Audit: City Lets Elite Avoid $1.8M in Property Taxes on 'Historic' Homes
Federal grand jury subpoenas Matson in Honolulu Harbor molasses spill
Hawaii churches ask court to dismiss atheists’ baseless lawsuit
Rep. McDermott asks Speaker Souki for state-wide hearings on marriage bill
HI lawmakers question Obamacare exchange delays
Groundbreaking Discovery by the Babes Against Biotech!
VIDEO: Charles Djou Talks to Grassroot Institute
Legislative Committee Briefings Slated on Early Education, Solar Installations
Honolulu 'Affordable' Homes Smallest in USA
Z: Affordable homes aren’t only hard to find; they’re also small. The median size of affordable homes in San Francisco is 1,000 square feet, and they’re even smaller in New York (978) and Honolulu (778). That’s a lot less space than the typical affordable home in Cincinnati (1,444 square feet), Columbus (1,400 square feet), and Indianapolis (1,656 square feet).
(And Honolulu is the 9th least affordable.)
As Explained: How A&B Wins Big From Environmental Litigation
read ... Where Can the Middle Class Afford to Buy a Home?
Hawaii Health Connector Site 'Amateur' -- Wide open to Hackers
KHON: Even though it's not yet selling health plans, the Hawaii Health Connector is collecting personal information from people who fill out forms online. But how secure is the site at the center of it all?
KHON2 asked computer experts to look over the site with us, and what we found was surprising -- a website platform the industry considers entry-level, along with what they call some “amateur” mistakes that could have opened the site to real hacker risks.
The main site, and a second forms site, are built on what's called WordPress, a widespread platform.
"When we want cheap, simple websites done right away, it's a perfectly good system,” said computer expert Peter Kay. “But it's a little bit different when you're using it to manage a potentially multibillion-dollar, very confidential health care information system."
He and other programmers KHON2 spoke with found what they called some amateur mistakes. Default logins, which most programmers say they delete from out-of-the-box WordPress code after launch, were still active -- including the login “ADMIN.” A personal staff user name popped right up. In the wrong hands, a hacker wouldn't need much to pass over that threshold.
read ... KHON2 flags security risks for Hawaii Health Connector
Poll: Less than 0.7% Buy Obamacare Coverage
SA: Just 7 percent of Americans say the rollout of the health exchanges has gone extremely well or very well, according to an AP-GfK poll.
The reaction was somewhat better among supporters of the new health care law but still piddling: 19 percent said the rollout went extremely well or very well.
Among the uninsured — a key audience for the health exchanges — 42 percent said they didn't know enough to judge how well the rollout had gone, suggesting an ongoing lack of awareness about the program in its early days....
Seven percent of Americans reported that somebody in their household has tried to sign up for insurance through the health care exchanges, according to the poll.... (Not 7% of respondents, but 7% 'know somebody')
Three-fourths of those who tried to sign up reported problems, though, and that's reflected in the poor reviews.
Only about 1 in 10 succeeded in buying health insurance, the poll found. A quarter of those who tried to buy coverage weren't sure whether they'd succeeded.
(1 in 10 of less than 7% = less than 0.7%)
read ... less than 0.7% Sign up for Obamacare
Oshiro discourages action on gay marriage during session
SA: State Rep. Marcus Oshiro, who wants to slow the drive toward marriage equality, is reminding lawmakers they do not have to take any action when they meet in special session this month.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie has called a special session starting Oct. 28 to consider a gay marriage bill. But neither the House nor the Senate is obligated to hear or vote on legislation, and could simply meet and adjourn.
Oshiro's message...is meant to unsettle House leaders who are trying to steer a wobbly majority in favor of gay marriage toward a final vote.
read ... Oshiro discourages action on gay marriage during session
AG Louie points to ACLU, Civil Rights Comm for info About Religious Freedom in Gay Marriage Bill
HNN: The Attorney General's office provided Hawai'i News Now with this statement regarding the religious exemptions set forth in the current draft of the same-sex marriage legislation.
"The marriage equity bill circulated by the Governor's Office on September 9 contains two provisions that provide exemptions based on religious beliefs and use of a religious organization's facilities.
Clergy, ministers and priests will not be required to provide marriage ceremonies (called "solemnization" in the bill) under the provisions of the bill. This same protection applies to the officers of any religious denomination or society that does not have clergy but does provide marriage ceremonies. This right is absolute. Under the bill, there can be no civil penalty including fines or criminal penalty for individuals refusing to perform a marriage.
