July 18, 2012 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

We did the right thing. We have accepted the president's terms and are prepared to meet his challenge together with the state Department of Education.

Agreeing to the teachers' contract could be the single most important policy decision of this governor. The teachers have done their part; now it's up to him. With his signature, the governor most assuredly could take Hawaii off the "high risk" status and secure the $75 million funding.

We are not sure why the governor has decided to call our ratification vote "invalid." Perhaps the long struggle over our contract has tired him. That's understandable. We all get tired….

Stubbornness is not persistence. Anger is not productive. Compromise is not surrender.

Not long after students and teachers return to school next month, Hawaii's Race to the Top probationary period will expire. Horner's efforts allowed cooler heads on our side to prevail. We hope he will have the same success with the state.

Best Comment: “I swear, Wil Okabe is insane. It's like he is writing this without realizing that there were conversations and letters before. He picks and chooses what he responds too. Abercrombie does the same thing. They are both insane.”

read … More Delusional Ranting from Okabe

Cayetano: Honolulu Roads Worse than Sri Lanka

SA: On the key issue of rail, Carlisle again questioned Cayetano's ability to stop the project if elected.

"You can't veto the City Charter," Carlisle said. "That's not legal."

Cayetano scoffed at the notion that executive veto power could not be used to kill the project, adding that he would put the issue back on the ballot if necessary. "The fact that I am elected will be considered a mandate by the City Council that the people want this project stopped," Cayetano said.

Caldwell again staked out the middle ground on rail, saying he would work within the guidelines of the approved environmental impact statement to lessen the visual impact of the train.

Caldwell and Cayetano jumped on Carlisle over the poor condition of the city's roads, with Cayetano saying that a friend visiting from Sri Lanka recently remarked that Honolulu's roads were comparatively worse. Both accused Carlisle of reducing the budget for road projects, which Carlisle has said was needed to bring down city debt.

read … Third World

Linda Lingle: Experience as governor makes her best choice

SA: In blue Hawaii, Lingle's election victories have been unlikely. She was in the islands only for a few years — "I was Republican, haole woman, Jewish from the mainland" — when she was chosen to represent Molokai on the Maui County Council in 1980. She served two terms as Maui County's mayor. She was the first woman, and the first Republican in four decades, to take Washington Place when she beat Hirono for governor in 2002. She won every state House district in her sweep to re-election in 2006.

"I hear this everywhere, from all kinds of people," she said. "They may be Republicans, they may be Democrats. They want something to get done."

No Hawaii Republican has been sent to the Senate in 36 years. Lingle is telling voters that their choices for president and Senate are completely different decisions. The next president will be in office for four to eight years, she says, but the next Hawaii senator could serve for a generation.

"This is a generational decision. This is not about who supports President Obama on any particular issue," she said. "This is about who can most effectively represent the people of Hawaii for a generation, who has done more for the people of Hawaii up to this point and who has the best vision for the future."

CB: Profiles Senate Candidates

read … Best Choice

The heat is on for Hirono, famous for weak finishes

Shapiro: Hirono has been a notoriously weak closer in previous campaigns, with voters appearing to like her less the more they see.

In the 2002 Democratic primary for governor, her initial big lead over Case in the polls dwindled toa 1.4 percentage-point victory margin in the end. Lingle defeated Hirono handily in the general election.

In Hirono's 2006 congressional race, she also started with a lead in Democratic primary polls, but ended up beating a fast-closing Colleen Hanabusa by only 844 votes.

With few big signature accomplishments in 28 years as a state legislator, lieutenant governor and congresswoman, Hirono campaigns on general themes such as "values," her loyal party-line voting record and her personal story as the daughter of a poor immigrant mother from Japan who came to Hawaii to escape an abusive marriage. These grow stale with repetition and raise concerns about her stature to do the job.

Hirono depicts herself as "a doer," citing her No. 1 ranking in the House for earmarks in 2010 as an example, but that's more of the enigma.

According to Legistorm, only $10.4 million of the $341.4 million in earmarks credited to her from 2008 to 2010 were "solo" earmarks, whilethe big total was mostly amassed by co-sponsoring with other lawmakers — primarily the self-proclaimed earmark king Inouye, whowas credited with $600.4 million in solo pork during that period.

