UPDATE: Governor, Legislators Come to 'Understanding' on Maui Hospital Partnership Bill
OHA Survey: Will You Like Us if We Reverse our Support for Telescope?
Hawaii Congressional Delegation How They Voted April 27, 2015
Hawaii Open Budget: Online Conference Committee Tracking Tool
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HGEA Reworks Contract after HSTA Leaves Perriera in the Dust
SA: The union that represents about 14,000 white collar workers and supervisors in state and county government reached a new tentative agreement on a contract, after it suspended voting on the old agreement last week, the Hawaii Government Employees Association announced Monday
The ratification process was interrupted after HGEA learned Hawaii State Teachers Association negotiators had won larger across-the-board raises and a larger bonus than HGEA had negotiated for two of its units, according to a statement HGEA distributed to its members last week.
Details of the new agreement were not released. Members of HGEA Units 3 and 4 are being asked to attend ratification meetings to learn about the new agreement and cast votes.
The Hawaii State Teachers Association, which represents 13,500 public school teachers, announced late Wednesday it had reached an agreement with the state to increase salary and benefits for the remaining two years of the teachers' current contract.
The existing teachers' contract restored a 5 percent pay cut made in 2009 and included annual salary boosts of at least 3 percent through a combination of across-the-board increases and pay grade step-ups in alternating years.
Unit 3 and Unit 4 members were originally asked to approve a two-year agreement that would award them either a step movement into a higher pay grade or a $1,500 lump-sum payment on July 1, and another lump-sum payment of $600 for all employees the following year.
The proposal would also have increased the share of health insurance premiums paid by the state and counties each year of the contract; would continue step movements to higher pay grades in the second year of the contract; and would provide for a 1.6 percent across-the-board pay increase in 2016.
Because there is a new agreement, votes cast last week on the old agreement do not count, the union said....
SA: Union calls new proposal 'slightly better'
read ... Randy Perriera saving face
Roads in Limbo for Rail? Hawaii Senators Pitch Tax Hike Deal
CB: A new proposal comes out of House and Senate conference committee negotiations, but it highlights just how far apart they are on rail tax....
So-called “roads in limbo” are the latest bargaining chip in the negotiations to extend Honolulu’s rail tax to help shore up an estimated $910 million shortfall.
On Monday, state Sen. Jill Tokuda revealed her chamber’s latest version of House Bill 134 that would extend Oahu’s 0.5 percent General Excise Tax surcharge for rail for five years from 2022 to 2027 and allow neighboring counties to implement their own tax hike. (And now they are trying to give the sister island counties an excuse to hike those taxes.)
But Tokuda and her fellow conference committee members, including Sens. Clarence Nishihara, Will Espero and Breene Harimoto, included a provision that would force counties to take ownership of certain roads that officials say are no longer under the state’s authority....
These “roads in limbo” have been a problem for the state for many decades, and have led to confusion about who is responsible for repair and maintenance of the streets....
The next conference committee hearing is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. Wednesday.
read ... Roads in Limbo
Details of Ige’s Maui Memorial public-private partnership measure
MN: A draft proposal for a public-private partnership for Maui Memorial Medical Center and the Kula and Lanai Community hospitals - to be considered this afternoon by a state House-Senate conference committee - doesn't have obvious "deal breakers" but offers some concerns, said the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. Maui Region chief executive officer....
"I don't know if there are deal breakers," Lo said Monday evening from Honolulu.
There are some changes that may affect efforts already in place to establish a public-private partnership, he added. Hawaii Pacific Health, which runs Kapi'olani Medical Center For Women & Children and Straub Clinic & Hospital on Oahu, has emerged as the Maui Region's main suitor.
One change would require the HHSC Maui Region to publish a notice/invitation to submit proposals for the public-private partnership, a "re-do" of earlier efforts, though material/information from previous solicitations may be considered, the revised bill said.
