Freitas Maneuver to Grab Greenwood's Job? As Regents Prepare to meet, MRC Panics
Hirono Misses Third Debate in a Row
Explosives expert killed in war zone leaves isle widow
SA: Hawaii was Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician Sean P. Carson's adopted home.
It was where the petty officer first class was stationed from 2001 to 2004, where he met his wife, Nicole, and where he loved to surf practically every day on visits, his widow said.
"It's Hawaii. Coming here, it calmed him," said Nicole Carson. "There was no work. He got to relax and go to all the warm beaches and all the warm ocean water."
It's also where the father of a 4-year-old daughter will return after he was killed Thursday in the crash of a Schofield Barracks Black Hawk helicopter in southern Afghanistan.
Nicole Carson said she plans to spread her 32-year-old husband's ashes in the surf at Leftovers on the North Shore, one of his favorite surf spots.
read … Afghanistan
DoE Pays School for Handicapped Children, Avoids Federal Court Contempt Finding
DN: …during the hearing this morning, most of the dialogue was between Judge Susan Oki Mollway and Deputy Attorney General Carter Siu. Siu persisted in pushing the unfairness of the rates charged to DOE by Loveland Academy, and Mollway pushed back, saying that Loveland wasn’t even a party in this case, and that the DOE could bring that particular issue up before her or another judge in a separate case. She said it was a contract matter.
Still, because the DOE paid at least part of what they owe, they were in substantial compliance and so Mollway dismissed all the motions, but without prejudice. So if the DOE falls behind in the future, the plaintiffs can file the motions anew.
Of course, the education and future prospects of a student hang in the balance of this case, and of course the DOE still has Loveland Academy in its crosshairs.
Under federal law, the DOE must provide required services itself or purchase them. One way or the other. If it doesn’t like the private schools, it can just provide the same services directly. It really is as simple as that. A 1993 Supreme Court case established the school system’s responsibility.
When the Felix Consent Decree was plodding along, Hawaii had around 141 students placed on the Mainland, separated from their families, because the DOE would not provide services in Hawaii. Loveland and other private schools were created at the request of the Department of Health, under pressure from the Court, in an effort to bring these students back to Hawaii. Regular reports had to be filed identifying the students still placed outside of Hawaii.
That has not stopped the DOE from waging war against the schools, which results in removing options for students who need specialized services. DOE’s weapon of mass destruction is to withhold payment as long as it can, as in this case.
In the end, when DOE must pay up, there are legal fees and court costs attached. These are charged to us taxpayers, not to the DOE’s budget….
read … DOE pays school, so is in “substantial compliance," no contempt finding this time… but stay tuned
BoE Grades Matayoshi ‘C’
SA: But the evaluation appears to reflect both the strides — and turbulence — the department has gone through under Matayoshi's tenure, from rising test scores this year to a black eye last year when the state's competitive Race to the Top grant was put on "high-risk" status because of lack of progress.
There are five possible ratings under the evaluation system: exceptional, exceeds expectations, fully meets expectations, needs improvement and unsatisfactory. (sigh: A, B, C, D, F)
The evaluation included a set of objectives for the coming school year which Matayoshi said involve implementing the targets of the department's new strategic plan.
She said her primary push through the next 12 months will be making sure the "strategic plan is the focus of everyone's work."….
Board member Jim Williams, chairman of the Human Resources Committee, said the evaluation represents the first year of Matayoshi's contract.
The evaluation template used to rate Matayoshi is one produced by the Department of Human Resources Development for executives at other state departments. That's a departure from previous years under the elected board, which used its own evaluation system.
read … Matayoshi given middling grade
Will UH Release Results of Wonder Probe?
HNN: Attorney has turned in draft version of Wonder investigation. Keoki Kerr outlines potential excuses BoR could use to keep report under wraps.
read … Will UH Release Results of Wonder Probe
Legislators Demand Donovan Return
SA: Donovan's supporters, citing a UH statement which said he was involved in no "wrongdoing," have sought his return as athletic director.
