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Sunday, October 16, 2011
October 16, 2011 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 7:04 PM :: 13394 Views

Djou Campaign reports $243K Cash on Hand

Feds: Medical Marijuana Laws and Hawaii County Council Drive Growth in Drug Trade

Lawsuit Challenges Kaiser’s Non-profit Status: Money funneled to For-Profit Entities?

Kalapa: The Trouble with Borrowing is Repaying the Loan

Why evangelicals must stand up to anti-Mormon bigotry

Borreca: Unlike predecessors, Abercrombie shuts out news media

The arrival of Gov. Linda Lingle elevated communications. Lenny Klompus, communications director, added more to his staff, increased the governor's ability to get on the Internet and went out of his way to make sure reporters got the spin on the message of the day.

In addition, Klompus increased the two-way flow of information by providing the local news media with the cellphone numbers of not just the information officers but all department directors. Not since Burns had required all his department heads to list their home phone numbers, were the state executives as accessible.

Lingle remained both available to the media and solidly "on message." Accessibility did not mean spontaneity and if she had decided not to comment, the subject would not be explored.

Today with Gov. Neil Abercrombie, the door is simply shut. Gubernatorial proclamations are done in secret or without public notice. So instead of a chance to question the governor at length several times a week, the press and the public are left to subscribe to his Facebook or Twitter feed to be spoon-fed pabulum.

After a problematic first 10 months in office, Abercrombie has been forced to redo much of his executive and communications staff. How he handles communications now will go a long way toward defining his term in office.

read … Shutout

Cataluna to Abercrombie: What’s wrong with telling the truth?

The people who have recently departed the Abercrombie administration probably told the truth when they said they wanted to spend more time with their families, though perhaps they didn't tell the whole truth. Certainly, there was more going on there, like a house-cleaning or a course-correction. Their replacements have pretty much acknowledged that….

…what's wrong with telling the truth? Especially in politics, where straight-talking is such a rare and valuable commodity. The folks who grow up to run state agencies and executive offices and to set policy are all big boys and girls who know their jobs depend not only on competence but on the fickle winds of political popularity. It would be refreshing to hear someone simply say, "We needed a change. I decided we were off track and I needed some new people with a different set of skills." No scandal, no make believe. The public can handle candor. Really.

read … Cataluna

Hawaii credit card receipts point to slowing economy

The growth in credit and debit card spending slowed in the third quarter, giving more credence to economists' recent forecasts that Hawaii's economic expansion is decelerating.

Credit and debit card sales at businesses open at least a year rose 7.5 percent to $702.8 million from $653.8 million in the year-ago period, according to a third-quarter business activity report released today by First Hawaiian Bank, the state's largest local card processor of merchant services. The increase follows second-quarter growth of 8 percent and first-quarter growth of 10.2 percent.

read … Slowing Economy

 

 

Geothermal Push Makes for Strange Bedfellows

The 1980s and '90s were colored by clashes between opponents and supporters of geothermal on the Big Island, where the island’s active volcanos make it a ripe region for development. But it’s a new day, with opponents growing quiet.

Today’s battles involve not whether geothermal should be developed, but who is going to develop it, who is going to profit from it, and when will it move forward. BINGO!

read … Latest Sovereignty Scam

Homeless Sweeps Drive Bums Back Towards Old Stadium Park

After recent sweeps to clear campers from around under the H-1 Freeway and on Oahu's North Shore, more homeless tents have popped up around Honolulu….

John Lanoza has lived at Old Stadium park for the past five months but it's not his first time there. He's actually been moved clear across the island, after homeless people were moved out of one camp and then another.

"I was at Keaau Beach Park. From Keaau, I went to Kakaako and then after being moved out of Kakaako, I ended up back here," said Lanoza.

He's not alone. Service providers said the recent clearing of campers on the North Shore as well as under the Nimitz Viaduct have meant more homeless people in parks around town.

"I came here from Kapiolani Park," said homeless camper Donna Abordo….

