I want to express my appreciation of Gary Hooser’s Sept. 2 TGI letter responding to basic freedom of speech, “Mutual respect, civility and aloha needed more than ever.”
Although Gary and I have major different opinions of political issues and President Trump, I appreciate his defense of freedom of speech and expression and his acknowledgement of the unjustifiable destruction of private property in regards to the defacing of the Kapa‘a Trump banner, the theft of two more Trump banners and the breaking off of American flags displayed around the banners.
I was disappointed regarding one paragraph in Gary’s article, and I want to address where he wrote: “But we must not allow President Trump, nor his supporters, to goad us into negative behavior that accomplishes nothing except to justify their claims against us. As former first lady Michelle Obama has said, ‘When they go low, we go high.’”
President Trump, nor any of his supporters, are goading anybody into negative behavior. In response to Gary, if President Trump or any other person has a different opinion than his, we’re not goading you or anyone else. You’re just a bit too sensitive and are offended easily; thin skinned.
If President Trump offends you, may I quote Eagles drummer Don Henley, “get over it.” The problem is with those who have little or no self-control and have to act out in the cloak of darkness and secrecy, committing acts of civil disobedience that they know are clearly wrong. People are not being goaded. They are facing a difference of opinion.
Those who committed unlawful destruction of private property demonstrate that they don’t believe in freedom of speech. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. By the way, this is the second Trump banner that has been attacked in the last 30 days, because it, to, ,was torn down. In 2016, four Trump banners were knocked down and destroyed in Kapa‘a and ‘Oma‘o and two were defaced at the Kapa‘a bypass traffic circle and on Rice Street.
Michelle Obama, quoting her husband, former President Barack Obama, at the 2016 DNC National Convention, said “When they go low, we go high” is quite hypocritical, when it’s been clearly revealed by the present federal Department of Justice, that the Obama administration weaponized the IRS, the FBI, the DOJ and CIA, which are the subject of a massive investigation by Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham in conjunction with U.S. Attorney General, William Barr’s office.
The Obama administration will probably end up as one of the most corrupt administrations that tried to destroy an opposing political campaign, a newly inaugurated president, presidential transition and a presidency. So much for the hypocritical claim, “When they go low, we go high.”
I guess Sen. Hillary Clinton didn’t heed former President Obama’s advice at the 2016 DNC National Convention when, on Sept. 9, 2016, at a campaign fundraising event, she described half of the supporters of her opponent, Republica n nominee Donald Trump, saying, “They’re racist, sexist, homophobic, xenoophobic.” The next day, she expressed regret for “saying half” (secretly she probably wanted to say all), while insisting that Trump had deporably amplified “hateful view and voices.” Gary Hooser, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who’s calling the kettle black?
•••
Steve Yoder is a resident of Wailua Homesteads and chair of the Republican Party on Kaua‘i.
Hey Steve, your usual bowl of word salad! Just suggesting that what donald has done and is doing is deplorable! The Trump Virus has killed 190,00 Americans, his gifted economy ran into the ground, like everything else he touches! Oh, Vlad putting bounties on our boys, and nada! Hey Steve, you gonna vote twice? But yes, the stock market! Well, thats not the economy is it. Thin skinned?? Really? Anybody whose not a little mad isn’t very Patriotic. You like Russians better than Dems!
Tick Tock Stevie, the end is coming for The Orgy of Ignorance! Are you a Q believer Steve? Or do you have a different conspiracy theory? And I know that you sleep fine at night, but that says more about you than me .
See ya on 11/3 Biden Harris
Calm Down
Rise Up
For six paragraphs I was thinking to myself, Gosh, Yoder is actually acting reasonable today . . . even civil. What the heck is wrong with him?
Fear not, folks, he hasn’t changed his spots. Let the mud-slinging begin! Starting in the seventh paragraph with Michelle Obama’s “When they go low, we go high” quote and a feeble attempt to tie it into a politically motivated on-going — and “MASSIVE” — investigation to uncover “misconduct” in the Obama administration and support the president’s claims that the original Russia investigation was a “witch hunt” — you know, the one where, after a thorough inquiry, BOTH Democrats and Republicans of the Senate Intelligence Committee agreed that there was irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and that there were numerous contacts between the Trump campaign and Moscow. Ring a bell, Steve?
Oh, and then there’s that little matter of IMPEACHMENT! But the kicker was your totally-without-merit comment that the Obama administration “. . . will probably end up as one of the most corrupt . . . .” That is laughable.
Finally, as far as Hillary Clinton’s quote about the “basket of deplorables”? Events of the past three and a half years have proven that to be true.
