Ashford Nomination Challenged on Ethics
Amendment Would Exempt Unions from paying Property Tax
CB: The Honolulu City Council has been considering new tax measures that would cut certain property tax exemptions.
One of the exemptions on the chopping block are those for labor unions, which under the city’s tax code are considered charities....
But now someone — not sure who yet — has introduced an amended version of Bill 34 that will still let the unions and their trust funds keep a little more money in their pockets.
You can read the latest version of Bill 34 here. The Honolulu City Council will meet Wednesday to discuss the new option.
read ... Unions Property Tax Exemption Has A Fighting Chance
Who would get off tax free:
1. Property owned by any nonprofit corporation, admission to membership of which is restricted by the corporate charter to members of a labor union;
2. Property owned by any government employees’ association or organization, one of the primary purposes of which is to improve employment conditions of its members; and
3. Property owned by any trust, the beneficiaries of which are restricted to members of a labor union. (Unity House = Tax Free)
read ... It for Yourself
Hawaii Health Connector: New 4.3% Tax on premiums is just the Beginning
SA: The Hawaii Health Connector, which is implementing the federal health insurance overhaul locally, decided Friday to charge insurance companies a 2 percent fee on premiums starting in January.
The fee will raise more than $5 million in 2014 to pay for the operations of the Connector, a government-affiliated nonprofit tasked with matching uninsured individuals with health insurance coverage.
The fees are scheduled to rise significantly in 2015 and 2016.
Hawaii Medical Service Association, the state's largest health insurer, said it will have to raise premiums for individuals purchasing insurance via the Connector to recoup the 2 percent fee....
In addition to the 2 percent fee charged by the Connector, insurers also will be subject to federal fees to help finance health reform. HMSA said it has already informed businesses that it will pass on federal fees and other taxes, but hasn't yet factored the local Connector fee into its rates. The federal fees will raise rates by 2.3 percent.
"There's going to be wild swings hikes (in premium rates)," Van Ribbink said. "It's all these different things that conspire to create a very volatile 2014."...
The state received $205 million in federal funds to build and launch the Connector, but that money isn't earmarked for ongoing operations.
read ... 2% fee on premiums planned
Kamuela: Small Hospital Faces Reimbursement Cuts, Can't Keep Up with EHR Requirements
WHT: Changing requirements by Medicare and insurance companies are putting burdens on hospitals to prove the care they provide is high quality, North Hawaii Community Hospital Board Chairman Bob Momsen said Thursday evening.
“It is increasingly difficult for a small, independent hospital to satisfy all the requirements for management systems and IT systems and prove (to) government, HMSA, Medicare the quality of care is excellent,” Momsen said at a Waimea Community Association Town Meeting. “They (Medicare/Medicaid) want to pay more for hospitals that can prove that. (And less to hospitals that don't--Ed) On our own, we will fail to do that.”
The need to find a partner to bolster the hospital’s management abilities, information technology system and financial stability led officials there to enter a nonbinding agreement with The Queen’s Medical Center to consider a formal affiliation between the two.
read ... More Monopolization
TriCare Gives Obamacare Preview
SA: Delays in access to care have become a widespread concern since UnitedHealth took over the Tricare contract April 1, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper. UnitedHealth is based in Minnetonka, Minn.
Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, wrote to the military services' top personnel officials saying that UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans, a UnitedHealth business, failed to meet contract requirements for referral and authorization management.
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), member of the Armed Services and Veteran's Affairs Committee, complained that as soon as UnitedHealth assumed the contract on April 1 of this year he began to hear from health providers and military members that a multitude of errors and glitches prevented referrals from being processed.
Doctors complained of weeks-long waits for patients to get UnitedHealth paperwork required to see medical specialists, the Star Tribune reported.
Related: Civilian Doctors Wary of Accepting Military's TRICARE
read ... United Healthcare is facing challenges serving military
State Historic Preservation Division under pressure for rail review
KITV: ...the office has long been plagued by short- staffing and this summer a scathing federal report led to the resignation of its administrator.