In a two-page statement, the legislators wrote, "We believe Mr. Donovan's performance as athletic director has been outstanding and we urge you to consider the advancements he has made and the relationships he has built in the community and at the legislature."
It was signed by State Representatives Mark Nakashima , Robert Herkes, Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran, Derek S. K. Kawakami, Daynette "Dee" Morikawa, Jerry L. Chang, Denny Coffman, Kyle T. Yamashita and James Kunane Tokioka.
Charlie Araki, a former dean of the College of Education and member of the Letterwinners' Club, told the board, "A great university will admit to errors but make the error right as soon as possible."
read … Donovan
Geniuses at UHWO Used Wrong Address for Months
SA: University of Hawaii-West O‘ahu officials have been giving out the wrong address for their campus for the past six months, but an estimated 1,800 students and 60 faculty still showed up for the first day of classes Monday.
UH-West O‘ahu officials estimated that they have spent only about $1,000 on "some quick brochures" that have the wrong address of 91-1000 Farrington Highway in Kapolei instead of the actual address of 91-1001 Farrington Highway.
"We don't have letterhead, we didn't order business cards yet," said UH-West O‘ahu spokeswoman Kalowena Komeiji. "There are some good things about being a government agency and moving slowly."
But Felix Bagoyo, postmaster at the post office in Waipahu, told UH-West O‘ahu officials as long as six months ago that addresses makai of Farrington Highway — such as UH-West O‘ahu — have to have odd numbers, said Duke Gonzales, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service in Hawaii.
"One side is odd, one side is even," Gonzales said. "Everything makai of Farrington would be odd. Everything mauka would be even. There shouldn't be that much question.
read … About the Enlightened, Conscious, and Progressive Elites who are smarter than you
Clapp is finalist for AD job at Montana
SA: Associate athletic director Carl Clapp, the No. 2 administrator in the University of Hawaii athletic department, will interview for the Montana AD job Monday in Missoula.
A spokesman for Montana said Clapp is one of four finalists for the position, and the school hopes to announce its choice soon after Labor Day.
In 2005 then-UH associate AD Tom Sadler was a finalist at Montana. The job eventually went to UM development director Jim O'Day.
Five months ago Montana fired O'Day and football coach Robin Pflugrad for the handling of sexual assault allegations involving athletes, the Missoulian newspaper reported.
read … Fleeing a Sinking Ship
North Shore Enviros Prepare to Defeat Fale in Favor of No-Name Democrat
CB: In a peculiarity of Hawaii politics, Republicans have a track record of championing environmental causes in the Legislature, recently putting Democrats on the defensive for attempts to limit environmental controls that they say are stunting development and job creation.
Riviere, who won the House seat in 2010, led the successful court challenge that forced Turtle Bay developers to revise an environmental impact statement that was done 25 years ago as part of major expansion plans. The case, which went all the way to the Hawaii Supreme Court, has delayed the resort’s development plans for at least five years. …
Riviere attributed his loss to what he described as an anti-Mufi Hannemann sentiment that pervaded this election session. He said many of his supporters were more interested in voting against Hannemann on the Democratic ballot, and under Hawaii's primary system, that meant they could not vote a Republican ballot in other races.
“I’m collateral damage of Tulsi wiping out Mufi,” he said….
North Shore residents who have fought vigorously against large-scale development, now say they are faced with two candidates who lack a track record when it comes to development.
Little is known about Beirne’s record, they say. The candidate did not return a call from Civil Beat for comment. (That’s right. The enviros are going to elect a Democrat placeholder name-on-the-ballot candidate rather than let Fale win.)
But when it comes to relaxing environmental regulations, she told Civil Beat in a written candidate questionnaire:
I believe that all development need to follow the process, even for government agencies, however, if an emergency occurs as a school burns down and needs to be rebuilt, consideration based on needs can be evaluated. Even “sensible development” need to be evaluated. (Huh?)
