Ambassador
of booze ADVERTISING Ambassador
of booze To those that were surprised by the acquittal of Billy Kenoi, don’t be. The fact is he had very little chance of being found guilty by a jury on this island that was most definitely
Ambassador
of booze
To those that were surprised by the acquittal of Billy Kenoi, don’t be. The fact is he had very little chance of being found guilty by a jury on this island that was most definitely made up of jurors who had voted for him in two elections.
Add to this the fact that his supporters, especially locals who find Billy’s rise to success a wonderful story about one of their own, fought vehemently to protect his image as a strong ambassador for the Big Island, no matter what his warts.
What those of us who saw through the charade of Billy as this icon of goodwill find extremely troubling is the fact that his promotion of the Big Island seems to be continually steeped in a cloud of binge drinking. As we’ve witnessed (in a video during a gathering with Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho), Billy and alcohol are a toxic mix.
Is a drunk Billy the Billy we want to represent our island as an ambassador of aloha? The Billy who on video was obnoxious, vulgar and bullying? I think not.
Make no mistake, the amounts of alcohol that were purchased and consumed, fully documented by the record, along with Billy’s well-known history of alcohol use (talk to anyone who has witnessed him at parties and get-togethers) could have resulted in serious consequences for the Big Island’s taxpayers. That’s a point that’s been critically overlooked.
Where were the questions concerning the liability to the county? What if one of those people that were plied and feted with alcohol had been involved in some type of mishap while under the influence of alcohol provided by our mayor? How did these people leave these events after partying with drinks provided by Billy but paid for with our tax dollars? And better yet, who’s driving Billy home? What if he’s involved in an accident?
One receipt was for dinner with the family of a Washington high muckety-muck that Billy wanted to impress and cajole.
Were drinks served and consumed while in the presence of the family, and were the children driven by someone under the influence?
These questions have never been asked.
So, while all the Billy supporters are rejoicing at his acquittal, just remember the serious position Billy could have put our county in.
Billy might be the party ambassador — especially when he’s using someone else’s money — but for me and others, we would rather see our island and its people promoted through more conventional means.
As we’ve witnessed, a drunk, obnoxious and vulgar Billy is no way to present the goodwill, beauty and aloha of our island or its people.
We deserve better and should expect no less no matter who is representing us.
Michael Allen
Hilo
