Posted on: Friday, July 23, 2004

ISLAND VOICES
'Sonny' is alive and well in Kapolei

By Fred Hemmings

Lee Cataluna recently wrote an insightful column about "Sonny" from Kapolei. She intuitively sensed who Sonny really is.

I, too, know "Sonny." I've known Sonny ever since I was born. Sonny grew up in Kaimuki. He came from a relatively poor family of six children. His father often worked two jobs to make ends meet. His pious Catholic mother took in work and often baby-sat to supplement the family income. During the summers, Sonny and his brothers and sisters, when they were old enough, would get jobs.

In high school, Sonny was your typical rugged local kid, played high school sports, including football. He also surfed and paddled canoes.

Sonny went to UH but never graduated. He became a small-business owner and was moderately successful. He has kids and is very proud of them. Sonny is your typical local boy. He still drives to Kaimuki to buy soft li hing mui from the crack seed store.

Sonny realizes in his later years how lucky he is to have grown up a local boy from Hawai'i. Sonny's tough old dad said all politicians were crooks except the ones he voted for. But, as the years have gone by, Sonny figured out that political wheeling and dealing was pervasive in Hawai'i. He also figured out that politics cost him and everybody else a lot of money.

Sonny got in the habit when driving to and from work to listen to radio talk shows. The other day, Evan Dobelle was on the Mike Buck Show.

"Sonny" recalled reading in the newspaper that Evan Dobelle hired political operatives and some of his cronies and paid them excessive salaries. This cost UH hundreds of thousands more than was paid to those positions prior to Dobelle.

Sonny followed the news and knew that the Board of Regents did everything it could to summon its employee, Dobelle, to meetings.

Sonny heard Dobelle play the "I love Hawai'i" local card. To put it succinctly, Sonny got mad.

Sen. Hemmings, who called Mike Buck's radio talk show in the guise of the fictional "Sonny," wishes to apologize to Buck and to those who may have been offended by his prank. Sen. Hemmings realizes he should have identified himself before, not after, calling as Sonny.

He is sorry. Sonny really didn't call the Mike Buck Show — or did he?

Republican Fred Hemmings is the minority leader in the state Senate.