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Saturday, July 2, 2011
July 2, 2011 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 12:54 PM :: 12732 Views

Abercrombie: HSTA Negotiators agreed to Contract

GOP’s Nonaka Launches Political Consulting Firm

Americans for Prosperity Hawaii Chapter Forms

Insights: Molokai, Lanai leaders debate Big Wind

TEA Party to join July 4 Parades in Kailua, Makawao, Hilo, Kona

Kamehameha on Makaha: “Its time for us to move on”

Last week Ko Olina developer Jeff Stone withdrew from a three-way deal in Makaha with Kamehameha Schools and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands that was to have closed yesterday, June 30th.

Kamehameha Schools responded at the time that it was still ready to complete the deal by June 30th. Today, the school said Stone did not move to complete the transaction.

In a statement, Kamehameha Schools trustee Corbett Kalama said,"It is time for us to move on. We have informed Mr. Stone that we have concluded our involvement with him over this piece of property."…

Subsequent to his initial withdrawal, Stone said he would still swap the land by the end of August if he received affordable housing credits worth millions and if the learning center build-out had a timetable, saying in a statement earlier this week, "The Resort Group has asked for the following conditions to be met: that KS completes the full build-out of its Learning Community within five years, and DHHL conveys the 400 affordable housing credits per the original agreement."

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Furloughs End, But UPW takes a furlough day anyway and gets it as a paid day off

The city's six refuse convenience centers were closed Friday because workers thought they were supposed to be on furlough, a city spokeswoman said.

Negotiators for the city and the United Public Workers agreed Thursday night to extend existing wages and benefits but to end two years of Furlough Fridays while negotiations for a new contract continue.

However, the agreement came too late to notify some members of UPW's Unit 1 who work for the city and were already scheduled to be on furlough.

At least one UPW sewer employee at the city Department of Environmental Services said he was told by his supervisor Thursday afternoon that he was not to work on Friday.

Louise Kim McCoy, city spokeswoman, said the only city operations that were affected were the six refuse convenience centers at Ewa, Laie, Wahiawa, Waianae, Waimanalo and Waipahu. They were closed for bulky trash drop-offs but will be reopened today. No other city operations were affected.

McCoy said there may have been other city employees who did not show up for work, but did not have a count.

About 1,780 Unit 1 workers are assigned to four city agencies — Environmental Services, Parks and Recreation, Facility Management and the Board of Water Supply — but they were on a staggered furlough schedule and not all of them were supposed to be off duty at the same time, McCoy said.

Workers who did not report to work will be given administrative leave with pay, she said.

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Teachers union says it will challenge forced contract, then fails to do so

The Hawaii State Teachers Association will challenge the state’s decision to unilaterally impose a “last, best and final” contract offer on teachers, the union president said today.

Wil Okabe, HSTA president, earlier today said the union would make some type of filing today with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board or state Circuit Court. However, the 4:30 p.m. deadlines passed today with no filing by the HSTA….

Okabe called the the state’s action unprecedented and said it “definitely has major implications for all public unions” in the state.

( what a bunch of partisan Democrat hacks the HSTA leadership is—if this were Lingle imposing a contract, they would already have a bought n paid for ‘judge’ ruling it unconstitutional…plus a gaggle of Manoa liberals sitting in on the 5th floor… such is the price union members pay for their leaders affiliation to the Democratic Party….)

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HART, Carlisle Won’t Sue Over Rail Budget

The HART board adopted the $20.5 million operating budget and $354.7 million capital budget which had been previously approved by the City Council.

Last week, Mayor Peter Carlisle threatened to sue the Council in a dispute over control of HART’s budget, but he moderated those comments earlier this week, saying he would leave the issue up to the new HART board.

Today, HART board member Don Horner – chief executive of First Hawaiian Bank – said adoption of the Council-approved budget “ensures that the rail project will continue without unnecessary delays.”

KITV: HART Board Passes Key Measures For Rail Project

PBN: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation selects officers

Small-kine corruption forces snout in Rail Trough: Resignation call after Audit reveals “ward heeler’s slush fund” overseen by Honolulu Councilman

 

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State Begins Fixing Building Vacant For 9 Years

Coppa said the administration of previous Gov. Linda Lingle had planned to renovate it and relocate some state employees in the building. The Lingle administration spent nearly $3 million to remove asbestos and clear out debris, but then allowed another $9 million for renovations appropriated by the legislature to lapse unspent, Coppa said.

"We are leasing from the private sector right now. That's money that every month, has to go out. Cash out the door," he said.

Coppa estimated the state could save more than $700,000 a year in rent, if some state offices moved back in to the facility, instead of renting from private landlords.  There's no parking garage in the building….

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Hawaii Co Budget Problems ‘solved’ by skipping Pension Contribution

…we shouldn’t use GASB-45 (Pension account payments) as a ‘bill-payer’ again next year.  One can only wonder why the Mayor would use GASB-45 deferments as the centerpiece of his budget balancing act this year….

We’ve been here before: Act 100: How Hanabusa and Cayetano launched Hawaii Pension crisis

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Private operation of Hilo sort station to be aired at council

The $9M sort station was originally conceived under the Mayor Harry Kim administration as an adjunct to a waste-to-energy garbage incinerator.

The County Council balked at the $125.5 million price tag for the incinerator, (because the RFP excluded the possibility of a free one) but work had already proceeded on the sort station. Work on the facility began in 2003, but changes mandated by the Hawaii County Council slowed completion. It was originally scheduled for completion in April 2007 and then May 2009.

