The contest for governor between Duke Aiona and Neil Abercrombie has turned negative, but in an ever-so-gentle manner. The Republican Governors Association has been running a series of “Rise & Shine Hawaii” TV spots presenting positive views of Aiona’s positions on education and other issues. The RGA’s latest ad goes negative for the first time, [...]
Archive for September 2010
A negative wind in Aiona vs. Abercrombie
September 29, 2010Neighborhood board bully boys need reining in
September 29, 2010The boorish behavior by some O’ahu residents at neighborhood board meetings is getting tiresome and making us look like a community of bullying loudmouths who think high volume substitutes for reason. Last night, a meeting of the North Shore Neighborhood Board on D.G. “Andy” Anderson’s proposal to replicate the 80-unit Haleiwa Hotel was cut short [...]
The feds have a place in our schools
September 28, 2010A lot of critics resent federal education initiatives like “No Child Left Behind” and “Race to the Top,” feeling public schools are a local responsibility and the feds should butt out. I disagree. An educated population is as much a matter of compelling national interest as a strong economy, and when schools in Hawai‘i and [...]
Another debate about debates II
September 27, 2010I tried last week to give Duke Aiona my best advice not to start a debate about debates against Neil Abercrombie, but he wouldn’t be denied and it put a bit of tarnish on what was otherwise a good week for the Republican candidate for governor. The Democrat Abercrombie took the week off to recharge [...]
flASHback alert
September 25, 2010Today’s “flASHback” column in the Star-Advertiser: “Carlisle in the courtyard, lots of legislators laid off.”
Candidates to voters: Take my wife … please
September 24, 2010U.S. Rep. Charles Djou is the latest local pol to trot out his spouse to smite his foes, with his new TV spot featuring his attorney wife Stacey taking opponent Colleen Hanabusa and her supporters to task for besmirching her husband and the family name. The Republican Djou is following several Democrats who preceded him [...]
Don’t make city hall a Ronald McMayor House
September 23, 2010Peter Carlisle’s tenure as Mayor-elect is certainly off to an interesting start. He raised a few eyebrows yesterday by naming Douglas Chin, his former first deputy city prosecutor, to be managing director, responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the city. There are concerns about having two people at the top of city government with [...]
Beyond the bench
September 22, 2010Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona isn’t the only former judge looking to apply his legal experience in another arena. I hear that Family Court Judge Michael Broderick will step down from the bench to become CEO of the YMCA of Honolulu. YMCA president and CEO Larry Bush announced his retirement in July after 40 years [...]
Another debate about debates. Yawn …
September 22, 2010Two days after Republican James “Duke” Aiona challenged his Democratic opponent for governor Neil Abercrombie to six debates, Aiona’s campaign manager Dutch Hanohano issued a press release ripping Abercrombie for not immediately accepting. “The people of Hawai‘i need real solutions, not just talk,” Hanohano said in what hardly seemed a compelling argument for six hours [...]
Has the train to nowhere reached its destination?
September 21, 2010Nothing has been thrown more up in the air in the wake of Mufi Hannemann’s resignation as mayor and failed run for governor than his $5.5 billion O‘ahu rail project. Hannemann got the 20-mile commuter line from Kapolei to Ala Moana approved on the force of his will and showed immense political skill in advancing [...]
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