The private company would have to "submit statements of interest in acquiring the right and responsibility to manage, operate and otherwise provide health care services in one or more of the Maui regional system's facilities," the revised bill states....
Another provision changes the role of the governor in the process from one who approves an arrangement to one who may "direct negotiations" for the public-private partnership with the assistance of the CEOs of HHSC and its Maui Region. The goal is to "protect and further the state's interest in controlling the levels of financial support of HHSC operations, utilizing MRS (Maui Region System) facilities more cost-effectively and maintaining current levels of access to health care services on Maui as much as possible," the revised bill says.
Lo said he does not have a problem with the governor being involved in the process so long as representatives of the health care and Maui communities are included as well. He said, "I think we have an understanding with the Governor's Office" but emphasized that the roles need to clear.
The revised bill also returned a provision, stripped out by the Senate, that required a private partner to offer existing employees work for at least months.
"I don't see any issue with that," Lo said, adding that he believes it is a redundant provision already covered by other statutes.
Lo said he was spending time before today's conference committee hearing running the measure past stakeholders and lawmakers to make sure there are no "unintended consequences . . . so we have the same understanding."
While a source close to the process Monday indicated that the measure, which likely would have passed the House last week, is losing supporters, Lo was optimistic.
"I think we got a chance here," said Lo, who has, in the past, called passage a 50-50 proposition. "There is some hope this might go through."
He said "there certainly is a lot of pressure on legislators," including from those opposing the bill. Support for the bill by Maui County lawmakers has been rousing but lawmakers elsewhere face different motivations, constituencies and politics, Lo said.
"We have done our best," he said. "It will be a tight vote."
HB1075: Text, Status
read ... Hospital Reform
House Republicans Give $470 for Hawaii Defense Spending
CB: ...base infrastructure enhancements and a plan to improve the troubled Red Hill Underground Fuel Facility....
Reality: Hawaii Congressional Delegation Dead Last in Clout
read ... Generous Republicans
Hack attack continues on Hawaii state government websites
AP: The office of Gov. David Ige said Monday an apparent cyberattack temporarily disrupted the Hawaii state government's website.
Jodi Leong, the governor's deputy director of communications, said in a statement that the state site experienced a denial of service and that traffic to and from the site was affected during the attack on Sunday afternoon.
"At no time was data comprised or were services at risk," Leong said. "The website was brought back up on a back-up server at 2 p.m. and full site availability was restored by 4:40 p.m."
A similar attack on the website of Thirty Meter Telescope, the organization trying to construct one of the world's largest telescopes near the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island, continued to disrupt the page into Monday.
Thirty Meter Telescope spokeswoman Sandra Dawson said Monday that the directed disruption of service attack has been ongoing since first discovered Sunday afternoon.
"They keep directing attempts to get into our website such that it overwhelms the website," Dawson said. While there have been no breaches of the company's secure files, there is enough concern "to make people hesitant and coming up with workarounds for our regular work."
Dawson noted that it appears the people behind the attack are from outside Hawaii and have no connection to the state. "It's from out of Hawaii," she said. "We have no idea why they are doing this."
A blog site called Operation Green Rights, which claims to be affiliated with the hacker group Anonymous, posted images on its page Sunday claiming responsibility for the attack. The page included screen grabs of both the Thirty Meter Telescope website as well as the main website of the Hawaii state government, indicating that both had been attacked.
read ... Hackers
TMT fight puts education grants in jeopardy
HTH: Putting a stop to the Thirty Meter Telescope also would mean losing $250,000 a year for Native Hawaiian scholarships provided by the project’s education fund, an issue that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board chairman is keeping in mind as the state agency faces pressure from protesters to change its endorsement.
In an emailed response to the Tribune-Herald, Bob Lindsey’s spokesman said the chairman is “extremely concerned” about potentially losing the funding, administered by the Pauahi Foundation.