It's currently being used as a storage depot for tires and other materials.

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Both sides file briefs in TMT case

The parties involved in the contested case hearing over the approval of the Thirty Meter Telescope have filed their opening briefs, setting the stage for hearings to get under way next month.

Six petitioners, representing Hawaiian and environmental interests, will attempt to convince hearing officer Paul Aoki that the Board of Land and Natural Resources should reverse its approval of the Mauna Kea telescope project. The contested case is scheduled for Aug. 15 through Aug. 18.

"Understanding this issue is simple," said petitioner Kealoha Pisciotta of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, in a statement. "Mauna Kea is a sacred site….” (but if you give me $50M it won’t seem so sacred any more…).

RELATED: Telescope: The Shakedown begins, Thirty Meter Telescope Selects Mauna Kea -- Let the looting begin!

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Law will streamline Land Court by de-registering time shares

A state law that takes effect today should help Hawaii’s Bureau of Conveyances reduce its months-long backlog by changing the way the sales of time shares are recorded.

The new law, which was passed in 2009, automatically de-registers thousands of time-share units from Hawaii’s Land Court system, which certifies land ownership by tracing each transaction back more than 150 years to the monarchy.

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University of Hawaii Board of Regents names new members

Coralie Matayoshi and Jan Sullivan both represent the City and County of Honolulu and will serve five-year terms. Matayoshi is an attorney and has served as CEO of the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter, since 2003. Sullivan is the chief operating officer of the engineering and technology company Oceanit.

In addition, Saedene Ota joined the university’s Board of Regents in May. Ota, the owner and creative director of graphics firm Sae Design, represents Maui County on the board; her term expires in 2015.

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UH Athletics might turn profit cash-flow positive this year

Donovan credited better-than-projected returns in “baseball, men’s basketball and football and some other sources” along with cost containment for the positive projection.

“We’ve really tried hard to hold the line on costs,” Donovan said.

Baseball attendance reached a 15-year high and crowds were up an average of 38 percent for men’s basketball. Revenue improved an average of $11,000 per game in men’s basketball, UH said. Football attendance was up an average of more than 1,300 per game in a 10-4 season.

In addition, UH received its first installment on the student athletic fees, expected to be approximately $740,000, and earned its second-highest Western Athletic Conference revenue check, $1.7 million, of which $137,256 was from money Boise State left on the table with its departure from the conference.

UH has been running an accumulated net deficit of nearly $10 million built up since 2003.

An independent auditor has told the UH Board of Regents that “the athletic department is, in effect, borrowing cash from other university units” to cover its accumulated net deficit.

Donovan said if UH ends in the black, proceeds will go toward beginning to pay down the accumulated net deficit, which the department has been paying interest on.

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Senate Bill 1520 intended to facilitate Akaka Bill

The bill signing ceremony will occur at Washington Place, former home of Queen Liliuokalani, on Wednesday, July 6 at 2:00 p.m. …

Sen. Malama Solomon, House co-chairs Rep. Faye Hanohano and Rep. Gilbert Keith-Agaran, Rep. Chris Lee and Rep. Blake Oshiro.

“Every generation of Native Hawaiians since the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 has struggled with not legally being recognized as equals,” Solomon said in a statement. “So many have given so much; many have fought in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam—some losing their lives—for a country that doesn’t recognize them. ... While much has been done including the creation of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in 1921, formation of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in 1978, and the signing of the ‘Apology Resolution’ by President William Clinton in 1993, we are still not equals in our own land.”

When signed into law, the measure adds a new chapter to the Hawaii Revised Statutes, which would establish a process for Native Hawaiians to organize themselves.

“Hawaiians are very different from the American tribes; we had a kingdom that was recognized by the United States and many other nations around the world before the overthrow,” Solomon said. “Many of us today are directly connected to this history and heritage through our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. This new law will begin the healing.”

Heal This: Malama Solomon’s meth connection

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Hawaiian Telcom Commences Staged Launch of TV Service on Oahu

 

"We have built a compelling, full-featured TV service using proven technology that has earned highly favorable reviews from trial customers," said President & CEO Eric K. Yeaman. "We realize there is great demand for competition in the video services marketplace and are pleased to begin offering consumers a high-quality choice."

Hawaiian Telcom TV's 100 percent digital video service is delivered via the Company's state-of-the-art, next generation network infrastructure. Programming content and pricing are competitive with what is currently provided by cable and direct broadcast satellite operators. Content includes local and premium channels as well as public education and government channels in service of the community.

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Errors Occur in 12% of Electronic Drug Prescriptions Matching Handwritten

An analysis of 3,850 computer-generated prescriptions written over a four-week period found 452 contained errors, including 163 that could harm the patient, according to a report published today in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. The rate was consistent with past studies reviewing the risk of errors when a doctor writes a prescription and hands it to the patient, the researchers said.

The results undermine the expected safety benefits from computer-generated prescriptions, said the study authors led by Karen Nanji of Massachusetts General Hospital’s anesthesia, critical care and pain department. The U.S. paid more than $158.3 million to doctors and hospitals in the first half of 2011 to encourage adoption of electronic health records, which President Barack Obama has advocated as a way to lower health-care costs and reduce medical errors.

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FOX News Profiles Hawaii Reporter

Her site, the Hawaii Reporter, is one of the few investigative online newspapers that digs deep into local issues and politics --and that has gained her national attention.

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Civil Beat Marks July 4th by Re-writing Declaration of Independence

These in-crowd popularity-seekers actually think they are being brave. 

Reality: The Founding Fathers’ battle against Slavery


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