Time to Get Some New Advisors from Planet Earth, Muffy
Honolulu Mayor Picks Up On Radio Waves from Deep Space and Warns Unsuspecting Voters of Secret Plot to Prevent Him From Enriching His Friends Thru Rail Project
Published: June 25, 2008
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The 'Sheeple' Have Spoken
Under Lingle's Direction, Uninformed Republican Delegates Overwhelmingly Support Creation of a Racist OHA Government for Hawaii's New Alii to Run On Behalf of Hawaii's Part-Hawaiian Commoners . . . With Everyone Else's Money
Published: May 20, 2008
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Gambling on the Future of Hawaii
Sovereignty/Separatist Activists in Hawaii Want Part-Hawaiians to Get the Same Things Indians Got . . . The Shaft of the Commoners by the Self-Interested Alii
Published: May 11, 2008
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Have You Brushed Up On Current Events?
Attention Hawaii News Junkies and Celebrity Watchers: Do You Recognize this Newsmaker? The ZS Reader with the First Correct Answer Will Receive a FREE Subscription to ZeroShibai.com PLUS Fame, Fortune and Everything That Goes With It
Published: May 8, 2008
READER QUIZ RESPONSES:
Huah writes: "The answer is: Democrats who continually vote for the same frauds year after year after year."
Rachel from Hawaii Kai writes: "Rod Tam searching for naps and snacks? House Judiciary Chair Tommy Waters ignoring victims of crime and patients who want tort reform so they can keep their doctors? Linda Lingle and lawmakers out of touch with the people Hawaii voters who keep putting the same jokers in office? Council member Barbara Marshall who didn't show up at the Honolulu City Council's big vote on rail?"
Kimo from Hau Bush writes: "It's none of the above. It's (GOP Party Chair) Willes Lee pretending Republicans have a chance in November even though he has done nothing to support any change for voters to consider over democrats. No, No, it's House Minority Leader Lynn Finnegan in a pant suit pretending that since the end of the legislative session she knows what needs to be done for Hawaii's people even though she has done nothing but write praises in letters to the editor in the Advertiser for the democrats during the 2008 session. No, wait, it's Haunani Apoliona after writing an article in the May OHA newspaper outing all the people who were against the $200 Million payoff to OHA. No, it's Gov. Lingle and Lenny Klompus on their way to Israel to find out more reasons why Hawaiians are really Israelites looking for their promised land."
Shakagirl from Ewa Beach writes: "I kind of think this looks like (GOP Party Chair) Willes Lee when he said it is okay for Republicans to publicly support Democrats in a contested race."
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Good Thing This Year's Legislative Session Just Ended
Yes, Tonight I'm Gonna Party Like It's 25 or 6 to 4
Published: May 3, 2008
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Get Ready For a More Active Lifestyle and a Longer Commute
You Don't Need to Imagine What Life Will Be Like Once Mufi and His Well-Connected Pallies Build the Rail Project and Re-Route the Buses; Here's a Simple Explanation of the Complex, Time-Consuming Steps Needed to Get To and From Work in the Year 2020
Published: April 28, 2008
READER COMMENTS:
John Brizdle writes: "Great rail piece today. Don't forget, if the City Council continues to make the rider pay for 30% of the cost of mass transit and the cost goes up 125 million like it says in the alternatives Analysis, the bus fare will have to go up as well."
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T-Shirts, Get Your T-Shirts . . . No, Not YOU!
Let's Celebrate The Forthcoming Division of Hawaii With a Parade; Just Stay on the Sidewalk Where You Belong and Cheer Loudly for the OHA Monster You Created and Will Be Forever Paying For . . .
Published: April 27, 2008
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Even So-Called Liberals Get It
Prominent National Liberal Publication Reveals the Intentional Vagueness of the Akaka/Lingle/OHA/Kau Inoa Bill; Pretty Thought-Provoking Stuff About Life in Hawaii's Racially-Divided Near Future . . .
Published: April 21, 2008
A long article by Elinor Langer in "The Nation" magazine on 4/28/08 -- "Hawaiian Resistance Then---And Now" -- just came to our attention. It is well worth reading, particularly if you like history. While the author and the magazine are typically big government growth advocates to the core, effort was obviously made to give a balanced account . . . though not always successfully. Toward the end of the piece (page 4 of online version) is the following observation regarding the proposed Akaka bill (really the "Akaka/Lingle/OHA/KauInoa Bill"):
“What happens if it becomes law is unpredictable. The bill is conspicuously vague. Deferring all important decisions to future ‘government to government‘ negotiations after a Native Hawaiian governing entity is created, the bill is so open ended that no one knows where it will lead, including Senator Akaka, who told an NPR interviewer that it would be up to his grandchildren and great-grandchilren whether to seek independence---a bit of candor greeted in many quarters with a shiver.”
"The heart of the matter, long concealed by other things and staggering to contemplate now that it is being faced, is land: the 1.8 million acres ‘ceded‘ by the republic to the United States at the time of annexation and referred to by everyone touched by the sovereignty movement as ‘stolen‘. This land involves roughly half the State of Hawaii and includes some of its most valuable property, starting with the Honolulu airport."
Again, this assessment comes from a source friendly to the notion of native Hawaiian special group rights; so the tendency would be to diminish the magnitude of problems foreseen and unforeseen in the path of achieving that goal. Thus, Ms. Langer's refreshing candor is a great vehicle to help facilitate discussion and to highlight major problems that scream for attention.
Here are just some of those problems:
First, if the end result of the law is unpredictable and no one knows where it will lead, it seems obvious that elected representatives in Washington, D.C. who vote for this act are imposing upon us a "pig in a poke". By definition they have examined not and thought not. Business hates uncertainty. It is not possible to believe that Hawaii could thrive financially after the bill passed. Smart money would go elsewhere. It is conceivable that negotiations could go on indefinitely but the public outcry and consequent pressure all officials via lobbying and corruption (remember, control of 1.8 million acres is at stake) would trigger some relatively quick action in no telling what direction.
Second, social unrest is almost guaranteed. The unfavored are bound to get angry, particularly when ancestry is on the table and personal economic welfare is at stake.
Third, the 1.8 million acres in question did not belong to the native Hawaiian people, who are now the part-Hawaiian people. Instead it was held by royalty for Hawaii’s people, less than half of whom were of native Hawaiian ancestry (see 1890 census). When that simple fact is discussed and debated in public, 'staggering' will be an understatement.
Fourth, the cry of "stolen land" harks back to events of 1893. Even if true, which is arguable, there is no one now alive who participated. Are you responsible for the improper actions of your great–grandfather? In the course of financial and social pain in the state, this concept will create Sunni’s and Shiites in short order.
