Rail: Will Honolulu be the Next Detroit?
Hawaii Supreme Court Smacks Rail EIS - An Update
Video: Monsters, Miracles, and the Politics of Genetic Engineering
Limbaugh: 'Liberal State of Hawaii Wants to Deport Their Homeless'
Hey UH, lawmakers say watch those hefty salaries
More drones over Hawaii? It’s a good idea for some
SA: GMO Fears Could Shut Down Agriculture in Hawaii
SA: The proposal, Bill 2491, would place unprecedented restrictions on the operations of certain commercial growers on the Garden Island, including DuPont, Pioneer, Syngenta, DOW AgroSciences, BASF and Kauai Coffee.
"Kauai residents simply want to know," said bill author and Council member Gary Hooser.
If it were only that simple.... Among other things, the bill would:
- Require 500-foot buffer zones around schools, hospitals, streams and other sensitive areas.
- Require enclosed environments for experimental pesticides and GMOs.
- Require the county to prepare an environmental impact statement on the impact of GMO operations and related pesticide practices.
- Create a permitting system, complete with penalties, fees and property tax assessments, for the GMO industry.
In the meantime, it would impose a temporary moratorium on new GMO operations.
In the absence of hard evidence, Bill 2491 is driven by fear and mistrust, which big agribusiness seems impotent to alleviate.
But with efforts to restrict this kind of agriculture on Kauai as well as the Big Island — to the potential long-term detriment of the state's agriculture industry — cooler heads need to prevail....Syngenta's Mark Phillipson warned that seed companies on Kauai "would lose 90 percent of our lands" with a 500-foot buffer, driving them out of business and putting hundreds of employees out of work.
Overly rigid measures that cause unnecessary economic damage won't help anyone.
KGI: GMO bill moves to committee on Monday 8:30AM
read ... Some Sense for a Change
KOS: Schatz Paid Off by Developers, Hedge Fund managers
KOS: Brian Schatz, himself used to tout campaign reform but not so much in recent years. He too takes money from various monied interests including developers, hedge fund managers, Punahou school administrators, and the family of the CEO of First Hawaiian Bank.
As to PHRMA's donations Colleen, herself has taken no money from them for this campaign, but that is irrelevant. PHRMA gives money to a ton of congressionals. They even give money to the DCCC for heaven's sake....
Some of these Senators, including Harry Reid and Bob Menedez, have donated to the Schatz campaign as well.
read ... Pot, Kettle, Black
Protectionists Campaign for Schatz in Export-Oriented State of Hawaii
KOS: The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement is encountering opposition from both environmental and labor organizations. This is old news since battle lines between the corporations and labor/environment were drawn March of 2010 when negotiations began.
But what is new is that corporations are backing New Democrat Coalition pro-TPP senate candidates against incumbents who might have doubts about TPP. Is this to insure smooth sailing for treaty ratification?
New Dem, Colleen Hanabusa's primary challenge to pro-environment, pro-labor Senator Brian Schatz is a case in point.
TPP aims to expand the existing 4-country 2005 Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPSEP) to encompass about one-third of the world's trade and include Japan, Canada, Mexico, and the United States in what is currently a 12 country agreement.
read ... Tourism is an Export, Hello?
PBN: Highest-paid union officials in Hawaii
- 1) Reginald Castanares, Business Manager and Financial Secretary, Plumbers and Fitters, Local 675 - $240,734
- 2) Arthur Tolentino, Business Manager, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Sheet Metal Workers, Local 293 - $201,091
- 3) Damien Kim, Business Manager and Financial Secretary, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186 - $189,904
- 4) Patrick Loo, President, United Food & Commercial Workers, Local 480 - $167,646
- 5) Brian Ahakuelo, President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1260 - $162,591
- 6) Dayton Nakanelua, State Director, United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646 - $149,482
- 7) Joseph O’Donnell, Business Manager and Financial Secretary, Iron Workers, Local 625 - $129,389
- 8) Ronan Kozuma, President, Teamsters, Local 996 - $128,751
- 9) Peter Ganaban, Business Manager and Financial Secretary, Laborers, Local 368 - $128,404
- 10) Nolan Moriwaki, Plasterers and Cement Masons, Local 630 - $91,001
PBN: List of Unions Ranked by Membership
read ... Highest-paid union officials in Hawaii
Business Mag Runs 53-page Photo Essay on Hawaii Homelessness
BI: Business Insider visited Waianae in mid-July and toured the largest tent city there. The following photos offer a glimpse of what life is like for the homeless in Hawaii.
read ... THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE: Inside Hawaii's Giant Homeless Community
Giving It Up for the Governor: Hawaii State Employees Fuel Campaign
CB: Three dozen employees of the Abercrombie administration, including a lot of cabinet directors and their deputies, have donated money to their boss's re-election.
