Marsy’s Law for Crime Victims Rights: Rally at Capitol Friday
The Biggest Fruit Ever Grown in Hawaii
Feds Gain Control over 157,000 Acres in Maui County
Interior Department Funding ‘Self-Determination’ in US Virgin Islands
HTA: Visitor Spending up 1.2% for February
Tutu Bert’s House to serve Homeless Discharged from Queen’s Hospital
Jones Act Exemption Missing from Puerto Rico Relief Bill
Hawaiian Electric Proposes $340M Rate Hike, Blames Smart Grids
Honolulu officers testify before grand jury investigating police chief, wife
HNN: Several Honolulu police officers testified before a federal grand jury Thursday as part of the ongoing investigation of Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his wife, Katherine, a deputy city prosecutor.
There are numerous charges being considered, including public corruption, but testimony Thursday centered on possible civil rights violations.
Specifically, the discussion Thursday centered on a single day: June 27, 2011.
That's the day the Katherine Kealoha's uncle, Gerard Puana, was arrested for unauthorized entry. He reportedly walked into his neighbor's home and yelled for someone to move their car.
At the time, Puana and the Kealohas were embroiled in a bitter family dispute over money.
And sources say that while Puana was in police custody, Katherine Kealoha allegedly went into his home and took several items.
The FBI is investigating this as a possible illegal search and seizure.
And she may not have been alone. Sources say she may have had Honolulu police officers with her….
Years after the alleged illegal search Puana home, the Kealohas' mailbox was stolen from their Kahala home….
Meanwhile: Civil Beat Whines About the use of Anonymous Sources
read … Nothing to see here, just move along
State letting TMT slip away
SA: …While Plan B has yet to be revealed, the realization that TMT officials are seriously searching for an alternative site for the next- generation telescope should strike fear in state officials, who seem to be dawdling their way to a new contested case hearing. This perceived lack of urgency is unfortunate, when so much is at stake.
In February, TMT executive director Ed Stone sent a clear message: the $1.4 billion project will need assurances from the state that it can obtain a permit for construction on Mauna Kea by the end of this year or early next year, or it will take its telescope to another mountain.
The TMT project was derailed by Native Hawaiian protesters and a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling, and has landed back at the state Board of Land and Natural Resources, which must hold a new contested case hearing.
The board is “close to selecting a hearings officer,” a state Attorney General spokesman said. Once a hearings officer is selected, the new hearing can begin.
But no one knows how long this will play out, and weeks went by before the case was sent back to the land board. The state is pushing deadline….
(Skip paragraph after paragraph of rhetoric blaming everyone except the judges and OHA.)
Such a monumental loss would (will again) signal to the world that Hawaii is not the place to build, let alone do business….
Reality: It’s the Judges, Stupid
SA: Man charged with damaging Mauna Kea telescope facility, threatening workers
read … Bye Bye Telescope
Borreca: After Ige Loses TMT, Big Island Will Turn Against Him
Borreca: …the longer TMT has to work Plan B and find another place to build the telescope, the more disheartened it will make Big Island residents, and unhappy voters don’t give incumbents the benefit of the doubt.
TMT is really important to the state but especially to Hawaii County.
“We will become a leader in astronomy. Hawaii is ideal for astronomy research,” said Barry Taniguchi, president and CEO of KTA Superstores, back in a 2010 Hawaii Business interview.
Taniguchi is widely considered to be the leader of the Big Island’s business community, but he is not the only one who wants the telescope.
Mary Begier, a Realtor who is active in the community supporting TMT, said losing the project “would be devastating.”
Another involved Big Island community leader, who asked not to be identified, said dropping the project “will continue to have serious economic, social and cultural ramifications for decades. Who in their right mind will invest in our island and state after this fiasco?”
Barbara Hastings, former official with the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, recalled that the Big Island business community came together solidly to support TMT.
“Big Island economy and economic image have a lot to do with astronomy,” Hastings said. “We have major telescope companies and universities from the world over with facilities and offices here. All that impacts our community and life. There is no question in my mind that if we don’t get TMT, Mauna Kea’s future in astronomy will diminish.”
Failing expectations, diminished returns and ruefully mentioning a fiasco are the sort of descriptions that don’t help the Ige administration today and could be a big issue in turning against his 2018 reelection efforts….
TMT officials said either we get a permit by Dec. 31, 2016, or we are gone.
read … Losing TMT could cost Ige important votes in 2018
Hawaii County Council to mull 12.5% GE Tax Hike
HTH: The public will get its chance to weigh in on a taxing question next week, when the County Council Finance Committee considers a half-percent general excise tax surcharge for transportation projects.