But Lanoza said he doesn't plan on being one of those moving. After dealing with the hardships of being homeless and disabled, he is planning on going to a transitional shelter to get off the streets.

"I'm tired of living like this. It is time to move on," said Lanoza. (SWEEPS SCORE ONE VICTORY OVER SLOTH!)

But many of the homeless said they won't move off the streets, even though there are 200 shelter spaces available.

Related: Kapiolani Park: Homelessness industry takes Hawaii tourism hostage, Defeating the "homelessness industry" before it gets a grip on Hawaii

read … Bums on the move

FBI affidavit sheds light on testimony never given in Aloun Farms human trafficking case

Several people I’ve spoken with believe that the Aloun Farms owners were found innocent of human trafficking by the federal court. In fact, the case was dismissed without any finding of guilt or innocence. The jury issued no verdict. Since Judge Mollway dismissed the case with prejudice, the same criminal charges cannot be brought against the Sou brothers by the government.

End of story? Not quite. Defendants will be back in federal court on November 3 as they seek compensation for their legal expenses. The action has resulted in the filing of new documents in the case. One of them, posted below, reveals information gathered by the FBI in the development of the case against the brothers.

Download Affidavit of Special Agent Gary Brown 10-2011

Download Gov't response re atty fees 10.2011

read … FBI Affidavit

Afterschool Program Benefits Hawaii Nonprofits

Each year, Hawaii ranks as one of the top states in the nation for afterschool program participation rates, with close to 60,000 children, K-12, receiving afterschool care.

The success behind these numbers is partly based on the 1990 creation of the Department of Education's A+ Afterschool Program….

Even though Hawaii ranks high in afterschool participation, we need to do more to reach out to the 65,000-plus kids who are on their own after the last school bell rings….

Hawaii is lucky. We have a number of well-qualified afterschool care providers. The YMCA, for example, takes care of more than 6,000 kids each year island wide….

read … A+

'Silver wave' about to crash on isle shores

Time marches on, which makes the following a solid prediction: Hawaii's population age 85 and older will number about 327,000 by 2030, or roughly 22 percent of the overall population. That's a huge expansion from the 14 percent segment it now represents. Considering that capacity for long-term care is already below current needs, that kind of future is a distressing prospect.

What's worse is that the entire issue of long-term care is not even on the radar for most people.

read … LTC Crisis

Rohlfing: Constitution Clear on Residency

The editorial on reapportionment, "Political boundaries fit together well" (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 5), totally misses the point.

The question is not whether excluding nonresident military and their dependents from the reapportionment population base is "wrong." It is constitutionally mandated.

Military-connected residents vote in their "home of record." If they are registered here, they can vote and be counted here. But the vast majority have declared another state as home and, under Hawaii law, they cannot be counted in our population base

 

read … Constitution clear on residency

Do those “Read Aloud” banners constitute lobbying?

ILind: We’ve noticed these “Bring RAP Back!” banners displayed at several elementary schools. This one is on the fence in front of Kaaawa Elementary.

RAP refers to the Read Aloud Program operated by Read Aloud America, a successful Hawaii-based nonprofit that’s been around since 1995.

In recent years, it’s funding has come almost entirely from the State of Hawaii, receiving over $1 million a year during recent years. But budget cuts have slashed its state funds, along with those of other social service agencies.

The message on the sign: “Email, write, or call local, state, & federal legislators to help.”

My questions: Does this constitute lobbying?

read … DoE Violation?

Farrington set for major renovation

Starting this winter, the state plans to kick off a decade long, $100 million modernization project to bring Farrington High -- one of the state's largest and most dilapidated campuses -- into the 21st century, tackle more than $40 million in backlogged repairs and tailor its facilities to meet the demands of modern students.

The massive, multi-phase pilot project is seen as a new and potentially less expensive way to approach the growing problem of aging schools. Rather than making repairs piecemeal or building an entire new high school, something seen as next to impossible in urban Honolulu, the Farrington modernization is designed as a top-to-bottom renovation that focuses redesign work around educational goals….

