Hawaii Reapportionment Case Presented to US Supreme Court
AG Louie the Grinch: Subs Won’t get Back Pay for Christmas
Comparing Economies: Hawaii and Greece -- The Writing on the Wall
Hawaii Drug Overdose Deaths Soaring -- Now Kill More than Auto Accidents
Same-sex marriage critics working to rally opposition
HNN: With three weeks to go until the special session on same-sex marriage, critics are trying to rally the opposition.
An anonymous flyer has been landing in mailboxes across Moanalua, Salt Lake and Aliamanu in recent days. It names State Representative Linda Ichiyama (House District 32), yet her office has no idea where it came from or who is distributing it.
The mailer reads "Hawai'i's state legislature may soon vote to legalize same-sex marriage without your input, Rep. Linda Ichiyama may vote yes." It goes on to urge recipients to contact Rep. Ichiyama and ask her to vote no to same-sex marriage.
read … Same-sex marriage critics working to rally opposition
Judge Hints Ruling in Dems Closed Primary Suit Opens Door to Legislative Action
SA: A federal judge indicated Monday that the Democratic Party of Hawaii’s lawsuit challenging the state’s open primary election will rise and fall on whether allowing all voters to choose the party’s candidates places a “severe burden” on the party’s right to free association.
Judge J. Michael Seabright said he will likely rule in favor of the party if he finds that the open primary is a “severe burden” on the First Amendment right to free association. The “severe burden” test is the legal standard courts use when determining whether election laws are constitutional....
Deputy Attorney General Deirdre Marie-Iha, representing Scott Nago, the state’s chief election officer, argued that voters who choose to vote in the Democratic primary are committing an act of affiliation with the party. The act is not an empty one, she told the judge, since voters who choose the Democratic primary are precluded from voting in other party primaries.
Marie-Iha said the U.S. Supreme Court made a similar finding about affiliation in a footnote to California Democratic Party v. Jones, the 2000 ruling that held that California’s blanket primary was an unconstitutional violation of the party’s right of free association.
A blanket primary — where voters can chose candidates from several political parties — is different from Hawaii’s open primary, in which voters must stick with one party ballot of their choice. No court has ruled directly on whether an open primary is constitutional on its face, and Seabright said the Hawaii case could ultimately end up before the Supreme Court.
Seabright said that if he were to rule in the party’s favor and issue a preliminary injunction halting the open primary, he would schedule additional hearings on the remedy. The judge said, however, that he would not be inclined to decide how a new primary system should be constructed, a decision that would be left up to the state Legislature.
The judge also said that he would want to hear a specific timeline for constructing a new primary given the deadlines the state faces in preparing for next year’s August primary and November general election.
read ... Closed Primary
NYT: Fight Over Genetically Altered Crops Flares in Hawaii
NYT: The state has become a hub for the development of genetically engineered corn and other crops that are sold to farmers around the globe. Monsanto and other seed companies have moved here en masse, and corn now sprouts on thousands of acres where sugar cane or pineapples once grew.
But activists opposed to biotech crops have joined with residents who say the corn farms expose them to dust and pesticides, and they are trying to drive the companies away....
read ... Fight Over Genetically Altered Crops Flares in Hawaii
Star-Adv: Let Homeless Sleep on Sidewalks
SA: As worded now, Bill 59 risks discriminating against a single class of people, diverting police from more urgent crimes and siphoning off city resources better spent on the enforcement and administration of existing laws.
With as many as 2,350 people estimated to be living on Oahu's streets and beaches, there's no denying the urgency — moral and economic — in getting more of this population into shelters, where they can receive the assistance they need to eventually help themselves.
A significant percentage of these so-called "street people" spend most of their time in Waikiki, providing a stark contrast to the glittering version of paradise on which our tourism economy depends. So it's no surprise that Councilman Stanley Chang, who represents that district, would continually seek ways to address problems related to homelessness.
read ... Homelessness Industry Returns to Star-Adv Editorial Pages
Isle GOP caught between shutdown and a hard place
Borreca: In solid blue Hawaii, where does this leave the GOP?
David Chang, the Hawaii Republican Party state chairman, agrees that neither the Rs nor the Ds appear likely to compromise.
