Frequent flyer: Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green is becoming a familiar figure in the nation’s capital.

In an email that interestingly came from his campaign committee, not the governor’s office, Green announced he’s leaving Monday for his third trip to Washington, D.C., this year. He plans to testify Wednesday before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations regarding the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Green took the prior trips to oppose the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy got the job anyway, and the longtime vaccine critic raised some eyebrows this week at another congressional hearing by saying, “I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me.”

A physician, Green may be trying to position himself as “the anti-RFK,” John Hart, a professor of communication at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, speculated last week.

The governor also met recently in Los Angeles with Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, to lobby against budget cuts to public health programs, the email said.

One advantage of sharing his travel plans through his campaign office is that the email also thanks recipients “for supporting Josh and being part of Team Green,” complete with a green “DONATE” button.

As Civil Beat reported in Sunshine Sunday last week, Green has also launched Heal America, a national political action committee that aims to work for health care, homelessness, gun control and “pro-science candidates for federal office.”

Filling Gene Ward’s shoes: Meanwhile, the governor is expected to soon announce the appointment of a Republican to replace the late Rep. Gene Ward, who died April 4, in Hawaiʻi House District 18, which includes Portlock, Hawaiʻi Kai and Kalama Valley.

The three candidates selected by the Hawaiʻi Republican Party are Michel “Joe” Gedeon, a Hawaiʻi Kai resident and business owner; Alexander “Alika” Malabey, a Kaiser High School graduate, small business owner and caregiver; and Tara Malia Gregory, a marketing consultant and wellness entrepreneur.

But The Blog has heard complaints about the search process. One party member willing to speak publicly, Steve Lipscomb, told The Blog in a recent email, “There was no transparency regarding the criteria to be used by the Selection Committee to down-select from 13 candidates to the final three. Such transparency would have allowed candidates to speak directly to those factors during our 10-minute interview.”

Asked about Lipscomb’s criticism, GOP Party Chair Tamara McKay said in an email that the selection process was designed to be transparent and inclusive.

“It was communicated  through newsletters, postcards mailed to Republican members of District 18, and through social media channels, ensuring community awareness and participation,” she wrote. “Mr. Lipscomb was aware of the process, and I personally reminded him to submit any relevant items.”

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Crime and punishment: Just in time for National Police Week (yes, Blog fans, that is happening right now, which is why Honolulu Hale is bathed in blue to honor the men and women behind the badge), Mayor Rick Blangiardi has nominated a new victim to serve on the Honolulu Police Commission.

Landon Kaneshiro, executive vice president and in-house counsel for Oʻahu Waste Services, made his first appearance before the Honolulu City Council this past week. He is taking the seat held for the last five years by Doug Chin, a former state attorney general. Kaneshiro’s nomination now heads to the council’s Public Safety Committee before eventually going back for final approval by the full council.

Blangiardi has made no secret of his desire to shake things up in the police chief’s office. And it’s still unclear what specifically the mayor thinks Kaneshiro might do differently on the seven-member panel that seemingly does little beyond meeting twice a month in a hard-to-access, cramped room inside the police department.

But Andy Sugg, the mayor’s chief of staff, tells The Blog in an email, “Landon Kaneshiro is an attorney who served on the City’s Zoning Board of Appeals for many years and is a dedicated public servant who has volunteered again to take on the very important role on the Honolulu Police Commission. Mayor Blangiardi has known Landon for many years and has great confidence in his intelligence, work ethic and commitment to serve on the HPC.”

The police commission has the power to hire and fire the police chief and is supposed to review and weigh in on the police department’s annual budget request in addition to investigating citizen complaints about police officers.

Blangiardi’s not the only one who thinks the police department needs tougher oversight and the police commission hasn’t been doing a very good job in that regard. The city auditor called the commission “inconsistent and ineffective” in a report this past fall. And a number of people, including council Chair Tommy Waters, are already throwing out suggestions to the recently empaneled Honolulu Charter Commission for significant changes to put before voters next year.