Fale, on the other hand, has been very vocal about his support for Envision Laie and with his views about environmental groups that oppose development.
read … The Entirely Predictable Result
Secretive HGEA, ILWU, AFSCME Super PAC Burns Dues Money on Hirono, Hanabusa
CB: Working Families for Hawaii has spent more than $70,000 supporting Democratic candidate Mazie Hirono, including nearly $34,000 on radio spots bashing former Democratic primary candidate Ed Case.
The form lists the HGEA as a "connected" organization. And subsequent FEC filings show that HGEA in June and July gave the super PAC $721. The contributions were itemized as “Administrative/Salary Costs.”
Working Families' organizational report states that a woman named Maureen Wakuzawa is the super PAC’s custodian of records. As it turns out, Wakuzawa is the financial services controller at HGEA.
The form does name Guy Fujimura as the group’s treasurer. Fujimura is the secretary and treasurer of Hawaii’s ILWU.
Low profile or not, Working Families has been an active player in this election, filing required financial disclosures — even 24- and 48-hour notices in accordance with FEC regulations.
The super PAC in 2010 also spent $241,000 supporting Colleen Hanabusa's congressional campaign.
The group’s biggest donor is the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a national Washington, D.C.-based public services employees union affiliated with HGEA. The union in June gave the group $200,000.
We'll wager that this won't be the last we see of the super PAC. As of late July, Working Families of Hawaii had about $137,000 cash on hand.
read … Unions Try to Buy Election
Progressives Remain Bitter that HMC Hospitals Were Not Forced to Close Back in 2003
Think Progress: When she was Governor of Hawaii, Lingle vetoed a bill that would have required hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims who wanted it, citing hospitals with religious objections. She even boasts about the veto on her website.
At the time, there was only one Catholic hospital system in the state, (wrong, there were two) St. Francis Medical Center, (E and W, hello?) which would probably not have received any rape victims anyway, since it did not host an OB-GYN program (never heard of emergency room, eh?).
read … But as soon as their boy Abercrombie got in, the hospitals were pau
Federal Judge Hears Oral arguments in Rail Case
PBN: Both sides left the court feeling good about their chances.
“We are encouraged by the questions the judge was asking,” Adams said after court.
“It went very well for us,” Slater added.
Gary Takeuchi, the city’s corporation counsel who listened in, said he thought it went well for rail’s side. “We will have to wait and see how it turns out.”
read … Ruling Comes Next
Carlisle paid price at polls for beefing with Cayetano
Shapiro: In 2010, when Carlisle won a special election to finish Mufi Hannemann's term, Cayetano was a key ally in stumping for him and helping him raise funds.
Cayetano, a leading anti-railer, knew Carlisle favored the $2.6 billion project and didn't expect him to stop it.
He did, however, extract a promise from Carlisle "to consider seriously all sides of the rail issue — and if you decide to go ahead with rail, then to do it right."
Carlisle acknowledged this in an election-night-victory interview when he said Cayetano would be one of his advisers on transportation issues.
But he gave no ear to Cayetano or any other rail critic. He kept Hannemann's team, hewed to Hannemann's rail plan and continued Hannemann's practice of bashing critics.
A frustrated Cayetano joined Walter Heen, Randall Roth and Cliff Slater in a federal lawsuit challenging the rail environmental impact statement.
If Carlisle had simply said, "I respectfully disagree with my friend Ben Cayetano, and we'll see what the court says," it's highly unlikely Cayetano would have come out of a comfortable retirement to run against him.
But Carlisle turned it personal by likening the Cayetano group to the traitorous Chinese "Gang of Four," deriding his "mansion on top of a hill" and depicting him as a geezer stuck in "the solutions of 30 or 40 years ago."
It not only got Cayetano's dander up, but also got him thinking that maybe a tough old geezer was just what was needed to save our grandchildren from ruin — not only on rail costs, but also on Oahu's crumbling infrastructure and the takeover of public policy by special interests.
read … Grab Torino
Only a Few Millionaires in Legislature
CB: Thielen emerged as the wealthiest representative by far, reporting millions in real estate, investments, and income. As a beneficiary of a number of trusts, her annual income from trusts alone ranges from $200,000 to $350,000.