Bill 165 is scheduled to be taken up at 2 p.m. Tuesday at council chambers in Hilo. Testimony will also be taken by videoconference from the West Hawaii Civic Center, Waimea council office, Kamehameha park conference room in Kapaau, Naalehu state office building and Pahoa neighborhood facility.
If passed by the council and approved by the mayor, the tax hike, which will apply to all goods and services changing hands within the county, would not be implemented until Jan. 1, 2018.
“This gives that opportunity for the next administration and the next council the opportunity of either implementing it or they can repeal it,” bill sponsor Councilman Dennis “Fresh” Onishi of Hilo, who is term-limited, said Thursday. “But if we don’t pass it, then they won’t have that option.” (Translation: Kill it now and it will be finally dead.)
read … Council to mull GET surcharge: Additional half percent to pay for transportation projects
ASUH calls for Jones Act exemption
KL: …The build requirement states that shipping goods between U.S. ports must be done on U.S.-built ships. Said ships must be manned by crews that are at least 75 percent American, and 75 percent of the cargo these ships carry must be owned by America.
ASUH believes that this requirement drives up the cost of living in Hawai‘i and that in order to address affordability at the University of Hawai‘i, the cost of living in the state must be addressed….
read … Cost of Living
Hawaii Democrats ‘Discover’ Yet Another Superdelegte to give to Hillary
SA: …That new superdelegate will be Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui, who (who?) said he has (decided it is wise to pretend he has) not yet decided whether he will support Sanders or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Tsutsui will be the 35th Hawaii delegate and the 10th superdelegate.
“I’m very excited to have been recently named a superdelegate for the state of Hawaii and truly honored to have this unique opportunity to help make a difference in the future of our nation,” Tsutsui said in an emailed statement. “Having never before served as a superdelegate, I take this responsibility very seriously and will take time to research and better understand the process and my responsibilities before casting my vote at the convention this summer.”
Last year the party posted a Hawaii Delegate Selection Plan that explained — incorrectly, as it turned out — that the state had a total of 34 delegates. That original count included 25 delegates who will vote according to the results of Saturday’s Presidential Preference Poll, and nine superdelegates who are free to support the candidate of their choice.
Stephanie Ohigashi, chairwoman of the Hawaii Democratic Party, said she learned late last week that the party actually has 10 superdelegates, not nine.
“I don’t know if it was always there and they failed to tell us, or some kind of lapse in communication, but I just found out recently” from a media report, Ohigashi said. She said she contacted the national party after noticing the discrepancy in news media reports, and was told about the 10th superdelegate….
read … Shan Who?
80% of Maui Residents will get Zika
MN: …Maui County could see 70 to 80 percent of its population contract the Zika virus over the next couple years if the disease takes hold in the county without a vaccine developed, according to the state Department of Health county district health officer.
"This is going to get real worse before it gets better, especially in the summer," Dr. Lorrin Pang said Thursday night at the Haiku Community Center. "Zika is worldwide. That's how the future kind of looks like for us. I have no idea what the recommendations are going to be for pregnancies in the middle of a Zika virus." ….
BIVN: VIDEO: Citizen Mosquito Observations Needed On Hawaii Island
read … Zika
0.3% of Homeless Using Hygiene Center Accept Housing Referral
SA: …The facility has two units with toilets and showers and is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is clean and painted a bright color.
Because it is staffed, the facility has experienced no vandalism, damage or graffiti.
More important, it serves 60 homeless people per day, conducts homeless outreach and screens people daily.
We also make referrals to services. In 2015, MHK placed 65 people into supported housing….
(60 x 365 = 21,900 65/21,900 = 0.3%)
read … That’s 3 out of every 1000
Hawaii County: Next Era Merger Fails to Protect Ratepayers
IM: …COH lodged strong concerns that the merger, as presented, failed to adequately protect ratepayers, and that the proposed rate reductions offered by the Applicants came up woefully short for a state like Hawai`i, which is already burdened by extremely high electricity rates….
It was also unclear to COH that NextEra’s vision for meeting the state’s aggressive 100 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard would result in reduced rates for Hawai`i, and that the primary reason for NextEra’s interest in the HECO Companies was to construct new, capital intensive infrastructure, either through new LNG terminals or an interisland cable, now known as Project Oracle, that could ultimately aggravate Hawai`i’s already untenable electricity rates.
Moreover, COH came into the hearings in this case concerned that the Applicants claims that the merger would prove palliative to the HECO Companies’ bond ratings were unsupported, and we remain unconvinced: if anything, the testimony and documents revealed during the course of the hearings demonstrated that NextEra is an acquisitive company with future ambitions that could potentially place HECO Companies’ ratepayers in jeopardy, depending on the wisdom of NextEra’s future purchases.
