The hidden story of the third Thanksgiving: 1623--giving thanks for freedom
Privatize: Honolulu Can See Its Rail Line Finished Without Raising Taxes
Hawaii Motion Picture Tax Credits? DoTax Making it up as they go Along
Hawaii House Democrats Announce Committee Chairs & V Chairs for 2017
Hawaii Congressional Delegation How They Voted November 22, 2016
Health Department Sets Public Hearings on Changes to Food Safety Code
Is the Hawaii wharfage increase needed?
After 20 Years, Clock Has Run out of Fake Indian Tribe
FH: …For all intents and purpose, the nearly 20-year push for "Federal Recognition” ("Fed Wreck”) — to make "Native Hawaiians” into an American tribal nation — is going down in defeat.
The clock has run out.
The last-ditch flanking maneuver by the Obama administration to have the US Department of the Interior (DOI) sneak fed wreck through a side-door failed.
Due to the solid stance of “A`OLE!" by Hawaiian patriots, a Native Hawaiian tribal nation did not materialize for the DOI to “recognize" (even if it could). No tribal nation… nothing to recognize!
We know that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs spent at least $33 million of beneficiaries’ funds pursuing one form or another of tribal nationhood. It's probably way more than double that amount if you factor in State of Hawai`i funds, US federal funds, ali`i trusts funds, non-profit organizations funds, corporate funds and personal funds.
…All this expenditure of time, energy and money to pursue something that the Hawaiian people expressly said they did not want in the first place!
The defeat of Fed Wreck is a major victory for the people of Hawai`i. With virtually no money or other tactical resources, we went up against Goliath with pebbles and prevailed….
read … THE DEMISE OF FED WRECK
State Homelessness Plan: Force 662 Back onto Streets
SA: Island operators representing eight of Hawaii’s largest homeless shelters complained to the Star-Advertiser last week that the state Department of Human Services is forcing what they called “unfunded mandates” to create larger living spaces, add more bathrooms and separate children from adults when new shelter contracts go into effect Feb. 1.
(PLAN: If we eliminate 662 beds, we will no longer be able to say that every homeless person on the street is a shelter-refuser. Then the public will foolishly start seeing the homeless as victims instead of predators. Then they will give us more money.)
…Keith Harris, acting executive director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ homeless program office, acknowledged that Hawaii shelter operators are worried that proposed local changes — such as requiring more space between each bed — could cost them at least 662 beds. (And that’s 662 homeless who finally agreed to accept shelter.)
But, based on what’s happening at some mainland shelters, Harris said, “In the end you’re likely to have better occupancy rates and a lower unsheltered population.” (IQ Test—Pass or Fail: Do you believe him?)
Scott Morishige, the state’s homeless coordinator, said, “Our state shelter system hasn’t been closely looked at in at least five years.” (So lets eliminate 662 beds and see what happens!)
(Intelligent Idea: Require new shelters to be build according to the new plan while grandfathering in the existing shelters.)
read … Scheme to Increase Homelessness
Kealoha Witness Crash: It Looks Like There’s Something Going on
HNN: The sergeant, who asked that his identity be kept private for his family's safety, went to testify against the Kealohas the day of the accident.
A federal grand jury has been hearing testimony against the Kealohas for more than a year and will determine if the politically powerful couple should face public corruption charges.
"The number one guy is the chief, and I have things pending with him. One of the top prosecutors is his wife... I have testimony against her too," he said.
The sergeant's attorney, Megan Kau, said in all her years as both a prosecutor and defense attorney she has never seen a DNA warrant for a traffic misdemeanor, and certainly not within 48 hours.
"The people investigating work directly under the chief. He's a potential witness against the chief and his wife," Kau said. "It looks like there's something going on, it looks like they're not being fair and if it looks like our police department is not being fair, there's a problem."
Kau said an outside agency should take over the investigation to ensure the sergeant is treated like every other traffic suspect.
