Judicial Watch Opposes Obama Executive Action to Create Hawaiian Tribe
Lawsuits Have Consequences: Aloha To Hawaii Sugar
DLNR Officer Arrested--Charged with sexual assault of Minor
‘Tens of Thousands’ Kicked off Medicaid by State’s Heartless Computer—Blind and Disabled Hardest Hit
SA: The state’s controversial Medicaid eligibility system dropped hundreds of low-income residents from the health insurance program at the start of the year due to “technical issues” with health plan enrollment.
One employee at the state Department of Human Services, who asked not to be identified because the person wasn’t authorized to speak to the media, estimated that “tens of thousands” of people were mistakenly kicked off the system as of Jan. 1, and workers have had to manually reactivate cases.
A DHS spokeswoman acknowledged there was “an enrollment issue” but said that it affected fewer than 1,500 people, including the most vulnerable population enrolled in the public health insurance program.
“We are not aware of the ‘tens of thousands’ estimation. Based on the information I confirmed with (Med-QUEST Division) administrators, the number of individuals affected is fewer than 1,500,” DHS spokeswoman Keopu Reelitz said in an email. “A portion of those affected are aged, blind or disabled. These (1,500) individuals’ Medicaid eligibility remains effective.” ….
“There were certainly disruptions in care,” said David Derauf, executive director of Kokua Kalihi Valley, a federally qualified health center with more than 10,000 patients annually, adding that some people were unable to refill medications, see specialists or get procedures done at hospitals.
“You don’t get medicines or health care with Medicaid eligibility; you get it with an insurance card or number from one of the plans,” he said. “There definitely are doctors who won’t see patients who are uninsured. This particular group of patients, by virtue of being aged, blind and disabled, are really at significant risk when they lose their insurance.”
In another case, health insurance for a 1-year-old child who came into the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center was terminated as of Dec. 31 for no apparent reason, said Selena Gaui, a manager at the facility.
“They couldn’t give us a reason,” she said. “They said it was a glitch and that they’re working on it.”….
read … Glitches disrupt health plans for hundreds
2 OCCC supervisors in trouble for allowing inmate's gangster father behind bars
HNN: Two veteran supervisors at Oahu Community Correctional Center are accused of breaking the rules by allowing the father of an inmate into the facility to negotiate with his son who had barricaded himself and another prisoner into a cell. They are also accused of trying to cover up the incident, sources said. It's a troubling story because it raises serious questions about the competence and the honesty of the two men who were in charge of OCCC on Sunday, Jan. 3, when the incident happened. The inmate and the father who negotiated his surrender are both suspected of being members of the USO prison gang, sources said….
Sources said the two OCCC supervisors are now on 30 days leave without pay pending the outcome of that investigation.
One longtime correction officer, who refused to be identified to avoid being disciplined for speaking to the media, said: “Most of us think there should not be an investigation at all. These people should be given a commendation for their quick thinking and resolving a possibly dangerous situation with no injuries to inmates of staff. The dad should get a letter from the warden or the director praising him for his help.”
But another veteran prisons employee familiar with what happened said, “You don’t bring a civilian behind bars to negotiate anything. They should know better.”
read … Trouble
Soft on Crime: Schizo Slasher to be Allowed Back out on Streets
SA: An Oahu Circuit Court judge has granted a conditional state-hospital release of a man who stabbed two men on the Koko Crater Trail nearly seven years ago.
Benjamin Davis, who stood trial in 2010, was found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity. Several mental health experts diagnosed Davis with schizophrenia.
On Thursday, Judge Richard Perkins heard from a panel of three doctors. “All three said he should qualify for conditional release,” said Dave Koga, spokesman for the Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney. The department objected because of the nature of the crimes.
Koga said that Davis will remain at the Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe until he can be placed in transitional housing.
One of the two victims, Nicholas Iwamoto, 29, was stabbed numerous time Feb. 1, 2009. Davis also shoved Iwamoto from the crater rim, breaking his neck. Still suffering from chronic pain and headaches, Iwamoto said he is also still recovering from emotional scars.
“I think he should be in a cage for the rest of his life,” Iwamoto said. “The danger to the public is too great, and he doesn’t have a good track record.” ….
In 2012, Iwamoto publicly opposed a court decision that allowed Davis to leave the state hospital to attend nearby Windward Community College.
At the time, Iwamoto said he could not afford to go to school and resented the move allowing his attacker to go to school.
read … Man who stabbed 2 hikers is granted conditional release from state hospital
Homeless Hygiene Station Becomes Magnet for Crime—8 Assaults Since October
HNN: …Area businesses and others have said their employees have been assaulted in recent months as part of an apparent increase in crime.