CB: Hirono Attacks US Chamber of Commerce Again

read … Heat

US Dep’t of Ed Impressed by Results of Cheating in Hawaii

CB: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement Tuesday that Hawaii's results reflected the state's reform efforts that are key to keeping what's left of $75 million in federal grant money.

"Student performance data released today signal an encouraging sign that more than ever before, Hawaii is focused on efforts to support classroom instruction and student learning," he said. "Despite challenges and setbacks in meeting Race to the Top goals, Hawaii has maintained a relentless commitment to moving forward. Their continued commitment to do what is best for students and staff will be critical to putting in place progressive reforms through Race to the Top."

Vorsino: Schools rack up solid gains in testing

HFP: Annual Yearly Progress: How Did Your School Do?

Cheating: DoE Boosts Test Scores by Giving Answers to Students, Coverup: DoE changes tests, surveys to create illusion of progress

read … Easily Impressed

Solar Feeding Frenzy Triples Permit Count

CB: We are now witnessing such a feeding frenzy in the solar electric, or photovoltaic (PV), world on O’ahu. Residential and commercial demand for PV systems has taken off dramatically across the state these past several years with O’ahu leading the way in what has become a ferocious and ultimately unsustainable competition for sales and market share.

Over the first six months of 2012, 114 different companies pulled over 5,000 PV electrical permits according to data from the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting….

Beyond the spin, what do the actual numbers indicate? I have been analyzing O’ahu PV permit data over the past several years and have organized the numbers for the first six months of 2011 and 2012 to see who the real players are and to explore the future and prospects for this currently white-hot construction trade.

Below are the top 15 PV providers for 2011 and 2012, beyond the sales hype and braggadocio, based on the stated total value of solar electric systems from the submitted electrical permit applications.

read … Feeding Frenzy

Akaka Bill Through the Backdoor in Fall 2012?

HR: On July 12, 2012 the Senate Indian Affairs Committee (Dan Akaka, chairman; Dan Inouye, member) held a hearing on procedures for federal recognition. The hearing did not discuss the Akaka bill, but was well-orchestrated to lay the groundwork to pass it. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, at 25 CFR 83.7, lists seven mandatory criteria which a group of Indians must meet in order to get federal recognition that they are a tribe.

read … Back Door Akaka Tribe

Jones Act Obstructs Sale of Superferry Barges

KITV: The state isn't losing money by mooring the docking barges, because the harbor isn't full. But occasionally, thousands of dollars are spent to move the docks around, to accommodate other ships. There are also costs to make sure the barges stay in place.

Those expenses comes on top of the state's initial write-down on $41 million in bonds, which covered the cost of the barges and harbor improvements for the Superferry.

But according to the state auditor, that number will rise. "By the time those bonds are paid off, it will probably come out to $63 million in costs to the state," said State Auditor Marion Higa.

But according to DOT spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter, "Selling the barges was a priority for the Harbors Division. We had several interested parties in the docks".

A federal statute could sink a sizable return in the state's investment, however.

Because of the Jones Act, the barges could not be used for business in the United States -- without an exemption. If local parties who are interested in the docks don't get the exemption, they could only buy the barges for scrap.

read … Thank an Environmentalist

Hinshaw was briefed about ill-fated UH concert plans

HNN: The former UH Manoa chancellor said Tuesday she was "briefed" on plans for the Stevie wonder concert that the university canceled a week ago.

Sources said UH signed the concert contract on June 12, two and a half weeks before Virginia Hinshaw stepped down as chancellor in charge of the university's flagship Manoa campus on June 30.

Hawaii News Now spoke to Hinshaw Tuesday following a UH groundbreaking event about what her involvement was in the planning for the failed concert, since sources said she knew about the concert, was briefed about it and did not object to any of the arrangements.

Hinshaw said she was briefed about the event in advance, "just like everybody else was."

Pressed for more details, she said, "Talk to the current chancellor. He's the one doing the investigation and I want him to have his space to do that."

read … Hinshaw

State DoH May Quash Honolulu Fire-EMS Merger

CB: The Hawaii Department of Health is on the verge of taking an official position against the politically charged proposed merger of Honolulu's Fire and Emergency Services Departments, according to the DOH division chief.