"What I am trying to convey to people is you can't have it both ways. If Democrats get everything they want, it will increase debt. Also, Republicans can't get everything they want. Obamacare is law of the land; it is something we are going to have to live with," Chang said in an interview.
Chang noted the political reality of Hawaii, saying local Republicans have to deal with both an unpopular national image and the fact that "the Democratic name automatically gives you 30 points over Republicans."
"So yes, on the surface it may hurt the party, but I am trying to communicate that it is best for the state and nation because we don't want to be in debt," Chang said, hoping that voters will see an issue of sustainability in his argument.
Some movement of any sort in Washington would make Chang's task easier, but like finding Republicans in Hawaii, it is not a good bet.
read ... Isle GOP caught between shutdown and a hard place
Hawaii’s campaign spending laws go before the 9th Circuit in Honolulu on Wednesday
DN: While the eyes of campaign spending advocates, politicians, law professors and others may be turned toward the Supreme Court in anticipation of tomorrow’s oral arguments in McCutcheon v. FEC, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will be hearing two cases on Wednesday, in Honolulu, that should not be overlooked in McCutcheon’s shadow.
McCutcheon v. FEC is the case challenging the $123,200 limit on contributions a single donor may make to federal candidates and political party committees during any election cycle. The Hawaii cases concern disclosure and the burden or ban on political contributions under various Hawaii laws.
read ... Hawaii’s campaign spending laws go before the 9th Circuit in Honolulu on Wednesday
Why Big Island Beer Costs More in Hawaii Than in Manhattan
CB: David Closs, a professor of supply-chain management at Michigan State University, says that the "big factors" normally include the cost of shipping as well as the scale of local demand for a product and how much of it can be produced in one place.
There are other price-boosting factors specific to Hawaii. These include shipping regulations, excise taxes and other fees on specific products and packaging. Hawaii has special agricultural inspection requirements. It also has some of the highest alcohol taxes in the nation.
Still, it's hard to fathom how a six-pack of Longboard could be more expensive in Hawaii than in Manhattan.
It all starts with the selling price that Kona Brewing Co. sets for consumers.
Kona Brewing Co. President Mattson Davis says his brewery does pricing surveys "all the time." The key is first identifying the target consumer, and understanding what he or she is willing to pay.
read ... Beer Cheaper 3000 Miles Away
Iwasa: City Council Shouldn't Tamper With GIA Commission's Work
CB: On Wednesday, council members will vote on a resolution, #13-173, that lists the organizations that will receive a piece of the pie under this program. They will also consider a floor draft amendment, FD1.
The amendment is not a surprise, as during the September 25 Budget Committee meeting, Chair Martin had indicated he wanted to see more nonprofits receive funding and would therefore introduce an amendment which would reduce funding for awardees. Minutes of the meeting are not yet out, but my recollection is that he mentioned a 3 percent to 5 percent cut....
Perhaps most troubling about the FD1 is that a council member is on the board of an organization that would now receive two grants under the program. At the very least, this raises questions of conflict of interest.
read ... GIA Commission
Financing in place for hospital in West Maui
MN: Financing has been secured for the long-awaited West Maui Hospital and Medical Center, clearing the way for California-based developer Brian Hoyle to seek land entitlements and government permits for the project.
read ... Financing in place for hospital in West Maui
Hawaii’s solar PV industry will see consolidation in 2014
PBN: Next year will be a year of consolidation for Hawaii’s solar photovoltaic industry, one of the fastest growing sectors in the state, with a number of major players disappearing or at least becoming substantially diminished, according to Marco Mangelsdorf, president of Hilo-based ProVision Solar.
The signs are already out there with the biggest market in the state showing signs of a slowdown.
Oahu’s solar photovoltaic industry saw its fifth straight month of declines in PV permits in September, compared to the same time period last year.
There were 1,355 PV permits issued last month, which was 765 permits fewer than September 2012, or a drop of 36 percent, according to statistics collected by Mangelsdorf, who also teaches energy politics at the University of Hawaii Hilo.
read … Consolidation
UHERO snapshot shows median salary for all Hawaii jobs is $36k
PBN: The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization on Monday released the Hawaii Jobs Explorer, an interactive snapshot of occupations and salaries in the state that shows the 588,210 jobs in the state have a median salary of $36,350.
