Who Needs Health Connector? Feds Already Had Website offering Hawaii Insurance Policies
National Park Tourism in Hawaii Creates $314 Million in Economic Benefit
Abercrombie: Petulant, Paranoid, Vindictive, Clueless
CB: The Hawaii Governor ... is the elephant in every room. If a Democrat, he heads a near-monopoly party. He faces a weak, 60-day legislature and minimal local government. He appoints nearly every other state official, and he bosses citizens who have been long-accustomed to centralized power.
This means that the Hawaii Governor absolutely must be a person of self-discipline, even temperament, and mature judgment. Our current governor has many remarkable qualities, but these three are not high on the list.
He is, by turns, peppy and petulant, confident and paranoid, supportive and vindictive, focused and manic, visionary and clueless. If his mood swings could be harnessed, we would have an important new source of renewable energy.
For practical purposes, the Hawaii Governor is an elective king. His word isn’t law, but his every whim ripples through the state. When the king sneezes, the whole kingdom gets sick. Successful kings therefore learn to project dignity, plan carefully, move slowly and be consistent.
The basic problem with Abercrombie is not that his initiatives and appointments are bad, though some of them are. The problem is that he flits from one enthusiasm to another, reacts to every stimulus, and restlessly unravels his own work. Whatever his earlier achievements, as governor he seems to have been promoted above his temperament.
The idea that this nervous nelly will be given another four years to shake and rattle our fragile state is mind-boggling.
2010: Congress.org: "Abercrombie is a follower"
read ... Mea Culpa: I Voted for Abercrombie
Honolulu Mayor Responds to Questions About Campaign Contributions from Waikiki Developers
CB: “How will those contributions affect your decisions regarding that vote?” Uyehara asked Caldwell.
The mayor responded that there is a need to develop more hotel rooms in Waikiki so that the tourist district doesn’t lose visitors to other international destinations.
“Obviously, I do support these types of projects,” said Caldwell. “They need the council’s approval too, but I’ll be working with them on that.”
Uyehara pressed him on the contributions. “But the contribution has nothing do with your decision?” he asked.
“Absolutely not, absolutely not,” said the mayor. (He then burst into uncontrollable giggles and the station cut to a commercial.)
Read more about the approximately $100,000 in contributions to city officials and complaints by Waikiki residents here.
SA: Construction cranes alight atop Honolulu
HNN: Ask the Mayor: March 3rd, 2014
read ... Honolulu Mayor Responds to Questions About Campaign Contributions from Waikiki Developers
House Should go after Brower Before Censuring Hanohano
DN: I’ve written several articles about false disclosures remaining uncorrected (for example, this article). I even wrote to the Senate President concerning the Senate’s own rules. Despite the “statutory penalties,” then-Senate President Shan Tsutsui declined to take action against the “politically powerful state senator” under Senate Rule 72.
The House has so far also not taken action against Rep.Tom Brower, whose violent tactics targeting the property of homeless persons in Waikiki. And if he “rousted” them from bus stops while carrying his sledgehammer, though I’m no legal expert, I wonder if that might fit the definition of assault. Brower embarrassed Hawaii nationally and internationally, but the House has remained silent.
read ... Brower First
Star-Adv: Reappoint Morita, PUC policy should favor consumers
SA: The Public Utilities Commission, always in a position to affect consumers, has in recent years seemed more attuned to the first word of its name. The public interest in proposals for utility initiatives and rates has figured prominently in some of its recent decisions.
The commission's work on a range of prominent issues — from the accommodation of photovoltaic power on the electric grid to the development of biofuels and the advent of liquefied natural gas as an alternative source — is the product of all three commissioners and the staff. However, former lawmaker Hermina Morita has chaired the commission since her appointment in 2011, so much of the credit for a clearer consumer focus should go to her.
This, as well as the fact that Hawaii is in the midst of several complex developments, makes this an awkward time to replace Morita on the panel, absent a compelling reason from Gov. Neil Abercrombie.
The governor is on the verge of deciding whether Morita, a 14-year veteran of the state House of Representatives, should be reappointed to the commission once her term expires at the end of June. Reports have swirled that she won't be tapped for another term, spurring a number of lawmakers to offer testimonials in her favor. The state Senate must confirm whoever is named....