Fifth, not mentioned in the quote above is that NONE of the plans for native Hawaiian land entails any private property rights. Moreover, NO individual ownership of fee-simple land is contemplated. And any income from the land will be controlled by “leaders“. The American Indian Tribe model will prevail. Cuba also comes to mind.
Summary . . . Well, just try answering these questions:
Is this good for the state of Hawaii?
Is it good for native Hawaiians?
Is it good for the people of Hawaii?
Is it good for Hawaii’s political leaders?
Is it good for the leaders of a new Native Hawaiian Governing Entity?
Is it good for OHA (repetitive question, perhaps)?
Is it good for the USA?
Is it good for the enemies of the USA?
Are there gainers and losers?
Should there be?
YOU DECIDE.
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People Power in Honolulu
Initiative Campaign Launched to Stop City Adminstration's Rail Project; Signatures To Be Collected to Put Issue on November Ballot; Opposition Expected from Pro-Rail/Tax Political Establishment Figures such as Gov. Lingle, Mayor Hannemann and Other Prominent Democrats
Published: April 21, 2008
A new citizen group has been organized to conduct an initiative petition campaign that is designed to kill rail transit, “and force the city government to develop a better plan for solving our traffic congestion problem,” said Michael Uechi, co-chair of the initiative campaign. The initiative will put the transit issue on the ballot to let the public decide if rail should be built in Honolulu.
The initiative petition proposes the following ordinance:
“Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail transit.”
The group, called stoprailnow.com began circulating the petitions today and plans to “work very hard in the next three months to get the signatures, recruiting a volunteer army to achieve this major task,” said Dennis Callan, who is co-chairing the campaign. “We are counting on public involvement to help with this grass-roots campaign because we don’t have a million-dollar budget for our publicity,” Callan said, referring to the $1.5 million being spent by the city administration to sell the public on rail.
The group has a web site, www.stoprailnow.com and plans a vigorous campaign to circulate the petitions and collect the signatures “starting right now” says Uechi, with advertising, direct mail, e-mail, sign-waving, door-to-door, rallies, standing at busy intersections and shopping malls and word of mouth.
Stoprailnow.com needs to collect about 40,000 signatures before August 1 to qualify for the upcoming General Election in November. If the proposed anti-rail ordinance is then approved by the voters, “rail is dead,” says Uechi. “We need to solve traffic congestion with more effective solutions,” Uechi says, “rather than building a white elephant that very few people would ever ride. Even the city’s own studies show that congestion will get much worse in the future with rail.”
“This petition is urgently needed to let the public decide the issue, because the City Council has been unable to reach a decision, and now the mayor is claiming that he has the power to unilaterally force the train on us,” Callan said. “This is not how a democracy works. The mayor is acting like a grouchy dictator, threatening to ‘pull the plug’ on solving our traffic problems if he cannot have his way. He’s like a spoiled child who is grabbing his ball and going home. The decision is too important to leave in the hands of politicians, especially when they have consistently shown they cannot properly deal with it. If this mayor cannot operate within our democratic principles and find real traffic solutions we need to elect a new mayor who can help us.”
“Rail is not a done deal - we can stop it with this petition and the public vote,” concludes Uechi.
Honolulu Advertiser coverage HERE
Advertiser video HERE
Star-Bulletin coverage HERE
KHON coverage HERE
KITV coverage HERE
KGMB coverage HERE
KHNL coverage HERE
official StopRailNow.com campaign website HERE
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Who's Troothin' and Who's Lyin' ??
When It Comes To Our High Cost of Living, Is Hawaii's Republican Party REALLY for Lower Taxes OR Is the Party of Lingle Just Pretending?
Published: April 17, 2008
Sometimes the distance between the truth and a press release is pretty far apart. Here's a recently published letter to the editor from the current Chair of the Hawaii Republican Party, Willes Lee, which suggests that Republican Governor Linda Lingle wants to help Hawaii taxpapers while the Democratic majority in the State Legislature wants to hurt taxpayers. Below Mr. Lee's letter is a rebuttal from Hawaii resident George Berish published in today's Star-Bulletin. Clearly, there's more to the tax story than Mr. Lee bothered to share, or that he wanted us to remember.
Tax day hurts more in Hawaii
April 15 is always particularly painful in paradise. The governor and lieutenant governor have worked to lower Hawaii's regressive and punitive taxes where state tax on a single mother with one child kicks in if she makes more than only $215 a week.
Last year the Legislature blocked significant tax reform and passed only one-third of the tax relief proposed by Gov. Linda Lingle. The governor's proposal would have refunded $780 to a family of four with income of less than $50,000. Go look in your wallet. Wouldn't it be nice to have that $780?
This year the governor proposed tax relief totaling $132 million, but, as of today the Legislature is passing $0. Zero! It is interesting that the Democrats in Washington, D.C., know that a tax rebate is the best way to keep the economy stimulated, but in Hawaii the Democrat-dominated Legislature still does not get the message.
As long as Democrats prevail in our Legislature, the pain of high taxes will continue, on April 15 and every other day.
This November reduce your pain. Vote Republican.
Willes K. Lee, Chairman
Hawaii Republican Party
GOP shares blame for high tax rate
Although everyone has a right to her or his opinion, no one has a right to be wrong in her or his facts, as Willes Lee was in "Tax day hurts more in Hawaii" (Star-Bulletin, April 14).
Specifically, he got it backwards when he demonized Democrats and lauded Gov. Linda Lingle with respect to Hawaii's regressive taxes.
Hawaii's .5 percent general excise tax increase is its biggest and most regressive ever, and it was passed under three parties: Democrats, a few Republicans who survived Lingle's two elections and Lee's own party, which seems little more than the governor's alter ego - Lingle Party.
Facts: Pre-Lingle Party, Democratic lawmakers, under a Democratic governor, twice proposed a .25 percent GET increase. Back then - even before the Republican Party implosion - Republicans were a minority, so credit for both defeats is due Republicans and anti-tax Democrats.
On Oct. 31, 2003, the Star-Bulletin reported ("Lingle tax plan empowers counties") that Lingle invited the Democratic Party to try again.
And in Small Business Hawaii's September 2005 newsletter, Sen. Sam Slom confirmed he had enough anti-tax Democrats and surviving Republicans to sustain her veto. She refused to issue one.
For better or worse, Lingle deserves unilateral credit for Hawaii's last GET increase - a regressive tax that just completed its first year of undermining Hawaii's already staggering economy.