In addition, under conditions provided under the bill, religious organizations are also protected from any civil liability or criminal liability for refusing to allow same sex couples from using their facility for a wedding. The conditions are: the facility is regularly used for religious purposes, the religious organization only allows its members to use its facility for marriages, and the religious organization is not used as a for profit business.
We think it is useful for people to understand that the religious facilities exemption contained in the marriage equity bill is already the law in the civil unions statute. As far as we are aware, to date there have been no lawsuits filed against any religious organization for refusing to perform a civil union. The proposed bill does not change that law. It merely applies the same law to marriages.
In addition, Hawai'i's public accommodations law has been in effect for decades. It can be found at HRS chapter 489. It bars discrimination in places of public accommodation, which means places that are open to general public as customers, clients, or visitors. Seven years ago, in 2006, the public accommodations code was amended to specifically ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Under existing law, therefore, organizations cannot discriminate on the basis of race, religion, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity. There is no criminal liability for violations of this chapter.
As explained above, the bill explicitly allows clergy to refuse to solemnize a marriage between two individuals of the same sex. Furthermore, the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution and the parallel provision from the Hawaii constitution protect the free exercise of religion.
People who are interested in the public accommodations code and the marriage equity bill can visit the Hawai'i Civil Rights Commission website, the Governor's website where there is a list of frequently asked questions, and the website of the American Civil Liberties Union, Hawaii chapter. http://labor.hawaii.gov/hcrc/"
PR: "Lobbyville"
read ... A bunch of lies from the AG and the Elite Media
Star-Adv: Only 247 Sign up for DREAM in Hawaii
SA: Unfortunately, there may be many of the eligible youths in Hawaii still living in fear of deportation. Only 247 have applied for the protected status. If the estimates cited by the nonpartisan think tank Migration Policy Institute are correct — roughly 6,000 youths living in Hawaii without legal documents — that's a paltry level of enrollment, especially in comparison to other states' experiences. Across the country, about 49 percent of those eligible have applied under DACA.
read ... No DREAM in Hawaii?
Occupy Protester found guilty, faces sentencing today
SA: A state jury deliberated for less than two hours Thursday before finding the first of three (de)Occupy Honolulu protesters who are challenging their arrests guilty of obstructing government operations.
Madori Rumpungworn faces a maximum one-year jail term and $2,000 fine when Circuit Judge Patrick Border sentences her this morning.
Catherine C. Russell and Blade Michael Walsh are scheduled to stand trial for obstructing government operations later this month....
Prosecutor Ronson Ibarra and defense lawyer Erik Kvam played a videotape of Rumpungworn's arrest for the jury. Another (de)Occupy protester recorded the videotape.
The recording shows Rumpungworn stepping in front of a city employee who was attempting to inventory tents and other items left on the Beretania Street sidewalk to post a notice to remove them. The videotape also shows Rumpungworn remaining in the taped-off area after telling the camera operator that she had been told to leave or she would be arrested....
Rumpungworn, Russell, (de)Occupy Honolulu and others are challenging the constitutionality of the ordinance in federal court.
Russell and (de)Occupy Honolulu are also challenging an ordinance that does not require the city to post 24-hour notices on private property stored on sidewalks before seizing them.
read ... A Home for a year?
Chang Dumps Another $124K Into His Congressional War Chest
CB: While the Federal Election Commission reports for the latest campaign finance cycle haven’t been made public, Chang issued a press release today noting the influx of cash.
Chang added to his previous haul of $183,740.86, bringing his total to more than $308,000.
At this point, Chang is the only candidate in the Congressional District 1 race who has reported campaign spending data with the FEC.
PR: $308k
read ... Chang Dumps Another $124K Into His Congressional War Chest
Why once booming photovoltaic industry is now struggling to stay in business
KITV: Layoffs, backed up stock, and businesses desperate to stay afloat are just a few of the problems photovoltaic contractors are currently dealing with after procedural changes made by the Hawaiian Electric Company last month.
Rolf Christ is the owner of R & R Solar and is also on the board of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association. His company is one of two major wholesalers of photovoltaic systems on Oahu. Christ supplies over 200 contractors with products, but his stock continues to back up, over stocking his warehouses because of a slowdown in PV installations. A result of a move he says came out of nowhere by HECO.
"I don't understand how HECO didn't see it coming over the last 3-4 years," said Rolf Christ, of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association.
See it coming? Solar Tax Credit Scammers Will Take $491M More than Projected
read ... Why once booming photovoltaic industry is now struggling to stay in business
Federal trial underway in Hawaiian sovereignty mortgage assistance fraud case
ILind: Jurors in the federal trial of Mahealani Ventura-Oliver and Piialoha Teves heard yesterday from two victims who said they paid thousands of dollars to the defendants and associates after being told they would then receive documents to pay off their outstanding mortgages, avoid future property taxes, and be entitled to additional federal tax credits tax credits.
