1853 Hawaiian Mission to Marquesan Cannibals
Empowering Native Hawaiians to Own Homes
Hawaii Gas Acquired By Argo Infrastructure Partners
How Hawaii Tourism Authority Rigged Procurement for CNHA
SA: … The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau is alleging that the Hawaii Tourism Authority violated state procurement law by running an unfair process that predetermined that re-solicitation for its largest piece of business, the U.S. brand management and global support services contract, should go to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.
HVCB’s protest, which was filed June 21, was released to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser by HTA on July 20 after the newspaper filed an appeal challenging the agency’s original decision to deny access to the public record….
The 68-page protest, signed by HVCB President and CEO John Monahan, has asked HTA to rescind its award to CNHA and award the re-solicited U.S. brand management and global support services contract to HVCB.
It seeks reimbursement for attorneys’ fees in connection with the bid protest and costs incurred in response to the original and re-solicited request for proposals….
HVCB’s protest questioned whether the reasons given by HTA to rescind HVCB’s original award “were pretext, and that it had been predetermined that the contract should be awarded to CNHA.”
It also alleged that the “procurement process failed to afford HVCB an equal opportunity to compete in a fair and open environment.”
Some of HVCB’s key arguments:
>> HVCB questioned HTA’s decision to restructure the scoring categories during the revised RFP and to change members of the evaluation committee.
HVCB noted that Kaho‘ohanohano had worked for Hawaiian Airlines under Ann Botticelli, who was listed by CNHA as executive director of its tourism-related Kilohana Collective in its first proposal and as a member of its transition team in the second proposal.
>> HVCB alleged that CNHA made “misrepresentations and misleading statements” in its proposal and was not a “responsible offeror.”
HVCB’s protest included a legal document from Hawaii Hotel Alliance President Jerry Gibson disavowing that he had agreed to be identified in the revised solicitation as part of CNHA’s transition team.
HVCB argued that CNHA has improperly added new transition team members although state procurement law precludes revisions after a proposal has been scored and while a protest is pending.
>> HVCB contends that the evaluation committee conducted scoring in a capricious and arbitrary manner….
HVCB questioned round 2 scores given that the RFP required that “the new scores will reflect the offerors’ overall performances in the first and second round.”
>> HVCB alleged that CNHA gained an unfair advantage because HTA provided CNHA with HVCB’s proposal at a Dec. 14 debriefing….
HVCB said the State Procurement Office sent HTA an email Jan. 4 advising HTA that it should not have given HVCB’s proposal to CNHA and instructing it to “level the playing field” by providing HVCB with CNHA’s proposal and bid protest.
HVCB said it did not receive CNHA’s proposal until Jan. 14 or its protest until Jan. 17. HVCB said the delay deprived it of the “opportunity to file any protest or otherwise take action.”….
HVCB said by the time it got the information, HTA already had canceled its original award….
>> HVCB alleged that the timing and circumstances surrounding the rescission of HVCB’s original award and the issuance of a re-solicited RFP suggest that “perhaps this was not an open procurement, and that the contract awardee had been predetermined at the onset.”
The protest refers to an exchange between House Budget Committee Chair Sylvia Luke and HTA President and CEO John De Fries and Ka‘ana‘ana, the HTA chief brand officer, during a Jan. 5 budget informational briefing. HVCB noted that Luke said “she found it ‘troubling’ that HTA awarded the RFP to incumbent HVCB and expressing skepticism whether HTA could actually improve destination management.”
HVCB’s protest alleges that this exchange appears “to insinuate that because HVCB has historically held the contract, which in part focused on branding initiatives drawing visitors to Hawaii, perhaps HTA should award the contract to a different firm.”…
Prior to releasing HVCB’s protest documents to the Star-Advertiser, HTA heavily redacted its contents ....
