Sen Thielen: Hanabusa Women Silent in Face of Real Discrimination
Hawaii Republicans, Once Near Extinction, Prepare a Comeback
Honolulu Surf Contests: New Rules in Effect Starting July 30
Hawaii DoE: 2nd-Lowest ACT Scores in USA
Green Exploits Homeless in Run for Office
SA: …Green has also said that he raised $13 million for homeless services and that the center is saving the state $500,000 a month in health care costs.
“You mentioned that you started a clinic in downtown to address the homeless,” said Kim Coco Iwamoto during a lieutenant governor candidates’ forum hosted this month by the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association. “I tried to reach out to some of the different nonprofit organizations that have been funding and organizing that, and I was told that you were a volunteer physician that came in for a couple of hours, not necessarily the one to create this clinic. But I’ve been on panels with you, and you gave the community the impression that that was your idea.”
Former state Sen. Will Espero has also repeatedly pressed Green to support his claims that he has raised $13 million to help the homeless — pushing him to reveal the donors and where the money is….
While Green has been remiss in some of his statements for not mentioning the work of his partners in creating and helping raise money for the Chinatown clinic, interviews with those involved revealed Green indeed played a central role.
(Translation: We interviewed Green’s supporters and they say it’s all OK.)
…the Joint Outreach Center on North Hotel Street has been operating since April…. (Just in time for campaign season.)
The center is open 1 to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday (21 hours per week) and has primarily provided medical services to homeless who walk in off the street. … (Thus helping the homeless stay homeless.)
(21 hrs x 16 weeks = 336 hours $13M / 336 = $38,690 per hour. Obviously Josh Green understands government work.)
Green acknowledged that he hasn’t spent much time providing medical services at the clinic (uh-huh) given the lieutenant governor’s race….
(He spend more time talking about it….)
HHC: Homeless center mystery and candidate’s boasts receive minor scrutiny
read … An 'article' titled: 'Green plays valid role in homeless center'
Anti-GMO Nuts Behind LoPresti Senate Run
CB: …Maluafiti kicked out an anti-GMO activist who didn’t live in the Senate district.
(Anti-GMO activist) Jessica Mitchel, who supports LoPresti, said she wanted to attend the event to learn more about the issues Ewa residents care about. She said she intended to sit quietly and listen (IQ Test: Do you believe this?) but Maluafiti immediately asked her to leave and threatened to call the police when she arrived.
Mitchel made a scene, telling Kouchi “shame on you” for accepting campaign money from seed companies and then left on her own accord.
In his remarks shortly thereafter, Kouchi said Mitchel was a “great example” of what’s wrong with the democratic process “if you don’t take time to do your research” and learn…..
Mitchel apologized in an interview Friday for not knowing Kouchi had quit accepting money from GMO companies….
Related: Intolerant Politicians: Green, LoPresti, Ing, Gabbard and More....
read … Anti-GMO
Transparency: Taking Personal Bias out of Hawaii Gun Laws
SA: …Before we start jumping up in arms about the recent federal appeals court ruling regarding open carry, we need to understand why it was ruled unconstitutional (“Open carry,” Star-Advertiser, July 25).
Current Hawaii law allows for open carry after strict requirements are met. However, the law unfortunately allows the final decision to be at the sole discretion of the police chief. This flaw allows for bias and unfair discrimination, thus rendering the law unconstitutional.
Hawaii still has some of the strictest gun laws and restrictions in the nation, none of which will change. The process to obtain an open carry permit still will be very meticulous. The federal ruling just removes any room for personal bias and allows for a more transparent process….
Star-Adv: Challenge ruling on ‘open carry’
read … Hawaii will still have strict gun laws
Kealoha Case: What Does it Take to Actually Get Fired?
SA: …Lest there be any confusion, felony conviction is not the only reason a public employee can be fired. Moreover, Honolulu deputy city prosecutors such as Kealoha are at-will employees, Baehr confirmed, hired and fired at the discretion of the city prosecutor, their boss. Grounds for their termination are not restricted as for government employees covered by union contracts or civil service rules. That said, the law Baehr cited regarding reinstatement does apply to them as to other public employees.
Kealoha was formally placed on unpaid leave in October after being indicted on federal conspiracy, obstruction, fraud and identity theft charges; she had been on voluntary unpaid leave before that.
She does not accrue retirement benefits, sick leave or vacation days while on unpaid leave, Baehr said.
Kealoha and her husband, former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, were charged in a corruption and abuse of power case that accuses them of ripping off financial institutions, family members and others to fund a lifestyle befitting a Honolulu power couple. They also are accused of framing one victim for theft and of conspiring with police officers then under Louis Kealoha’s command to do so.
Both Kealohas have pleaded not guilty. They are scheduled to stand trial in November.
Louis Kealoha retired as HPD chief on March 1, 2017, before he was indicted but after he was disclosed to be under federal investigation. If convicted of a felony within seven years of his retirement, he must repay his $250,000 severance, per the terms of his retirement pact. As explained, Katherine Kealoha retains her restricted employment status at Kaneshiro’s discretion….
read … You’re Fired! (not)
Board of a Kauai public charter school reshaped; New applicants wanted
HNN: The state Charter School Commission is seeking applicants who may be interested in taking on a board member position for Kanuikapono Public Charter School on Kauai.
In May, the commission sent the school’s purported board a notice of concern because they were out of compliance with state law with respect to their governing board and other complaints, the commission said.
"The board responded by saying they disagreed with compliance breaches but failed to state why and also failed to submit a satisfactory action plan to the Commission," the state said in a news release.
As a result, the commission voted unanimously to reconstitute the board and they are now seeking interested applicants….
Interested applicants may find more information by clicking here.
read … Kanuikapono Public Charter School
State pilot program saves 1M sheets of paper in just 6 months
HNN: One million sheets of printer paper.
That's the amount saved by several Hawaii departments in the past six months as part of a paper-reduction program backed by Gov. David Ige.
From January to June of this year, nine state departments participated in the program launched by the Office of Enterprise Technology Services and reduced 20 percent of paper usage by transitioning from printed documents to electronic reports.
According to Ige, the program's goal is to begin the process of transforming Hawaii's government into a completely digital process.
In his 2015 address to the state, the governor shared that Hawaii's state government goes through about 12 million pages of paper a year….
PBN: Hawaii taxpayers to save $500,000 in 3 years by going paperless
read … State pilot program saves 1M sheets of paper in just 6 months
If You’re Poor In Hawaii, A Visit To The Dentist Is A Luxury
CB: …In early mornings along North King Street, a crowd of people lines up outside of Kalihi-Palama Health Center. If it’s raining, they’ll huddle beside the door for shelter. If it’s sunny, they’ll linger along the sidewalk, not speaking to one another, staring at their phones or the ground or watching the cars go by.
They’re waiting for the clinic to open at 7:45 a.m., and once it does, they’ll rush to enter. Some show up as early as 6 a.m., drawn by the promise of a relatively affordable clinic to fix the pain nagging their teeth. Many are immigrants who don’t speak English. Some are accompanied by relatives to help interpret.
The line in front of the clinic is a symptom of how hard it is to get oral health care in Hawaii if you’re already struggling to get by….
read … If You’re Poor In Hawaii, A Visit To The Dentist Is A Luxury
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