George L. Berish
Honolulu
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Newly-Launched Campaign Aims at Pro-Rail Councilmember
Honolulu City Councilman Romy Cachola Targeted for Betraying Taxpayers in Council District Which Includes Residential Salt Lake Area; Organizers Promise to Turn Cachola's Constituents Against Him by Election Day 2008 For His Support of Rail
Published: April 16, 2008
*** KHON coverage HERE
article by one of the campaign supporters HERE
official campaign website reportedly HERE
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Kau Kau Time, Haunani
BEWARE: OHA's Revisionist Explanations About The History of Hawaii Are Meant to Be Taken With a Grain of Sea Salt . . .
Published: April 10, 2008
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There Will Be Less Parking, No New Highways, No More Widening, No HOT Lanes
Rail System Pushers Don't Understand How People and Businesses Need the Auto To Get Around; With Over 92% of the Commuting Population of Oahu Ignored by City/State "Planners" -- Who Are Shifting All Future Funding from Roads and Highways to Rail -- There's Really Only One Thing to Say . . .
Published: April 10, 2008
READER COMMENTS:
Bobby Command of West Hawaii Today writes: "We don't need more lanes. We need gas that is $7-$10 a gallon so people begin using mass transit, walking or biking to work. If gas does not get that expensive, then we need to reduce the number of on-street parking spaces by 50 percent, or huge increases ($500? to register a second car, of course coupled with the first car being registered for a song). We also need no-fare bus service (don't laugh, many municipalities already have instituted them)."
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Zero Shibai Exclusive
Federal Court Judge Seabright to Meet with Lawyers for State and OHA Today to Discuss Anti-OHA Attorney's Request for Immediate Shutdown of OHA
Published: April 8, 2008
This morning at 10:00 a.m., U.S. District Court Judge and Lingle appointee Michael Seabright will be holding a status conference on the matter of newly-filed civil rights lawsuit Kuroiwa v. Lingle with attorneys for the State of Hawaii, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and William Burgess, who represents the plaintiffs. (see story below) The most urgent matter is Burgess' request for temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to shutdown OHA before a trial even gets underway; based on compelling arguments, solid evidence, and a likelihood of Burgess' clients winning their civil rights case in federal court.
At issue is a recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit of the U.S. District Court of Appeals, in which teh "ceded lands" of Hawaii -- from which OHA derives income (and which it wants total control of, in order to form a new, racially-exclusive government) -- belong to all the people of Hawaii, not just part-Hawaiians. This ruling from Seabright's superiors will undoubtedly set the tone for a contentious conference today, either in his chambers or his courtroom, as neither side in this dispute will likely rest until this matter is adjudicated by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Should Judge Seabright grant a temporary restraining order (TRO) and/or a preliminary injunction (either today or in a future hearing) which shuts down OHA, or at least freezes its operations or financial shenanigans, the resulting political tsunami brought on by such a legal earthquake would be on a magnitude of Phuket 2004 proportions. OHA's Haunani Apoliona is already screaming "They want to shut us down" and Lingle's Attorney General Bennett is claiming that "this is the same old tired lawsuit we've seen before". But now, in this case, the six plaintiffs represented by Burgess all have standing and have the Court of Appeals on their side.
Moreover, unlike the case wherein Kamehameha Schools (renamed for P.R. purposes, but still known to most as "Bishop Estate") paid off a student at the last minute with a $7 million dollar settlement -- since Kam Schools wasn't confident about getting a favorable ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court to keep its racially-exclusionary admission policy -- the new civil rights case of Kuroiwa v. Lingle has ZERO chance of being settled by the parties. One side abhors discrimination based on race, while the other side is firmly established in the race-based, victimization industry and wants to jump to a higher level of discrimination by moving from being merely a department in a state government to being the big, new government altogether . . . courtesy of the Akaka Bill.
Though it's hard to predict how long the conference will take, it is expected that a post-Seabright conference press conference will take place on the mauka side of the Congressman Kuhio Federal Building sometimne around 11:00 a.m. Today might not turn out to be newsworthy, but the days ahead look pretty earthshaking.
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Put Simply . . .
Why Ruin a Good Thing?
Published: April 6, 2008
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The Silent Majority Fights Back: New Lawsuit Argues That Ceded Lands Should Benefit ALL of Us; U.S. Court of Appeals Already Agrees
Six Non-Ethnic Hawaiians Sue Gov. Lingle, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, et al For Breach of Trust, Deprivation of Civil Rights; Lawsuit Seeks to Dismantle OHA, Stop Funding of Akaka Bill Lobbying and Kau Inoa Registry, Halt Ceded Land Transfers; TRO Requested for Immediate Relief from Further Injury
Published: April 4, 2008
James I. Kuroiwa, Jr., Patricia A. Carroll, Toby M. Kravet, Garry P. Smith, Earl F. Arakaki and Thurston Twigg-Smith, represented by renown constitutional attorney H. William Burgess have brought suit against the Governor, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and several state agencies on behalf of themselves and approximately 1 million unrepresented residents of Hawaii. The suit claims the defendants have violated the public trust, distributed hundreds of millions of dollars for one racial group and none for the other beneficiaries.
Named as defendants are Governor Linda Lingle. Directors of six state agencies and Haunani Apoliona, Chairperson, and the Trustees of The Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The six defendants are seeking to have revenues & proceeds from Ceded Lands appropriately distributed for the benefit of all citizens of Hawaii.
The suit claims that the trust originated in 1898 and requires that Hawaii’s Ceded Lands (the Public Land Trust) "shall be used solely for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands for educational and other public purposes". At the heart of the suit is a decision by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court on August 7, 2007 that “the lands ceded in the admission act are to benefit ‘all the people of Hawaii,’ not simply native Hawaiians.”
For the first 20 years of statehood, from 1959 through 1978, the State of Hawaii channeled most of the Ceded Lands income from the about 1.2 million acres (which does not include the 200,000 acres of “available lands” set aside for the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act) to the Department of Education. “We have been subjected to a decades long race based conspiracy that has damaged every single citizen of Hawaii”, stated Attorney H. William Burgess in filing the suit. “Imagine the benefits just to our school system and to our keiki of all races if the Ceded Land funds had been properly administered”.
In addition to proper use of the Ceded Lands Funds, the suit would dismantle the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, end OHA and state spending on lobbying for the Akaka Bill and Kau Inoa, and stop any future land or financial settlement such as proposed by the Governor and currently before the legislature. In requesting the TRO, the defendants and counsel Burgess are seeking to prevent any addition to the millions of state dollars OHA has already spent advocating for secession and a separate government and nation.