Michelle Obama thinks that if someone pets her dog, but doesn’t make eye contact with her, that they are racist.
The weaponized IRS, FBI, DOJ, and CIA must be pretty incompetent if their combined efforts didn’t prevent Donald Trump from becoming president.
“Thin skinned”, hardly. Offended by Trump’s racist remarks and attitude, definitely. And “No” you may not quote Don Henley. However, freedom of speech must prevail.
Interesting how the party that fought for equal rights, freed the slaves and provides more support for the people of color than anyone else is continually called racist by those from the party that owned the slaves, formed the KKK and whose Grand Dragon was the mentor of the man running for President of the United State Joe Biden!
Def not voting for Biden.
Def not voting for anyone else.
I’m guessing you were there, since you don’t seem to remember then. When the Dixiecrats left the party they landed with the Republicans. Either you know that and are purposefully misleading people (or trying to) or you can’t think for yourself enough to realize that someone was misleading you.
Either way, the party for justice is not the Republicans of today.
Mr. Hooser is correct that despite how vile, grotesque and despicable the Trump administration has been – and how many thousands of Americans have died as the direct result of Mr. Trump’s deliberate ignorance and incompetence – private property should not be destroyed or damaged. Mr. Hooser is also correct however that Trump has goaded his supporters into violence.
Leave it to Mr. Yoder and his fellow Republicans to be at the ready with a boot lick for Donald Trump – a weak, reckless imbecile. The fact is that if Mr. Trump did not have support from racists, sexists, homophobes and xenophobes, he would not have been elected. And add neo-nazis and white supremacists in there for accuracy.
The entire Republican Party deserves to be voted completely out of existence for supporting Donald Trump. That can’t happen soon enough.
The DNC is the most dangerous group in the world. Hawaii needs more republican and/or conservative leaders to save us from the inevitable socialist takeover in this state.
And the nerve of Pelosi, breaking rules and then blaming others. The salon called her and “set her up”. Not. She thought she would get away with doing wrong when no one was looking.
What does Pelosi really have to do with anything? Whether true or not, it weighs not at all on how terrible the current president is.
She’s third in line for the Presidency. It’s a question of her integrity
Hey Attila, compare and contrast her integrity against those up the line.
Yeah Trump, the Obama administration and the democrats funded the Wuhan lab, covid was engineered go figure.
1) make unsubstantiated claim
2) ?
3) profit
Gee, great job not “goading” anyone Yoder. I don’t know why I waste my time reading anything you write. It’s very obvious that you were a Trump in a former life. You probably take that as a compliment. It would be an insult to me.
For some reason, seem to be acting like you’ve won, while our country is in such a sad state of affairs and mostly as a result of your choice for president.
As I’ve said before, you are part of the problem.
I worked at this resort and watched a guy come almost every day as a tour bus driver to resort and timeshare guests. When I talked to this guy he always Talked about how he disliked the guests and the resort business, he basically survived off the industry but mocked the very people and business that allowed him to survive. He’s not a surfer, beach person, fisherman, hunter, hiker or participate in any cultural activities that represent Kauai. He spends most time bashing people and believing his own bologna. I guess someone has to find a belonging somewhere even if it’s representing a president that has very similar qualities. I’m sure he will be honored.
Now you’re making things up. No wonder people think Trump supporters are full of it. You have the audacity to say the Obama administration was the most corrupt based on zero evidence. If they were so corrupt Trump’s justice department would have prosecuted them, but they found zero evidence. Trump has had too numerous to count people convicted & imprisoned. More than any other administration in history with Trump only shielded from indictment because he is president. You should really get your head out of your ass.
You need to do some research. The Obama FBI and DOJ abused power and no-one is even arguing against that. Obamagate is common knowledge Unless you only watch CNN.
Look at me!
So called “Obamagate” is a perfect example of a trump technique called “Conspiracy without a theory.” Born from a May 10th tweet by old tweety toes himself, “Obamagate” is wonderously vague and can be just about anything you want it to be! At least the nutters in QAnon have a story for their Con Theory!
Trump / Prison 2020
McDonalds
And
Golf
Again
That sign on the road is an advertisement, it should not be there. Billboards are not allowed on Kauai.
Trump and his followers do illegal things continuously and get away with it. This is just another example.
Tell it like it is, Steve.
You mean like Kealoha, Brun, Lokelani Lindsey, etc.
Steve is incapable, and everyone knows it. Will shallow Steve awaken from his dream? Not likely – the world is multicolored, and will never be black and white again. WHat will the few ignorant, cultic Donny-Drumpers do, once they lose the wheel?
Politics aside, I thought Hawaii was supposed to be against big, tacky, commercialized, scenic-ruining, billboards promoting profit-driven business enterprises, right?
