New Player on the Team: Hawaii Family Advocates
20 years of Agriculture in Hawaii: Very Small and Shrinking
Hirono Suggests Inouye not Effective
Ewa Planning Commission Rejects Movie Studio and Hotel for Kalaeloa
No to Tax Increases: Yes to Budget Cuts
Honolulu Magazine: How HSTA, DoE Gave us Furlough Fridays
HM: …when I received a press release from Mazie Hirono's campaign today alleging that former Gov. Linda Lingle was entirely responsible for the Furlough Fridays debacle in 2009, which cost Hawaii's students 17 instructional days, I took the bait and watched the campaign video.
The video may convince those with short memories, but even those people can Google the historical record, which is this: While the Lingle administration definitely required state departments to make cuts in the face of steeply declining tax receipts as the economy tanked, the specific decision to cut that many instructional days was something worked out between the Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Here's what we said about that at the time.
There's a link in that Off My Desk item to a news report of the time with more details, I'll repeat that here: a Sep. 25, 2009 article in The Honolulu Advertiser.
Key quote from the Advertiser: "In scheduling 17 furlough days that will shut down Hawaii's public schools, the Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association agreed not to use any of the six available waiver and professional development days to offset the loss of instructional time or relieve parents of child-care worries."
Hirono's campaign conveniently leaves this fact out. But then, Hirono is endorsed by the HSTA, which may explain why her campaign's memory of those days is so selective.
We've pointed out, for years now, that one of the problems with such a massive, politicized state bureaucracy is that it can find political cover when it needs it, to shield the adults in the system from any accountability, no matter how poorly they serve the students and the taxpayers. It was obvious in 2009, and should be remembered now, that Furlough Fridays was nothing less than organized government labor making sure the public would hurt just as much as the union over pay cuts. It was a strike, in everything but name.
read … Honolulu Magazine
Lingle, Djou Wow ‘em in Waikiki
HNN: Six candidates were invited to a forum hosted by the Waikiki Neighborhood Board. But only two -- both Republicans -- were able to make it.
Former Gov. Linda Lingle, who's running for the U.S. Senate, and Charles Djou, running to reclaim his 1st District seat in Congress, appeared at the forum to answer questions posed by the board at the Sheraton Waikiki….
Lingle was quick to point out Hirono's other no-shows.
"It's been disappointing that my opponent doesn't want to show up in public to defend her positions," said Lingle. "She's turned down every community organization except one, and she won't appear on any of the neighbor islands with me to discuss the issues that are important there."
Lingle also told the gathering one of her main campaign points, again while noting Hirono's absence.
"If she was here, she would tell you, you should vote for her because she will support President Obama. And I tell you, I'm not going to Washington D.C. to support President Obama or Mitt Romney. I'm going there to support you," Lingle said.
Djou focused on his main campaign point, the economy.
"Our economy is moving far too slowly," said Djou. "Unemployment is far too high, and what is crushing us is the 16 trillion-dollar national debt. That works out to over 50-thousand dollars per person in our country."
As they were appearing at a Waikiki Neighborhood Board gathering, Djou and Lingle both said they would work to support the industry that's a large part of the area.
read … Waikiki
Dem Leaders Ask To Stay, But Hirono Heads Home
CB: DC808 caught up with Hawaii Rep. Mazie Hirono after the voting was done to see what she thought of her party’s stated desire to eschew the campaign trail and instead stay in Washington to continue the people’s work.
“Clearly, I think that we should have spent a lot more our time here creating jobs and getting our economy going,” Hirono said, avoiding the question in an interview at the Rayburn Room near the House Chamber.
Remember, Hirono missed votes last week, and she has plans to fly to Hawaii Saturday to resume her race against Republican Linda Lingle.
read … Dem Leaders Ask To Stay, But Hirono Heads Home
Rail land-buy poses conflict of interest
SA: A document submitted by transit officials to the City Council in July indicates the Honolulu rail authority plans to buy First Hawaiian Bank property worth more than $5.7 million, but city officials now say the document is incorrect and outdated.
Any plan by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to buy bank property would raise potential conflict-of-interest issues because current and former First Hawaiian Bank executives are overseeing development of the publicly funded rail project.
Jeanne Mariani-Belding, public information officer for HART, acknowledged the rail property acquisition list submitted to the City Council on July 26 includes a notation that the city intends to make a "full acquisition" of a 1.28-acre First Hawaiian Bank parcel near the bank's operations center in Kalihi.
That property is being used as a landscaped parking lot for First Hawaiian employees and is valued for tax purposes at $5.72 million.
read … First Hawaiian Bank
OHA probes age of burials unearthed by Kawaiaha‘o
SA: The state Office of Hawaiian Affairs is questioning the age of human burials — to date, more than 600 sets of remains — removed by Kawaiaha‘o Church in preparation for building a $17.5 million multipurpose center.
