Medicare Fraud: Queens Hospital Forced to Pay $1.05M

UHERO: Is Hawaii Losing Its Middle Class?

Performance Contracts Strengthen Charter School Accountability

Hawaii Electric Vehicle Fuel Cost Nearly the Same as Gasoline

Hurricane? Honolulu 4th Most Overdue and Vulnerable

State Historic Preservation Director Quits Under Fire from Feds

Abercrombie Appoints Asselbaye, Halagao to BoE, Signs Gun Control Bill, Others

SA: HHSC board chairman Avery Chumbley confirmed the board has taken action to remove Anderson as president and CEO and will release a public statement later today....

Anderson was at odds with the board over a controversial move to privatize part of the HHSC system with Banner Health, according to sources involved with HHSC who asked not to be identified because the information hasn’t been publicly released.

HHSC also has faced scrutiny because the cost to convert to electronic medical records at its 14 public hospitals will likely exceed $100 million over five years, nearly double earlier projections.

read ... HHSC Headed for Oblivion

150 Old Boys Rally for Hanabusa

CB: Inouye's name was evoked frequently at the campaign event, which about 150 people attended at Bishop Museum.

In attendance at the Atherton Halau were political heavyweights like Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Kauai MayorBernard Carvalho Jr., Big Isle Mayor Billy Kenoi, former Sen. Daniel Akaka, former Govs. George Ariyoshi and Ben Cayetano, retired Hawaii Chief Justice Ron Moon and retired banker Walter Dods (who?).

OK, more shameless name-dropping: state Sens. Will Espero — said to be gearing up for a run for the seat Hanabusa is vacating — Michelle Kidani, Donovan Dela Cruz and Jill Tokuda; state Reps. Marcus Oshiro, Ryan Yamane, Jo Jordan, Sharon Har and Scott Nishimoto; former legislators Bob Nakata, Sam Aiona and Annelle Amaral; party photographer extraordinaire George Waialeale, Inouye's longtime chief of staff Jennifer Sabas and Inouye's widow, Irene Hirano Inouye and son Ken Inouye.

read ... Stuck in the Past

Stanley Chang: Donors Skeptical About my Readiness

SA: City Councilman Stanley Chang, the only declared candidate in the race for the 1st Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Colleen Hana­busa, raised $158,000 in the second quarter of the year, according to preliminary figures released Tuesday.

For the year to date, Chang has raised $183,700 and is expected to have about $162,000 in cash on hand when accounting is completed for the quarter.

Chang, a Demo­crat who declared for the race in April, released the figures early. Candidate reports are due to the Federal Election Commission on July 15....

Chang, in his first term on the Council representing Waikiki-Hawaii Kai, said potential donors who are skeptical of his readiness for Congress have responded positively to his message that the campaign is not about an individual, but about improving the future of Hawaii.

Reality: Stanley Chang Suspended by Bar Association

read ... Will this scare away other Democrats?

Gay Atheists Target Fukumoto

PR: Lee and others have blamed her loss to Rep. Beth Fukumoto (R, Mililani-Mililani Mauka-Waipio Acres) on outreach by conservative Christian groups that were critical of Lee. But the veteran Democrat narrowly escaped defeat to a political unknown in 2010, and the district changed demographically when it was redrawn after the census.

Fukumoto has said that minority House Republicans, who joined with progressive Democrats in House Speaker Joseph Souki's leadership coalition, helped prevent same-sex marriage last session. Lee said she will not hide her support for same-sex marriage in her campaign.

"I will run again next year, and I will be up front about my support for same sex unions," Lee said in an email. "After all, who wants to go up against the march of history, or against what is the right thing to do."

read ... Bow Down to your Gay Lords

Civil Beat Poll Sampled Mostly Gun Control Nuts

CB: By a more than 2-to-1 margin, Hawaii voters want a ban on semi-automatic military-style assault weapons in the islands.

An even larger percentage (79 percent) support a national law expanding background checks for gun sales made at gun shows and over the Internet.

A healthy majority (62 percent) also likes the idea of a ballot initiative system at the state level that would allow residents to place issues directly before voters just by getting enough valid signatures on a petition.

But should Memorial Day be held every May 30 rather than the Monday that falls at the end of May? It's something U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa has proposed through federal legislation.

Nope: By 51 percent to 31 percent, Hawaii voters don't want to mess with their three-day weekends.

