Posted on: Saturday, January 24, 2009
Shakas in D.C., shortfalls in Hawaii
By David Shapiro
Well, the ceremonies are over and we can finally get down to business as we "flASHback" on the week's news that amused and confused:
Barack Obama showed his Hawai'i roots at his presidential inauguration when he flashed the shaka sign to the Punahou marching band and shouted "Aloha!" at an inaugural ball. Then there was the hemajang when he flubbed the oath of office and had to hana hou.
A New York Times blogger misunderstood the shaka as a signal that Obama wanted the Punahou kids to phone him. They may be the only ones still ringing his BlackBerry if he needs a do-over on the economy.
Obama's presidency is giving a boost to Island foods such as Spam musubi, loco moco and katsu curry. He has the first White House chef trained by Hormel.
Gov. Linda Lingle and the Legislature opened the 2009 session promising cooperation on the budget crisis. Amazing how they're willing to share when there's nothing up for grabs but blame.
The state may cancel a nationally recognized healthy baby program for lack of funding. I'm sure the babies are happy to sacrifice their healthy start so legislators can collect their 36 percent pay raises.
Sen. Sam Slom suggested in his opening speech that lawmakers be given breathalyzer tests. I'm starting to think it makes more sense to test the voters who elected them.
Lingle and Senate President Colleen Hanabusa floated the idea of hijacking the O'ahu rail transit tax to help balance the state budget. Desperate times call for ... train robbery?
The city has a shortfall of its own that may require hikes in taxes and fees. Maybe they can send their refuse trucks to steal the state's recycled soda cans.
Some Hawaiian rights demonstrators marching through Waikiki threw rubber slippers at an effigy of Lingle. That's certainly putting their footwear where their mouths are.
The IRS says Hawai'i taxpayers file their returns electronically at a far lower rate than the national average. The rest of the country doesn't have to worry about overtaxing the power grid by pressing the send button.
Hundreds lined up at Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom for free cosmetics handed out in a class- action settlement. How priorities have changed. In the last Depression, they lined up for soup.
And the quote of the week ... from Sen. Shan Tsutsui on the budget deficit: "It's going to take more than the executive and legislative branch to figure this thing out." We can always pray to the ecclesiastical branch.
Reach David Shapiro at dave@volcanicash.net.
