Hawaiian Sovereignty by Fiat? Feds 'advance notice' not a serious proposal
Djou: Allow vets to bypass VA for health care
Appeals Court Rules: Hanabusa a Big Loser on Waimanalo Gulch
May 30, 2014: Office of Elections Releases Updated Candidate List
IDG Geothermal Scammers Could Score $0.195 per Kwh Sandwich Profits
HSDC Gives Away Another $4.5M in 'HI Tech' Corporate Welfare
Child Support Enforcement Abuse: Hawaii Parents Org. Scores Victories in Legislature
Carroll Cox: Exposing the Dark Side of Paradise
Council Considers 71% Property Tax Hike
PBN: The Honolulu Board of Realtors has issued an "urgent call to action" to its members, encouraging them to protest an increase in the city's proposed real property tax rate for homes that are not owner-occupied.
The board said that the Honolulu City Council wants to establish a tax rate of $6 for every $1,000 of the assessed value of properties worth at least $1 million that do not have homeowner exemptions.
In 2013, the Honolulu City Council revised the definition of a "Residential A" property, and the board said that the revision appears to target second homes and investment properties. The current tax rate on those properties is $3.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The board had proposed raising the threshold to $2 million, with sliding scale tax rates that tops out at $5.50 per $1,000.
There have also been discussions of a single tax rate of $4.50 per $1,000.
"The current proposed rate of $6 is higher than originally discussed," the board says. "The (board's) City Affairs Committee strongly objects to this rate."
read ... Urgent
Obamacare Insurance Hike 8.9% Approved for HMSA
PBN: HMSA had sought approval for a 13.1 percent increase in premiums last month for three small group plans.
Ito instead approved an increase of 8.9 percent, which is effective July 1, his office said Friday.
Of that, 5 percent is for medical costs and 4 percent is to cover the fees generated by the federal Affordable Care Act. An HMSA spokeswoman told PBN last month that 7.8 percent of the 13.1 percent increase requested was to cover the fees and taxes imposed by the federal government....
Ito noted that rate increases for group plans averaged about 9.3 percent per year between 2007 and 2010, but those increases declined to an average of 4 percent per year from 2011 to 2014. (And now its back up to 8.9% thanks to Obama.)
More Hikes Coming: Taxpayers will now pony up for so-called sex-change operations
read ... Thanks, Obama!
Star-Adv: Give new UH president a 3-year deal so we can Pay Again
SA: Given that the regents' unconventional search process has resulted in two unconventional candidates rising to compete for the top job, reasonable people could interpret the at-will employment offer the regents plan to extend on Monday as signifying a lack of confidence in either of the two finalists.
That's no way for the board to position the incoming leader of a beleaguered University of Hawaii system that has cycled through three presidents in roughly the last decade.
The next president needs to be fearless and visionary as he faces entrenched, powerful bureaucratic and union interests and builds cooperative relationships with the sometimes meddlesome lawmakers who exert great authority over the university. How can we expect entrepreneurial behavior from a president who knows he can be fired at any moment, while the people he is supposed to lead remain confident that they'll keep their jobs regardless of his success or failure?
Such job insecurity is a recipe for obsequiousness and timidity, the opposite of what UH needs as the system copes with a huge backlog of repairs and maintenance and strives to attract more students without raising tuition too much.
We applaud the regents for trying to protect the taxpayers and understand why they have explored this route, knowing that UH has paid out at least $5 million over the past decade to make assorted administrators and coaches go away.
read ... Give new UH president a 3-year deal
Defeat of Occupy May Ease Path to Force Homeless into Shelters
SA: Honolulu officials are claiming victory in a settlement Friday with homeless-rights group (de)Occupy Honolulu, which sued the city for enforcing its stored-property ordinance at Thomas Square.
"This is a significant victory for the people of the City and County of Honolulu," said city spokesman Jesse Broder Van Dyke in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. He said the settlement is smaller than what legal fees could have amounted to.
Under the settlement, the city will pay $1,000 to the plaintiffs and not admit any wrongdoing. The settlement was entered on the record before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang.
The plaintiffs' lawyers may be able to recover legal costs in a hearing next month, but that likely won't happen because of the settlement, said Broder Van Dyke.
Background: Occupy, Union Activists Organizing Homeless Tent Cities in Honolulu?
read ... About a defeat for the homelessness industry
Judge halts construction of second tower at 801 South St.
KHON: First Circuit Court Judge Karl Sakamoto ruled that the Hawaii Community Development Authority failed to follow the state historic preservation law for the second tower at 801 South St.
The new towers are being constructed at the site of the old Honolulu Advertiser building.
HCDA most now complete the process of historic preservation before the project can continue.
read ... Judge halts construction of second tower at 801 South St.
Mass Insanity on Kauai
KE: As someone noted in comments yesterday: The entire [Kauai county] council seems to have gone crazy.
To which I might add, it's not just the Council. Got lots of unelected nuts out there, too.
read ... Musings: Gone Crazy
Anti-GMO Protesters Can't Figure out Difference between Charter Amendment and Ordinance
KGI: A group of Kauai residents has been busy collecting signatures in an effort to get its proposed charter amendment aimed at regulating the island’s genetically modified crop industry on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Michael Shooltz said his group, Kauai Rising, not only reached the 2,037 required signatures, but nearly doubled it by collecting 4,026.
“It’s time to take the next step. It’s time to let the people decide,” he told the council. “This charter amendment offers them that opportunity.”
The problem: Kauai Rising’s proposal may not be a charter amendment at all.
The Kauai County Council spent Wednesday morning discussing whether it is in fact what it was introduced as — a charter amendment — or rather an ordinance masked as one. The two types of citizen initiatives differ greatly, most notably because of the number of signatures required to put each one to a vote.
While it takes only 5 percent of registered voters to petition a charter amendment, 20 percent is required to put forth an ordinance or referendum.
read ... About a bunch of fools
Hare Krishna on Rampage Stabs Three in Hilo
HTH: The 49-year-old Wainaku man was the third and final person stabbed during a spree during the midnight hour May 23 and the only one who reportedly knew the alleged assailant, 28-year-old Varaha Nrsngha Mims....
Giuffre and Prem are Hare Krishnas, as is the alleged assailant, who minutes before the attack on Giuffre allegedly stabbed a couple, 28-year-old Skylar Nelson and 27-year-old Sarah Steinbrecher, outside Hilo Town Tavern.
At last report, Nelson remained in critical condition at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu with a punctured aorta. Steinbrecher, who was stabbed in the lower back, was treated at HMC for her injuries and released.
HTH: Mental exam ordered for man accused of stabbing three in Hilo
read ... About 'Peace-loving' Hare Kirshnas
Minimum wage boost draws mixed reviews
HTH: Jeremy Understeller, a 24-year-old employee at Just Cruisin Coffee, said he’s pleased to hear the increase is coming but is curious what will happen next.
“What will happen? Are they going to increase housing, gas costs…” he said.
Carol VanCamp, president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawaii, said throughout the legislative session, the chamber aligned itself with the position taken on by the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and that was that anytime there is an increase in the minimum wage, it can be harmful for business.
read ... Minimum wage boost draws mixed reviews
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