“We respect and support the Hawaiian culture, Hawaiian tradition and the Hawaiian people. As King Kamehameha III said, ‘God hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the earth in unity” noted Burgess in speaking on behalf of all the plaintiffs. “And as Hawaiians of all races and ethnic backgrounds we will continue to celebrate that culture in the great Hawaiian tradition of equality for all.”
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Just What We Need to Hear During an Economic Downturn
Pardon Me, Big Spenders: How Can I Register to Vote This Election Year When I Might Be Living In My Car Pretty Soon?
Published: March 30, 2008
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More Coverage of Local Republican Party "Infiltration" Brouhaha
THE KEPPELER-GATE SCANDAL: Word Gets Out That Something Fishy Is Going On at Hawaii G.O.P. Headquarters; Chair Willes Lee Keeps 'Moving the Goal Posts' to Protect a Major Democrat Contributor's Influential Position Within Minority Party
Published: March 29, 2008
This morning's online edition of the Honolulu Advertiser features a few quotes from Willes Lee, chairman of Hawaii's Republican Party, in an article by Advertiser reporter and blogger Derrick DePledge, about the ongoing situation concerning major Akaka contributor and Abercrombie contributor Bruss Keppeler, a local activist attorney who has an influential position on the GOP's Platform Committee. The article's comments by Lee suggest that the loyalty test for party membership and even for leadership positions (as found in Section 107 of current party rules) is really a moving target, and that Lee will gladly move the goal posts if needed to ensure that those who oppose having Democrats help run the declining party will never score a touchdown for party fidelity.
Notwithstanding the pronouncement by Lee that a "public endorsement" by a Republican of a Democrat would be more serious than party leaders merely giving cash to the party's opponents, The Advertiser's DePledge easily dug up an endorsement by Keppeler of Akaka (on Akaka's own campaign website) from Fall 2006, the last election cycle. Interestingly, Keppeler's major contributions to Akaka and his newly-revealed endorsement of the Democratic U.S. Senate incumbent came at a time that the Hawaii GOP had an official horse in the race against Akaka -- TWO horses in fact. The first horse was Lingle-backed Gerry Coffee, who later dropped out for health reasons. The second horse was Lingle-backed Cynthia Thielen, who immediately took over where Coffee left off.
Interestingly, in DePledge's article, after accusing party critics Eric Ryan and Garry Smith of "shading the truth", Chairman Lee blatantly lies when claiming, "Nobody asked the question if it was alright to give money to the Democrats." That is the ENTIRE issue at hand. For Lee to say that Keppeler remains an influential party insider today because nobody asked about Republican donations to Democrats is asinine. More asinine is Lee's expectation that he'd get away with something so absurd and false. Any remaining credibility Willes Lee thought he had with the media is now probably shot for good. Adding to Lee's credibility problems are that Lee's 'investigation' of the complaint against Keppeler was so shoddy that he was unable to unearth with a single Google search Keppeler's public endorsement-in-question of Akaka. Clearly the fix was in -- the party rules were to be ignored and Lingle's pro-Akaka chum Mr. Keppeler was to be protected and preserved.
Rumor has it that Ryan has resubmitted his complaint to Lee about Keppeler based on new evidence. Yet despite the 2006 endorsement of Akaka and despite increased publicity over this scandal, it is unclear if Chairman Lee and his lackeys (who really are all Linda Lingle lackeys) are too dug in to a position of protecting Keppeler -- even in light of Keppeler's determination to actively support the sitting U.S. Senator which the party seemed determined to defeat -- to see their way clear to showing the door to the Democrat in their midst. In a time when fewer and fewer people seem capable of admitting when they are wrong, Willes Lee is expected to keep the wagons circled around Bruss Keppeler because he is reportedly under orders to do so from the party's patron-in-chief, the nominal Republican Governor Linda Lingle. When you consider the steady losing record of Republicans at the polls, the total control of Hawaii's Republican Party by Lingle appointees, and the absence of self-promotion by the party during successive legislative sessions and successive election campaigns, you don't need to wonder why they keep losing at the polls.
Bruss Keppeler -- who openly supports independence from the United States for Hawaii, and supports the Akaka's Democrat-sponsored 'Government Reorganization' Bill as a first step in repealing Hawaii's status as the 50th State -- probably didn't mind handing over big bucks to Senator Akaka's campaign and giving him an unqualified pre-election endorsement over the Republican candidate(s). Birds of a feather flock together, as they say. But the really curious part of this story is how far out of his way Chairman Lee is willing to go in order NOT to mind such documented active support by someone who's goal it is to defeat and emasculate Republicans in Hawaii.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OF KEPPELER-GATE SCANDAL:
MichelleMalkin.com - National Columnist and FoxNews Contributor
Poinography.com - Hawaii's leading liberal blog
More detailed information about the scandal is in the next article below.
READER COMMENTS:
Kalli from Ewa Beach writes: "It seems that the Hawaii GOP is crumbling from within. State Sen. Mike Gabbard and State Rep. Karen Awana saw the party falling apart in the past few months and decided, wisely it seems, to join the Democrats.
Chair Willes Lee has obviously been influenced by former Republican Party Chair Sam Aiona to follow the old policy: "Find good candidates, raise money and win!" Unfortunately, focusng on a few select faces while forgetting to actively and effectively communicate our policy differences with Democrats hasn't worked over the last 3 election cycles . . . and doesn't seem to even work in years between elections, with Gabbard and Awana jumping ship before the voters could throw them out for being Republicans and for appearing to be no different than the Democrats; except they have no input to the Legislature as part of the minority caucus.
Republican Minority Leader Lynn Finnegan is probably the next to announce her switch from the Republican Party to the Democrats. She has already laid the groundwork by praising her Democrat brethren in a letter to the Honolulu Advertiser in Feb. 2008, rather than shaking them up and making hay about the Democrat 'pay-to-play' system in order to make a path for more Republican candidates. The mishandled situation was a political gift from Democrats to Republicans, but Finnegan fumbled and Lee didn't even try to play.
If the Republicans are to gain seats rather than lose them, they are going to have to demonstrate that there is a difference between the two parties. So far this legislative session, it's been another case of "go along to get along" with the Republican leadership -- now including the Chair of the Republican Party practically leading the cheer for the Democrats -- which completely wipes out any hopes of the Republican Party gaining seats in the Nov. 2008 elections. And thanks to party leaders, you can probably forget any hope of retaining all seats currently held by Republicans."
