Public deserved vote
Being among the testifiers at Tuesday’s Board of Ethics meeting, I referenced the 15-page, Hawaii County Purchasing pCard Program and Procedures Manual of October 2013. I highlighted to the board safeguards within the manual requiring pCard bearers to sign and agree to use the pCard only for “budgeted” purchases that are “for a legitimate department purpose.” I asked the four members present (chairwoman Kahalulau, was absent) to consider if the mayor’s pCard purchase of a bicycle and surfboard were budgeted items.
I noted that language on pages 5 and 6 in the manual prohibited purchases of liquor and goods and services for personal use, unless specifically authorized.
I asked the board to consider if purchases made at two Honolulu hostess bars served a legitimate department purpose. And was alcohol purchased with his pCard at at these establishments and if so, were the purchases specifically authorized and budgeted items?
I also noted that pCard holders must sign that they understand that “if the pCard is used for unlawful or improper purposes, I may be also subject to disciplinary action for the misconduct.”
How clear is that?
In the end, the spineless board continued to baby and shelter the mayor — once again kicking the corroding Spam can down the road — the road to nowhere.
The vote was 2-2 to table the issue, and had the chairwoman attended and voted against tabling the discussion, hers would have been the deciding vote whether the can got kicked along or not. Regrettably, without her vote, we taxpayers will never know.
The citizens of this county — and this state — deserved an up or down vote and it was not forthcoming by this spineless board. That is shameful. This matter has been postponed, tabled, delayed, deferred, and shelved for far too long.
With opportune timing for the mayor and with the chairperson absent for this key vote, Vice Chairman Kenneth Goodenow once again chose to vote down the motion to open discussion, proving that he is the best defense attorney the mayor could ever want.
The action on the matter was postponed until the June meeting.
Richard Dinges
Hilo