Hawaii Family Advocates: This is not Over
Judge Rejects Dems Closed Primary Suit: Door Remains Open to 'As Applied' Challenge
FULL TEXT: Judge Upholds Hawaii Open Primary, Rules Against Democrats
Hawaii GOP: What's Next
Feds tell Hawaii Insurance Commissioner HMSA and Kaiser Can Extend Cancelled Insurance Plans -- If They Want To
VIDEO: Can Puerto Rico Change the Jones Act?
Smart Meters: KIUC Members to Vote on Proposal to Tax Conspiracy Theorists
For USA, Honolulu, LA, SF, Seattle Among World's 20 Worst Traffic Cities
Health Dept: 60% of Hawaii Teens' Drinking is Less Sugary
Hawaii Government IT Transformation: What to Expect from 2014 Legislature
Making TOD Happen: City Launches 'I Wish' Photo Campaign
CAC Presents Nominees for Board of Regents
Special Session: $684M Payout to Unions
Borreca: The two bills authorized the funding of pay raises for two groups of public workers: nearly 3,000 blue-collar institutional, health and prison workers, and the 7,700 state and county white-collar professional and scientific workers.
The tab for both groups, for the remaining years of their state contracts?
An extra $30 million this fiscal year, then, because of compounding, an extra $77 million for fiscal year 2015, an extra $114.7 million for fiscal year 2016 and then an extra $154 million each for fiscal years 2017, 2018 and 2019, according to figures put together by the House Finance Committee.
In total, about an extra $684.2 million in pay raises, for just two of the 14 bargaining groups of state and county workers.
And that's just the pay raises, not the extra costs for benefits and pensions, nor the existing salary or overtime.
Conservative groups across the country have used the cost of public employee salaries and pensions as an argument against unions, and in some states, such as Wisconsin, they have been successful.
Hawaii will not follow the same path because public employee unions are a strong part of the political fabric.
Legislators knew the budget would increase when the two union contracts were signed, but the approval of an extra $684.2 million deserves note, if not debate.
read ... Meanwhile at the Capitol, a huge payout to unions
Insurance Cancelled? Hanabusa, Gabbard Vote to Keep it That Way
CB: Hanabusa said in a statement. “However, there are nearly 4% of our residents – about 30,000 people – who still have to go out and purchase their own plans, and they deserve the opportunity to obtain quality, affordable health care coverage.” She then burst out laughing uncontrollably and aides hustled her away from the microphone.
read ... Screw You
Hawaii Health Connector: Man 'Furthest Along' Hasn't Been Able to Buy Insurance
HNN: "They said the system is just not working but I can do this for you on my side, and basically hand fill out an application and push it forward, and you should get something next week".
That was over a week ago. He still hasn't gotten anything.
Miller is going to keep trying however.
"In fact I want to sign up for the earliest possible moment, I'm happy to pay for it" he said.
Miller is probably like many people, who want to sign up, but can't.
"One person I spoke to in their tech support told me I was probably the person who had got the farthest along in the system in Hawaii" he said.
Hawaii News Now reached out to the Hawaii Health Connector to find out how many people have successfully signed up for health insurance, and they refused to answer.
read ... Furthest Along?
As 23,000 Face Cancellation, Kaiser, HMSA Conspire With State
KITV: Kaiser Permanente Hawaii says about 5 percent of its members could be impacted, or roughly 11,000 residents.
"As required by law, we informed these members that their non-compliant plans will be withdrawn, but that we are ready to continue their coverage in new, ACA-compliant products in 2014," read a statement from the insurance carrier.
As many as 12,400 individual policy holders covered by the Hawaii Medical Service Association, or HMSA, are also threatened with cancellations.
"We are working with the state government to make the best decision for our members and the state of Hawaii," Elisa Yadao, HMSA's senior vice president for consumer experience, said in a statement to KITV4.
Read ... One More Year
Kahuku Residents Reject New Windfarm Proposal
SA: A California developer proposing to build a second wind energy project near Kahuku got a chilly reception during a meeting with residents, some of whom said they were concerned about the facility's proximity to schools and possible health effects from its wind turbines.
The 14-turbine project planned by Champlin GEI Wind Holdings would be built south of an existing 12-turbine project by First Wind that began operating in 2011. The proposed location of the Champlin facility would result in a neighborhood and several schools in the Kahuku Mauka area being hemmed in on three sides by wind turbines from the two projects.
Kahuku resident Kent Fonoimoana said that while he supported development of the First Wind project, he felt the latest proposal would result in the area being crowded with too many wind turbines.