“§445-112 Where and when permitted. No person shall erect, maintain, or use a billboard or display any outdoor advertising device, except as provided in this section: (with 19 listed exceptions, including, “(11) Signs urging voters to vote for or against any person or issue, may be erected, maintained, and used, except where contrary to or prohibited by law;”)
https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol10_Ch0436-0474/HRS0445/HRS_0445-0112.htm
What do you do with a Public Servant who behaves as though the public should serve him?
How should we respond to an elected official (who lost the popular vote by 2,868,686 votes, but swung the electoral college by winning only 79,646 combined votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) who is using his public office as a means to enrich himself, his family, and his business ventures nationally and internationally? And, in case you are wondering, yes, that is against the law as stated in the Constitution in an old-timey phrase called the Emoluments Clause (Article I, Section 9, Paragraph 8 and Article II, Section 1, Paragraph 7); basically, no elected official can accept anything of value/ profit from foreign or domestic sources, including funneling taxpayer dollars into his political campaign or private pockets. We wouldn’t want an elected official to be improperly influenced, even unconsciously, through gift giving or profit driven motives instead of having the public’s best interests (not just his or her own political party, but all Americans) at heart, right? Even the 39th President of the USA, President Carter, placed his Plains, Georgia-based peanut farm into a blind trust when he became president to avoid any kind of presidential ethics or emoluments clause violations!
So, what do we make of a so-called political billboard in Kapaa, whose namesake has intentionally fused his personal business empire to the presidency? Just imagine gigantic billboards lining the roadsides of Kaua‘i advertising: “Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort,” “Trump Castle Hotel & Casino,” “Trump Plaza Casino,” “Trump Plaza Hotel,” “Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts,” “Trump Entertainment Resorts,” “Trump Airlines,” “Trump Steaks,” “Trump Water,” or “Trump University,” for example! Thankfully, you won’t have to because (1) All of those businesses failed, or were forced to close and fined many millions of dollars for illegal activities (that is why no American banks will loan him or his corporation any money, by the way), and (2) It is against the law in Hawaii to advertise businesses on billboards!
The 39th President was perplexed about peanuts; can you imagine a president who preferred people over profits?
Meanwhile, it sure seems like for-profit, business billboard advertising when:
Trump-branded properties charged the federal government (in other words, “spent your tax dollars without your permission”) at least $1.2 million by March 2020? Or when Trump has played golf on Trump-branded golf courses and stayed at Trump-branded resorts with his entire presidential entourage 278 times thus far out of his 1,326 days in office (can you imagine having the most “powerful job” in the world and spending 21% of your days in office spending tax payer dollars at your own resorts and charging tax payers to play golf hundreds of times, even after promising, “I’m going to be working for you. I’m not going to have time to go play golf.” –Donald J. Trump, August, 2016), costing US tax payers apprx $141 million by September 2020? Or when he moved $2.3 million of political contributions from his donors into his private companies, as his reelection campaign paid his private companies for rent, food, lodging and other expenses, according to a review of the latest Federal Election Commission filings? Or how about when the Republican National Committee spent an additional $2.4 million to Trump properties? Or when the U.S. government (again, your tax dollars) has paid at least $970,000 to Trump’s company since he took office, including payments for more than 1,600 nightly room rentals at Trump’s hotels and clubs? Is it a problem that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, which is owned by the Chinese Communist Party, leases space in Manhattan’s Trump Tower (the bank’s lease is estimated to be “worth close to $2 million annually”)? Or when the governments of Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, and Thailand all pay for space in Manhattan’s Trump World Tower (during the first eight months of Trump’s presidency, more foreign governments sought permission to lease space in Trump World Tower than in the previous two years combined)? Or when the Saudi Arabian government paid approximately $270,000 for rooms and expenses at Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., between November 2016 and February 2017? Or how about when the Embassy of Kuwait held its National Day Celebration at Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel in February 2017 and again in 2018? Or when the Malaysian Prime Minister and dozens of members of his diplomatic delegation stayed at Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel in September 2017, with the Prime Minister reportedly traveling from the hotel in a motorcade straight to the White House for a meeting with the President. Or how about this, since Trump became President, the Chinese government has approved 40 new trademarks to Trump and his companies (circumstances suggest that these trademarks were approved or expedited as a result of Trump’s status as President of the United States; the director of a Hong Kong intellectual property consultancy, for instance, said he had “never seen so many applications approved so expeditiously,” and the approvals closely followed Trump’s abrupt decision to honor the one-China policy)? And the list goes on and on and on…
So Kaua‘i, let’s come together, right and left, traditionalists and progressives, Republicans and Democrats and Independents and others, and stand against big, tacky, commercialized, scenic-ruining, billboards promoting profit-driven business enterprises!