Morita has been in the crosshairs for decisions affecting Aina Koa Pono, the biofuels company whose proposal for a contract with the Hawaiian Electric Light Co. on Hawaii island has been turned down twice. AKP has some highly placed supporters that made this a particularly sticky decision to make, politically. For example, the biofuel company was represented by William Kaneko, Abercrombie's campaign manager.
But the PUC's decisions on this cited concern that costs would drive up rates for consumers — and that principle should prevail.
Another sensitive decision point is the interisland cable, envisioned as a conduit for power from Maui's wind energy turbines. Recent utility analyses have clouded its future somewhat, with solar development on this island likely offering the cheaper source....
read ... PUC Policy
Upcoming Primary election will be start of new era for OHA
Borreca: Perhaps the least noticed big change in local elections this year is happening with the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
For the first time since the OHA trustee elections started in 1980, there will be a primary election with the general election serving as a run-off for contested OHA seats.
For years, there have been complaints that the old system with everyone running in just the general elections served as an incumbent protection plan....
OHA Trustee Peter Apo says the new law is going to have a big effect.
"Incumbents can't rely on name recognition or a face-off with an unknown independent," Apo said in an interview. "So it is an advantage to an incumbent not to have a primary."...
The current Democratic Party chairman, Dante Carpenter, is a former OHA trustee, state legislator and Big Island mayor, so he knows his way around local elections.
Carpenter said he is solidly in favor of the new primary election rules.
"This is going to help newcomers who wouldn't get the exposure. The assumption is always that the incumbents get all the press, so this will be a more challenging election," Carpenter said....
read ... Upcoming election will be start of new era for OHA
UPW Blocks Contraband screening at Halawa Prison
KITV: A machine to screen employees and visitors to the state's high-security Halawa Prison for drugs and other contraband has been broken for at least four years at the facility where guards have recently been busted for drugs....
A machine was installed using federal grant money at Halawa to screen people for drugs and other contraband in 2009, but lack of maintenance caused it to break down within a year and it hasn't worked since, a state prisons spokeswoman said.
Sakai said the state is negotiating with United Public Workers -- the union that represents prison guards -- before the state begins automated screening of employees again.
"This is a serious matter. All policies affecting employees need to be worked out with the unions before we can implement changes and announce anything to the public," Sakai said in a statement.
A prisons official who asked to remain anonymous said the state has failed to negotiate with UPW to allow body screening of employees for years because the union "has a stranglehold" on the state.
The head of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the union that represents prison social workers, medical and clerical staff, said prisons officials have yet to contact the HGEA to negotiate a change in search policies....
A UPW spokesperson did not return a call seeking comment for this story.
read ... Contraband screening machine down for 4 years at Halawa Prison
Only Four Guards Caught Testing Positive for Drugs
KITV: According to statistics provided by DPS, 136 of the 305 corrections officers at Halawa were randomly drug tested in 2012, or 44.5 percent of those who worked at the facility. The following year, nearly the same number of ACO's submitted to a random drug test, 137 out of the 307, or 44.6 percent. In both years, not one corrections officer tested positive for drugs.
Meanwhile, random drug testing of guards at the Oahu Community Correctional Center tallied even higher percentages. In 2012, 188 of the 375 ACO's working at the jail were randomly tested, or just over half. The following year, 178 ACO's submitted to random drug testing of the 370 on duty, or 48.1 percent. One OCCC guard tested positive for illegal drugs in 2012, and another three in 2013, just barely over 1 percent of those who were tested during the two-year period.
Any prison guard who fails a random drug test is suspended for 20 days and offered drug treatment. After a second positive result, the guard is immediately fired.
However drug dealers are not necessarily drug users and it's not known if Sanders or Damas ever tested positive drugs....