"I supported the first wind project. I support renewable energy," Fonoimoana said at the meeting Wednesday night in the Kahuku Village Association Community Center. "But in my opinion it's irresponsible to surround the community on three sides by wind turbines."
Fonoimoana was one of nearly a dozen Kahuku residents who spoke at the meeting, the majority of whom said they opposed the project.
Related: Proposed Kahuku Windfarm Would Kill Endangered Birds, Bats
read ... Irresponsible
Hanabusa Challenges Schatz to Debates
PR: From Hanabusa:
The people deserve the opportunity to hear us, side by side, in order to make an informed decision about who they want representing Hawaii in the U.S. Senate.
The recent impasse over the budget and the debt ceiling remind us of the partisan divide that is extinguishing the people's faith in government.
Let us, as responsible public servants, do our best to restore that faith by listening to our constituents and providing them the forums they need to assess our abilities to serve them in the U.S. Senate.
A Schatz campaign spokesman responded:
Senator Schatz is focused on his work in the Senate to build the middle class and a clean energy future for the people of Hawaii. When the time comes he looks forward to participating in forums and debates across the state, and we look forward to working out details that promote a vigorous exchange of ideas while prioritizing his responsibilities to the people of Hawaii as their U.S. Senator.
read ... Debates?
Luddites Scheme to Stack Council After Veto Override falls 1 Vote Short
SA: The Kauai County Council delayed action on a controversial pesticide measure Thursday after failing to line up enough votes to override Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.'s veto.
The Council voted to recess until 11 a.m. Saturday to reconsider the override. Five votes are needed to override the veto, which seemed probable since the bill passed 6-1. But Nadine Nakamura, who had voted for the measure, left the Council to become Kauai County managing director.
Councilman Ross Kagawa, who also voted for the bill, said Thursday he wouldn't support the override.
Councilman Gary Hooser, an author of Bill 2491, suggested the recess to allow members to consider filling the seat Nakamura vacated. The Council will meet today to consider an appointment.
(After the Luddites stack the council, another council member will have to expose himself to the wrath of the mob in order to make 5-3. Who will it be?)
Though Kagawa has concerns about the bill, he voted to approve it previously. But Thursday, Kagawa said, "I always was against the bill from day one."
He said he voted in support of the bill to show his willingness to move forward on the issue....
read ... Luddite Rampage Waits
School bus safety: Who is behind the wheel?
KHON: KHON2 investigation found key background checks lacking over multiple years, and some drivers with less than stellar records.
There is also a process for lodging complaints that leaves parents frustrated.
Parents outlined for us a pattern of incidents, even an accident, and threats involving one driver, that they say went unheard.
Our investigation reveals just how long complaints can linger before there's action, also where the system intended to flag unqualified drivers is falling through the cracks, and what the Department of Education tells KHON2 it intends to do about it.
read ... School Bus
'Obama effect’ has ruined our secluded Hawaii beach resort, say locals
UKT: Residents of a paradise Hawaii beach resort where President Barack Obama spends his Christmas holidays are at loggerheads over increased tourism, with some saying their secluded haven has been “overwhelmed” by the “Obama effect.”
Each year since 2008 Mr Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their daughters Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12, have stayed in a luxurious $25,000-a-week holiday home, close to the pristine white sand beaches of Kailua on the island of Oahu.
But some local people complain their quietude has been spoiled by an influx of tourists the rest of the year, including tour buses from Honolulu coming to see where the president spends his time off.
read ... Obama Effect
Sakamoto Outlines How 1998 Voters Were Tricked by their Gay Lords
SA: Sakamoto described it as a unique constitutional provision that was not as clear cut as the state and legal experts had argued. The judge said that the plain meaning behind the vote was for the Legislature to reserve marriage to heterosexual couples. He said that the vote did not give the Legislature expanded constitutional power to recognize same-sex marriage.
But Sakamoto also held that the 1998 vote did not restrict the Legislature's separate authority -- under Article III, Section 1 of the state Constitution -- to enact laws that define marriage.
read ... Bow Before your Gay Lords
More Gay Marriage Commentary:
Joe Moore, Michael Perry Break Ranks With Gay Media Monopoly
PR: From Moore's declaration:
In the month leading up to the elections, the State sent out a Ballot Information Flyer to all Hawaii voters explaining the Ballot sheet, and we referred to that Ballot Information Flyer to determine how we would summarize the proposed Constitutional Amendments.
Question Number 2 on the ballot dealt with the issue of marriage in Hawaii, and the State explained that the Amendment would give the legislature the POWER TO RESERVE MARRIAGE TO OPPOSITE SEX COUPLES.
The State further explained that a "YES" vote on the ballot would give the legislature the power to reserve marriage to opposite sex couples ONLY.