The Hawaii Jobs Explorer is the first tool released from the ongoing UHERO Dashboard Project.
LINK: UHERO Dashboard
read … Median Salary
Hearing set for vehicle fee hike
HTH: The changes, which would bring the cost of inspecting an automobile or truck to $19.19 and motorcycles or trailers to $13.24, are targeted to go into effect before the end of the year. Fees for motor vehicle inspections have not been increased since the 1980s.
The fee increase would be split with the state receiving $1.70, the contractor for the electronic tablets and printer system receiving $1.69 and the inspection station receiving an extra $1.10, said Sluyter.
The electronic system, which will print stickers bearing the registration number of the vehicle, will also deter fraud, proponents say.
The contractor, Parsons, an international engineering and management services firm that does a lot of work for the military in Hawaii, will provide tablet computers, printers and routers to each inspection station. The company’s compensation comes only from its share of the inspection fee, Sluyter said.
Under the draft rules, inspection stations would get to keep $15.80.
read ... Higher Fees Coming
A Tale of Two Cops: One HPD Officer Fired, Another Keeps His Badge
CB: In 2009, two veteran Honolulu police officers were arrested in Las Vegas on drug charges.
Officers Shayne Souza and Kevin Fujioka were eventually convicted on charges stemming from the incident but only Souza lost his job.
Fujioka was initially fired by the Honolulu Police Department. But he was recently reinstated after Hawaii’s police union pushed back against his termination. Souza wasn’t so lucky.
No one will explain why Fujioka is back on the force — working in the training division at the police academy — while Souza had to give up his badge.
LINK: Here's what HPD has released so far from Souza's disciplinary file
read ... Two Officers
Hawaii Ranks First in Country for Number of Toddlers Vaccinated
CB: Roughly 80 percent of Hawaii’s children between the ages of 19 months and 35 months received recommended vaccinations in 2012, putting the Aloha State at the top of a list that ranks youth vaccination coverage across the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors vaccination coverage by conducting random telephone polls and then sending out questionnaires to immunization providers.
read … Hawaii Ranks First in Country for Number of Toddlers Vaccinated
EU ambassador to US to visit Hawaii, Talk Free Trade
PBN: Joao Vale de Almeida, the European Union ambassador to the United States, will make his first visit to Hawaii on Thursday to meet in Honolulu with Gov. Neil Abercrombie, leaders from the U.S. Pacific Command and business leaders to discuss the potential impact of the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement with the U.S.
The partnership, which was launched in July, is expected to bring considerable benefits to the state and according to a study released last month, Hawaii could increase its exports to Europe by nearly 10 percent.
read … European Union ambassador to the United States to visit Hawaii
Mayor says city surpassing road repaving goals
KITV: A freshly pressed road report shows the city has paved 317 lane miles since January -- 17 more than its annual promise -- with three months left to do more.
“If they continue to keep it up, the people of Honolulu will see a big difference,” said city councilman Stanley Chang....
This year, the mayor got 120 of the 150 million he said he needed to fulfill his campaign promise of repaving 1,500 lane miles in 5 years.
He said most of that money has been spoken for.
As for next year, he may ask city council members for more money than this year, to stay on track.
read ... Mayor says city surpassing road repaving goals
UH says no to concert featuring Bruno Mars
SA: A person not associated with the singer pitches the show to the university
read ... Wonder Hangover
Firm seeks silt permit; city unlikely to approve
SA: The owner of a company trucking silt taken from the Hawaii Kai Marina and illegally dumping it onto her land in Waianae has applied for a permit to make it legal, but the city now has another month to decide whether to issue the permit.
The additional time comes even though a city planning official has already stated it's unlikely the businesswoman would get the permit from his agency.
Sandra Silva, owner of SER Silva Equipment, was originally given until Monday to remove about 313 cubic yards of silt from a dredging project at the boat harbor. Silva had a permit to place the material in East Honolulu, coinciding with other permits issued for the project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
read ... No, no, no
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