“It is increasingly clear to me that a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and math must be part of any meaningful impact that we expect any new generation of Native Hawaiian students to have in reshaping the Hawaii Island workforce,” Lindsey was quoted as saying in an email from spokesman Kama Hopkins.
Lindsey, who represents Hawaii Island on the OHA Board of Trustees, sits on the advisory committee for The Hawaii Island New Knowledge fund at the Pauahi Foundation.
The TMT Observatory Corp. launched the fund, which provides $250,000 a year to Pauahi Foundation and $750,000 a year to Hawaii Community Foundation, last November to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education on the island.
SA: With astronomy so important to Hawaii, respect is vital
read ... Jeopardy
Obama Administration Shutdown of Heald Flummoxes 100s
SA: About 1,700 students attended the school, and 90 faculty taught there — 33 full time — in the fall of 2013, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Tuition is estimated at $13,620 a year, with books and supplies estimated at $1,500. Total expenses for an academic year are estimated at $20,637 for students who live with family, and $31,995 for students who live off-campus in other accommodations. The average loan debt is $9,166, with 89 percent of all beginning students receiving financial aid.
In the 2013-2014 academic year, the school awarded 532 associate degrees, more than half of which were in health professions and related programs, and 120 of which were in business, management and marketing.
A tearful Roxanne Bal landed a job at Heald as a student services adviser and online coordinator after earning a degree in Heald's business adminstration program in 2005.
"That piece of paper got me my dream job," she said. "I consider Heald a second chance in life. A lot of (students) are older. They're not your traditional students who come straight from high school. They come from broken homes and low-income backgrounds. We're here to give them a shot in life to become successful. We just give them the opportunity, and they run with it. This is definitely a sad day."
read ... Thanks, Obama
Ka Iwi land deal nearly sunk as Bureaucrats, Eco Groups Squabble over Who Will Score Millions in Management Funding
SA: The state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted April 10 to approve contributing $1 million in state money from a special land preservation program toward the purchase.
The unanimous vote occurred despite a surprise conflict that led officials administering the program to recommend against the contribution toward buying the 181-acre site, which is known as Ka Iwi mauka and had been targeted for private development of 180 vacation cabins and, later, a golf academy.
"It was intense ... but it all worked out,"said Elizabeth Reilly, president of the nonprofit Livable Hawaii Kai Hui, which has long been involved in the preservation effort through the Ka Iwi Coalition....
The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife recommended that BLNR deny the modified Ka Iwi mauka funding approval, and instead use the $1 million to fund two projects that didn't make the cut for limited funding this year. The division noted that the two projects that would receive funding under its recommendation were projects it applied for to acquire about 5,000 acres in Waialua.
The Division of Foresty and Wildlifesaid the Ka Iwi mauka project could reapply for funding next fiscal year.
Livable Hawaii Kai Hui said Ka Iwi mauka likely would not be available then because the land is tied up in bankruptcy where a court-appointed receiver has sold all other assets of the landowner and wants to sell the last asset within the next few months. The landowner has been willing to sell Ka Iwi mauka to DLNR.
To meet the seller's timetable, Trust for Public Land intends to obtain a loan to buy the property with the intent to pay off the loan when the state, county and community contributions are obtained, and then transfer the land to Livable Hawaii Kai Hui. BLNR also approved that change.
read ... TPL COI
Hawaiian Electric sale to NextEra Energy should be done by end of year, CEO says
PBN: If Hawaiian Electric Co. gets its way, the $4.3 billion acquisition of the state’s largest utility by Florida’s NextEra Energy Inc. should be completed by the end of the year, a timeframe that has been debated by some, including state lawmakers....
Last week, the Hawaii House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 158, urging the PUC to go along with the Hawaii Consumer Advocate’s request to establish a schedule that would complete the regulatory review process by June 2016.
The PUC has set an interim deadline of Aug. 31 to complete all pre-filed direct and rebuttal testimony.