“Only the government can force people to pay for what doesn’t work without oversight or accountability. People, family and business don’t live in that kind of world.”
-Steve Yoder (without irony), Republican candidate for state House District 15, Honolulu Civil Beat, September 7, 2020.
https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/09/candidate-qa-state-house-district-15-steve-yoder/
I do appreciate a factual list of the profiteering by DD’s syndicate 45.
That they have been able to slide around laws that I thought (revealing my illiteracy) would be enforced by agencies and departments that I certainly could never get away with. I am heartbroken by the complete vulgar destruction of any integrity we might have achieved.
#1 rule when running for election – one should keep squeaky clean, and keep their mouth shut in matters of controversy.
According to Mr. Yoder, he can tell that climate change is not real because he swims in the ocean:
“Swimming the ocean water of Kauai over the last 55 years, the ocean levels remain the same level now as they were in 1965. So-called man made climate change is nothing more than a way for the government to separate you from your income through higher taxes to resolve an issue that doesn’t exist.”
Wow Steve, nice word salad! It even came with bs for dressing. I think it’s cute you still call yourself chair of the republican party, when there is no republican party! It’s now the party of donald! If you think what has happened over the last 5 years is good, or even the last 5 days, you might want to see if you have a soul brah!
I’m gonna stop now, though I feel I could write a book as a response to you and the few that agree with your opinion.
Be Best,
Uli Roth Kapaa
Gary Who-sir?
All I can say to me Yoder and his friends that Nov 3 is coming none too soon. Taking down of simple political signs is not a good thing however the person who went to considerable time and trouble( I wonder if he got it approved first?) Is a “goad” if I ever saw one. And that’s okay, it’s his property, if it is legal and then no one should be defacing it. The election is coming, the president is running as if he might be facing jail time for transgressions during his presidency and he will do anything not to lose. Anything. Watch.
Excellent article. So proud when we can express ourselves whether we agree or not. Have enjoyed Steve Yoder over the years in Kauai.
Freedom is not free, millions of our Hero’s gave everything they had for it for us.
God Bless America.
If Yoderler thinks Trump is NOT a RACIST, he’s missing too many brain cells and should see an aging specialist. Trump is ANTIALOHA – spreads fear and lies – and is as welcome here in the ALOHA state as that cult that just LOST. Get it over ot Yodeler, you lost, forever. Grow a pair, son. And show aloha, not opala like yer signs.
Oh my, where to begin. Perhaps with the grandiose and pathetic expectations about Barr’s political use of the Dept. of Justice somehow turning this thing around by exposing that the “Deep State” within US Intelligence is behind donald J. (for genius) trump’s looking so very bad all the time. First, US Attorney Durham has expanded his 10 minutes of fame well past next January. Second, he is not investigating the corruption you are hoping for, he’s after this imaginary QAnon style Deep State nonsense the trump cult is distracted by. Hey, good luck with that!
The reason we call trump cultists racist xenophobes is because that’s what they are. They profile you as another aging white male, during a break at Rotary or after Church or at the Bar-B-Q, with a deliberately outrageous comment to test your worthiness to spend additional time with; something like “What kind of rope are we gonna need for Obummer?” Your reaction to this determines any further interest on their part. All of this will not end; but, it will will lose a great deal of it’s current power to do harm!
I enjoy it when TGI features an article that is in support of Prez Trump, if only to trigger the obsessive Trump haters into their unhinged tirades of emotional vomit. Some of these meandering responses resemble Dr Brommer labels. They will surely lose what marbles they have left if Trump wins.
So that’s the kind of person you are… Wishing harm to your fellow citizens, just not at your own hands.
See if your conviction is up to this challenge. Buy and read Bob Woodward’s “Rage” when it comes out on Sep. 15th. Based on 18 multi hour recorded interviews with tweety toes himself. Wrap yourself in a flag while reading, demean one of your domestic servants between chapters, whatever it takes and see if your conviction can withstand the truth!
Ho. Almost everyone here is so full of wrath, you would think that one of these commenters is the vandal. I don’t agree with and am not going to vote for (insert name), but I’m also not going to trespass in someone’s yard and do other illegal acts like damage property. Why can’t we all just vote for whoever we want and still be good law-abiding, respectful, productive, kind, courteous, freedom-loving, hardworking Americans? We live in a great country and have a lot to be thankful for. I’m voting for Trump though
The Obama administration will go down as one of the most corrupt in history? Really?
Maybe his supporters don’t think they’re out to goad anybody, but trump sure is.