Tax hikes coming — really?
Notice of Anticipated Judicial Vacancy – Circuit Judge, Circuit Court of the Second Circuit
The Government Promised to Return Ancestral Hawaiian Land, Then Never Finished the Job
Furloughs? UPW wants another pay raise and more positions
SA: … Liz Ho, United Public Workers administrator, said Wednesday that staffing appears to be down by 50%, (because UPW members refuse to show up) and correctional officers are working 24-hour and 36-hour shifts (making their top 3 years) to try to make up for the deficit….
“I had a productive discussion with UPW yesterday. They shared our concerns about the situation at Halawa Correctional Facility and gave their support on our plans to help Halawa. One of the ideas UPW gave their blessing on was to ask for volunteers from other facilities to come and temporarily assist with staffing at HC F,” the statement said.
However, Ho said she doesn’t remember giving “a blessing” to the volunteer plan. She said she merely listened to the proposal, which involves recruiting volunteers who have already recovered from COVID-19 and may be immune (to come and get THEIR top 3 years).
(LOL! The one idea that might work and the union is against it of course. So what does UPW want …pay hikes, and more positions of course!)
Ho said union officials, among other things, suggested recruiting to fill vacant positions to cover the staffing shortage. They also suggested hazard pay….
(See? Pay hikes and more positions.)
read … Unsafe conditions at Halawa Correctional Facility due to coronavirus outbreak, union says
Unions move to take legal action to prevent state worker furloughs
SA: … The union filed a prohibited practice complaint Friday that argues the state has no authority to unilaterally impose furloughs under the union’s contract, which runs until June 30.….
The next step is for the Labor Board to schedule a hearing on the case….
HSTA: HSTA files labor board complaint over illegal furloughs
PDF: Complaint Text
As Explained: Labor Board: Governor’s Emergency Powers ARE Limited -- Collective Bargaining Agreements Cannot be Touched
read … Unions move to take legal action to prevent state worker furloughs next month
HART Board Selects New CEO—Refuses to make name public
CB: … At their meeting Thursday, board members revealed they’re on the cusp of hiring an interim director who would replace him next month.
Lynn McCrory, who chairs the board’s Human Resources committee, said they still need to finalize an employment agreement and conduct a final interview with the candidate, whom she did not name.
Dean Hazama, McCrory’s colleague on the volunteer board, said they didn’t have a lot of time to conduct the search. “I think that this is the best option that we have at this time,” he said, noting the need to make sure the project proceeds without any further delay.
KHON: Honolulu rail project will have new leadership in 2021
read … Honolulu Rail Project Is Left Without A Leader As HART Ousts Robbins
Surrrprise! Aloha Stadium not quite shut down, will ‘entertain’ new events with added expenses
HNN: … (Yesterday’s BIG STORY was 100% fake,) the Aloha Stadium Authority announced late Thursday that it would “entertain events,” but that additional expenses would be put upon licensees who want to use the facility.
The Authority had announced earlier Thursday that it was shutting down all new operations at the facility for indefinite period of time due to maintenance issues and financial losses resultant of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a statement emailed to Hawaii News Now late Thursday afternoon, the stadium’s sales and marketing specialist, Samantha Spain, said, “Events already in planning with confirmed dates, such as the Hula Bowl, Great Aloha Run, and high school graduations, are being discussed for 2021, and announcements will be forthcoming.”
However, it remains unclear whether any future University of Hawaii football games will be played at the facility.
HM: "We should not hear even a peep from a legislator bemoaning the lack of funds to keep Aloha Stadium open after they voted down 'naming rights' that could have raised millions of dollars to repair and keep its doors open." - Rep. Gene Ward, who authored the "Naming Rights Amendment" in the House of Representatives in the 2020 Session
Big Q: Do you agree with the moratorium on new bookings for Aloha Stadium?
SA Editorial: Find alternatives to Aloha Stadium
Cataluna: Halawa's Monuments To Poor Planning
read … Aloha Stadium not quite shut down, will ‘entertain’ new events with added expenses
Caldwell: Cut Maintenance at Blaisdell Center to force Renovations—Just like Aloha Stadium
KHON: … News of Aloha Stadium shutting down raises the same concerns about another special events facility that could suffer the same fate. The Blaisdell Center is even older than the stadium, and Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says the city has to avoid (make) the same mistakes that the state made with the stadium.
read … Caldwell fears Blaisdell Center could wind up like Aloha Stadium
Kauai can’t afford a COVID outbreak, but they can’t afford a shutdown for much longer, either
HNN: … Multiple Kauai businesses said they are either temporarily closed or are considering shutting their doors until Kauai opts back in to the state’s Safe Travels program….
business owners say they cannot afford to live with the restrictions much longer.
“I’m actually closing tomorrow. Tomorrow’s our last day,” said coffee truck owner Shantel Zimmerman. She says her business, Sunrise Coffee Kauai, isn’t profitable anymore.
She will be closing temporarily until the moratorium is lifted.
“There are days that we just stopped working because we weren’t making any money,” Zimmerman said.
Normally during the holidays, the Grant Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa would have 90 percent of its 605 rooms filled.
“We had to make the difficult decision to close the resort down effective Dec. 7,” said Katy Brtizmann, the director of sales and marketing for the resort. “Right now, we were hoping to reevaluate on a weekly basis. But at this point, we’ve made the decision to close through Jan. 31.”…
“Now we’re really considering shutting down again, until (the) 10 day quarantine gets lifted,” said restaurant owner Brooke Sugahara. She and her husband run The Dolphin Poipu and have had to flip-flip from closed to open.
“There’s not enough locals to support all of the businesses, not to mention the locals are running out of unemployment,” Sugahara said. “We deal with tourists. When you take that away, you take away everybody’s income.”…
read … Kauai can’t afford a COVID outbreak, but they can’t afford a shutdown for much longer, either
Pandemic Hits More Than 1,475 Hawaiʻi Inmates This Year—but doesn’t take a bite out of crime
HPR: … Community justice advocate Kat Brady tells the oversight commission she’s received calls and emails from concerned family members who have relatives imprisoned at Hālawa.
“Guys on one floor heard another man screaming on the floor above them. ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe.’ (Clue: If you can shout ‘I can’t breathe) then you can breathe.) The other incarcerated people were trying to help him,” says Brady, “And the ACOs said ‘We’re doing headcounts and we’ll get to him after.’ Well, the person died. So what kind of statement does that make for the people inside?”
(It says you will believe third-hand stories spread by criminals)
State public safety officials confirm 53-year-old Hālawa inmate Kevin Uyeda (a 33-time loser!) was found unresponsive in his cell Sunday. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he died….
AP: Criminals giving each other COVID at a remarkable rate
read … Insufficient
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