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Scandal at the Ill-Fated, Declining Republican Party of Hawaii
Word Has It That An Internal Cover-Up at Republican Party HQ is Dividing Party Leaders, Members and Elected Officials Over Questionable Loyalties and Alleged "Infiltration" by Democrats in Local G.O.P. Policymaking
Published: March 27, 2008
With Zero Shibai averaging 24,000 statewide readers per day since our launch last December, it was probably inevitable that we would be tipped off by our insightful readers about stories which don't make the newspapers and the nightly newscasts. To wit, several alert Zero Shibai readers have tipped us off about a recent and ongoing brouhaha inside the party of Linda Lingle. The scandal involves a generous and regular financial supporter of local Democrats -- such as U.S. Senator Dan Akaka and U.S. Representative Neil Abercrombie -- who also contributes time and money to favorite Democratic Party causes such as the local separatist sovereignty movement, and promotion of Kau Inoa and the Akaka Bill.
It seems that the individual in question, a local attorney named Bruss Keppeler, has been accused of infiltrating the local Republican Party and joining the party's policy-writing Platform Committee (reportedly at the behest of Governor Lingle herself) in order to put the party on record -- and to keep it on record -- as joining with Democrats and separatist activists in supporting the formation of a racially-exclusive government which would divide local people and property and government funds by race. Here at Zero Shibai, support for such a policy seems rather odd and guided more by political correctness than historical accuracy and/or good economics when you consider that the Republican Party normally associates itself (at least in theory) with philosphies of smaller government, not bigger government. Or in this case, the creation of a whole new government altogether.
Well anyway, a war of words (and pictures) seems to have broken out in the intra-party struggle over the value of political loyalty as well as whether or not there's a limit to how much socialism the party's true believers can accept as official policy. Here's an e-blast received by at least a couple dozen Zero Shibai readers which lays out the timeline, the players and the arguments involved:
click image to enlarge
Reportedly, the chairman of the party, Willes Lee, has circled the wagons around party leaders who support Democrats by claiming that a lenient "interpretation" over the weekend of the specific party rule -- one which normally would result in kicking members (esp. its leaders) out of the party for actively supporting the party's opponents -- relied on a softball determination by the chairman of his party's rules committee, Karl Espaldon (a staffer in the Keppeler-friendly Lt. Governor's office). [NOTE: Some party insiders have said that Lee might NOT have told Espaldon the whole story and there's a slight chance the issue will be revisited when cooler heads prevail.] In the meantime, that ruling said that Keppeler and other party leaders like him are only guilty of 'passive' support by contributing thousands of dollars in cash to Democrat candidates; whereas if the same GOP party leaders were to make in-kind contributions -- such as signwaving or making phone calls for Democrats -- then the party might not be as lenient about such 'active' support. In the political world where cash can be put to all kinds of valuable uses to defeat candidates, you gotta suspect that powerful influence was at play in order to protect people like Keppeler who play both sides of the fence . . . as the next intercepted e-blast argues:
click image to enlarge
And just when our readers thought it was safe to check their e-mail, here's another e-blast from party critics who don't seem to have high regard for Chairman Willes Lee's allegedly shameless, bald-faced promotion of the untenable notion that no conflict-of-interest exists when coaches for one team are supporting the other team in substantial, verifiable, effective ways. Nor do these critics think much of the direction Lingle/Aiona are taking their party, not to mention to lackluster political results. It seems that the party's internal critics are making the point that loyalty equals determination to win equals success in elections; and that the opposite has proved to be true -- officially-sanctioned party disloyalty breeds contempt for desire of the party's true believers to become a majority party in Hawaii once again (for the first time in 54 years) and that the dwindling number of elected GOP officials proves that out:
click image to enlarge
Of course, one can't help but wonder what kind of inroads the Grand Old Party expects to make in Hawaii when it turns a blind eye to such ongoing treachery by its own leadership. Despite party losses in the last several consecutive election cycles, party members still seem to put a lot of faith in nominally Republican Governor Lingle and her sidekick Lt. Gov. "Duke" Aiona who reportedly have done close to nothing to protect incumbents or elect challengers. Whether or not that faith is misplaced is not Zero Shibai's kuleana. Still, rightly or wrongly, smartly or dumbly, word is that she seems to have cast a spell over long-time Republicans and newer recruits alike and has kept them from fully realizing that Hawaii's Democrats don't consider Hawaii's Republicans much of a threat. Sure, with Lingle as a candidate, the party finally got someone with an "R" after his or her name elected governor. But Ms. Lingle arguably seems to have more in common with the Democrats and their policies (probably thanks to the likes of Keppeler and others) than with her own party. Long accused of being a "RINO" (a Republican-in-Name-Only"), Gov. Lingle has reportedly chastised fellow Republicans critical of her liberal leanings by telling them bluntly on more than one occasion: "Where else are you people going to go? I'm the best thing you've got."
Stay tuned for more on this story. Our sources tell us that we may not have heard the end of this tale of political espionage, wagon circling and growing rebellion in the ranks.
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The Main Alternative to Rail Which Costs LESS and Works BETTER:
A Reversible Expressway from Pearl City to Downtown (a.k.a. "Hot Lanes")
On the Other Side of the Country, Floridians in Tampa Demand and Receive a Faster Way to Get Around WITHOUT Having to Walk to Bus Stop, Ride Bus, Transfer to Rail, Ride Rail, Transfer to Bus, Walk to Work, and then Do It All Over Again to Get Home...
Published: March 27, 2008
FOR SPECIFIC INFO ON "HOT LANES" FOR OAHU:
Article by U.H. Professor and Transportation Expert Panos Prevedouros
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Thinking Ahead Is a Good Idea
From 1988: A Twenty Year Old Peek Into the Future of Hawaii's Ever-Growing Government and a Rallying Cry on the Importance of Voting in the State with the Lowest Voter Turnout in the Country
Published: March 26, 2008
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Article in Honolulu Advertiser
Article in Honolulu Star-Bulletin
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A Brief Tale of People Power
The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Axe . . . For the Time Being; Now We Must Derail the Whole Darn Train Before Oahu Gets Railroaded
Published: March 20, 2008
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Honolulu Advertiser: "Council Revives Non-Steel Transit Options"
Star-Bulletin: "Council Expands Transit Options"
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We Take for Granted the Vile Stuff Spewed by America Haters in the Aloha State
Anti-American Rhetoric by Obama's Pastor Accepted as 'Normal' Here in Hawaii Nei
Published: March 19, 2008
America is in an uproar about the anti-American and anti-Caucasian rhetoric of Barack Obama's pastor, who has been his friend and mentor for 20 years. But here in Hawaii anti-American and anti-"haole" rhetoric are accepted as normal.
