We’ll mark the new year by leaving behind ill will of the past and tapping minds greater than my own, led by the great Winston Churchill, for inspiring quotations to guide our leaders into 2015:
» For Gov. David Ige: "A modest man, who has much to be modest about." — Winston Churchill
» For Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui: "There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want." — Bill Watterson
» For U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz: "Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age." — Victor Hugo
» For U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono: "Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?" — Edgar Bergen
» For U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: "It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." — John Andrew Holmes
» For U.S. Rep.-elect Mark Takai: "You can lead a man to Congress, but you can’t make him think." — Milton Berle
» For state Senate President Donna Mercado Kim: "A curious mixture of geniality and venom." — Winston Churchill
» For Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom: "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." — John Kenneth Galbraith
» For state House Speaker Joe Souki: "I don’t need you to remind me of my age. I have a bladder to do that for me." — Stephen Fry
» For Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell: "Finance is the art of passing money from hand to hand until it finally disappears." — Robert W. Sarnoff
» For City Council Chairman Ernie Martin: "I own and operate a ferocious ego." — Bill Moyers
» For city rail CEO Daniel Grabauskas: "It takes less time to do things right than to explain why you did it wrong." — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
» For Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro: "Ignorance of the law excuses no man from practicing it." — Addison Mizner
» For Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha: "If two wrongs don’t make a right, try three." — Laurence J. Peter
» For University of Hawaii President David Lassner: "When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that person is crazy." — Dave Barry
Finally, a nod to those who gave 2014 their best shot, but fell short:
» For U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa: "Instant gratification takes too long." — Carrie Fisher
» For GOP gubernatorial candidate James "Duke" Aiona: "If you want to talk to God, it’s best to do it where you don’t have to shout to have yourself heard." — M.J. Rose
» For Independent Party candidate Mufi Hannemann: "If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving definitely isn’t for you." — Steven Wright
» For former Gov. Neil Abercrombie: "Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed." — Winston Churchill
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Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com or blog.volcanicash.net.
