By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

The word "friend" brings to mind watercolored greeting cards, long talks at the kitchen table, someone to call when you need help moving. Warm, wholesome, soulful stuff.

But the word takes on a certain sour smell when the topic turns to politics and people holding high-profile government jobs. Sure, everybody needs friends and we all want to work with people we like and trust. But the rules are different when you are paid with public money and are in a position to spend public money. Doing favors for friends and having friends doing favors for you loses all wholesomeness. It becomes favoritism. It becomes a conflict of interest.

The issue of friends helping friends has come up in a number of news stories lately, from June Jones writing a letter of support for his friend Sukamto Sia, to UH President Evan Dobelle hiring friends to serve as consultants to UH.

In commenting on Dobelle's hiring decisions, a state legislator put into words the attitude that makes this so dangerous:

"I guess it's really no different than hiring a brother-in-law to remodel your house. As long as you're happy with the product, it's fine."

Actually, it's very different from hiring your brother-in-law to remodel your house. That's because what you do with your house, with your money is your business. But when you work for the people of Hawai'i, when the money you're spending is largely taxpayer dollars, you must be assured that you're getting the best person for the job and not just someone who's fun on the golf course.

For that matter, many sadder-but-wiser people will tell you never to hire friends, even if it's to remodel your own home. When you hire a friend or relative, it's hard to disagree. It's hard to reprimand. It's hard to make demands, even when you're in the right.

Is Dobelle doing anything wrong by bringing his friends to UH? The question must be asked. At this point, it has been answered: no. The proof, though, will be in the proverbial tapioca, and Dobelle must be pretty confident in the outcome of his hiring decisions to withstand the inevitable criticism.

What's troubling is the attitude that hiring friends with public money is no big deal. It is, particularly at a time when there's not much public money to go around. Such decisions must always stand up to public scrutiny and we, the people, have to be willing to do the work to provide that scrutiny. We have to be willing to stand up and say, "Wait a minute. Who dis guy?"

As for Jones sending a letter to the federal judge sentencing Sia for bankruptcy fraud, what comment can be made besides a long, slow sigh and a shake of the head? Perhaps Jones should have skipped the UH stationery and sent one of those watercolored greeting cards instead.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.