The FBI and state Attorney General's office said they could assist if invited to do so but HPD says they have no plans to ask for help….
read … Something Going On
Kaneshiro and Kealohas Will Go Down Together
CB: …Kaneshiro says the grand jury has been investigating a speeding ticket Katherine Kealoha dismissed in 2014 for a man who has been described as her electrician. Court records from that time suggest that Kealoha asked the judge to dismiss the ticket because the man who received it was being impersonated by someone else with a criminal past.
Kaneshiro, however, tells a different story. He said Kealoha wasn’t dismissing a speeding ticket for someone she knew. In his version, Kaneshiro is the one who ordered the speeding ticket dismissed because it was part of a larger investigation into police officers writing fake tickets.
Katherine Kealoha, he said, was simply following his orders as part of his office’s investigation into the Honolulu Police Department, which he said he assigned her to lead despite the fact she’s married to the chief….
Myles Breiner, the Kealohas’ attorney, said he couldn’t comment on why Katherine Kealoha and Keith Kaneshiro had widely differing versions of what happened in the Wong case.
“We’ll see how that plays out,” Breiner said. “I’m working on the basis that whatever Kat did regarding that matter that she was authorized by her boss.”….
read … Tied up like a pot roast
HELCO Claims Rate Hike Will Lower Electric Bills
HTH: The public soon will have a chance to weigh in on two scenarios posed by Hawaii Electric Light Co. that could raise typical residential electric rates by $9.31 a month in one case or possibly provide savings in another.
HELCO is asking the state Public Utilities Commission for a two-pronged rate hike; 12.5 percent if a proposed purchase of the Hamakua Energy Partners generating plant goes through, and 6.5 percent if it doesn’t. HELCO submitted an application with the PUC in February to purchase Hamakua Energy, an independent power producer, for $86.2 million.
The PUC has scheduled public hearings on the rate proposal at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at Hilo High School and 5:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at the West Hawaii Civic Center.
Although the 12.5 percent rate hike looks like an increase, the typical residential customer’s bill would actually go down under that scenario, HELCO President Jay Ignacio said Tuesday.
That’s because the current lease payments HELCO makes to the privately held company are surcharges elsewhere in the bill that would be removed if the utility owned the plant. HELCO now pays Hamakua Energy for power and it would no longer have to if it owned the facility….
read … $111.72
Shimabukuro: Build Prison on West Side so Criminals will be Closer to Home
HSM: …State Senator Maile Shimabukuro represents Kalaeloa and there are five potential sites in her district. She said there are pros and cons to having a jail facility on the west side. "One thing that people living on the west side may see as an advantage though is that if they have relatives and family that are incarcerated, this will make it more convenient for them and make it better for the inmate as well," Shimabukuro said….
read … Keep your Friends Close at Hand
How a Useless $2.5M Makework Project is Sold to Public
SA: I know the neighboring community has appreciated the efforts of the Doris Duke estate to keep the community informed of the estate’s well-meaning intentions. However, to now propose a $2.5 million plan to dismantle the basin’s breakwater fronting its Black Point property may prove to be a tragic loss of a beautiful oceanfront structure….
In 2014, when the foundation proposed to build a 6-foot-high fence to block reckless jumpers from the sea wall, I admit I was one of the skeptics believing juveniles, being as they are, would still climb over the fence. I was wrong. Of the number of visitors to the harbor before the fence was constructed, there were usually 50 to 75 people there at one time during a nice day or weekend.
Surprisingly, after the fence was installed, there is in the afternoon rarely more than one or two swimmers in the harbor, and infrequently, maybe two to four male juveniles in the late afternoon jumping from the fenced-off ledge. There is rarely anyone there in the mornings. Doris Duke Foundation’s security cameras can confirm these observations….
Did the fence work? Yes, though not 100 percent. For a recent article to state that “the jumping and diving into the former boat basin not only continued, it actually increased” is a gross misstatement (“$2.5M project aims to alter breakwater near Shangri La,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 14).