While totaling less than 5 percent of the $860,000 in campaign contributions Neil Abercrombie raised during the first six months of this year, they represent a continuing source of funds intended to give the governor another four years in office.
Some officials, like Adjutant General Daryll Wong, senior advisor Kate Stanley and Mary Alice Evans, the deputy director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, donated more than $4,000 each during the current election cycle.
The pattern of giving it up for the boss was evident in Abercrombie's 2012 contributions report, which included many of the very same people who gave in 2013 along with Attorney General David Louie and Budget Director Kalbert Young.
The governor may currently be supported by less than half the electorate, as a June Civil Beat Poll showed. But at least he can count on the people who work for him.
read ... Recycling
Nepotism, Jobs, and Free Money for the Cronies
Hawaii Court to have live video feed of Ninth Circuit Appeals Court hearing:
A message from the court re our Ninth Circuit Appeals Court hearing that will last about one hour or less:
"The U.S. District Court will be receiving a live video feed of the Circuit Court's hearing in Honolulutraffic.com v. FTA. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday August 15, 2013 at 11am Hawaii time and it will be broadcast in Aha Nonoi [Judge Kobayashi's courtroom], 4th floor of the U.S. District Court. The matter will be published on the court's calendar and open to the public."
SA: Appeals court will not consider judge's letter on rail
read ... Honolulu Traffic
Serial Manoa rapist just needs work furlough for parole, but Soft on Crime Crowd Not Volunteering to Hire Him
KHON: The man known as the “Manoa rapist” is up for parole, and could be just one step away from being back in the community.
John Freudenberg has been considered for release from his life sentences just about every year since 1996, denied each time. The only hurdle left before his hearing next month is for him to get on work furlough.
Back in the 1980s here’s how prosecutors say Freudenberg, then in his 20s, lived his life:
“He was an honor student at the University of Hawaii during the day,” said Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, “and at night he was burglarizing and sexually assaulting female victims.”
Sixteen victims, often at knifepoint, over a 14-month crime spree that terrorized Manoa. Now he wants to be on work furlough by day, and behind bars at night. (Where are the prison reform advocates ready to step up an give this fine gentle-man a 2nd -- or 17th -- chance?)
He’s been denied parole before, most recently just because work furlough has never come through. (Yup, the Parole Board is ready to let this dirtbag out.)
“Mr. Freudenberg’s rights are being violated,” said his defense attorney Myles Breiner. (But Breiner isn't offering up a job either.)
CB: At What Point Is Killing Another Man Considered Self-Defense in Hawaii?
read ... Attention Manoa Liberals: Babysitter Available
Nest of Marks: Now it's the UH Football Coach -- Loses $500K to Financial Scam
SA: University of Hawaii football coach Norm Chow and a son, Carter, were reportedly among 18 victims of a multi-million dollar financial scam in Utah for which two men have pleaded guilty, according to published reports in Salt Lake City.
The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News reported that investors put in nearly $3 million and Chow was the largest investor with $500,000. His son, Carter, a Los Angeles attorney and agent, is said to have invested $400,000.
News reports said Michael Kay Smith and Quintin Fullmer Smith each pleaded guilty in state district court Monday to two counts of third-degree felony attempted securities fraud as part of a plea deal. They face up to 10 years in prison when they are sentenced next month. Michael Smith can have his felony counts reduced to misdemeanors if he completes probation and pays full restitution of almost $1.3 million, the Deseret News reported.
Citing court documents, the Deseret News said the two Smiths ran Newport Financial Services and allegedly guaranteed investors an 18 percent return on their investment by purchasing contracts of furniture store customers who could not qualify for traditional financing. They are said to have attracted at least $1.8 million in investments beginning in 2005.
Nest of Marks: UH New Pres Lassner Makes Excuses for Multi-Million Dollar BUZZEO Disaster
read ... About the University, They're Smarter than We Are
Atheists go Silent as Civil Beat Runs Fluff Piece on Gabbard's Hinduism
CB: Gabbard declined to be interviewed for this article. But in a statement after her victory, Gabbard appeared to understand her symbolic importance, saying, “On my last trip to the mainland, I met a man who told me that his teenage daughter felt embarrassed about her faith, but after meeting me, she’s no longer feeling that way."
“He was so happy that my being elected to Congress would give hope to hundreds and thousands of young Hindus in America, that they can be open about their faith and even run for office, without fear of being discriminated against or attacked because of their religion,” her statement said.
Gabbard spokeswoman Heather Fluit told Civil Beat that Gabbard’s “Hindu practice has served as a source of strength during the difficult challenges she has faced in her life, including two deployments to the Middle East with the Hawaii Army National Guard.”...
Gabbard "preaches the same things we heard when we were growing up. And she’s helping us realize if you believe in this stuff, it’s really powerful." and Ved applauded Gabbard for not picking politics over her religion. “It’s really cool to see someone who has stayed true (to their faith)."
read ... No Church-State Questions anywhere in sight
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