Advertiser duped?

[agovgal]

Re: Advertiser duped?

I hadn't realized that either. I guess we're just not reading about it. Go figga. But it seems like the previous mayor was gone a lot too and we didn't hear much about it.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Advertiser duped?

The City keeps a news releases page where I think all of Mufi's trips are mentioned. Good to know, in case you want to play "Where's Mufi?".

[agovgal]

Re: Advertiser duped?

From a March 10 Advertiser story on the Lingle trip:

"The state tapped the nonprofit Pacific and Asian Affairs Council last year to provide financial services for Lingle's trip, and the nonprofit was paid $7,000 from corporate donations controlled by the state."

So it wasn't even taxpayer money. It was money collected from voluntary donors. Okay, I can see where some questions should be asked about all this, but at this point, where's the beef? Who's crying foul besides some obvious political opponents? Any businesses? Anyone who didn't get some of the money? Who?

The same March 10 story, by the way, says that "In addition to Oshiro's probe, nine Democrat senators have introduced a resolution requesting the attorney general investigate whether DBEDT violated procurement law. A separate Democrat resolution in the House requests the state auditor look into whether it was appropriate for DBEDT to promise special treatment to private companies in exchange for donating money toward the trips."

So at least they pointed out that time that this thing is Democrat-driven, but the alleged "special treatment" isn't described, so we can only imagine it was Lingle giving lap-dances or something.

Dunno, sure seems like a transparent attempt to create a situation in an election year where the Dems can more or less accurately claim that the Lingle trip is "under investigation," and raise a big stink cloud that most voters won't even understand. That's pretty desperate if it's the case.

[tutusue]

Re: Advertiser duped?

[...]so we can only imagine it was Lingle giving lap-dances or something.[...]

TMI

[kimo55]

Re: Advertiser duped?

poke my eyes out now! shoot me with cayenne imbued scattershot! please! need to feel better now!

[agovgal]

Re: Advertiser duped?

just checking if all are awake

today's advertiser has a letter from the lingle camp shooting back on this subject (the asia trip, not lap-dancing)

TRADE MISSIONS

THERE IS NO LOOPHOLE IN PROCUREMENT CODE

Regarding your April 21 editorial "Procurement loophole must be quickly shut": There is no loophole. There are procedures in the state procurement code that can cover these types of voluntary participatory relationships.

Much of what my department has done has been creative, and we are all learning how to apply these procedures to new types of relationships.

On behalf of the administration, I have repeatedly publicly testified before the House and Senate that we have taken measures to implement procurement processes for proposed "voluntary partnerships" to co-organize future trade missions. This is despite these voluntary participatory relationships not being required to be competitively bid.

These measures are the result of many cooperative and collaborative discussions my department has had with the state Procurement Office and the state Attorney General's Office over the past several months.

We look forward to ensuring that the state and Hawai'i's taxpayers continue to be treated fairly, receive top value and obtain solid results from the state's marketing initiatives.
Theodore Liu
Director, state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

i agree that the arrangement was "creative" and deserved scrutiny at first, but it seems silly for the advertiser and dems in the legislature to keep suggesting that something nefarious "could have" happened here, when it's not even taxpayer money we're talking about.

[poinographer]

Re: Advertiser duped?

So, agovgal, are you (as your pseud implies) a government employee? An appointee of the Lingle administration, perhaps?

I work at the Lege, and I think the procurement was too slick by half. But whatever. I'll take Liu at his word that it won't happen like that again.

The bigger question for me concerns the ethical implications of how the donations were solicited.

[Jewlipino]

Re: Advertiser duped?

I've stayed out of this one so far but I gotta say that for the most part the point has been missed. The POINT is that Director Liu, by soliciting only those companies he thought financially or politically willing to cough up the big bucks he subjected every company in Hawaii that didn't get the offer to unfair treatment. Every company that sent a representative on the mission and payed the fee should have been given as much access as the guv could get for them. The concept of paying more to get more is fine in business, but the government.... and the GOVERNOR, has a responsibility to treat all of it's citizens and entities as equitably as possible.

