Hawaii Dem Governor Awards Cronies $186,000 Contract — State Loses $90,000
- Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:28pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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After serving ten terms as the state’s First District U.S. Congressman, Neil Abercrombie has hit his fair share of bumps in the road since being elected Governor of Hawaii in January 2010. In the last month the Governor has drawn criticism for allocating assets reserved for the state’s Hurricane Relief Fund elsewhere on the day before the beginning of hurricane season, and felt heat after calling the Probowl, Hawaii’s single major sports event, “so stupid.”
Now, a recent investigative piece in the Hawaii Reporter reveals that the Governor recently awarded a $186,387 consulting contract to a company of political allies, after rejecting another company’s $96,000 bid because it was submitted 11 minutes late.
From the Hawaii Reporter:
“The contract – to help straighten out a tangled bureaucratic mess at the State Historic Preservation Division – was awarded to Solutions Pacific, a firm headed by Abercrombie political ally Raynard Soon.
Soon was a key player in the Abercrombie transition team formed after the new governor was elected in November. Soon’s daughter, Solutions Pacific chief executive Rebecca Soon, worked on Abercrombie’s election campaign and helped stage a series of inauguration events held before and after the new governor was sworn into office in December.”
“The other company which tried to bid for the SHPD contract, Honua Consulting, was disqualified after it first delivered its paperwork to the SHPD office in Kapolei instead of to the Department of Land and Natural Resource’s Honolulu headquarters.
By the time the paperwork arrived at the DLNR office on May 10, it was 11 minutes past the posted deadline.
‘I am disappointed that we were unable to consider your proposal for the (contract), but after consulting with the state Procurement Office, we were unable to find any means by which it could be reviewed and considered without violating our rules, which are in place to ensure a fair and transparent procurement process,” DLNR Deputy Director Guy Kaulukukui said in a letter to Honua Consulting president Trisha Kehaulani Watson.”
In addition to campaign volunteer support, the Soons have donated $4,625 to Abercrombie’s political campaign and $2,750 to the Abercrombie inaugural fund.
(H/T: Watchdog.org)
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Comments (93)
nomercy63
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:09pmThey play we pay!!!! when will we demand an end to this nonsense once and for all!!
Report Post »fastfwd
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:45pmAnother liberal liar and thief !
Report Post »hempstead1944
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:08pmHawaii gets the politicians it deserves….the ones they elect. They should give the island back to the Hawaiian People….they ran it better than America ever has…..
Report Post »Rosemary Woodhouse
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:00pmGypsies, Tramps and Thieves was written for Zero & Cronies.
Report Post »wildwood
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:49pmIs THIS THE SAME GUY THAT HELPED FORGE OBAMA’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE??????
Report Post »wildwood
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:47pmif there is a smart honest DEMOCRAT OUT THERE, WILL YOU PLEASE STAND UP??????
Report Post »eramthgin
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:41pmAnother democrat crook…..who is surprised.
Report Post »Its Gonna Getcha
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:37pmThe race for “fundraisers” to create secret stashes of cash taken illegally.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:28pmAnything can be signed in 11 minutes.
Report Post »Crooks move fast and furiously these days.
101
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:33pmHolder right there
Report Post »ISRAELISOURFRIEND
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:24pmJesus is my God!
I stand with Israel!
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!
Treason is Treason, call it out, speak boldly without fear!
Congress and the White House are committing Treason! They don’t hold each other accountable, because they are all guilty!
I know we as American’s will support and defend our Constitution of the United States, we must rid ourselves of this evil that has penetrated our system.
Corruption is no longer the America’s problem.
It is TREASON!
Hold on to your hats, it’s gonna get ugly!
God Bless the USA!
Report Post »God Bless Israel!
NOBALONEY
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:24pmSpoiles from the top down.
Report Post »Geopatriot
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:20pmThere’s nothing to see here, just move along……Look at what Obama’s EPA is doing to the Coal industry and the coal fired electric generation plants in Texas. That’s what we should be looking at!
Report Post »hi
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:19pmThe late contract was on “Hawaii Time!”
Report Post »Amazingoly
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:18pmHe is the clown who could not find Obama’s birth certificate, the fake one. How do you spell RECALL?
Report Post »Da Kingfish
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:58pmIt is spelled C L O W N !
Report Post »Ron_WA
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:07pmThis the flake who tied to vouch for POTUS by saying he was there at the birth then had to back off that claim then searched for the birth certificate then had to back off that when he couldn’t produce the now miraculously located birth certificate. I’m not a birther! I believe BHO was born in the US but that hack of a Governor in HI sure made things worse & it says a lot about him.
Report Post »candcantiques
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:05pmTell you what. I will be glad to help California save money. Pay me $85,000 so I can buy my house and I will make sure that they are executed by the end of the day tomarrow.