When Pua Aiu stepped down as administrator last month, her boss was adamant that the change would not affect the review of rail.
"No, we have people who are dedicated specifically to review rail but so that’s not going to change anything there," said state Land Director William Aila.
But weeks later, Aila turned around and rehired Aiu to oversee the review of the rail project.
The city said the archeological survey of just the urban core route is 10 volumes worth of work.
As of last week, the airport section was not yet complete.
Oahu’s sole archaeologist Susan Levo, is charged with reviewing the project.
But insiders say Levo has had her hands full handling other projects including Kakaako with its many high-rises, as well as overseeing Kauai....
read ... Nobody to do the Job
Environmental permit could be just the first redo for rail
KITV: The city and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has begun the process of reissuing a critical environmental permit that's needed before construction of the city's $5.3 billion rail project can resume.
On Friday, a public hearing was held by the Department of Planning and Permitting regarding a special management area use permit (SMA) that would cover nearly 1.3 miles of the 20-mile-long elevated train, as well as a storm water outfall drain line and culvert leading from the project's maintenance and storage facility near Leeward Community College. About 25 people attended the meeting at Keehi Lagoon Memorial Park, but at least a half dozen of those in attendance were HART or city officials.
"The fact that no one testified in opposition today in any way, shape or form, I think bodes really well for the project," said HART Executive Director Dan Grabauskas. The SMA permit helps ensure the rail line and other projects don't create environmental hazards as part of the Coastal Zone Management Program, which receives strict oversight from both federal and state agencies.
read ... Environmental permit could be just the first redo for rail
Akaka endorses Colleen Hanabusa for 2014
KOS: In 38 years representing Hawaii in DC (24 in the Senate and 14 in the House), he remained neutral in almost every single Democratic Primary. (Well, except his own, when he beat Ed Case in 2006). In supporting Hanabusa over Brian Schatz, he broke a long streak of self-imposed neutrality....
Akaka, who retired last Congress, addressed Hanabusa supporters at a July fundraiser. He said, "She has made a great impression in the Congress of the United States. I have many friends on the House side, and i talk with them about how our folks are doing and they tell me Colleen is doing a great job for Hawaii and expresses herself so well ... She is very, what we call, 'Hawaiian-style.' We really need someone who has been a proven leader. And for me, Colleen has been a proven leader."
Akaka has joined a growing chorus of Hawaii political figures in endorsing Colleen, including the late Senator Daniel Inouye, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, former Governor Ben Cayetano (who ran against Caldwell in last year's Mayor's race), former Governor George Ariyoshi, Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi, and Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho.
read ... Akaka endorses Colleen Hanabusa for 2014
Anti-GMO Bill Would Harm Big Island Dairy
HTH: The Hawaii County Council will pick up the issue of genetically modified crops again next week, this time without comments from the public.
The meeting at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Hilo council chambers will be reserved only for council discussion of Bill 79, which would limit the use of transgenic crops, following four previous meetings dominated by testimony from Big Isle residents....
On Tuesday, Wille will introduce another proposed amended version that she says exempts papaya farmers from having to adopt “containment measures” but also targets the cultivation of GMO crops for cattle feed.
In other proposed drafts, the growing of crops, such as corn, for cattle feed was included in exemptions to a GMO ban, along with papaya and the horticulture industry.
In the newest proposed version, the exemption for cattle feed would sunset after two years.
Wille said she is concerned about the continued cultivation of GMO corn, which appears to so far be isolated to the Big Island Dairy on the Hamakua Coast.
The dairy grows the modified corn for its cows. (And could now be targeted by eco-terrorists.)
read ... Ignorant Luddites Meddling in things they do not understand
Oahu school bus pilot project enrollment has been slow
KITV: in order to get the bus rolling, families need to get their children registered before school starts on Monday.
"Make sure your children are registered," said DOE Facilities Deputy Superintendent Ray L'Heureux. "As you can imagine, with this many moving parts, it needs the right data and that data in this instance takes the form of children registering for the bus. If they don't, then we really don't know what capacity we need."