But The Blog is a firm believer that getting people on the police commission who actually want to work to improve the public’s trust in the cops is a great starting point.

Flack attack: Speaking of police business, the Honolulu Police Department is finally upping its game when it comes to media and community relations. The department is looking for an official communications director who will “play a pivotal role in fostering transparency and trust between HPD and the communities it serves across traditional media, digital platforms, and internal communications channels.”

A job posting lists the details, including a salary of about $110,000 annually. The post is envisioned as a “high-profile, strategic leadership role.”

Yay. HPD is arguably one of the nation’s more backwards departments in how it deals with the news media. Police officials are reluctant to talk to reporters about stories or provide information. “Did not respond to a request for information” is what you often see in news reports.

And forget sitting down for an interview or riding along with an officer for a specific story, let alone bringing a photographer — something that is routine for many other police departments in the country. (Unless you’re Matt Levi who seems to have a special arrangement with HPD. Hmmm …)

The Blog has long wondered why Honolulu police executives don’t seem to understand that the way to get solid community support is to let the public see how you operate, what public safety initiatives you’re doing and how you’re spending taxpayer money. We’re hoping that a new top-notch communications professional emerges who can turn things around and suspect this is another of Blangiardi’s initiatives to improve the police department.

Flack attack, the sequel: The newly created Honolulu Ocean Safety Department is also seeking a spokesperson, this in the position of public information officer (not as lofty as communications director.)

The “media-savvy” individual will be expected to focus on “enhancing public safety awareness and transparency around ocean-related hazards and rescues on Oʻahu’s world-renowned beaches,” a press release sent out by the mayor’s office says.

“This critical role will serve as the department’s central communications liaison, responsible for promoting life-saving safety messaging and highlighting the essential work of Honolulu’s lifeguards, who protect millions of beachgoers each year. The Public Information Officer will manage all aspects of the department’s external communication, including news releases, press conferences, and media inquiries, while also overseeing the department’s social media presence and internal communications.”

Whew. That is a lot of communicating. For this one, resumes go directly to Scott Humber, the mayor’s communications director.

Playing hooky: While the Hawaiʻi Legislature officially convenes from mid-January to early May, it’s called a 60-day session because that is how many days senators and representatives hold floor sessions to vote on legislation, recognize VIPs and constituents, rise to speak on personal privilege and address other matters.

Those are also the only days when attendance is taken.

Before we get too far away from the 2025 session, which concluded May 2, The Blog gives props to the seven of 25 senators who had perfect attendance during floor sessions: Democrats Donna Kim, Karl Rhoads, Henry Aquino, Troy Hashimoto, Lorraine Inouye and Glenn Wakai and Republican Samantha DeCorte.

At the other end of the attendance spectrum, two senators missed 10 session days each: Democrats Les Ihara and Tim Richards.

The Blog recently noted that Rep. Elle Cochran missed 51 of the 60 session days. But how did her colleagues in the 51-member body do?

According to the House attendance sheet, reps not missing a single session day were Democrats Cory Chun, Luke Evslin, Mark Hashem, Greggor Ilagan, Kirstin Kahaloa, Sue Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kim Coco Iwamoto and Trish La Chica. Gold stars for each and every one of you!

Chartering the future: The Honolulu Charter Commission does its review of local government once every 10 years, and that time is upon us. The commission is looking for some staff members passionate about public service “and ready to contribute to a rigorous, transparent, and community-driven process,” according to a press release.

Applications are due May 23 to cclcharter@honolulu.gov. Compensation is commensurate with experience.

The 2025 charter commissioners are Jacob Aki, Davin Aoyagi, Cedric Duarte, Gerald “Trey” Gordner, Brandon Marc Higa, Diane Kawauchi, Jacce Mikulanec, Scott Power, Sandra Simms, Summer Sylva, Dawn Szewczyk, April Woofter and Sommerset Yamamoto. Their work includes proposing charter amendment ballot questions, something the Honolulu City Council also does.