LINK: Civil Beat Poll - Full Questionnaire and Results — June 2013

PR: Internals

read ... Garbage In, Garbage Out

New evaluations to greet teachers as classes begin

SA: The Department of Education has finalized details of its new "educator effectiveness" system — a redesigned teacher evaluation that takes into account student academic achievement — as it prepares to unveil the rating system statewide when school starts Aug. 5.

The department will use the next year to smooth any bumps, and beginning July 1, 2015, pay raises and other personnel consequences, such as termination, will be tied to teachers' ratings. Evaluations for new hires on probation, however, will include employment repercussions starting in the 2013-14 school year.

Education officials say the new system will provide feedback to help all teachers improve while identifying ineffective teachers and recognizing those who are excelling in the classroom. Overhauling teacher evaluations was a key pledge — and one of several major reforms — in the state's application for its $75 million federal Race to the Top grant.

"This is not about firing teachers. It's about trying to improve teaching," schools Superintendent Kathryn Mata­yo­shi said Tuesday. "We hire 800 to 1,000 new teachers a year. We're not looking to get rid of people. We want to help our current teachers get better."

The changes will affect more than 12,500 Hawaii public school teachers.

With agreement from the teachers union, half of a teacher's annual evaluation will be based on student learning and growth, measured in part by student test scores. The other half will be based on teaching practices and will be rated through classroom observations and student surveys.

read ... Believe it when the first incompetent teacher is fired

Shapiro: Rewrite law on civil unions to call them gay marriages

Shapiro: Under either name, same-sex couples would receive all state benefits of marriage provided under Hawaii law.

And whether it was called marriage or civil union, gay couples would be denied federal marital benefits because of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act passed by Congress to define marriage as between a man and woman.

That all changed last week when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down DOMA, ruling that defining marriage is a state right and that it's discriminatory to deny federal marital benefits to couples whose marriages have been legally recognized by their states.

It now appears to matter a great deal from a legal standpoint what gay unions are called at the state level.

PR: Gays Count Votes on House Judiciary Committee

read ... Shapiro

UH management ranks swelled by 14% during recession

HNN: The University of Hawaii increased its number of executive managers by 14 percent from 2006 to 2012, costing taxpayers millions more a year during the recession when many businesses experienced layoffs or job freezes and the university dealt with massive budget cuts.

"I think we are overloaded on administrative positions.  We've got too many cooks and not enough broth," said State Sen. Sam Slom (R-Hawaii Kai, Kahala). "It looks like Hawaii's number one growth industry.  More bureaucratic executives, more salaries.  It just keeps going on and on." ...

In 2006, UH had 195 executive managers, everyone from the UH president to vice presidents, vice chancellors, deans, associate deans and even administrative and executive assistants, according to lists of positions and salaries released by UH.

The number of UH managers went up to 223 as of May 2012, an increase of 14 percent, according to those annual reports released by the university.

More managers have cost more money.  UH top officials' salaries went from $23.5 million a year in 2006 to $32.2 million last year. That's a 37-percent increase in salary costs for newly-created positions and higher pay for existing management personnel.    

"UH has added huge amounts of overhead to the administration with nothing to show for it, other than a less-efficient system," said University of Hawaii Professional Assembly Chief Technology Officer Peter Kay....

J.N. Musto, executive director of the union that represents nearly 4,000 faculty at 10 UH campuses across the state, said, "In a system where you've duplicated everything.  You've got a vice president for research (for the UH system), you've got a vice chancellor for research (at UH Manoa)." 

CB: BoR Plans to Hire Local Firm to Search for Local President

SA: UH presidential traits listed

Surprised? Executive compensation at UC: MRC Greenwood and the $871 million dollar secret

read ... MRC Was Here

To Keep Department Heads in Line, Abercrombie Withholds 5%

SA: The Abercrombie administration says it remains optimistic about the state's economic recovery but will continue to withhold 5 percent of discretionary spending from state departments as a precaution.

The 5 percent restriction will be used as a contingency reserve in case the recovery is not sustainable. A budget memo sent to state departments Friday said the state's tourism-driven economy is vulnerable to national and international factors, including a contraction in federal spending, economic volatility in Europe, slowdowns in Asia and unrest in the Middle East. (Translation: Toe the line.  I've got an excuse to cut your department.)