Jewlipino

[agovgal]

Re: Advertiser duped?

good point jewlipino, but i think it was made some time ago. it's now a year later. MY point is that there's a big difference between legitimate inquiry and election year witch hunt, and i'm not convinced the advertiser knows the difference. at least it doesn't show. but those who work at the lege surely see the partisan implications of this thing. making a conscious decision to use it to political advantage is one thing, and it's not particularly surprising. but it should also be recognized as such by those who choose to publicize it. so far, the advertiser seems to be pretty much alone on this saga, which seems pretty unusual for them. spoon-fed? duped? or diligent?
slick, sloppy, creative, whatever. at this point, there seems to be a lot more heat than light, and it's important to be aware of the source of the heat.
btw, not a lingle appointee. not the only one shaking my head about this either.

[TuNnL]

Re: Advertiser duped?

Plantation Democrats always owned the Advertiser. One of the reasons Hawaii is as Hawaii is.

Actually, Gannett owns The Advertiser and has for some time. It continues to make bank by staying away from the controversial stories that businesses advertising in their pages would frown on.

So please, let’s stop with the conspiracy theories and revisionist history baloney, kamuelakea. Everybody knows it was the malihini businessman who started and controlled The Honolulu Advertiser from the very beginning. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin was the voice of the plantation democrats.

[Ron Burgandy]

Re: Advertiser duped?

This has been all been quite entertaining, but it really just scratches the surface. Come, come, let's have a full-blown conspiracy theory and see where it leads.

Mike Fisch, publisher of the Advertiser, is also chairman of Enterprise Honolulu, a nonprofit business-booster group whose board of directors includes various developers, public relations types, and top University of Hawaii officials.
See: http://www.enterprisehonolulu.com/ht...lay.cfm?sid=91

All sorts of big private companies contribute to this group, including some who donated to the Lingle junket.
See: http://www.enterprisehonolulu.com/ht...lay.cfm?sid=93

The Advertiser also donates to Enterprise Honolulu, which proudly touts its ties to state and city government.
See: http://www.enterprisehonolulu.com/ht...lay.cfm?sid=16

Praising the group in its 2004 annual report is none other than Ted Liu, the Lingle appointee who helped orchestrate, and has been stuck defending, the Lingle junket.

Also in the report, Enterprise Honolulu "created targeted marketing missions to the U.S. mainland for Hawaii's science and technology industries."

The group has also been paid to "conduct studies" on behalf of the Superferry project, the proposal to ship Oahu trash to the Mainland, and the Navy's plan to conduct secret military research at the University of Hawaii, the report says. The specific amounts paid for these activities are not included, of course. Maybe it's time for an investigation?
See: http://www.enterprisehonolulu.com/ht...l%20Report.pdf

The Advertiser has covered all these issues, of course. Any promises, or examples, of "favorable treatment?" Or, as agovgal put it, "lap dancing?" Editorial endorsements, perhaps?

So if you really want to indulge in conspiracy theories, this raises all kinds of questions. Are any of the business types from this group the ones complaining about the Lingle junket? Did this group get passed over for the deal to coordinate the junket? Did Fisch not get to go? Since there's money, private companies, and government involved in this group, how does that impact the Advertiser's coverage? Is there self-censorship to avoid controversy? Are some topics off limits? Do the editors even consider all this? Do the reporters?

I think the Lingle junket is a legitimate story, agovgal. But maybe there are other legitimate stories out there.

Does anyone really believe they're getting the whole story?

[kimo55]

Re: Advertiser duped?

Ron speaks!

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Advertiser duped?

Hey, Ron - welcome to HT.

So, what's with your other two postings, which consist only of a series of ...... ............ ............ s?

[Ron Burgandy]

Re: Advertiser duped?

Just figuring out the technology. I'm new to this and a bit behind the times.
Stay classy, Honolulu!

[1stwahine]

Re: Advertiser duped?

Just figuring out the technology. I'm new to this and a bit behind the times.
Stay classy, Honolulu!

Well, I'll be? How I wen miss the first POST of his?????

Welcome to HT Mr. Burgandy.

Well, I'll be?

...makes another sandwich.

Auntie Lynn