L'Heureux estimates that about 3,500 students will be affected by the new system.
At Aiea Elementary School, the principal was preparing for a meet-and-greet with families in an effort to boost registration.
"This year, it is lower than last year," said Principal Kate O'Malley. "We are not sure why we are working with the bus company."
The new system will allow the DOE to track actual use of the school buses. (That's why the enrollment is lower. They can't fake it anymore.)
read ... Unneeded Service
Garbage Piles Up, City Makes Excuses
SA: » About 500 Dumpster-style bins, mostly from West Oahu condominium, apartment and business buildings that qualify for the city's front-end-loading refuse collection service, were left without service for as long as three days, city officials said. The biggest culprit was a shortage of operable front-end-loading trucks. The worst day was Tuesday when six of the city's seven front-end trucks were out for repairs, city Environmental Services Director Lori Kahikina said.
» Bulky items have been piling up on curbsides fronting homes and apartments from Honolulu to Makakilo for as long as 11⁄2 weeks due to a shortage of personnel, Kahikina
read ... Excuses
Management Consultants, Motivational Speakers Hired to 'Transform Hawaii Government'
THG: In this issue, we’ll take a close look at the change management process at the center of the Transformation initiative and examine how Hawaii’s approach leverages industry best practices andincorporates a local touch to ensure employees are part of the process and have the tools to succeed.
We'll also hear from some of those working in state government about the importance of the change management process and why it is critical for making the Transformation a success.
read ... Management Consultants
Star-Adv: City Grants in Aid System Reduces Corruption
SA: Of course, there's a good argument to be made that the city should not be giving away any more taxpayer money these days, when it has so many other bills to pay. But voters in 2012 thought otherwise, and approved an amendment to the Honolulu City Charter that requires one half of 1 percent of city revenues be distributed to nonprofit groups.
Fortunately, the amendment also included a requirement that this program be properly vetted, and on Tuesday, the first results were in.
So far, the results appear promising.
The newly formed Grants-in-Aid Advisory Commission considered more 134 applicants, and recommended that 41 receive a share of that 1 percent, or $5.1 million.
The City Council will review the list, moving money around if it chooses, and make the final decisions. The only restriction: Each of the nine Council districts must receive at least $250,000.
read ... Corruption
Convicted Felons Sue: Demand Puuhonua for Sovereignty Movement Recruitment in Prison
BIVN: Ohana Ho`opakele, the group seeking to create a pu’uhonua at the soon to be reinstated Kulani Correctional Facility, has filed a complaint challenging the state’s Final Environmental Assessment on the reactivation of the prison.
According to an Ohana Ho’opakele media release:
…the organization and individuals Palikapu Dedman (2x convicted felon), Ronald Fujiyoshi, James Albertini (convicted felon and ex-con), Nohea Crutcher and Samuel Kaleleiki filed in the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief against the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Accounting and General Services and the Department of Land and Natural Resources today. Thanks to Professor Williamson Chang of the Richardson’s School of Law, this complaint will be a historic challenge to the reopening of the prison at Kulani.
HR: Honolulu man allegedly rapes 13-year-old girl while being closely monitored in probation program for a previous rape conviction
read ... Puuhonua
Alleged Green Energy Scammer Indicted in Honolulu
HR: The Honolulu resident who lived in Las Vegas part time, operated MRN Trading Company and GLC Funding Group, and told potential investors he was a multimillionaire with energy and investment companies.
Ross offered investment opportunities in international gold and diamond transactions and a waste-to-energy company, telling potential investors he could secure for them short term, high yielding returns of between 17 percent and 400 percent.
On Thursday, August 1, Ross was indicted for defrauding four investors of $167,000. Victims lost between $6,000 and $100,000.
Ross was neither a UN ambassador with special tax privileges nor a multimillionaire investor with international trade connections, according to federal court records.
Ross never invested his clients’ money, and instead he spent the money on himself
read ... Another Day, Another Scam
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