"Even though the state is doing better financially and fiscally, it's still more prudent to have available a contingency reserve for overall statewide operations should there be any issues or developments that could curtail the overall economic condition," said Kalbert Young, the state's budget director.

read ... Discipline

Big Cable to Skip Lanai, Head for Big Island

PBN: Hawaii State Energy Office Administrator Mark Glick said Tuesday that the 200-megawatt portion of the so-called “Big Wind” project on Lanai isn’t essential for helping the state reach its renewable energy goal.

Glick told PBN that the planned $1 billion undersea cable project, which would connect Oahu to Maui and the Big Island, but not Molokai and apparently not Lanai, is about to get some traction soon.

That’s because the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission is expected to be outlining a plan for the cable project in the coming weeks, Glick said.

Glick also pointed out that the state thinks it would be appropriate to have geothermal support from the Big Island to support this overall interconnection.

read ... Glick: Hawaii doesn’t need Lanai’s Big Wind to reach renewable energy goal

Gabbard, Tied to Organic Industry, Backs Anti-GMO Push

KGI: Fern Rosentiel asked for Gabbard’s support with encouraging the County Council to continue its work to force the major seed grower companies on Kauai to release information about chemical mixing and use on the island.

“Does our county have a right to protect health and life?” she said.

“I would say absolutely,” Gabbard replied. “It is not only can we protect health and life, it is a responsibility.”

Reality: To Stop Mufi, Mrs Abercrombie Joins the Chris Butler Cult

More Reality: Organic Profiteers: 15% Sales Boost from Anti-GMO Hype

read ... Organic Profiteer

HNN: By 9 a.m. city council members already faced over 12 hours of testimony and a stack about a foot high of more than 200 documents that had been submitted, along with YouTube videos.  By Noon, more than 350 people had signed up to voice their opinion.  There was so much interest in today's public hearing, four additional satellite locations in Hilo, Waimea, Pahoa and Oceanview were opened to accommodate the overflow expected at the main City Council site in Kona.

Among those who support the bill is Hawai'i Island resident, Roseanne Barr.

"I live by Waipio Valley and everybody talks about that's a seed bank for the future.  So the people have big ecological consciousness and awareness here, so this is like Ground Zero of GMO and a lot of us are really passionate against it," said Barr.

GMO biotech is the state's largest agriculture industry and is reportedly worth about $243 million.  Genetically-modified seed increases crop production at lower costs because they're resistant to herbicides and insects.

"This piece of legislation is mistaken in its basic assumption that agriculture biotech crops present health and safety issues," said Hawaii Crop Improvement Association President Mark Phillipson during his testimony.

Right now the only GMO crop growing on Hawaii Island is the transgenic Rainbow papaya, which is resistant to the ringspot virus.  Bill 79 would allow Rainbow papaya to still be grown, but would require farmers to prove the crops are "physically contained" and incapable of contaminating non-transgenic products.

"I'm against this bill, and I would like for them to bring it back up and put a task force together of all the folks that are relevant to this discussion.  And what the discussion needs to be is how are we going to achieve food security?" said Richard Ha, a banana farmer.

Testimony will resume Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. at all five council sites and additional people will be allowed to sign up.

read ... Will Council Bow to Hollywood Trash?

Kauai’s Free Range Lobbyists

CB: Thirty-five years ago, Hawaii voters approved an amendment to the State Constitution strengthening the regulation of ethics, and requiring state and county ethics codes to meet certain minimum standards, including the registration and regulation of lobbyists.

But Kauai County apparently never got the message. Kauai still has no system for regulating lobbyists, and county officials seem blissfully unaware they have been ignoring a key constitutional provision for decades.

read ... 35 Years of Solitude

6000 Security Guards Claim to be Neither Criminals nor Lunatics

MN: The Board of Private Detectives and Guards continued to review hundreds of security guard applications over the weekend as officials work to comply with the state's new licensing law.

"We're still working overtime," Executive Officer Charlene Tamanaha said. "Even though the deadline has passed, we're still trying to get to all the applications."

Operating under the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the board received 354 applications on Saturday and Sunday, with most of them (326) from Oahu, she said.

Three applications were filed on Maui at the Business Action Center in the Maui Mall.

The revised law for guard licensing went into effect on Monday. It requires all people working in a guard capacity to undergo a total of 12 hours in classroom and on-the-job training, as well as a background check.

The board has received about 6,000 applications so far, with 3,728 processed or waiting for review, and 2,000 pending processing, said Brent Suyama, communications officer with the DCCA.

read ... And the rest?

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