No deadline for completion of the merger proceedings has been established just yet....
read ... Coming Soon
Layoffs at Hu Honua Biofuel Plant
WHT: Construction at the troubled Hu Honua Bioenergy plant in Pepeekeo has again met with delays after the company announced on Monday the need to lay off employees.
It was not clear how many employees had been laid off, or whether any work at the site was continuing.
Hu Honua CEO John Sylvia issued a brief, two-sentence statement via email on Monday afternoon in response to questions regarding reports of layoffs at the site of the planned 30-megawatt power station that would convert locally grown biomass into electricity.
“As a result of market developments that impact HHB’s various settlement agreements in connection with the facility’s construction, and to reflect the evolving electricity market in Hawaii, HHB must adjust its construction schedule and operational plans, including temporary labor force reductions,” Sylvia said. “HHB remains committed to create arrangements that lead to the successful completion and long-term operation of its biomass electricity production facility.” ...
A HELCO company spokeswoman said Monday she was unaware of any work stoppage or layoffs at Hu Honua.
“We expect Hu Honua to be in … operation in early 2016,” said Rhea Lee-Moku. “It would be premature to comment on any plans we have in the event that Hu Honua goes out of business. We have a contract to purchase power from them in place. However, in the event Hu Honua is unable to meet their contractual obligations to us, we have sufficient generation available already to cover the energy needs of Hawaii Island.”
Work to convert the former sugar mill power plant in Pepeekeo resumed in January after a delay of several months as the result of a dispute with construction contractor Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., which claimed that Hu Honua had not paid $35 million for its services.
read ... Hu Who?
Tracking truth, transparency promises at HPD
KHON: After the publicity surrounding the video of Sgt. Darren Cachola, the Honolulu Police Department promised to be more open.
Tonight we’ve learned that even if we pay for transparency, we’re really getting black holes.
So we wanted to find out how the department approached the Cachola investigation and since city emails are public record, we asked to take a look.
Our first quote was in the $4,700 range and when we narrowed the request further, it got to hundreds only to balloon again for the cost of redacting information for privacy.
When all was said and done, we paid for a stack of black.
read ... Transparency
Busy city ambulances temporarily closed last weekend
HNN: The city officials said sick calls and overtime for city paramedics and emergency medical technicians have decreased by about 20 percent since a new work schedule began last August. But several busy Honolulu-area paramedic units still had to temporarily close recently because of staffing shortages.
In the eight months since city emergency medical services crews went from working eight-hour shifts five days a week to 12-hour shifts three or four days a week, the city is on track to save $1 million in overtime during the first year of the new schedule, according to Mark Rigg, the city's EMS director.
"We're retaining our employees and generally our employees are happier with the 12-hour schedule," Rigg said.
Before the schedule change, some paramedics and EMTs were quitting because they were constantly being forced to work 16-hour days.
But Rigg said vacancies have decreased since August from 22 to eight this month.
"We've also had four employees that resigned during the eight-hour schedule return to the department after the implementation of the 12-hour schedule," Rigg said. "Nobody's getting stuck right now. Everybody goes home at the end of their shifts and we're finding the morale is a lot better."
But last Sunday, the city still couldn't find enough medics to staff its Baker One unit at Queens Medical Center, which responds to an average of 14 or 15 calls in a 12-hour shift. So the unit closed from midnight until noon April 19, and other ambulance crews had to pick up the slack.
The city's Makiki ambulance unit stationed on Young Street also shut down for eight hours that same Sunday afternoon.
read ... Ambulances Closed
Star-Adv: New E-Cig Rules Make it Harder to Smoke Marijuana Under 21
SA: This issue is especially important amid a national movement to legalize recreational use of marijuana and the skyrocketing use of e-cigarettes among Hawaii youth. The devices are used to smoke nicotine-based liquids, cannabis oil — without emitting the tell-tale odor of leaf marijuana — and other substances. Bringing conventional tobacco products, e-cigarettes and alcohol all under the same age requirement makes sense.