Read ... Four Positives
Ernie Martin Comes out against Housing First
SA: In 2012, the state implemented the "Housing First" initiative, a program that has been implemented in cities across the nation. People are taken off the streets and placed in housing without any preconditions. They are provided a full range of support services until they are able to move into permanent housing. With an initial funding of $1 million, the program supported 71 individuals, which included 57 adults and three families, at roughly $14,000 per person per month. How long can we sustain this rate of spending on the chronically homeless? Meanwhile, unemployed poor and low-<t-8>income families continue to struggle with much less assistance or no help at all.
Honolulu would be better served by putting "Families First" and devoting more of our resources toward stable housing for the large number of homeless children and youth. We need to reassess our housing strategy and shift our policies to first helping our needy families and the working poor.
Yes, we must still commit to providing a decent level of services to the chronically homeless, but we must face the reality that many of them will never be self-sufficient.
Related: Ernie Marin Destroys Honolulu Housing Privatization Deal
read ... Put city's housing assistance where it can do the most good
Lawmakers to vote on child porn bill
HNN: Senate Bill 702 -- known as "Alicia's Law" -- would help Hawaii's task force add investigators and improve computer equipment. Right now there are only two investigators and one computer forensics expert to track and take down the estimated 2,000 computers in the state known to be viewing child porn. Jagosh calls them just the "low-hanging fruit."
read ... Lawmakers to vote on child porn bill
Latest Obamacare Fix Tough to Implement
AP: The policy change was couched in technical jargon, and it may not be easy for states and insurers to carry it out. For instance, consumers must have made an effort to enroll in the exchange, and the plan they purchased outside the government market must meet certain requirements of the law.
On the plus side, those who qualify can get financial assistance retroactively.
read ... Another Broken Fix
Obama-Backed Patent Reform Could Hurt Innovation at UH
CB: Patent reform legislation that is backed by the Obama Administration and a coalition of Hawaii hotels and restaurants could hurt individual inventors and stymie innovation at the University of Hawaii, local patent lawyers say.
The Innovation Act, which is up for consideration in the U.S. Senate just two years after the last major patent reform passed in Congress, is aimed at eradicating so-called patent trolls.
read ... Patent Reform?
Energy Excelerator Provides Boosts for 'Clean' Energy
HB: An agency called the Energy Excelerator is giving 15 clean-energy startups a boost this year with cash, good advice, synergy and the most important fuel for success: connections....
IM: Launching New Energy Ideas into the Marketplace
read ... Energy Excelerator Provides Boosts for Clean Energy
For oil traders, a vexing new risk related to Jones Act
R: East Coast refiners are stepping up age-old complaints about the Jones Act, a century-old law that forces all domestic freight to be carried on U.S.-flagged, -crewed and -built vessels. Surging Jones Act tanker rates make it too costly for many refiners to bring cheap Texas crude up the coast.
That could have major implications for companies like Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, which paid nearly $1 billion to buy a fleet of Jones Act tankers in December. Losing the Jones Act entirely would have a "material negative effect" on top inland barge operator Kirby Corp, the firm says in a quarterly securities filing; but it also says that it doesn't expect the law to be eased "in the foreseeable future."
read ... Jones Act
Honolulu 4th Worst City to Find a Job
WH: As an advocate for the health of consumers’ wallets, WalletHub decided to analyze the relative employment opportunities in the 60 largest U.S. cities in order to give people a sense of where on the map the strongest job markets and greatest prospects for long-term financial security can be found.
read ... The Best Cities to Find a Job
Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command might be restructured or moved to the mainland
SA: The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command plans to move into a new $82 million headquarters and lab being built at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam — as the Pentagon and Congress look at restructuring the command and the possibility of moving it to the mainland.
The future uncertainty — even with the taxpayer expenditure of millions of dollars — follows scathing criticism of agencies in Hawaii and on the mainland that recover missing service members over interagency disagreements, overspending and underperforming results.
"I am here to give a loud wake-up call to everyone involved that it is time to put your squabbles aside for the good of the mission and the good of our nation," U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, said at a hearing in August titled "Mismanagement of POW/MIA Accounting."
read ... New lab being built at Hickam despite critics
Legislative Motion:
Hawaii House, Senate plan flurry of final votes
HB2116: Hawaii lawmakers weigh parole for juveniles
Hawaii Kai Town Hall Meeting – February 26, 2014
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