Her total ownership in trusts is worth over $1.5 million, and her property ownership is valued between $2.65 and $4 million. Depending on where her assets fall within the given ranges, Thielen's total wealth may be upwards of $7 million.
In contrast, the next wealthiest representative is Rep. Jerry Chang, whose assets are worth at most $2.2 million, not including his partial ownership of ABSC Development Co. and Koa Real Estate.
In the Senate, Sen. Robert Kouchi reported the most wealth, with assets potentially worth up to $1.5 million. The bulk of his wealth derives from his property in Lihue valued between $650,000 and $1 million.
read … Only a few millionaires
Absentee Voting: Negatives Greatly Outweigh the Positives
HR: Hawaii voters are being herded like sheep to vote by mailed absentee ballots, and eventually to vote electronically through the internet. Holding elections that way would save a lot of money, produce immediate final results the moment the "polls" close, and be extremely convenient for voters. It might increase the dismal percentage of registered voters who actually vote.
But would abolishing election-day in-person voting be in the best interests of individual voters? Would it open the door to fraudulent vote-counting through electronic or procedural skullduggery at election headquarters or by outside hackers? Would it allow unethical politicians to "help" (i.e. intimidate) frail elderly voters or people whose English is poor, to mark their absentee ballots for them in their homes, while "walking the district"? ….
According to a story by Chad Blair in "Civil Beat" online newspaper, Romy Cachola stole the election from Nicole Velasco by using absentee ballots. "Cachola won 51 percent to 46 percent. ... But if only Election Day and early walk-in votes had been counted, Velasco would have won in a landslide, 60 percent to 36 percent. ... more than 70 percent of those who voted for Cachola in the Democratic primary against Velasco did so via a mail-in ballot. That was by far the highest percentage in Hawaii. ..." Blair reported interviewing a family who had done sign-waving for Velasco but were forced to vote for Cachola as he stood over them in their home.
read … Absentee Voting: Negatives Greatly Outweigh the Positives
PEW: Hawaii Voter Participation, Registration Lowest in Nation
PR: The Pew Center on the States has a new interactive map that tracks voter participation over two decades.
- Hawaii had the lowest percent of eligible Americans who were registered to vote in six election cycles.
- Hawaii had the lowest percent of voted eligible Americans who had their vote counted in three of the eleven election cycles between 1990 and 2010.
read … Voter participation
Bribery? A&B Tied Foundation Hands out Cash to More Non-Profit Executives
SA: Executives from four Hawaii nonprofit organizations who have devoted themselves to the issues of substance abuse, the homeless, protecting endangered species and mentoring Hawaiian youth were named this year's recipients of Ho‘okele Awards in a ceremony Tuesday.
The program was established in 2002 by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation (ahem…that’s ‘Alexander’ as in Alexander and Baldwin) in an effort to strengthen leadership in the state's nonprofit sector. Awardees receive $10,000 to be used for their own professional development and personal renewal, according to the foundations….
Over the past 11 years, $440,000 has been awarded to 46 nonprofit leaders. Of the 46, 42 remain in the nonprofit and public sectors.
One challenge of the two foundations has been getting award recipients to make full use of the money they are given, Taketa said.
"They're not used to carving out time for themselves, they're not used to taking vacations," he said.
read … No influence buying here, eh?
Wind Farm Operators Plan to Bring More Toxic Lead Batteries to Kahuku
Hayes, Texas: Xtreme Power, headquartered in Kyle, is working with Hawaii’s First Wind to repair a 10,000 square-foot battery warehouse after a fire destroyed the facility at a wind farm on the north shore of Oahu earlier this month, according to Greg Vistica, Xtreme Power spokesperson….
Xtreme Power filed a lawsuit against Dynapower Corp., the maker of specially designed inverters that contained the defective capacitors. Vistica said Xtreme Power purchased them specifically for the Kahuku wind farm project.