Bill Hanrahan, of the Safe Haven shelter in Chinatown, says since October, his workers have filed eight separate police reports after being physically assaulted.
Hanrahan says his staff is trained to deal with tense situations and only call law enforcement as a last resort.
He says knowing how to deal with a tough crowd is part of the job. But it's never been this bad.
Hanrahan says many of the attacks happened outside Pauahi Hale, the city's homeless hygiene station that opened in April. One employee was grabbed by the throat and swung at when trying to enforce the rules.
"He called police. They were still on the block when police arrived and police didn't arrest," Hanrahan said.
For more than two months Hanrahan made phone calls and wrote emails trying to get a meeting with police about the increase in violence and what he calls a lack of support. His requests went unanswered until Friday morning….
read … Safe Haven for Crime?
Another group of homeless moved from Moiliili area
KHON: …Crews cleared the sidewalks around the Moiliili Library near Stadium Park. They filled a truck with belongings and any additional debris was thrown into a nearby trash truck.
The city has said it will continue to enforce its sidewalk nuisance law….
read … Bums Out
Councilwoman Calls For Domestic Abuse Audit
CB: Honolulu police and prosecutors have been heavily criticized for how they’ve handled domestic violence cases, particularly those involving cops….
read … Audit
Rail Contractors Slice into Huge Gas Line, Lucky No Explosion
KHON: On Thursday in Aiea, Kiewit hit an 8-inch pipe carrying synthetic natural gas while working on Honolulu’s rail transit project….
In August 2015, Kiewit crews working on the part of the future rail line near Aloha Stadium damaged a water main, causing part of Kamehameha Highway to close.
Earlier, in May, Kiewit crews also damaged a fiber optic cable that caused more than 100 of the city’s traffic cameras to go out.
We asked HART if it keeps track of accidents that happen during rail-related work and how much money goes into fixing them, but have yet to hear back.
read … Rail
Hawaii Gas Selects LNG Vendor, Expects Savings of $2B
PBN: Hawaii Gas has chosen an international company for the Honolulu gas utility’s $300 million plan to ship in liquefied natural gas in bulk amounts to the Islands, an executive from the company confirmed to PBN Friday.
Hawaii Gas estimates that its LNG bulk shipment plan could save the state in excess of $2 billion over a 15-year period from the beginning of 2019 through the end of 2033, as first reported by PBN….
PBN: Hawaii Gas wants to add renewable natural gas to its mix
SA: Utility seeking renewable gas
read … $2B
Planning for HECO-MECO-HELCO Inter-Island Cables is Underway
IM: The Hawaiian Electric Companies (HECO, MECO and HELCO) Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) Report was rejected by the Public Utilities Commission.
The replace documents, the HECO Companies Power Supply Improvement Plans (PSIPs), were heavily criticized by the Commission.
The HECO Companies, with the assistance of NextEra Energy, are working on the third iteration, the Updated or Refreshed PSIPs, to be filed with the Commission in April….
Ching explained that an analysis of 40 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard by 2030 is very different than a 100 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard by 2045. The latter requires a very different type of analysis.
The 100% by 2045 will require a renewed analysis of inter-island cable options.This includes both gen-tie options (for example, a wind farm on one island tied to a grid on another island) and grid-tie options (for example, interconnecting the HECO and MECO grids). The grid-tie options have both added benefits and added complexities over gen-tie options.
SA: Couple will be honored with peacemaker award
read … Planning for HECO-MECO-HELCO Inter-Island Cables is Underway
PUC chief scolds NextEra (again)
HTH: Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Chairman Randall Iwase had harsh words this week for NextEra Energy Inc. regarding its ongoing $4.3 billion bid to acquire the Hawaiian Electric companies.
In an opinion attached to a pair of rulings on last-minute requests submitted by NextEra and the Department of Defense, Iwase chastised the Florida-based utility company for behavior he characterized as “deeply concerning” and in “disregard of the commission’s … orders.”
The PUC ruled Monday that the Department of Defense will not be allowed to remove itself as an intervenor in the ongoing regulatory review of the utility merger after striking an “eleventh-hour” agreement with NextEra. Prior to that agreement with NextEra, the Defense Department raised concerns about the utility merger….
IM: Department of Defense discloses Settlement Discussions in HECO-NextEra Merger
read … Wash, Rinse, Repeat
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