director Mike Formby on rail cost increases: “As bad as this sounds, to us it’s good news because now we’re being open and transparent about the potential cost of this project.” What a deal! It cost us only $8 billion to get them to stop lying.

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