People are accustomed to hearing UH Professor Haunani-Kay Trask rail against "the power of a white country called the United States of white America . . . . . Learn your history, and then you will know which side of history you belong on. And you do not belong on the American side. You do not belong on the Hawai'i state side. You belong on the side of your people -- lahui Hawai'i [racially defined Hawaiians]."
On December 1, 2003 Eric Poohina wrote in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:
"Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden are not the enemy of the Hawaiian people and the Hawaiian nation. The United States is the No. 1 enemy of the Hawaiian people and the Hawaiian nation." On November 25, 2005 he wrote "The U.S. should be concentrating on the evacuation of its military troops in Hawaii and the restoration of the government of the independent nation state of Hawaii to the kanaka maoli, or Hawaiian nationals, the aboriginal people of Hawaii."
On August 6, 2005 Governor Linda Lingle herself stood next to Lieutenant Governor Duke Aiona at Iolani Palace, both wearing the red shirt of 15,000 protesters supporting racial segregation at Kamehameha School. In her speech she could not possibly miss seeing huge anti-American signs with phrases like these: "We don't need no American government. Don't like to see too much foreign power here cause Western influence been killing us for years." and "We are not American. We will die as Hawaiians." She could no more miss seeing those signs than Barack Obama could miss the rhetoric of his pastor of 20 years.
Acceptance of hate-filled rhetoric in Hawaii is fueled by the apology resolution of 1993, which is filled with twisted history and outright falsehoods, and forms the basis for the Akaka bill. Let's hope the apology resolution will be repealed as part of a Congressional resolution congratulating Hawaii on the 50th anniversary of statehood.
FOR MORE A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS:
http://tinyurl.com/2mxj8s
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Where Were YOUR Kids Last Night?
Those Sweet, Precious Bad Boyz from Saint Louis High School and Their Devoted, God-Fearing, Community-Minded Parents
Published: March 17, 2008
Perhaps the most unbelievable words in the English language today are "first offense". While that term might have some relevance in criminal courts, we all know that when someone gets busted for that "first offense", it's NOT really the first time that person has done something wrong and/or illegal; it's just the first time they've been caught. Indeed, they've probably even been caught before, but perhaps the police let them off with a warning, or some witness or some victim decided not to press charges. But, c'mon, when you see some of these people and their case is referred to as a "first offense", these two words don't even pass the laugh test.
Such is the case of the four less-than-accomplished 17-year-old lettermen -- "Gentlemen of Character", actually -- somehow still magically enrolled at the extra-tolerant, Marianist-run Saint Louis High School. These low-lifes were caught red-handed egging homes in Lanikai by (of all people!) a highly controversial former Bishop Estate trustee named Gerard Jervis . . . an overdosing, adulterous, suicide-causing, greedy bastard . . . and the last person on earth you'd expect anyone to have sympathy for. As everyone knows, just before the "first offense" egging incident by these four sweet local gangstas, Jervis had spent the previous few hours getting hammered to the point of DUI. Well, for the record, he wasn't alone in getting hammered, as the teenage driver of the getaway SUV was also DUI. Moreover, most people reasonably assume that the other three teen football players for St. Louis had sucked back a few illegally obtained Heineken's as well . . . maybe even a little ganja smoking took place. You can be sure that Family Court won't let the public know all the juicy details. After all, it's abundantly clear we can trust the parents to keep future incidents from happening . . . or is it?
Well anyway, after eggs came flying onto his property, Jervis the unlikely new community hero staggered into his car, chased down the getaway SUV, and either ran these vandals off the road up a utility pole guywire -or- his car hit theirs after the fleeing quartet lost control of their car. Stay tuned for court proceedings or plea bargainings on this he said-they said point of dispute. At least prosecutors are NOT charging Jervis for drunk-driving, since he probably didn't intend to go pleasure cruising after his big night of binge drinking. Let's show our hero some mercy!
Since then, the private school in Kaimuki claims to have "disciplined" the bad boyz. Big deal, suspended for two days plus some community service. Further, the school says that administrators are working to ensure that the parents understand the severity of the Lanikai incident. But what about those parents? Are these bad boy first offenders the products of an increasingly popular child-rearing approach, whereby the parents live in fear of their tweens and teenagers, trying to be their friends rather than their authority figures, and generally too busy to notice what's going on in the kids' lives since the parents' narcissism keeps them busy with other selfish pursuits than simple parenting?
You can't help but wonder since we now know that at least one of those brats didn't even get his leash shortened since the drunken/egg throwing/car chase and crashing incident. You see, just one week since Lanikai, at 8pm this past Friday night, Scumbag #4 was arrested near Downtown for soliticing a prostitute in an area usually 'serviced' by transvestite hookers. An undercover female police officer was probably the last person our "first offender" should have asked to help him with his raging hormones. Not surprisingly, after being bailed out of jail, Scumbag #4 was released into the custody of his parents, who undoubtedly took him straight home so he and his homeboyz could surf porn websites in the privacy of his bedroom while the folks headed back to the karaoke bar to nurse their wounded pride with cheap beer, stale pretzels and bad singing; all the while wondering if they should have corrected Junior Boy's bad behavior and emphasized values instead of merely being spectators as 'first offenses' gave way to seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths and so on.
If you ever wondered as you read the local news, drive on our reckless freeways, shop alongside rude people at malls of any size, recoil in horror at the endless parade of loser guests on Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake: Gosh, I wonder where all the assholes in the world come from? Well, don't wonder about it any longer. Just look at the parents of these four punks and get your answer. And if you're one of these kids' parents, look in the mirror and consider the Gerard Jervis sleeping pill strategy. Just make sure you take enough to do the job. Otherwise, you've got a LOT of makeup parenting to do. Maybe Junior Boy needs his allowance cut and his expectations raised. Maybe then he won't be so quick to cut short his post-arrest introspection in search of a pre-marital blowjob from a vice cop in a mini-skirt. Saint Louis President Walter Kirimitsu said in a news release: "While these students' choices were not particularly wise, they ... are good kids who hopefully learned a life-altering lesson." Obviously NOT, Walter. Crappy parenting combined with wimpy-punishment-issuing, enabler educators like you are a rotten combination. Plus, you spend an awful amount of your own money keeping the political machine in power, so you're even more to blame in all kinds of ways.
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Hungry for Some Kau Kau?
Remember Those Good Old Days When People Respected Mrs. Bishop's Actual Wishes, and When the Pricetag of a Good Education Didn't Include Secret Payoffs to Maintain a Racist Admissions Policy?
