From public servant to public disgrace

How differently things could have turned out for the public good.

Instead, Rod Tam squandered 32 years of political good will as an elected official, including two four-year terms at the City Council, in a series of shameful "mistakes" of stealing city funds and violating campaign spending laws. For that, he will serve a mere two days in jail and perform 300-plus hours of community service.

No, Tam’s crimes were "not that bad," as his lawyer reasoned, compared to other public corruption cases, and he is not a thug. But he is a thief — of city funds, and of the public’s trust.

Close the books on the Great Sandwich Blunder

"Discretion is the better part of valor," or so goes the saying. It’s a tutorial for Safeway executives in the wake of its recent shopper-arrest episode, in that very little of either quality was evident there.

Reactions to this case have gone viral on the Web, creating not the most favorable impression of the Aloha State. Store security and management at a Honolulu Safeway summoned police to arrest a newly arrived couple for consuming a pair of chicken sandwiches without paying for them while ringing up $50 in other purchases. It led to a night in jail for the parents and foster care for their toddler.

Who knows what the full back story is here, but it brings another expression to mind: "Pick your battles." With luck, Honolulu prosecutors will show a little discretion and let this one go.