Editor’s Note: Today we welcome to the stable of regular Civil Beat columnists a guy who needs little introduction. Former Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle wanted to call this column “Solutions and Suggestions” but we told him that won’t fit in a headline. Keep an eye out for his weekly commentary which, besides offering ideas to provoke discussion on important community issues, ought to be a good read. He says he still has a thick skin.

During most of my time as a Honolulu Deputy Prosecutor, the Elected Prosecutor and the Mayor my name was mentioned in media when newspersons were reporting what I was doing or saying.  Less frequently I would write something myself.

If the article was published it generated what is known in the trade as a “byline.”  The byline of an article or opinion piece gives one or more of the following: the date, the name of and often the position of the writer.

Peter Carlisle visited Civil Beat’s office a couple times when he was Honolulu’s mayor. Now we’re letting him write a column.

Dan Zelikman/Civil Beat

What I enjoyed the most about generating a byline is that it meant I was the master of my own fate rather than my words or actions being filtered through a member of the media.  The downside of the byline is if what you write is particularly idiotic or factually incompetent there aren’t a whole lot of places to hide.  The “What I really meant to say was” defense belly flops every time.

For reasons it will undoubtedly be forced to answer for, Civil Beat has kindly asked — and I have greedily and self-servingly accepted — the opportunity to become a columnist for “The largest news organization dedicated exclusively to civic affairs journalism in Hawaii.  It is where you can learn about, understand, debate and discover the important issues facing our community.”

And the fact that I tout this, the company line, has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that they are actually paying me to do this columnist thing.

In all fairness to Civil Beat I did look into facts indicating the qualifications necessary to become a columnist to make sure they weren’t buying an upside down outhouse.  A columnist is someone who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinion.  Please consider the following facts:

• I comment on everything and anything whenever given the chance.

• I have lots and lots of opinions.

With the joys of an ongoing election season upon us it is my expectation to have plenty to talk about.

Election Night 2010, an exuberant Peter Carlisle addresses supporters.