The past year was all about change, as exemplified by Barack Obama's presidential campaign. My column "Floating Ideas" (2/28) touched upon the cresting wave of "Obama-mentum" washing over the Hawaii Democratic caucus. "True Blue Change" (11/13) reported on my trip to President-elect Obama's neighborhood and the surge of optimism that prevailed in Chicago the day after the … [Read more...] about The year that was
Maui corruption
Christmas Wishes
Most people send their holiday wish lists to that diminutive, jelly-bellied arctic toymaker. We know he’s busy, so we’re sending ours to the LC. Obviously folks who fire missives to the North Pole enjoy a much better chance of having their wishes granted, but hey—after a few years of this column, we’re used to disappointment. So here goes: 1. Ditch the dancing rules. Don’t do … [Read more...] about Christmas Wishes
Moral fixation
Part of what makes the LC so easy to ridicule is the undercurrent of holier-than-thou piety that runs through many of the department's decisions. Rather than tackling its job from a purely pragmatic standpoint, the LC seems determined to weigh things against its own obtuse ethical code. Let's grab an example from the department's rulebook. Here's how it defines "immoral … [Read more...] about Moral fixation