The state agency advocating for Native Hawaiians sent a letter this week to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources requesting detailed information about the burials to show whether they are all Christian burials, as the church contends, or whether some predate the church and should be protected by Hawaii’s historic burial law.
Kawaiaha‘o was established in 1842 to become Hawaii’s first church, and it has been allowed to disinter an unlimited number of human remains, or iwi kupuna, under an exemption to the burial law that gives special protections to traditional Hawaiian burials.
The exemption applies to known and actively maintained cemeteries, and was approved by DLNR and upheld by a Circuit Court judge.
read … Burials
Honolulu mayor candidates Caldwell and Cayetano give insights about mass transit and traffic
PBN: After sitting down with Honolulu mayoral candidates Kirk Caldwell and former Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano on Friday, I got some more insight into how they think when it comes to mass transit to help ease the city's traffic woes.
Caldwell is for tweaking the elevated-rail project to make it look better and protect views, while Cayetano, fresh off a trip to see bus rapid transit system in Los Angeles this week, said adding buses and finding ways for such a system to navigate Oahu’s traffic congestion makes more sense and is cheaper. Construction of the rail transit project stopped last month because of a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling.
read … Insight
Departure of Abercrombie Spokesperson Tied to Unity House Bankruptcy
HR: “It’s been a year now, things have settled, and I have plenty of other things to do,” he said.
Boersema is board chairman and secretary of Unity House, Inc., a $20-million non-profit that provides benefits and stages events for members of the Teamsters and Hotel-Restaurant workers unions here.
Unity House has been in federal bankruptcy reorganization proceedings for more than a year but is due to be discharged soon, said Boersema.
read … Top Aide Leaving Abercrombie Adminstration
No Confidence Vote for MRC Greenwood
HNN: University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood, who has come under criticism for her handling of the failed Stevie Wonder concert and its aftermath, could face a "no confidence" vote before the UH Manoa Faculty Senate in November.
"President Greenwood has lost our confidence. We no longer have confidence in her leadership and we would like her to resign immediately," said 40-year UH ethnic studies professor Noel Kent (Marxist), who proposed the "no confidence" vote at the senate's first meeting of the school year on Wednesday.
"What we're seeing is a crisis of credibility," Kent said. The university is really experiencing a crisis of belief in the people we need to believe in our university. Those are our taxpayers, those are our students, those are our citizens."
In reaction, the UH released a statement that said, "President Greenwood has the deepest respect for the faculty. She would be happy to meet with any faculty senate at any time."
Each of UH ten campuses has a faculty senate. If the UH Manoa faculty senate approves holding the no confidence vote at its next meeting in mid October all 86 faculty senate members will vote on the matter in November.
"An assertion of no confidence is not something faculties across the country take lightly," said Bonnyjean Manini, head of the Faculty Senate that represents about 2,200 faculty members on the UH's flagship Manoa campus. "There is clearly enough that has happened in the last year to give reason for faculty members to feel that we need to have a discussion about this issue."
read … no confidence
Seitz Sues, Claims State Promises to Put DoH Administrators Back to Work
HNN: Hawaii News Now has learned that the state Health Department and a special task force set up by Gov. Neil Abercrombie wants to restore many of the cuts like those faced by providers like Hale Na'au Pono.
They're also looking to re-activate many of the 319 mental health and other state Health Department positions lost in 2009.
Health Director Loretta Fuddy made that disclosure during recent settlement talks over a lawsuit filed by three former mental health administrators who lost their jobs during the downsizings, said their attorney Eric Seitz.
"We were given assurances that the Department of Health ... has convened an interdepartmental task force comprise of department heads and several other people to look at restoring some of the 350-some odd jobs cut and many of the critical programs," said Seitz….
The Health Department says it's too early to say which programs will be reinstated or how many people will be rehired.
"As we work with the governor to rebuild public health services, the DOH will request additional funding to restore positions in most critical areas as resources and the economy permit," Fuddy said in an email to Hawaii News Now.
read … Mental Health
HPD Officers Charges Dismissed
SA: Charges against two former members of the Honolulu Police Department’s DUI checkpoint unit have been dismissed a little more than a month after they pleaded no contest to falsifying arrest reports in order to pad overtime earnings.
Christopher and Patrick Bugarin pleaded no contest Aug. 7 to one charge each of tampering with a government record.
State Circuit Judge Edward Kubo told the brothers if they each paid a $500 fine and stayed out of trouble for three months, he would dismiss the charges.
read … Charges against former members of DUI team are dismissed
High Hurdles Remain for Kihei High School
MW: As final environmental impact statement awaits governor’s signature, “there is no agreed upon plan to fund the construction.”
read … Kihei HS
Maui Council votes 8-0 for GMO Labels
MN: David Stoltzfus of Monsanto testified against asking the Legislature to require GMO labeling. He said food labeling is a federal responsibility and that federal research and regulatory agencies have conducted studies "that show no health or safety concerns that would call for the labeling of genetically modified crops."