Published: March 12, 2008
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"The Life of the Land Is Perpetuated in Righteousness"
Is the 50th State's Motto Now Outdated?
Has the Original Meaning Become Defunct in the Modern Age of Fee Simple??
Published: March 7, 2008
by guest columnist Don Newman | newmand001@hawaii.rr.com
The Meaning of Pono
Bill Federer, noted speaker, author and and president of Amerisearch, Inc., a publishing company dedicated to research America's noble heritage, wrote that the words that later became the motto, Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono, of the State of Hawaii were first spoken by Queen Ke'opuolani in 1825 as she was baptized into the Christian faith. Queen Ke’opuolani was the wife of King Kamehameha who unified the islands.
The Hawaiian Historical Society, founded in 1892 to preserve historical materials relating to Hawaii, says that King Kamehameha III, who presided over the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 until his death in 1854, recited the phrase when the British returned the islands to the King after the illegal British overthrow in 1843.
The concept of “pono” was translated as “righteousness” but this is a subtle word with many related meanings. The concepts of justice and doing the right thing are closely connected. The idea of righteousness is a specific Christian concept that probably didn’t have a true analogous relationship to the word pono.
An example of this can be found in the The Native Hawaiians Study Commission report of 1983 which says “ . . . the land itself was viewed as belonging not to one individual but to the gods. All the people, including the Ali’i merely administered the land for the benefit of the gods and society as a whole. The system, therefore, had no analogy to ownership in fee simple absolute. The high chief had significant power: ‘the king was over all the people; he was the supreme executive, so long, however, as he did right!’” (1)
This last clause is closer to the intent of the meaning of that part of the motto “i ka pono” which was a statement of the fiduciary responsibility of the chief rather than a moral dictum which the term “righteousness” has in English. It was both an admonishment to, and a responsibility of, the King and the Ali’i.
Doing right was more than just proper care of the land, it was also just allotment, although not ownership, of the land to the people since living off the land and sea was their very livelihood. The gradual breakdown of the old semi-feudal system that Hawaiians traditionally followed did great damage to the concept of preserving the land by doing right. The context changed. It also did great damage to the Hawaiian people as the land was no longer held in trust for them but gradually became the exclusive property of the Ali’i.
“The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness” is the translation that has been handed down to us. Without the original context this has an altered meaning which means whatever anybody wants it to mean. Understanding the context also reveals why this is a poor translation. A more accurate translation might be, “The everlasting nature of the land is preserved by doing what is right.”
The Meaning of Aina
The original Hawaiian land system that the motto reflected was gradually dismantled through a series of steps in the following decades while the motto remained. From the beginning of foreigners immigrating to Hawaii the chiefs and Ali’i of the neighbor islands complained that the King shouldn’t sell any land to foreigners. They feared the breakdown in their land system this would bring. The King thought otherwise and continued to give land to foreigners and bring them into his cabinet.
The Hawaii motto, Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono, first appeared in a political context on the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Hawaii (1810-1894) that was adopted in May, 1845. At that time there was still some semblance of the old land system in place but it was rapidly deteriorating. The problems this breakdown generated led to an attempt at a solution.
The Great Mahele was allegedly a land division giving land to Native Hawaiians in an effort to forestall the Europeans and others from buying it all up. In reality all it did was destroy the old land system and give the Ali’i unfettered power over the vast majority of local lands. This de facto changeover to a fee simple system forever destroyed the Monarchy’s control of the land, except for the land it reserved to itself, thus rendering the motto archaic.
The endorsement of the motto at the time of annexation ignored the fact that it was already divorced from the original meaning. The mystical association to the land of the old Hawaiian religion, which was destroyed by the machinations of Queen Kaahumanu, had already been lost. The meaning of the word “aina” no longer had the mystical connection and the sense of fiduciary responsibility that it once had.
The preservation of the land for the livelihood of the common people ceased to exist and was attempted to be resurrected by the Hawaiian Homelands Act of 1920. The displacement of common native Hawaiians off the land left them with nowhere to live except the cities as the land was increasingly bought from or used by the Ali’i for sugar plantations. Large numbers of landless native Hawaiians ended up living in poverty in Honolulu and other growing cities.
In order to give these homeless native Hawaiians land upon which to dwell the Hawaiian Homelands Act was instituted. This “Hawaiian scheme” was intended to give them lands upon which to preserve their bloodline and their lifestyle. The implementation of this scheme left a lot to be desired since it gave them no pure ownership but only leasehold rights. Only a small number of families who could have qualified have ever been placed on the lands.
The Meaning of the Motto Today
The wording of the state motto has little connection to its original meaning and in most cases means different things to different people. Thus in this day and age it is hard to take any objective meaning from the motto. It means whatever anybody wants it to mean. For some preserving the land means opposing any further development at all costs.
The problems that face Hawaii are world problems, not just Hawaii problems. Adhering to an ancient motto simply because it was handed down by history isn’t necessarily the best way to administer public policy. First we have to ask ourselves what it means. And today that would be very difficult to say.
Conclusions
Hawaii’s motto no longer has the meaning it did when it was first invoked. This change of meaning somewhat invalidates its value as a guiding principle in present-day society. The history of the motto reveals this change of meaning and as a people, the residents of Hawaii should consider whether it still is meaningful today. Traditions are important when they embrace universal values that all people can relate to. When this is no longer the case traditions only serve to hamper freedom, progress and development.
It impels one to wonder what other state mottos are outdated, destructive or simply useless.
(1) Page 254 NHSC quoting - David Malo, Hawaiian Antiquities – Bishop Museum Press
Nancy from Maui writes: "Hey there zeroshibai, Been reading your blog/editorial for a handful of weeks now. I was just wondering to myself what the line, "perpetuated in righteousness" is in regards to. Your article helped greatly. I'd say "good timing with your article."
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"Kau Kau Inoa" Strikes Again
Hear the Drumbeat, See the Smoke Signals, and Follow the $$$$$$** All the Way from Washington D.C., Across the Pacific Ocean, to a Little-Known 'Tribe' on a Brand New, Native Hawaiian 'Indian' Reservation
** please make all checks for Hawaii's Indians payable to:
OHA (Only Haunani Apoliona and her friends)
Published: March 4, 2008
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Local "Musicians" That Are Just Plain BAD for Hawaii
Drug-Dealing Rasta Wannabes and Anti-American Separatist Rappers Produce a Toxic Mix of Poison for Hawaii's Youth
Published: March 2, 2008
Where's the genuine artistry and the innocence of bygone days of Ray Kane and Aunty Genoa Keawe when you need them?!? We ask that because the Big Breaking News last night was that a local, well-known, triple extra-large, wannabe-reggae and faux hip-hopper was busted by the Feds for possessing a record 50 pounds of crystal meth at his Royal Kunia apartment which he intended to sell to the people of Hawaii. The drugs imported by now incarcerated Joe "JD" Daniels Jr. of the group B.E.T. — short for Big Every Time — have an estimated street value of $1.5 million. More info released in news coverage this morning include Daniels' admission that he knew the FedEx packages contained meth. Also, an additional five pounds of the dangerous drug was found in a bedroom closet at Daniels' home and meth distribution center.