In place of dismantling the breakwater, here is a rational alternative and relatively inexpensive proposal:
>> All jumping from the breakwater occurs on two small flat ledges between the fence and the ocean, and accessed by climbing up the rock wall from the ocean. To prevent such activity, simply build up a steep beveled ledge so there is no place to stand on to jump from. You could even grout in between the breakwater stones to prevent climbing up the wall.
read … How $2.5M Makework Project is sold to Public
Creagan: ‘Nothing intrinsically wrong with GMOs’
SA: …Most notably, Rep. Richard Creagan will head the Agriculture Committee, replacing Rep. Clift Tsuji, who died suddenly last week following a heart attack….
Creagan, a physician and farmer from Hawaii island, is expected to play a key role in whether the Legislature acts to increase regulations on GMOs and related pesticide use. After a federal appeals court ruled earlier this month that the counties don’t have the authority to regulate GMOs and pesticides, effectively throwing out three neighbor island county ordinances, anti-GMO activists and supporters of the measures vowed to take the fight to the Legislature.
Tsuji had helped block past measures targeting Hawaii’s biotech industry. Creagan will likely take a more moderate stance, calling his views on the GMO issue “nuanced.”
“People are concerned about GMOs and both sides have their points. But there probably are zealots on each side, so there needs to be a middle ground,” said Creagan, noting that any legislation should protect health and the environment while also ensuring that farmers can farm.
Creagan noted that there is “nothing intrinsically wrong with GMOs,” and that he will likely focus on increasing transparency about pesticide use.
read … Creagan
Court ruled correctly on anti-GMO laws
KGI: In three different and critically important, decisions, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has blown to smithereens the assault on genetically modified organism (GMO) agriculture that swept Hawaii and reached its high-water mark in 2013 and 2014….
After the ordinance passed, it was revealed that County Attorney Mauna Kea Trask had authored a comprehensive legal analysis that predicted Ordinance 960 would be invalidated by courts because Hawaii counties simply lack legal authority — much less the administrative wherewithal in Kauai’s case — to regulate GMOs and pesticides.
The County Council received the legal opinion and ignored it. Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. had the courage to take one of the biggest political risks of his career by vetoing the bill….
Where do Friday’s rulings leave things? First, the Kauai County Council should put an end to this nonsense litigation by repealing Ordinance 960 to get it off the books. The council should never in a million years sanction and waste precious money taking this to the U.S. Supreme Court. This will only delay the inevitable and ensure that politicians have excuses to ignore real issues while pandering to fake ones.
Maui and Hawaii counties should also drop their cases, understanding that the appeals court decisions have one unstated but undeniable message: Hawaii should focus its efforts on restoring its ability to meet its own food needs by encouraging robust and diverse agriculture.
Despite the nastiness of the past four years, I remain convinced that this is what the vast majority of residents and voters have wanted all along.
read … Correct
Anti-GMO Protesters Like Trump Fringe
KE: This is a post that underscores what's wrong wih Kauai, the type of people who supported Gary Hooser and the thuggish mentality of the anti-GMO crowd.
Allan Parachini, someone who is actually informed about issues, wrote a commentary in Sunday's edition of The Garden Island entitled “Court ruled correctly on anti-GMO laws.” Among those weighing in with on-line invectives were KKCR host Felicia Cowden, using the misnomer Akamai Mom.
And then Dustin Barca, who actually believed two years ago that he had the leadership skills and intellect to serve as mayor (before his ass got kicked at the polls), stirred up more shit on Facebook. In his post, he resurrected the same calls to boycott and bully that characterized the push to pass Bill 2491….
What makes it even more rich is that these fools consider themselves "progressives" and claim to be "aloha aina warriors" acting out of "love" and in support for "democracy." Just don't engage in any free speech that they don't approve of.
And no doubt they're denouncing the fringe Trump supporters for engaging in the very same racist, bigoted, intolerant tactics as their own. Though of course they can't see it in themselves.
Just something to keep in mind next time Felicia, Dustin, Matt Bernabe, Malia Chun (she "liked" Dustin's post) and the rest of these creeps put themselves out there as candidates and/or leaders of the community.
This is the ugly underbelly that Hooser nurtured and exploited. It's what keeps Kauai divided and prevents it from moving forward.
read … Ugly Underbelly
KIUC offers $10,000 reward to Catch Well-Known Activists Responsible for Cutting into Hydroelectric Dam
KGI: The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect involved in vandalizing the utility’s hydroelectric power infrastructure….