(But it would help the organic industry rake in mega profits.)
read … Bought and Paid for by the ‘Organic’ Industry
More scrutiny needed of money going to nonprofits
MN: Over the last several decades, the County Council has given tens of millions of our tax dollars to nonprofit organizations. It is becoming increasingly evident that the process for selecting which nonprofits receive what is flawed to the point of being comical. It is also evident that the County Council has zero accountability as to what happens to those tax dollars that it gives to nonprofits.
Before any more money is given to nonprofits, a more thorough system of evaluating the nonprofits must be put in place. Also, a method for holding the nonprofits accountable must be enacted and it should include the requirement of frequent reports and criminal penalties for wrongdoing.
read … Profitable Nonprofits
Kim, Kenoi debate CDPs, geothermal energy
WHT: Community development plans, geothermal energy and the economy took center stage Friday when Mayor Billy Kenoi and former Mayor Harry Kim faced off at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Both candidates for the county’s top job pledged to support expanding geothermal energy but also promised close monitoring to protect the the safety of nearby residents.
Kenoi called the current controversy “the politics of fear.”
“There is certainly a response in place,” Kenoi said, of evacuation plans should something go wrong.
Kim, who was county Civil Defense administrator before he became mayor, agreed there are evacuation plans in Puna. But he wants to ensure that a new geothermal plant planned for West Hawaii is built to the highest standards. The state’s efforts to take away home rule from the county over energy development was one of the main reasons he’s seeking another term, Kim said.
“Make sure you do it right to protect the people,” Kim said.
read … Debate
Tax Credit in Doubt, Wind Power Industry Is Withering
NYT: Last month, Gamesa, a major maker of wind turbines, completed the first significant order of its latest innovation: a camper-size box that can capture the energy of slow winds, potentially opening new parts of the country to wind power.
But by the time the last of the devices, worth more than $1.25 million, was hitched to a rail car, Gamesa had furloughed 92 of the 115 workers who made them.
without the tax credit in place, the wind business “falls off a cliff,” said Ryan Wiser, a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who studies the market potential of renewable electricity sources.
The industry’s precariousness was apparent a few weeks ago at the Gamesa factory, as a crew loaded the guts of the company’s newest model of the component, a device known as a nacelle, into its fiberglass shell. Only 50 completed nacelles awaited pickup in a yard once filled with three times as many, most of the production line stood idle, and shelves rated to hold 7,270 pounds of parts and equipment lay bare….
Industry executives and analysts say that the looming end of the production tax credit, which subsidizes wind power by 2.2 cents a kilowatt-hour, has made project developers skittish about investing or going forward. That reluctance has rippled through the supply chain….
read … Republicans Save Lanai, Molokai from Wind farms
Crowley Asks Gabbard for TV Debate
CB: “I’m sure Tulsi recognizes the critical importance of a well informed electorate, as per the many stark differences between us on crucial issues facing Hawaii and our Nation, i.e. abortion, same sex marriage, gun control, the Rail, and foreign policy, just to name a few,” Crowley wrote to Gabbard’s campaign manager, Max Glass. “Time is running out to implement this insightful medium for the citizenry.”
Meanwhile, Crowley says he’s hopeful that he will be interviewed on CNN later this month.
read … Crowley vs Gabbard
Hawaii amends its UI law regarding rate determination appeals, exempt employment
Hawaii has amended its Employment Security Law and Temporary Disability Insurance Law as follows:
Rate determination appeals. The procedure regarding rate determination appeals has been clarified to state that the Department’s determination must be appealed by the employer to the referee and not directly to the circuit court. The referee’s determination will be final unless a proceeding for judicial review is commenced in the circuit court according to the manner set forth in the law.
Exempt employment. The term "employment" has been amended to exclude domestic in-home and community-based services for persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities provided pursuant to certain federal programs, or when provided through state-funded medical assistance to individuals ineligible for Medicaid and performed by an individual in the employ of a recipient of social service payments.
read … UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
Rep Clift Tsuji recovering from pneumonia
SA: "I am grateful for everyone's kindness and well wishes during my illness," he said in a statement. "I am receiving excellent care at Hilo Medical Center and look forward to being back 100 percent very soon."
read ... pneumonia
Candidate Tulsi Gabbard reports receiving death threat
SA: The candidate thinks the threat may have come from the same man whom a District Court judge issued a three-year injunction in March 2011 ordering him to stay away from the then-City Councilwoman, McCoy said.
read … Stalker
QUICK HITS:
· Gabbard receives death threat
· Pritchett's Pen: Bad planning by HART
· Electric companies ease path to solar electric power
· How your news gets disappeared by the Court
· Fishermen off Molokai find dock that may be from tsunami debris
· Volunteer work keeps retired Alexander & Baldwin chief Allen Doane busy
· Hawaii Council to meet over elections lawsuit, Sept. 25
· Runaway dock in Hawaii from Misawa, Japan, scientist says