Report Post »CanteenBoy
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:03pmAnyone see a pattern here? Anyone? Buehler?
Report Post »eat-more-bacon-USA
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:01pmCut Abercrombie, and he bleeds obama – this is why he was “elected”.
Report Post »264win
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:52pmIsn‘t this the guy that said he would show Obama’s birth certificate once and for all, then could not find it.
Report Post »psst
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:00pmYes!!!
Report Post »isfedup
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:52pmI am a contractor and if our bids are even a minute late they are rejected. That is the rules we all play by. We all sit here and say how corupt our government is but when it follows the rules and it does not go our way we cry. If the other company was serious about the proposal they would have gotten it in on time. Anyone who has ever been a contractor would understand.
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:51pmhmmm
Report Post »101
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 8:27pmhmmm hmmm
Report Post »DAGNY
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 12:59amWell said. I don’t care for Abercrombie; he is a pure Marxist at heart, most people know that. But, if the bid is late, the bid is late. Who waits until the last minute to submit a bid anyway?
Report Post »101
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:30amHuh hmmm
Report Post »SICKOFPCNESS
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 8:27am90K for 11 mins…..really? We are riding the edge of a depression and you are stand on “a rule is a rule”? Has common sense completely left this country?
Report Post »AZBOB
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:48pmSounds like a democratic stimulus plan, he got the idea from Barry.
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:40pmSo should he Vitter or Weiner?
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:30pmMaybe he should Spitzer.
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:39pmTypical.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:36pmAny chance you can be fair and balance with this type of stuff. Oh wait that’s Fox News that is fair and balanced…which means of course they will run this story tonight. But as far as the Florida Governor (R) pushing business to the drug testing company he owns, that’s good old fashion capitalism.
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:48pmI have not heard of this.
Report Post »geonj
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:53pmbecause there are no facts to back it up. just another leftist loon making things up. do your homework.
Report Post »PER100
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:58pmwhere did you hear about the Florida Gov.
Report Post »I live in Florida and his personal business linked to the current drug testing requirment has not been reported on by any legitimate news group I have seen. this is a very interesting tidbit that if true must come to light!
BBomber66
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:58pmAt what cost. Was the crony’s bid the lowest. Okay that could lead to someone leaking the other bids. Also how realistic was the $90K bid. Could the job be done for that? Oh it wasn’t even considered on merit. Oops. I’m not sure I care what company, as long as the bid was fair and due diligence applied. 11 minutes does seem opportunistic.
Report Post »Ron_WA
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:14pmThe FL Gov. story is true. Fox & other networks ran it a bit over a month ago. The key part is that before awarding the contract to send those drug screenings to his former company he had already divested himself of all shares … although … his wife still owned shares which she has since sold.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:25pm@ Ron_WA
Report Post »So neither the Gov nor his wife own any shares in that company , right ?
BTW what did this Gov do for a living before he was Gov ?.
Ron_WA
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:48pmI’m not saying he didn’t do a favor for his old organization or friends (& potential donors) but he most likely did not directly profit from it. … & yes he was a healthcare & pharmaceuticals exec for many years … of course that also makes him a bit of a subject matter expert as well as capitalist …
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:00amRaymond loon is the go to guy for obama also. Mr. loon is setting up in advance for obama’s museum in Hawaii after he leaves office. Loon talked obama ito Hawaii rather than Kenya.
Report Post »JP4JOY
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:33pmMake the bureaucratic decision makers pay the difference out of their own pockets.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:36pmHow much you want to bet .. they made certain that the other bid was 11 minutes late?
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:39pmMake the bureaucratic decision makers pay the difference out of their own pockets.
Report Post »———-
That won’t be necessary because Obama will pick up the tab.
Afterall the matter of his BC is still in the hands of Hawaii’s governor !!
banjarmon
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:40pmDumb dim dems in Hawaii elected him….SHAM on THEM!!!
Report Post »BONETRAUMA
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:45pmWiki Wiki
Report Post »Starkadder
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:45pmThe state workers needed to take thier break, at that exact moment.
Report Post »rpp
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:46pmHawai’i is not the paradise so many claim. This is just politics as usual.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:57pmNo surprise here, the Hawaii Dems are a bunch of crooks, and many Hawaii voters are clueless liberals.
Report Post »thinkinghuman
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:59pmI am betting that the delivery location and terms was AMBIGUOUS, except to those “in the know.”
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:08pmHawaiians should be throwing a FITCH!!
Report Post »(at Abercrombie)
Ba-dum-BUMP!
Dustyluv
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:21pmi think the pineapple juice has fermented. People on that Island are nuts.
