Tsukiyama resigns from Hawaii Office of Information Practices

(Nov. 16, 2009: 7:30 PM ET) — The Director of the Office of Information Practices (OIP) in Hawaii resigned quietly from his position on Nov. 6th and where he went is unclear, according to Hawaii government personnel.

The OIP is charged with receiving UIPA requests or complaints, from citizens who have requested publically available documents in accord with Hawaiian Statutes, when the State department or agency from which these were requested, has not responded or refused to disclose them.

The OIP office entered the national spotlight in September when the inquiry begun by a citizen going by the nik, TerriK or Miss Tickly, sought information regarding the vital records of Barack Hussein Obama II.

This story was previously covered by The Post & Email in a series of reports and editorials beginning on September 23rd.

Since it is a recurring theme with government officials who are in a position to expose Obama that they resign or get removed, or are promoted out of the way, I was intrigued to learn today of Tsukiyama’s resignation, when I spoke with the OIP office by phone.

Don Shimabukuro of that office, in passing, mentioned to me that the director, Mr. Paul Tsukiyama took another position with the state, and had resigned from his position of Director of the Office of Information Practices on Nov. 6th. Since Nov. 9th the acting director is Cathy Takase. When asked what position Mr. Tsukiyama had taken, Mrs. Shimabukuro was unclear where he had gone.

I contacted the Office of Governor Lingle, on the hunch that it was the governor who nominated or promoted the former Director. That office too was unclear what position he had taken, saying that they had never heard of Paul Tsukiyama. Mrs. Queenie, at the Office of Constituent Affairs, expressed surprise at Shimabukuro’s lack of awareness of her former Director’s new position, saying, “And that office wouldn’t tell you where he went?”

Since the Office of Information Practices has only 4 staff attorneys, Director Tsukiyama’s departure will slow further response to UIPA requests conducted by that office. Shimabukuro also stated that acting Director Takase will be out of office until November 23rd.

Your article said the governor had never heard of him. See below:

What’s New

Aloha to OIP Director

In early November, OIP Director Paul Tsukiyama left OIP to take another state position. Governor Lingle had appointed Paul as OIP’s fourth director in November 2007. Congratulations to Paul and mahalo for your service to OIP.

http://hawaii.gov/oip/whatsnew.html

Wonder if he wasn’t cooperating with the cover-up . . .

http://www.govtech.com/pcio/articles/156280

Paul Tsukiyama Appointed Director of Hawaii Office of Information Practices

Oct 16, 2007, News Report

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has named Paul T. Tsukiyama as director of the Office of Information Practices, the state agency that oversees the implementation and administration of Hawaii’s open record laws. His appointment is effective November 9, 2007.

“I appreciate Paul’s willingness to continue to serve the public and ensure the people of Hawai’i have open access to government records and public information,” said Lingle. “Based on his legal experience and his long record of public service, I am confident Paul will build on our administration’s achievements in ensuring state government is open and transparent.”

Tsukiyama currently heads the labor and personnel section of the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of the Corporation Counsel. Prior to joining the Corporation Counsel in 1997, he was the director of the Special Prosecution Division of the City’s Department of the Prosecuting Attorney. He also served as supervisor of the Prosecuting Attorney’s White Collar Crime Branch and was a deputy prosecuting attorney.

Tsukiyama previously worked for the State of Hawaii as a deputy attorney general in the Commerce and Economic Development Division of the Department of the Attorney General, as well as a special enforcement attorney with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

He is a former chairperson of the Criminal Justice and Corrections Section of the Hawai’i State Bar Association and also served on the Hawaii State Judiciary’s Committee on Hawaii Rules and of Penal Procedures and Circuit Court Criminal Rules. He is also served as an arbitrator for the First Circuit.

A graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Tsukiyama earned his juris doctor from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon.

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