“The cost of repairs — which are estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars — will ultimately be borne by our cooperative’s member-owners: the ratepayers of Kauai,” said David Bissell, KIUC’s president and chief executive officer….
The system has provided water to two small hydroelectric plants for decades, and generates a combined capacity of 1.5 megawatts, according to the release.
“That’s enough to power 1,300 homes,” Bissell said. “This hydro system is an important component of our renewable-energy portfolio and is one of our most cost-effective generation systems.”
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call Police Dispatch at 241-1711, or Detective Damien McCallum, 241-1693. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call CrimeStoppers at 246-8300.
read … KIUC offers $10,000 reward
Donor pulls funding for UH Manoa Art Department after anti-Trump protest
AP: A donor has pulled funds supporting art students at the University of Hawaii after the art department's chairwoman organized a sign-painting party on Facebook to protest President-elect Donald Trump….
University spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said Chan didn’t violate university policies with her Facebook post (in fact anti-Trump rhetoric is mandatory for faculty) and that professors regularly participate in protests about telescopes built on mountains considered sacred by Native Hawaiians (OHA rent-collectors), genetically modified organisms (ignorant luddites) and other (fake hyped trendy airhead) issues.
“It’s a university,” Meisenzahl said. “It’s an institution of higher education. You’re supposed to debate ideas.” (But Trump supporters are not allowed.)
Blackburn estimates he gave at least $40,000 for scholarships and programs at the university over the past couple years. He invested money to start a pop-up art gallery that showcases students work, and has spent money to fly students and their work to galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and New York, he said.
Meisenzahl said Blackburn’s direct donations to the university were closer to $14,000.
The difference in estimates could be due to expenses Blackburn incurred opening an art agency outside the university which benefited students, Chan said.
“This guy is trying to limit free speech with his money,” said Alan Ness, a (smug) graduate who obtained his masters in fine arts from the university in 2008. “The universities are already underfunded, and now this guy is just exacerbating the problem by pulling his funds for the arts because he doesn’t like what the arts are saying.” (Translation: We are entitled to your money.)
“The increasing privatization is very dangerous for public education, and it could be in this case swayed by funders who will try to redirect what our educational mission is (to brainwash kids into becoming Democrats),” she said. (With public funds, we can do that with reckless abandon.)
Best Comment: “That's not only a bit rude on the par of Meisenzahl. Boy just gave ALL donors the finger there. So much for gratitude on the part of UH Manoa. I'd take my donations elsewhere just the same.”
Related: University of Hawaii: Report Trump Voters to Campus Police
Cataluna: Whines about Trump Supporter who won’t fund his enemies
CB: Group identity: We are family. All my Trump-haters and me.
read … Great Idea: Don't Fund Your Enemies
Green Police Want to Limit Number of Cars Your Family can Own
BH: …Limiting the number of cars per household. We may need to limit the number of motor vehicles allowed per household, or perhaps drastically increase the vehicle registration fees for additional vehicles in a household. Personally, I don’t like having my transportation choices limited, but diets are not supposed to be easy.
Capping the number of cars in Hawaii. We could put a cap on the number of personal motor vehicles imported into Hawaii….
read … About Rules Which Surely Won’t Apply to the Green Elite
TPP or No, Hawaii exporters keep on Selling
HNN: A big chunk of the bottled water bottles that roll off Menehune Water Company's assembly line every day end up on foreign store shelves.
"We have about 30 percent of our revenue from exporting. And we do expect in the future to have it significantly increase," founder and president Ken Simon said….
Instead of joining TPP, Trump said the U.S. will negotiate one-on-one with nations.
Simon hopes that includes China, which slaps a heavy tax on imported goods. "If that goes away or significantly is reduced, that would help our business quite a bit," he said….
Despite the new uncertainty, Menehune plans shipments to Australia next year. It would have been a Trans-Pacific Partnership partner….
AP: Dalai Lama: 'I have no worries' about Trump's election
read … Exporters
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