The Station's newsroom leaders decided that in addition to presenting the Amendment in that manner, we would also state in the Station's newscasts, in order to be absolutely clear, that Question Number 2 meant:
SHOULD THE LEGISLATURE BE GIVEN THE POWER TO RESERVE MARRIAGE IN HAWAII TO ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN ONLY?
To clarify even further, we stated:
IF YOU WANT MARRIAGE IN HAWAII TO BE LIMITED TO ONE MAN AND WOMAN ONLY, YOU SHOULD VOTE "YES" ON THE AMENDMENT, AND IF YOU WANT MARRIAGE TO MEAN SOMETHING ELSE, VOTE "NO."
For a month leading up to the 1998 elections, and on Election night, when presenting the results of the voting, I and other members of the Station's news team used those descriptions when referring to the Constitutional Amendment Regarding Marriage.
From Perry:
My recollection is that the listeners were glad to finally be voting on this issue.
In my discussions with callers I would explain that a "Yes" vote would approve the Amendment, and that would:
a. Put a definitive end to the "legal wrangling" involved with "same-sex marriage," so that marriage in Hawaii would remain a relationship between a man and a woman;
b. End and trump the Court battles; and
c. Put this persistent issue "behind them once and for all."
read ... Making themselves Gay Targets
Retaliation? DHS Announces Investigation of Homeless Shelter tied to Rep Jo Jordan
HNN: The alleged theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars at a Leeward Oahu homeless shelter has triggered an investigation by the state Department of Human Services.
Earlier this year, the Waianae Community Outreach program sued its former program director Laura Pitolo, saying she signed checks to herself and family members and made dozens of unauthorized ATM withdrawals.
Now the state wants to know how Pitolo was able to get away with it all.
"Unfortunately, the worst that can happen is that the contracts we have with the state could be pulled back," said Cynthia Rezentes, a Waianae Community board member....
Christy Ho, attorney for the nonprofit, says that DHS investigators have requested nearly all of the organization's financial records, including minutes of its board meetings.
(Retaliation? All of these people are allies of Jo Jordan.)
KHON: Homeless shelter director accused of mistreating clients
read ... Embezzlement
Piles of trash mar Keehi island; state vows to clean it up again
HNN: Just a year and a half after the state spent $10,000 cleaning trash and debris from an island in Keehi Lagoon, it's full of garbage again, with several homeless people living there....
...a close-up view of the island reveals piles of trash. Parts of it look just like a garbage dump.
The shoreline is littered with abandoned boats in some areas and lots of other junk everywhere else.
"It's pretty common to see a lot of garbage and people living on the berm here and leaving their stuff behind," said Brad Corbin, a member of Oahu Water Ski Club.
Members of the ski clubs said there are as many as a half dozen homeless people living on Slipper Island. Their extensive encampments are visible as well as some of their kayaks and other boats on the shore.
read ... Piles of trash mar Keehi island; state vows to clean it up again
Child Molester Faked Mental Illness once, Will he get Away with Murder?
HTH: “He was dedicated; he seemed to really like kendo. And we welcomed him in our club,” Akagi said. He described Seal as “very outgoing” and “pretty carefree, kind of like the typical surfer personality.”
Akagi described his reaction to the news of Seal’s alleged actions and his past as “one of great shock.”
“It was a revelation,” he said. “We had always known him as Serif Swaim and we were shocked that he had an alias, and actually, a real name.”
Joshua De Sa, a 17-year-old club student, described Seal as “very mellow.”...
Seal had been committed to the Oahu mental facility in April 2002 after being acquitted by reason of insanity of kidnapping and attempting to rape an 8-year-old girl on Maui. Both Akagi and Shimizu acknowledged that the club teaches students of all ages, children included. Asked if Seal had shown any improper interest in the club’s youngsters, Shimizu replied: “I never saw anything like that from him.”...
A judge on Tuesday ordered a mental examination for Seal, who remains in custody without bail at Hawaii Community Correctional Center....
read ... Soft on Crime
Update grading of restaurants
SA: The state Department of Health's plan to establish a highly visible grading system for all 10,000 restaurants and food establishments in the state is laudable, but the customer-friendly food-safety regulations will succeed only if the department has enough inspectors on the job and efficiently manages a permitting program that carries high stakes for the restaurants, bars, school cafeterias and other eateries being inspected.
In the first major update of the regulations in 17 years, the health department proposes to implement a new color-coded grading system -- green, yellow or red -- that will be quickly and easily understood by paying customers. All retail food establishments, from fine-dining restaurants to food trucks, school cafeterias and coffeehouses, would be issued a placard to post in the front window after inspection.
read ... Update grading of restaurants
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