Linda Rosen, Chief of Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch, told Civil Beat Tuesday night that a formal letter to Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle is awaiting Gov. Neil Abercrombie's approval.

Such a letter would carry a lot of weight because providing emergency medical care is actually a state function, and the city is the state's contractor to handle those responsibilities on Oahu. But that could change if DOH isn't satisfied with the city's operations.

"Within my department, that is the agreement that we're prepared to recommend against a merger, but the governor hasn't signed off on it yet," Rosen said in a phone interview. "I believe that there's a recommendation and the director is awaiting the governor's approval of that."

read … Quash

SA: Hold developers to their promises

SA: In present cases, the state Land Use Commission should hold Ho‘opili developer D.R. Horton to providing 159 acres for commercial farms, 84 acres for home gardens and eight acres for community gardens in its community in Ewa.

Likewise, in the case of Castle & Cooke's Koa Ridge community between Mililani and Waipio, the commission must ensure that the developer follows through on its promise to lease 335 acres and an option of 333 acres near Wahiawa to Aloun Farms.

Perhaps even more important, government must see to it that Koa Ridge's developer delivers the affordable housing it presents in its plan: that in accordance with the city's affordable-housing guidelines, approximately 1,500 homes there will be priced in the affordable range for qualified residents.

read … Hold developers to their promises

SA: Kailua Beach Park ban could backfire, Carlisle Should Veto

SA: Mayor Peter Carlisle should veto Bill 11, which would have the effect of reinstating Bill 5 while his administration revisits the best way to regulate park use on a broader, islandwide basis.

The partial ban would have preserved the city's review through a permitting process and sequestered most of the weekends as a time devoid of all the concessions. The plain fact is that vendors, unregulated, can overwhelm these popular parks, and the city has a duty to draw some bright lines. Enforcement, which is always a challenge, could be at least workable through spot checks for permits throughout the week and more vigilance during the ban periods.

Instead, enforcement becomes an even more difficult proposition. The city lacks the resources to scout the parks for activity, day in and day out. And it's easy to imagine that ways would be found to circumvent the ban. If the activity involves no cash transactions on site, for instance, can people be prevented from meeting at the beach to engage in them?

Further, there may be activities that the local community clearly favors but would be ejected, too. Bouncer rentals, the inflatable play equipment that are fixtures at children's beach parties, would now be out, to cite one example. Food trucks on the North Shore and elsewhere are also popular with the public broadly, but they fall under the commercial banner.

One more issue worries Gary Cabato, city parks director: The idea already is catching on with other city parks around the island, with neighborhood boards already pushing for their own bans.

read … Kailua Beach Park

Residents sue to block sale of Haleiwa land

HNN: North Shore residents are suing to block the city's plan to sell Haleiwa Beach Park, saying the deal will restrict shoreline access for hundreds of beach goers.

In a Circuit Court suit filed Monday, the Save Haleiwa Beach Park Coalition says the city failed to obtain the necessary permits to close the park and auction it off.

"The case asks that the city be blocked from closing the southern end of Haleiwa Beach Park until such time that they complied with the proper environmental laws," said Jim Bickerton, attorney for the coalition.

SA: City hit With Suit

read … Haleiwa

Hawaiian Airlines' parent to expand interisland service with turbo-prop subsidiary

PBN: Hawaiian Airlines said Tuesday that its parent company is planning to create a subsidiary that would operate turbo-prop service to Hawaii’s smaller airports, including those on Lanai and Molokai. Hawaiian Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: HA) has a letter of intent to purchase “a small number” of previously owned turbo-prop aircraft that will serve the markets….

read … Monopoly

PUC: Lana'ians for Sensible Growth given participant status

MN: State regulators on Monday granted Lana'ians for Sensible Growth limited participant status in the ongoing review of whether transferring Lanai's public utilities to the island's new owner, Larry Ellison, is in the public interest.

At the same time, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission denied Life of the Land's motion to intervene in the case.

The commission last month gave interim approval allowing Ellison to take ownership of Lanai's water, wastewater and transportation utilities from David Murdock's privately held Castle & Cooke Inc. The PUC said at the time that it has the right to ultimately disapprove the transfer.