Federal prosecutors say Ventura-Oliver and Teves were key participants in a conspiracy that defrauded local homeowners seeking relief from mortgage debts.
Two defendants in the case, Ventura-Oliver’s estranged husband, John D. Oliver, and Leatrice Lehua Hoy, have already entered guilty pleas and are cooperating with the prosecution. Charges against a fifth defendant, Peter Hoy, were dismissed early this year after a psychological evaluation found him unfit to stand trial.
The trial began October 1, and is expected to continue through next week. The trial has received no media attention so far, despite the high profile defendants, the extensive publicity at the time of their arrests, and the number of apparent victims.
Background: Naming names: Who are the alleged Sovereignty-mortgage scammers?
read ... Sovereignty Scammers
EU Ambassador in Hawaii, Talks Jones Act
CB: When you talk to the mayor or the governor, what is your argument?
VdA: That trade is a good thing. Liberalizing trade and goods and services, including transport, has proved to be good for the world economy, for our economy, for the U.S. economy.
I understand why there is a Jones Act. I understand the constraints the Americans have around the Jones Act. I am not raising the question of the existence of the Jones Act myself. I am talking about liberalizing trade. These are the kinds of things to put on the table ... as part of the negotiations.
But I don’t make deals with state-level authorities. I am a facilitator in the sense that I bring information. I raise awareness. And I collect information that could raise awareness in Brussels. I try to connect different people. We were in Seattle yesterday talking about trade with people in the state government there and I felt they didn’t know much — or not enough — about the free trade agreement with the European Union.
CB: And what should people in Hawaii know about the potential agreement?
VdA: Anything that the U.S. negotiates with another partner will affect, in the good and bad sense, Hawaii, just like any other state. Secondly, Hawaii can benefit as a small, isolated state in the middle of the ocean from an extended economic relationship with the biggest economic and trading block in the world, the European Union. Maybe opportunities are being missed. Either they are too turned toward Asia, which is absolutely normal, or they don’t have enough information coming from the mainland.
CB: When you talk to people about trade here, do you go into things like the Jones Act (which, in many cases, artificially raises costs for many foreign goods that are shipped to Hawaii)?
VdA: Very much so. We will look at all of the obstacles of different natures — some are more justifiable than others.
read ... Europe's Ambassador Talks Trade, Tourism, Security and Diversity in Hawaii
Farmer says hundreds of papayas stolen off farm in Punaluu
KITV: Papayas are not the only thing thieves are taking. Thursday morning, batteries were stolen out of heavy equipment on the farm. The farmer says he's fed up.
More than 500 pounds, that's more than 400 papayas, stolen from Kamiya Gold, Inc.'s farm. And the thief or thieves knew just when and how to strike. The papayas were picked off the trees right before Ken Kamiya and his workers were going to harvest them about a month ago.
"A farmer usually cuts it a certain way so he knows. Someone comes and cuts it a different way they can tell," said Kamiya.
read ... Farmer says hundreds of papayas stolen off farm in Punaluu
Hawaii Not Willing to Suffer for Obamacare? May Reopen National Parks
HNN: Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Thursday she will consider allowing governors to fund national parks so that some can reopen to visitors.
So will Hawaii be one of those states?
"We would have questions in regards to what the costs would be, the staffing requirements, and whether we'd be reimbursed," said acting Governor Shan Tsutsui. (Translation: Tsutsui agrees with holding tourism hostage to Obamacare.)
SA: States could reopen national parks during shutdown
read ... Hawaii to Join With Republicans, Bypass Obama's Stonewalling with Piecemeal Funding
Hollywood Tax Credits Make for Hawaiian 'Luau'
HR: Tim Burton, Cameron Crowe and "Godzilla," starring Bryan Cranston, are lured by tax credit and incentive cap boosts to the islands state, while its Hawaii International Film Festival, kicking off Thursday, celebrates a century of making movies.
read ... Movie Moguls Chortling About Legislature's Willingness to Give them Your Money
Handi-Van starting new policy for chronic no-shows
HNN: Habitual no-show riders of the city's Handi-Van para transit service will be temporarily banned from getting rides under a policy set to begin November 1.
The Handi-Van said about six and a half percent of its daily rides are no-shows, meaning the passenger isn't there or declines the ride once the driver arrives.
"It's a very small percentage of riders, but the impact to all the other riders when they go to the house or the apartment and they no-show is significant," said City Transportation Director Mike Formby.
read ... Handi-Van starting new policy for chronic no-shows
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