It’s hard to separate the terroristic threatening from the fear-mongering as we "flASHback" on the week’s news that amused and confused:

» House Finance Chairman Marcus Oshiro scolded the Department of Education for "irresponsible fear-mongering" over budget cuts for school bus service. I couldn’t agree more. Educators should set an example and confine themselves to responsible fear-mongering.

» State legislators moved to make it a crime to engage in terroristic threatening against livestock. It’s a companion to another bill that makes it a crime to disrespect a house of the Legislature.

» A teacher who admitted to "sexting" a 12-year-old student and an offender accused of raping a young girl both got plea deals of probation with no jail time. Is Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro running a blue-light special for sexual predators?

» Mayor Peter Carlisle said Ben Cayetano can’t stop the city’s $5.27 billion rail system if he’s elected mayor because the project has been made "idiot-mayor proof." If they know how to idiot-proof the mayor, why can’t they also soundproof him?

» The City Council gave preliminary approval to a new $450 million line of credit for rail, despite members’ reservations about how the loan would be repaid. To a rubber stamp, it makes no difference whether the ink is red or black.

» A federal judge allowed the faith-based organization FACE to intervene in support of rail against a lawsuit seeking to stop construction. It goes to show that this project hangs more on a prayer than a line of credit.

» Because of a "data error," a city panel revised its rankings of potential Oahu landfill sites, with Kailua dropping from first to fifth and Kahuku rising from seventh to first. Rankings were tabulated by the accounting firm of Larry, Moe and Curly.

» New construction between Halawa and Pearl City might be stalled until 2018 because the sewer system is over capacity and the city failed to plan for it. It seems the mayor has more work to do on his idiot-proofing.

» The City Council couldn’t muster a majority to pass a resolution supporting labels on genetically modified foods. Some Council members are afraid it would set a precedent for labeling ethically modified lawmakers.

» Plaintiffs asked a federal court to halt the upcoming Hawaii election until legislative district lines are redrawn, arguing an "extraordinary wrong" must be prevented. Our extraordinary wrongs are usually what get elected.

And the quote of the week … from rail transit CEO Daniel Grabauskas on the first concrete pillar poured for the rail system: "The column that you see beginning construction today is going to be there 100 years from now." And if it never carries a train, future generations can take a page from Stonehenge and tell tourists it was built by aliens.

Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com or blog.volcanicash.net.