The interim approval was timed with the closing date for the overall sale of most of the island, including more than 88,000 acres of land, the island's two luxury resorts, two golf courses and other assets for an undisclosed price.

Citing Ellison's pledge to invest $10 million in the three utilities over the next five years, the PUC said that it believes Lana'ians for Sensible Growth will be helpful in developing a plan for those promised improvements.

PBN: Hawaii PUC orders price Ellison paid for Lanai to remain a secret

read … Lanai Sale

Honolulu, Kahului-Wailuku, Kapaa and Hilo saw number of businesses decline in 2009

PBN: Hilo saw the largest decline, with the number of business establishments falling by 3.65 percent during the one-year period, according to the analysis. There were 4,197 business establishments in the city in 2009, but that number fell by 153 businesses to 4,044 by 2010.

On Maui, the number of businesses in the Kahului-Wailuku region fell by 118 businesses, or 2.65 percent, to 4,332 in 2010, from 4,450 in 2009.

Honolulu lost 156 businesses during the one-year period. There were 21,748 businesses in the state’s largest city in 2009, but that number declined by 0.72 percent to 21,592 in 2010.

The Kapaa area on Kauai lost just six businesses from 2009 to 2010, the analysis found.

read .. Fewer Businesses

Will Hawaii be spared from the Pentagon’s budget cuts?

PBN: The Pentagon is sounding the alarm about looming budget cuts that will slash $500 billion from its budget over the next 10 years, and that is bound to be a cause of concern for Hawaii’s contractors.

Pentagon spokesman George Little was quoted by American Forces Press Service on Tuesday as saying all Defense Department contracts next fiscal year, which starts on Oct. 1, could be impacted. Those cuts are the result of a congressional super committee failing to cut $1.2 trillion in spending. And the military is trying to stave off those cuts.

read … Pentagon?

Don’t be a Biofool: Buy Ethanol-Free Gasoline

Question: On June 25 we bought gas without ethanol at a station on the Big Island between the Honokohau Boat Harbor and Kona Airport for 50 cents a gallon cheaper than gasoline with ethanol. Where on Oahu can I buy gasoline without ethanol? I would drive a long way to save 50 cents a gallon.

Answer: The state does not track where ethanol-free gasoline is sold, but there is a private website, www.pure-gas.org, that lists ethanol-free gas stations in the United States and Canada.

For Hawaii 13 stations are listed, seven on Oahu. However, the website relies on online users to update information, and prices are not available for most of the stations.

The Oahu stations are Keehi Marine Center, 24 Sand Island Access Road; Magic Island Petroleum (“The Fuel Dock”), 1651 Ala Moana Blvd., at Ala Wai Boat Harbor; Heeia Kea Small Boat Harbor — The Deli, 46-499 Kamehameha Highway; Kaneohe Shell Gas Station & Food Mart, 45-1039 Kamehameha Highway; Ko Olina Marina, 92-100 Waipahe Place; Pearl City 76, 826 Kamehameha Highway; and Aloha 7-Eleven Waianae Mauka, 85-830 Farrington Highway.

read … Biofool

City to soon accept builders' blueprints electronically

SA: Ron Loback, president and CEO of Avolve Software, said Honolulu is among the five or six biggest cities of about 70 that have hired his Arizona-based company for assistance with electronic construction plan reviewing. Chicago, Atlanta and Salt Lake City are among the other cities using it.

The move to an electronic permit processing, which cost the city $350,000 to set up and operate for two years, will decrease gasoline use as well as paper consumption and printing and storage costs, Carlisle said.

Planning and Permitting staff will be able to mark up and comment directly onto the electronic files — speeding up and improving the efficiency of the department's permit review process — and the review status will be available online and through a mobile application.

Chris Hong, an architect with Group 70 International, said his company has had employees wait in line at the city's permitting counter for up to six hours to be able to submit a project for review. Group 70 International is participating in the trial period but has not reached the review stage.

Hong said that in addition to time, the new program can save firms up to $600 in printing costs for a small project and thousands of dollars on a large one.

"The potential is huge," he said.

Applicants or firms interested in learning more about ePlans can email the department at info@honoluludpp.org.

read … Blueprints