PDF: HVCB protest letter and exhibits
FTA: Bid Rigging
read … Hawaii Tourism Authority predetermined procurement for U.S. tourism award, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau says
Six years since Johnny Fraser was kidnapped and murdered
ILind: … Saturday, July 30, was the sixth anniversary of Johnathan Fraser’s kidnapping and murder, allegedly ordered by accused gang leader Michael Miske. The trial of Miske, his half-brother John Stancil, and six other remaining co-defendants is scheduled to begin in April 2023. Five of the original Miske defendants have already pleaded guilty and are cooperating with prosecutors, along with at least eight others charged separately who have also entered into plea agreements….
read … Six years since Johnny Fraser was kidnapped and murdered
Convicted Felon Keanu Sai to Start Off United Church of Christ Workshops to Promote Latest Schemes
HK: … Keanu Sai, Dr. Ron Williams Jr., and Donovan Preza, will help us delve into historic documents and events that can inform us as we seek understanding and discernment regarding fulfilling our promise made in the UCC’s apology 30 years ago to the Hawaiian people to (pay $4000 to) stand with them (and then get foreclosed) ….
read … Dr. Keanu Sai to Start Off United Church of Christ Workshops on Hawaiian Kingdom History on August 7, 2022
Rolling Blackouts: What Happens When The Last Coal Ship Leaves Hawaii?
HPR: … Hawaii uses more oil for electricity than any other state.In 2015, more than 67% of its electricity generation came from oil, while more than 15% came from coal. These fossil fuels are all imported from out of state, helping to make Hawaii’s electricity costs the highest in the country and nearly three times the national average.
The problem is further complicated by the Jones Act which requires that oil imported from other US states must be carried on US-flagged tankers operated by American shipping companies. But these companies, like Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG), are running out of available ships.
The state will also compete with the US military for oil tankers.
The military is struggling to meet the need for oil tankers in the Pacific after a leak in the world’s largest underground fuel tank storage facility – Hawaii’s Red Hill – forced the Secretary of Defense to close it down in March….
The US Military faced a major problem with the lack of tankers, even before Red Hill closed.
During the Trump Administration, Rear Admiral Mark Buzby warned Congress repeatedly that the US didn’t have enough tankers or qualified merchant mariners to supply enough oil to Hawaii and the Pacific region even during a limited war. In response, Congress passed an emergency measure in 2021 called the U.S. Tanker Security Program. In this bill, the United States pays both private companies like Maersk a stipend to reflag their tankers as American.
“The tanker security measure was an emergency stop-gap measure,” said one MARAD official gCaptain interviewed back in March. “It barely meets the most basic needs of our military and in no way can replace the capabilities at Red Hill. The Secretary of Defense is either completely misinformed or delusional if he thinks otherwise.”
While the US Military is required to use expensive US Flagged ships, private energy companies like AES Hawaii could import foreign oil on less expensive foreign ships but then they would be competing on the open market with China and other oil hungry Asian nations. Even if AES Hawaii decides to take this option and hire companies that operate lower cost foreign ships – like Scorpio Tankers (STNG) – those companies are also expecting large rate increases this year …
REALITY:
CB: Why I'm Worried About Oahu's Future
read … What Happens When The Last Coal Ship Leaves Hawaii?
Cruise ship COVID reporting program ending
HTH: … The recent discontinuation of a program by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that tracked COVID-19 cases aboard cruise ships and reported findings to the public has no effect on how state agencies deal with the virus on cruise ships.
“Cruise ships are still reporting COVID-19 cases to the Department of Health and are required to do so because COVID-19 is a reportable disease,” said Brooks Baehr, spokesman for the state DOH….
(CLUE: Within Hawaii state waters.)
Several of the earliest publicized COVID-19 outbreaks occurred on cruise ships, and the CDC program monitored outbreaks on them, with color codes showing the levels of cases aboard the ships.
(CLUE: Outside of Hawaii state waters.)
The cruise industry was severely affected during the pandemic, and the CDC shut down the industry in the U.S. in March 2020, with cruises restarting with CDC-imposed restrictions in July 2021.
According to data from the Cruise Line Industry Association, in 2020 and 2021 cruise ship companies lost a collective $63 billion and thousands of jobs….
read … Cruise ship COVID reporting program ending
Should Maui County Take Over Privately Owned Water Systems?
CB: … Voters will have a say in whether the county should create new water authorities…Victorino’s endorsement during a public candidate forum came as a surprise, since the county has always had the power to ask the state for the water leases at any time, even without the creation of a water authority…...
read … Should Maui County Take Over Water Long Controlled By Private Companies?
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