Meanwhile: Marijuana for the Children
read ... Off the News
New campaign to help sex trafficking victims in Hawaii
HNN: ...A new campaign will soon kick off to help young victims caught in Hawaii's sex trafficking industry. The group Ho'ola Na Pua is raising funds to build the state's first long-term facility for rescued girls.
"It absolutely broke my heart that we don't have anything. We're putting these girls in detention facilities. We're putting them in Hawaii Youth Corrections. We're sending them to programs off-island," said Jessica Munoz, Ho'ola Na Pua's founder....
Ho'ola Na Pua will launch a campaign next week to raise $4 million for renovations and operating funds. The facility will be built on a 12 acre site the group is leasing from the state. Vandals have damaged the building and taken all the copper pipes and wiring. The facility will house up to 32 victims and provide them with therapy, medical care and schooling. The goal is to open the home at the beginning of 2017.
Advocates agree that a long-term facility is needed, but one group that helps sex trafficking victims is raising red flags about the project. (Wait for it...) Kathryn Xian of the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery (surrrprise, not!) said that state agencies and working groups are still developing protocols and training. She also said that a separate emergency facility needs to be created first to give victims time to develop trusting relationships....
(Translation: If someone else comes up with a program which works to convert ex-prostitutes to civilian life, I won't be relevant any more.)
read ... New campaign to help sex trafficking victims in Hawaii
HB864: Mandates Insurance Coverage to Provide $20K Test Tube Babies to Lesbians
HNN: Hawaii is one of a handful of states that requires insurance companies to cover fertility treatment through in vitro fertilization.
But same-sex couples and single women are left out because the coverage rules only apply to married, heterosexual couples. That's because the Hawaii law states that a patient's eggs must be fertilized by her spouse....
...the treatments range from $10,000 to $20,000.... but it is ok because homosexuals are superior beings....
read ... Test Tube Babies
Colorado Welfare EBT Cards $7000 in Hawaii
CBS: Welfare recipients get a Colorado Quest Card with benefits loaded on it, which may be used at an ATM or swiped like a debit card at a store. The benefits are supposed to be used for necessities, yet a CBS4 determination of welfare transactions shows in that does not all the time appear to be the case. (credit: CBS) Within the surf town of Paia, on the north shore of Maui, CBS4 found Colorado welfare recipients spending Colorado welfare dollars at an expensive Whole Foods market. It was just one of just about 60 transactions last yr in Hawaii totaling nearly $7,000.
read ... Their Tax Dollars at Work
SB1280: Ridesharing Bill in Conference Committee
SA: After months of debate, our elected representatives in Hawaii continue to grapple with questions over the future of ridesharing. Their decision regarding Senate Bill 1280 has tremendous implications for the future of transportation here....
read ... Ridesharing
HB1007 Drivers Licenses for Illegals
CB: ...HB 1007 “will improve public safety by ensuring all drivers are tested for driving skills and able to acquire motor vehicle insurance,” the Hawaii Department of Transportation said in written testimony.
Galen Onouye, the licensing administrator for the city’s Department of Customer Services, testified in support of HB 1007, but he suggested that the bill should require that limited-purpose licenses have a “unique design and color” to distinguish them from current Hawaii driver’s licenses.
Big Island Police Chief Harry Kubojiri opposed the bill, saying it was crafted to help people who have “made a conscious effort to violate Federal laws.”
“We believe this measure will have the effect of inviting even more undocumented foreign nationals to our state in direct violation of Federal Law,” Kubojiri said in written testimony....
HB1007: Text, Status
read ... HB1007
Health Officials Concerned About Side Effects of Care Home Bill
CB: Hawaii lawmakers are balking at a requested sunset provision for a measure that could displace Medicaid clients in favor of private-pay clients....
The conference committee plans to reconvene Tuesday morning to consider a final draft of the bill. Friday is the deadline for the committee to pass it for the full Legislature to approve it before the session ends May 7.
read ... HB600
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