Recently, an elevated walkway leading up to the school's gym and physical education offices was nearly condemned, a part of the roof in a classroom wing fell down after heavy rains and an asbestos scare forced emergency abatement work.

read … Farrington

State may use school land for affordable housing

if some public schools are underutilized because of low enrollment, could the property be better used to help alleviate a chronic shortage of affordable housing?

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has promoted the idea, and believes a new state law deregulating development of state land combined with ongoing efforts to consolidate schools have created a prime opportunity to build affordable work force housing at no cost to the state using public-private partnerships.

"I intend to build housing -- I intend to do development on (Department of Education) land," he said to a real estate and development group in June….

"The DOE has zero authority to do housing," said Randy Moore, assistant superintendent for DOE's Office of School Facilities and Support Services….

That's where the Public Lands entity comes into play. The agency created earlier this year has broad power to develop DLNR land through private partnerships with little regulatory constraint.

read … Profit for DoE

Private road fund bill resurfaces

Council Chairman Dominic Yagong brought forward a measure that will create an ad hoc committee of four council members and, he said, possibly some community members. The committee will be charged with defining a process by which council members will be able to administer road improvement funds via a grant-in-aid program, Yagong said.

He wants to have the program in place by the end of the next Legislative session, in the hopes that state legislators will approve a bill introduced this year that would allow the county to allocate the funds, generated by fuel tax revenues, for private roads. Yagong first brought the measure forward, as a resolution, last fall, citing concerns by residents of subdivisions in Puna, Hamakua and Ka'u. Residents testifying in support of the measure pointed out they pay fuel tax when they gas up their vehicles, but don't reap the full benefit of it.

read … Hawaii County

Send in the Clowns: Obama to make Occupy Wall Street Central Theme of His Campaign

WaPo: President Obama and his team have decided to turn public anger at Wall Street into a central tenet of their reelection strategy.

The move comes as the Occupy Wall Street protests gain momentum across the country and as polls show deep public distrust of the nation’s major financial institutions.

And it sets up what strategists see as a potent line of attack against Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, a former investment executive whom Obama aides plan to portray as a wealthy Wall Street sympathizer.

Many Democrats consider Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, the greatest threat to Obama when it comes to wooing centrist independents next year, and Romney this week has begun to present himself as a champion of middle-income Americans.

Obama aides point to recent surveys that show anger at Wall Street spanning ideologies, including a new Washington Post-ABC News poll in which 68 percent of independents and 60 percent of Republicans say they have unfavorable impressions of the big financial institutions.

But the strategy of channeling anti-Wall Street anger carries risks. Many of Obama’s senior advisers have ties to the financial industry….

Hawaii News Now video: Occupy Honolulu protest invades Waikiki streets

SA: Occupy Honolulu marchers bring messages to Waikiki

read … Typical Alinsky Crap

Rick Hamada’s Ron Paul Smack Down

The caller began with allegations that Michele Bachmann, GOP candidate for president and congresswoman from Minnesota, had “bought” the recent Iowa caucuses by paying for the votes.

This is the real reason why the mainstream media had ignored Ron Paul, fellow GOP candidate and Texas congressman, since he came in, as the caller explained, in third place. If Bachmann hadn’t paid off the voters, Paul would have fared better.

He continued to lay claims that Paul’s performance, and subsequent coverage, was purposefully squelched by the press since he is calling for the adherence to the U.S. Constitution in all things from trade to defense.

As a matter of fact, the caller maintains that Paul is exposing the CIA for its covert operations leading to the dissolution of the Egyptian government and the ouster of its leader, Hosni Mubarak.

Ron Paul campaign at Occupy Honolulu: VIDEO at 0:06

Related: Hawaii Republican Presidential Vote Set for March 13

read … A Call Full Of Misinformation

Out by Dec 31, U.S. To Keep Iraq Withdrawal Deadline

The U.S. is abandoning plans to keep U.S. troops in Iraq past a year-end withdrawal deadline, The Associated Press has learned. The decision to pull out fully by January will effectively end more than eight years of U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, despite ongoing concerns about its security forces and the potential for instability.

read … Iraq Ends


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