The COH has also seen no evidence in this case that NextEra has given serious thought to how it would facilitate the transition of the HECO Companies from its current state to the utility of the future, in conformance with the Commission’s Inclinations, and has perplexingly continued to insist that the Commission should wait until after it approves the merger to probe and discover NextEra’s views on this important issue.
Finally, COH suggested through its written and oral testimony that preserving a competitive environment for both third party energy companies and the incumbent utility is an important part of protecting ratepayers, and yet the Applicants throughout the case maintained their position that the minimal protections offered in their commitments are adequate, rejecting most of the proposals made by Parties to the case on this issue….
SA: NextEra fails to prove fit, state says
read … Counties Oppose HECO-NextEra Merger
Another Act221 Tax Credit Company Failing
SA: …The company furloughed all of its nine employees and its four independent contractors indefinitely and arranged for its top executives to continue their services for the minimum wage of $8.50 an hour. Cardax’s stock, which hit a 52-week high of 59 cents a share Oct. 1, closed Thursday unchanged at 6 cents.
Cardax said its available cash resources are only sufficient to continue operations on a limited budget through May 15. The company said in addition to the $1.8 million raised during 2015, it intends to raise additional capital that would fund its operations at least through 2016…..
SA: Cardax a Beneficiary of Act221 Tax credits
read … Another One Bites the Dust
Caldwell Plants to Fire TVR Inspectors, Blames Council
PBN: Since January 2016, the city’s Department of Planning and Permitting has issued 40 notices of violation for illegal transient vacation rental activity, with 35 for all of last year….
According to a letter sent by George Atta, director of the DPP to the City Council chairman, Ernie Martin, the full-time inspectors will be employed until June 30 of this year….
said Atta in the letter. "The City Council appropriated funding but no position counts to allow the department to create and fill civil service positions."…
Meanwhile SB2693 is circulating through the Hawaii state Capitol to ensure these companies pay the state general excise and transient accommodations tax.
read … City cracks down on illegal vacation rentals
“Kirk Caldwell, please sit down”
Cataluna: …When Kid Kirk gives the protracted definition of infrastructure, the moderator tries, albeit kindly, to stop him several times. Finally, to make him stop talking, she says, with a note of irritation in her Mrs. Puff voice:
“Kirk Caldwell, please sit down.” ….
read … Please Sit Down
On Leave With Pay After Sex Assault Charge, Maui Teacher Now Charged with sending indecent messages to juvenile
KHON: David Bui was arrested in February 2015, more than a year ago, for attempted sex assault. He was released pending further investigation.
Now, prosecutors confirm, he’s been charged with five counts of sending indecent electronic messages to a juvenile, which is a misdemeanor….
Bui had been at working at the school as a teacher since August 2004 and was also the school’s football coach since the 2005-06 school year.
At around the time of his initial arrest, he had resigned as coach and was placed on leave with pay pending an investigation.
read … How to get a paid vacation from DoE
385 Laid off as Yet Another Hotel Goes Condo
SA: Labor unions say the impending layoff of 385 workers at the Makena Golf & Beach Club on Maui, which is being transformed into a high-end condominium, is just the latest example of a disturbing redevelopment trend that has resulted in significant job losses over the past decade….
read … Layoffs called part of a trend
Legislative News:
Derek Kawakami Leaving House Seat To Run For Kauai County Council
Kawakami to leave Legislature
Several renewable energy bills shelved at Hawaii Legislature
Hawaii Looks to Strip Parental Rights From Rapists
The City Council considers a development moratorium that would postpone a project in Moanalua
Maui County manager idea moves forward on 6-5 Vote
Bill Lowers Ages of Consent for Mental Health Care
QUICK HITS:
Big Q: 86% Yes – ‘Do you think the missile testing facility on Kauai should be upgraded to become operational for defense?’
Farmers are the Musicians of the Land
No new dengue fever cases confirmed Thursday
Hawaii Tourism Authority, NFL extend opt-out deadline for 2017 Pro Bowl
Waianae student fights bullying, wins Hawaii State Youth of the Year
Waikiki hotel-condo gets OK to build 110 feet higher than zoning allows
Maui behind in infrastructure repairs
Judge rules plants shouldn’t block views
State embraces movement encouraging teacher-leadership
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-least-dependent-on-the-federal-government/2700/
PBN: Hawaii in the middle of the pack for dependency on federal government
http://www.trunews.com/women-may-soon-get-abortions-without-a-clinic/
Bill authorizes "clean energy" to dump raw sewage into waterways...
HB 2030, HD1, SD1
(SSCR3121)
Status & Testimony
RELATING TO POLLUTION.
Prohibits the discharge of treated or raw sewage into state waters after 12/31/2049 except when used to create clean energy. Takes effect 7/1/2030. (SD1)