No doubt there is a lot of political anger in the country; anger with politicians. They are always making promises they either can’t or won’t keep, creating mountains of debt, not only passing needless new laws, rules and regulations that make life and business more difficult, but even banning legal products from use or sale. Someone in line always asks, “What idiot banned plastic bags?”
Politicians are without question a privileged class, but very caring and giving … with your hard earned money. There is always a new fee or tax they just have to pass. It’s always small and referred to as just a few pennies, breadcrumbs or pocket change. One half percent added to the General Excise Tax locally adds up to over $32 million. Now that’s “chump change” and we get to be the chumps.
That wave of political anger has arrived in Hawaii County as well. People here work very hard just to make ends meet and very few could afford fancy surfboards, bicycles, picking up $600 dinner tabs or a night of binge drinking at a Honolulu Hostess bar at over $800. Most hard-working people in Hawaii couldn’t imagine being so recklessly irresponsible with their own credit card and their own money, let alone someone else’s.
Mayor Billy Kenoi racked up tens of thousands of dollars in personal charges on his Hawaii County issued credit card, or pCard. In letters to the editor and on the street you hear people say that he will get away with it. He didn’t. He was indicted. He had paid the money back, has pleaded not guilty and a trial date has been set.
There is then the other matter that has to do with Billy also being an attorney. Billy had made a false statement, lying, under oath. This is the same thing that the Arkansas Bar Association disbarred President Bill Clinton for.
There is no doubt that Billy Kenoi is a likeable guy and all-around good fellow. Aside from signing the plastic bag ban and wanting to raise taxes he has had very few screw-ups and been a pretty good mayor.
So, what is going to happen to poor Billy? I seriously doubt the Hawaii Bar Association, the guardians of ethical behavior for Hawaii lawyers, would disbar Billy. No one was concerned that Bill Clinton wouldn’t be able to make a living without his law license. However, taking away a person’s occupation is over the top and I don’t believe that Billy Kenoi deserves that, or even to have a suspension on his record. He’ll probably get a letter scolding him, which I believe is appropriate. Plus, there is that irony that he used the pCard to pay his Hawaii Bar Association dues. I’m sure they accepted the payment without question.
The trial will be put off, probably till Billy is out of office. Then a plea deal will be reached. The felony charges will be dropped entirely. Does anyone really think what he did deserves to have the sign “convicted felon” hung around his neck for the rest of his life? I think not. He will probably plead guilty to a petty misdemeanor, with what is called a deferred acceptance plea, meaning that if he doesn’t do it again it will be dropped off his record. He’ll pay a fine and that will be it.
Very few criminal cases go to trial and the plea deal I’ve described is very common. Is it a slap on the wrist? Yes it is, but that’s not really uncommon for a first offence. Justice is there to meter out punishment commensurate with the crime and teach a lesson, not to destroy a person’s life and livelihood.
Will Mayor Billy Kenoi get special treatment because he is a politician and member of the Democrat machine? No. He will get special treatment because he is a member of that all-powerful fraternity; he’s a lawyer. And, unlike politicians, lawyers tend to take care of their own.
Lastly, there is too much anger out there and it’s doing no one any good. Wanting to see someone destroyed because they made a mistake is unhealthy and only serves to make you a bitter person. I think we could all use a little more understanding and forgiveness.
Jim Rath is a resident of Kailua-Kona.