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http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/news...mand-kenoi
Opponents of Resolution 272 said Kenoi’s good works outweigh his transgressions. They pointed to improvements in county parks and roads, a greater sense of community and a new focus on West Hawaii under Kenoi’s two four-year terms ...
It's more and more obvious that enforcement of the "rules and laws (for everyone)" is inversely proportional to the "perceived value proposition".
I wonder if an unpermitted shack would be quietly ignored, provided that the residents thereof perform enough good works for the community...
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Is anyone surprised? The good old boy regime remains unchecked and unfettered. And don't expect anything from the Attorney General in Honolulu. I hear rumors that the fix is in there, too.
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The good old boy regime remains unchecked and unfettered.
Exactly. If you can't beat'em, join'em. Where do I sign up?
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quote:
Originally posted by kalakoa
The good old boy regime remains unchecked and unfettered.
Exactly. If you can't beat'em, join'em. Where do I sign up?
You and your constant whining for entitlements. You have to earn them first. Everybody knew Uncle Billy was a hard partying surfer boy from Kalapana. There is a deeper story here than just government credit card abuse. The surfboard was a gift to someone else, he says he intended to spend his own money for it but didn't have the cash at the time. It was kind of a gray area also, it was promoting a local surfer boy and that would be in line with the function of a mayor, supporting tourism. Hostess bars are a cultural thing and within that view, are known as business meeting areas. But he knew he was making a lot of personal purchases and that is the first rule of government credit cards, no personal purchases. It is a rule, not a law. So, something snapped with him. The main factors to consider are the county financial balance started ending with a small surplus every year, and the size of the pie has grown. If you don't know how to properly get your slice of the pie, then it will appear to you the people ahead of you are crowding you out.
"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
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You and your constant whining for entitlements. You have to earn them first.
Yes, I have this misguided notion that paying taxes should entitle me to some infrastructure that's located near where I pay the taxes.
Everybody knew Uncle Billy was a hard partying surfer boy from Kalapana.
Clearly I should party harder, and learn to surf.
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This thread and the other on Punatalk about the car thieves getting probation may have something in common. Perhaps the judges in the car thief cases took into account the good works of the robbers which outweighed their transgressions. Like providing jobs for mechanics, body shops, police officers and judges?
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Like providing jobs for mechanics, body shops, police officers and judges?
Executive-level transgressions mean plenty work for the lawyers... might be something to that.
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HOTPE @ 9:51:16
kalakoa @ 10:02:08
More true than you can possibly know.
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Ted, it is not "entitlement" in the usual politically derogatory use of the term to ask to get what we pay for. Kalakoa earned the money he used to pay those taxes, so your sarcastic use of that term is also off base. I suppose you might think he should "earn" something by supporting the spendthrift mayor.
As far as Billy Kenoi's budgetary skills go, yes, there is a small surplus every year. There is a problem, however, and that is his substantial expansion of the county's long-term debt. It is now very close to the level that can be reasonably supported fiscally by our tax base. If we have a major disaster or other massive, unexpected expense, our borrowing power will be limited. And what did we spend this borrowed money on? Bread and circuses. Bread for the contractors and construction unions, and circuses for the gullible taxpayers who seem to accept that parks are the best investment we can make. Little was spent on infrastructure, and nothing on economic development.
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Kalakoa earned the money he used to pay those taxes
As a self-employed, I get to pay GET right off the top before having the privilege of filing my State and Federal income taxes -- and I get to pay the "employer's share" of Social Security in addition to my "employee's share".
Then, I'm taxed again on every dollar I spend.
I'm pretty sure I pay at least my fair share.
If we have a major disaster or other massive, unexpected expense, our borrowing power will be limited.
Such as ... a delay in TMT construction? Kenoi's latest $100M bond assumes the money will come from somewhere. If the TMT ends up not being built at all, we will just have to make do with the economy we have.
And what did we spend this borrowed money on?
I think half of it was spent on parks that are still under construction, and which I don't expect to actually be finished due to the inevitable "cost overruns" that magically appear after groundbreaking.
As I've said before: bond debt should be invested in infrastructure that has the potential to pay returns. Examples: a proper DHS-compliant international terminal in Kona would increase tourism; wresting control of Banyan Drive from DNLR would increase tourism. Remember, in the absence of manufacturing, service jobs is what you have.