Crystal Meth, of course, is the drug which makes people want to break into your car and into your home to steal things which they can quickly sell to get money to purchase even more crystal meth. Police say they are pretty much helpless against the crime wave of the past decade or so brought on by methamphetamine or "ice", just as they were in the previous decade or so when crack cocaine was all the rage. Hip-Hopper Daniels clearly has no moral problem with getting people hooked on drugs and reaping profits while lives and families are being ruined in order to make a big payday. Naturally, there are enough idiots among us in Hawaii who'll regard this Godless exploitative loser as even more a larger-than-life figure thanks to the arrest. It'll be difficult for Daniels and B.E.T. to thank and update his fans via MySpace, however, unless prison guards provide internet access to the extra-large Federal holding cell, yo.
Certain questions arise, such as this: In the era of non-sober pilots getting publicly busted, will go! Airlines dump Daniels' sorry, drug-dealing ass as their sponsored spokes-musician? Less than two years ago, the head honcho of the inter-isle passenger air service, Jonathan Ornstein, Chairman and CEO of Mesa Air Group, Inc. said: "We're delighted to be associated with B.E.T. In addition to making terrific music, they are great people who embody the modern definition of the aloha spirit." I guess when it comes to 'aloha spirit', ethnicity and skin color matters more to Ornstein than a good background check and actually spending some time with someone before making such a dubious proclamation.
On a similar note, the question of whether local companies like music distributor Booklines Hawaii and local record dealers will take B.E.T.'s CD's off the shelves and off their websites in order to stop putting money in the pockets of drug dealers such as Daniels is still up in the air. Maybe companies and other enablers will sever their financial ties with Daniels for good. After all, the scourge of crystal meth is doing more to keep part-Hawaiians and full-blooded Hawaiians down than even OHA, DHHL and Linda Lingle put together. Ironically, Daniels said a few months ago in MidWeek that if he was President of the United States: "I would definitely stop the war and put all that money that we’re putting into the war into the homeless situation." Presumably, by that Daniels meant he'd take those billions from war funding and use the money to buy crystal meth for the homeless to help keep them down in an even more devastating way than the existing level of drugs (like those he sells) have already affected Hawaii's people. Oddly enough, the too-quick-to-pass-judgement professional journalists and editors at MidWeek describe Daniels as a "devoted family man".
Everyone knows that drugs like crystal meth and crack bring out the sociopath in already unproductive people living amongst us on all islands. Whomever takes that first puff of meth without already knowing how addicitive and destructive it is are the kind of people for whom knowledge is NOT power. These are selfish morons who are ruining society, one hit and one theft and one broken home at a time.
Of course, political correctness dictates that we are supposed to feel sorry for these helpless people who are probably down on their luck, living in their cars and have nothing better to do than steal, smoke ice, and steal some more. Well, guess what? Smoking meth is unlikely to help you when you're down on your luck. Obvious statistics show that drug abuse typically makes your life even more of an unfortunate one. But WE know that, of course, because for the rest of us knowledge IS power. So we'd probably smash a meth pipe, if one were ever handed to us, and call the police; whereas some would willingly smoke and/or deal the stuff -- consequences be damned.
So how does a person like Joe Daniels Jr. square the conflicted circle of being a hip-hopper that needs a paying audience with his being a drug dealer that needs paying customers? Hmmm, let's see. Could it be that hip-hop and drugs have long been intertwined and that he was just acting like his heroes? Or, perhaps, Mr. Daniels saw an opportunity to exploit his fame for a really big payday . . . kind of like the current crop of OHA Trustees, who include three former high-profiles judges, a member of the music group Olomana, a former Governor's son, a well-known (though disgraced) Bishop Estate trustee, a newspaper columnist's father, a former political intelligence officer for Bishop Estate, plus a G.E.D. certificate-receiver turned land commissioner turned OHA Trustee. The longshot push by these celebrities for a giant, new government with lots of money and jobs in exchange for the tacit promise of an easier life for Hawaiians-only sounds like something that will feel good and become habit-forming, just like crystal meth. Kind of makes you flash back to a time when the Hawaiian Kingdom's government was low on money so Queen Liliuokalani decided to make some extra cash by importing opium and having a lottery. Isn't that how exactly how money is made off poor folk in the inner cities by drug dealers and politicians?
But since we're on the subject of musicians that are bad for Hawaii, Zero Shibai readers should be aware of other dangerous groups which are singing and rapping to your kids (and maybe even YOU) while actually trying to sell something that can be an addictive narcotic, no different than crystal meth. Guarans brah, these local 'entertainers' stay singing and rapping to your keiki right now; the message is that they are all victims of the United States, and the specific bill of goods being sold a is big, new expensive government paid for by non-Hawaiians which will take care of all the needs of part-Hawaiians exclusively. Based on the usual bogus recitation of poorly understood island history as written by the hate-mongers at OHA, here's a sampling of the crap they're peddling (click below if you dare):
It's self-evident that sometimes rappers can be pretty darn stupid, especially the imitative, monkey-see-monkey do types. In the song and the accompanying music video which preaches the need for part-Hawaiians to rise up in the spirit of sovereignty and create a new government in order to provide reparations for money and land which was never even stolen from them, here's the line from this 'song' which reveals the absolute lack of necessity for a new multi-departmental, multi-agency, multi-zillion dollar government: "Because you've got the blood, the power, the mana, Hawaiians can be anything that you wanna." Clearly, there's a disconnect between the rapper's mouth and his brain (crystal meth, perhaps?) since part-Hawaiians, just like the rest of us, already have sovereignty over their lives. On any given day, part-Hawaiians can wake up in the morning and make the most of their lives (as most do!) and be anything but a 'victim'; rather than waking up in the morning, telling themselves their lives are hopeless because they don't have a Queen or a King overseeing their lives, then waiting for a government to come and save them, and build them a house, buy them a car, and put food in the refrigerator (as some do!).