GUEST EDITORIAL: A Manipulated Extravaganza of Political Nonsense
 The 2017 Hawaii Republican Party (HRP) State Convention on Kauai provided an environment in which delegates were excited to anticipate a long-awaited conservative voice in state politics. Shirlene Ostrov was elected as party Chair on the foundational premise that she agree to critical realities that were to be recognized in order that the beleaguered HRP be transformed into a viable force to provide hope to the people of Hawaii that there are common-sense solutions to the major crises that we face due to the destructive policies of dominant Democrat rule. Delegates who had attended that event expected conservative principles, positions and policies to be introduced to the public arena under Ostrov’s stewardship.
It wasn’t long before the new Chair was exposed as yet another in a long line of puppets of establishment Republicans on the party’s Executive Committee who have neither stomach to stand up to Democrats, nor the will to do the heavy lifting required to turn things around in Hawaii after more than sixty years of one-party rule.
When urged to issue a public statement that conservatives in our state were uncompromisingly opposed to any tax increase funding the black hole that is Honolulu Rail, Ostrov stubbornly refused, and in the aftermath has been silent on a myriad of other issues that voters have had to confront including assisted suicide, the gender counseling bill, homeless tent cities, sanctuary state status, resistance to the Trump travel ban and the miserable economic conditions that we face.
That the establishment was at the helm became further evident when Executive Committee members Miriam Hellreich and Pat Saiki berated our Oahu County Chair Brett Kulbis for taking a conservative stance on issues.
 This brings us to the HRP 2018 Convention held earlier this month on Oahu, an event eagerly anticipated as a new party platform guiding us to the upcoming election was to be unveiled for approval. Predictably, though, this event proved to be nothing more than a manipulated extravaganza of political nonsense which demonstrated an extension of the refusal of leadership to take a conservative stand for the people of Hawaii.
After months of work putting together what they thought was a conservative map to success, the Platform Committee delegated to do so submitted the new agenda to the Executive Committee in the days leading up to the convention, which promptly and without notice proceeded to gut it, providing instead a document containing mostly innocuous and meaningless political rhetoric.
At the event, delegates were rushed through the approval process in a fashion typical of the operational tactics of the establishment while being informed by leadership that the new platform had the “100% unanimous approval” of the committee assigned its formulation. This while several members of that committee were themselves expressing dismay and disgust at the blatant disrespect, unabashed disregard and apparent deceit displayed by the Executive Committee in stripping away much of the intended message behind drawn curtains just before convening to seek its approval.
Adding insult to injury, officials presiding over the event proceeded to shut it down some two hours early, even as delegates waited in line to provide testimony surrounding the proposed direction of the party.
Clearly, and in no way departing from the operational procedures of the past, the Old Guard on the Executive Committee of HRP has its own ideas about a vision of the future for the party, and it most certainly is not one having anything to do with any significance in the shaping of public policy. Until that changes, the future for Hawaii Republicans looks dismal, and Democrats can once again ready their confetti for post-election revelry.
Dave Hamman Steve Hinton
HRP Delegate, HD-14 HRP Delegate, HD-45
**** ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS FROM HIRA ****
 DELUSION: "Proper procedure was followed: the motion was made, seconded and voted on," Shirlene Ostrov brazenly addresses post-convention complaints and pathetically justifying the railroading of the platform.
REALITY: Per Robert's Rules (required by state party rules), only once delegates have had an opportunity to speak in favor or against the motion shall the convention chairman bring the matter to a vote. Even if someone prematurely “called the question” after the motion to approve the platform was seconded, an actual person would have to have been recognized by the chair to make that motion and then a 2/3rds vote would have been required to end debate and proceed to a vote. Everyone knows, however, that the convention chair simply proceeded to a vote without even inviting discussion. That's the definition of railroading and a complete violation of the rules. No platform was legally adopted at the convention by the hamfisted Ostrov and her henchman Grimmer, although they will undoubtedly pretend it was. In fact, Grimmer's law partner was secretly installed as the party's new rules chairman after Andrew Walden reportedly resigned in protest over the scam Ostrov and her cronies were pulling at the state convention. Anybody still thinking Ostrov isn't just a puppet for the RINO party establishment is living in denial. Auwe!!
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