The lawsuit, filed before this recent fire, claims breach of implied and express warranty, negligence and breach of contract. Company officials estimate the repairs will cost millions of dollars. Vistica was not able to estimate the most recent fire damage, as the investigation was still underway.
Vistica said Xtreme Power runs similar facilities in Antarctica and Kyle; no fires have been reported at either location….
Vistica would not comment on whether there was suspicion of arson or sabotage at the facility. He said the investigation should provide answers to some aspects of the incidents that are still in question.
The plan, according to Vistica, is to rebuild the facility in Hawaii.
Xtreme Power is currently working with Duke Energy to build a $44 million wind battery project in West Texas that will store electricity during off peak times. According to the Odessa Economic Development Corporation, this is the largest project of its kind in the world; the battery will store 36 megawatts.
Read … About the Plan to Spew More Toxic Lead in Hawaii
Quid: Gentry Gives OHA $7.5M Discount on Pacific Design Center
PBN: The sale of the Gentry Pacific Design Center in Honolulu to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has closed, according public conveyance tax documents from the Hawaii Department of Taxation, which said that the state agency paid $21.37 million for the center.
The 185,787-square-foot building at 560 N. Nimitz Highway and its three parcels had been assessed for about $28.8 million in 2008, according to tax records.
read … And what did OHA Agree to do for Gentry?
1,000 Units Planned for Old Advertiser Site
SA: A local affordable housing developer has arranged to buy the former Honolulu Advertiser building in Kakaako, and envisions building two towers of affordable condominiums on the site while preserving the historic News Building.
The plan by Marshall Hung and partner Tradewind Capital Group Inc. is the latest in a string of development efforts for the 3.7-acre property.
California developer Franco Mola previously had an agreement to buy the property from former Advertiser owner Gannett Pacific Corp., and filed preliminary plans with the state to develop two affordable-housing towers on the site at 605 Kapiolani Blvd.
But Mola’s deal fell through, and Hung stepped in.
The Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency governing development in Kakaako, has met with representatives of the developer and understands that as many a 1,000 units may be part of Hung’s proposal, according to agency executive director Anthony Ching
read … 1,000 Units
Hawaii and Japan Forge Renewable Energy Commitment
MEDIA RELEASE: Late Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with governors from Hiroshima, Saga, and Shizuoka prefectures.
The MOUs will solidify Hawaii’s and Japan’s commitment to engaging in technological development in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Earlier in the day, the dignitaries, along with U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, Abercrombie and L. Gov. Brian Schatz and members of the U.S. Japan Council, met to discuss exchange and cooperation related to clean energy and trade.
read … Hawaii and Japan Forge Renewable Energy Commitment
Administrator Scammed Queens out of $640K
SA: A woman who scammed her way into an administrator job at the Queen's Medical Center and then stole nearly $640,000 from the hospital is going back to prison.
A federal judge sentenced Patricia M. Syling in May 2009 to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for mail fraud. U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway also ordered Syling to repay the $639,430 she stole.
As the hospital's corporate compliance officer, Syling negotiated consulting contracts to businesses she secretly owned and that performed no work for the hospital.
read … Back to Prison
Gun advocates banned from HPD's Facebook page sue city
SA: Two gun advocates who run a charity called the Hawaii Defense Foundation are suing the city because they claim the Honolulu Police Department has censored, removed and banned their comments from HPD’s Facebook page.
The comments have been critical of HPD and HPD officials.
The plaintiffs are also suing Capt. Andrew Lum, who maintains the HPD Facebook page.
Christopher Baker and Derek Scammon filed their lawsuit in U.S. District Court today. They are also asking the court for a restraining order and injunction.
read …Free Speech?
President Cleveland grandson Feature in Sovereignty Activists’ Dog n Pony Show
Saturday, Sept. 1, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Iolani Palace
Monday, Sept. 3, 5:30 – 8 p.m., Maluhia Lutheran Church, 85-256 Farrington Hwy, Waianae
Wednesday, Sept. 4, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., St. Andrews Cathedral (Von Holt Room)$40
read … News Release
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