Report Post »chazman
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:21pmHow does a ‘Howlie’ get elected 10 times to the congress and then make governor of Hawaii? The same way ‘Hillary’ became a senator of NY? Native Hawaiian’s gotta hate this guy …
Report Post »DisillusionedDaily
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:26pmHe will be offered a position in Obama’s administration as soon as Obama creates a place for him.
Report Post »101
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:33pmWhatever happened to common sense? I‘m sure they could reconsidered a bid especially when it’s so far out of line with a bid that’s twice the amount…shows criminal intent on the governors part not to reopen the bidding process. Somebody is taking money on the side and need to be investigated!
Corruption in any bidding process: If you have a connection with a close ally in procurement (or above) you’re guaranteed the job…[seen it happen too many times]!
Report Post »shazam3
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:35pmNow, can anyone believe that the whole Obama’s birth certificate was real???. This guy is just another politician that will scam and steal……liar
Report Post »Professional Infidel
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:42pmkeep on keeping on Black market. no taxes, no taxes, and no taxes. Let them throw away someone’s $$$.
Report Post »hifi74
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:53pmthinkinghuman
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:59pm
I am betting that the delivery location and terms was AMBIGUOUS, except to those “in the know.”
———————————————————————————
This is actually VERY common in gov. I work on the civilian side of the DoD and will see jobs posted just hours before the closing date and time and somehow certain people knew about it for a week and were able to get resumes in. Those same people are often friends with the supervisor of that shop, or the foreman, etc. Quite often they will also tailor a job description around a specific individual that they are trying to promote. There are a whole slew of things these corrupt schmucks will do where I work, and no matter how much cain I or others raise it just gets swept under the rug.
I would not be surprised to hear that the person that the bid was to be submitted to had a family emergency, or smoke break, or fax machine issues, or was conveniently away from their desk just before the closing time for bid submissions. All too common in (not so) civil service
Report Post »silentwatcher
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:43pmKind of reminds you of the recent rendition of the movie “Dukes of Hazard” where there were ‘secret’ meetings occurring within the community and little “roadblocks” were set up to assuire the individuals did not participate when they did find out.
The movie was funny. The Hawaiian Governors actions are not. Just the information of the news reporting it places it on the edge of ‘illegal.’ Can you imagine if it was investigated??? (hint)
Report Post »Bluebonnet
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:30pmI truly, truly hate people like this.
Report Post »GadsdenPatriot
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 11:16pmThey elected him. Figures. Hawaiians are some of the dumbest of the dumb of ALL the states. Many of the tribal Hawaiians still don’t even consider themselves a part of the United States. Much of the populace are too stupid to even speak proper english. Leftist mentality has even gone so far as to effect local surfers such as those who support the “wolf pack” who intimidate and violently enforce localism akin to the leftist union mobs–all of whom are complete idiots as violent types tend to be. Their education system is a complete failure–then again that’s how Communists like it. The tragedy of Hawaii is its a gorgeous land covered with incredibly stupid people, hence liberal.
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on June 21, 2011 at 11:23pmIf he bid was late then it could not be counted. It would require a re-tender if the job was not within buget.I have been on both sides. It sucks when the bid is thrown out. But I was awarded a contract on another occasion when a competetor with a lower bid was disqualified for being late. Rules are rules.
Report Post »Patrick in AZ
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 1:49amI bet he spent all that money searching for Dear Reader’s birth certificate.
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 8:06amTake the difference out of the governors pay.
Report Post »Bluebonnet
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:45amThis DIRTY DOG. (not intended for little doggies who need a bath)
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:51amSo how did it come to be that this Governor couldn‘t find Record of Obama’s Birth Certificate, yet Obama provided it?
Report Post »VegasGuy
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 12:42pm@ CatB
How much you want to bet .. they made certain that the other bid was 11 minutes late?
—————————————————————————————————————————–
My thoughts, too.
Report Post »Dale
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 2:34pmCatB
Report Post »How much you want to bet .. they made certain that the other bid was 11 minutes late?
———————
The article seemed to say that the company tried to deliver it to the wrong address – by the time they got it to the right place: 11 minutes late. Having been involved with some governmental RFQ’s (Request For Qualifications), I notice that a statement usually concludes the RFQ stating that the agency may waive irregularities in the process. This would seem to be a $90,000 irregularity.
its_time_to_arrest_our_government
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 2:54pmis that what he paid for obamas phoney birth certificate? your being duped america obama is not a natural born citizen and the congress knows it. there is a supreme court ruling of exactly what a nbc is its anyone who is born here of two american parents. did you catch that? thats two (2) AMERICAN PARENTS AND BE BORN HERE! this theft of our nation must be stopped by obama s removal. its time we voted them all out and prosecute them for violating the constitution and their oaths of office. stand up america!
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