How Christmas Came to Hawaii
Secret Encounters: DoE Refuses to Release Homosexual Education Curriculum to Legislators
KOS 'Hit Job' on Schatz' Sheep Sex Incident
Airports Division Signs $518M Energy Contract
Hawaiian Pacific Health Survey will Sample 4,000 Households
Hawaii Among Least Free States, Provinces of N America
1000 Good Reasons to Label GMO Food: A Guide for Politicians
Succession Plan Quietly Underway for Faleomavaega Seat?
Hawai'i Free Press Exposes Media Cover up of Faleomavaega Health
Hirono, Schatz, Gabbard Vote for Budget After Pretending to Oppose it
CB: Hirono said she remains concerned about measures that increase transportation security fees and cuts to benefits for military retirees and federal workers.
Schatz, who released a statement yesterday when the budget moved toward a final vote, said, “While this is not the exact bill I would craft on my own, this is much-needed cooperation in a town where compromise has become a dirty word.” ...
Last week, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted against the budget bill in the House while U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted in favor.
read ... Fake Fake Fake
Nepotism, unused facilities and key posts unfilled at troubled State Hospital
KHON: "Managers are putting all their relatives in there," said a veteran employee who's worked at the hospital for more than twenty years and asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. "That's the worst thing."
Director of Nursing Leona Guest told Hawaii News Now she has a son and daughter who have worked at the State Hospital for several years.
"We have quite a few individuals that work in the hospital that have relatives that work here," Guest said. "It's a small state. It's a very specific job description. You have to either love it or not love it."
Guest said that all applicants, including those related to supervisors and managers, go through the same screening and training process as anyone else.
But the employee who asked to remain anonymous said that's not true.
"They do the interview but it's all baloney because they know who they're going to pick," the employee said. "The hiring process is skewed toward relatives."
Medical director Dr. Bill Sheehan said his college-aged son spent three months working as a temp there. ...
Even while it dealt with all these assaults, the hospital was without a person in charge of staff safety training for roughly the last year, Elliott said. A new clinical safety officer started work the day before Thanksgiving, he said, the same day a state workplace safety inspector showed up for an unannounced "workplace violence" investigation to look into the assaults.
Some employees question the new employees' credentials for the job, since while she worked previously as a social worker at the hospital, she had no direct one-on-one patient experience there. And she spent the last five years at the city prosecutor's office as a victim witness advocate.
Elliott said the new employee will do a "fine job" and "hit the ground running."
A second position, the facility safety officer in charge of making sure the physical plant is safe, has also been vacant but filled for months by someone on temporary assignment, Elliot said.
Elliott has been the acting administrator of the hospital since last spring
read ... Nepotism?
Finance Chair to Budget Director: ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’
CB: The Hawaii House and Senate money committees grilled the state budget director Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol.
House Finance Chair Sylvia Luke harped on the Abercrombie Administration for saying the state should build its financial reserves up to 10 percent of the general fund when its six-year financial plan only nudges it up to 5 percent.
“Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?” Luke asked Finance Director Kalbert Young. “What are you afraid of? You’re the person in charge of the money; why don’t you advocate for that?”
read ... Finance Chair to Budget Director: ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’
Kauai Mayor updates council on pesticide law implementation
KGI: For the first time since it passed into law last month, Mayor Bernard Carvalho reported on his administration’s efforts to begin implementing controversial Ordinance 960 (formerly Bill 2491).
“I just want to make clear that there’s a lot of ‘ifs,’” Carvalho told the Kauai County Council Wednesday morning. “This is not one simple process. It’s very lengthy and cumbersome, and a lot of effort has to be put into this.”
Ordinance 960 takes affect in mid-August, giving the administration eight more months to figure out how it will implement the new law....
On Dec. 4, the council unanimously approved to allocate $100,000 from the general fund to pay for the first phase of the study, which Carvalho considers the law’s “most important” provision.
As for disclosure and buffer zones, he said they would be implemented once administrative rules are adopted.
“This is very serious, and the administrative rules need to be done correctly,” he said. “In short, this cannot just be done overnight and rushed.”
County Attorney Al Castillo echoed the mayor’s point. When dealing with laws that include criminal penalties — such as Ordinance 960 — he said it is important to have rules in place.
Entities which violate any of the law’s provisions will be assessed a civil fine of up to $25,000 per day, per violation, as well as be charged with a misdemeanor.
Councilman Gary Hooser, who co-introduced the bill along with Councilman Tim Bynum, pointed out that the new law says the county’s Office of Economic Development “may” engage in any rulemaking it deems necessary.
“I know of many ordinances that don’t have rules, or rulemaking processes that have gone for a number of years,” he said. “It’s my understanding that the ordinance, nine months from approval, becomes law, with or without the rules.”...
As part of the state’s Good Neighbor Program, agricultural companies are expected to submit their first monthly post-application summaries of all restricted use pesticides by Jan. 15....
read ... Mayor updates council on pesticide law implementation
Organic Food = $42,000/year Grocery Bill
Richard Ha: In the recent Bill 113 debacle, our county council called Jeffrey Smith as its premier expert. This is an individual who has self-published two books about GMO foods but has zero scientific credentials and has been thoroughly debunked as any sort of credible GMO expert. He specializes in yogic flying (a kind of cross-legged hopping done in hopes of reducing crime and increasing “purity and harmony” in the “collective consciousness”). They allowed Smith to testify about GMOs for more than half an hour.
Three University of Hawaii experts on GMOs, on the other hand, were given a total of three minutes, between them, to testify. This averages out to one minute each.
If we are taking science into account, the Seralini study – which linked genetically modified maize and the herbicide RoundUp as having an increased cancer risk, and which was always widely pointed to as proving GMO foods were unsafe – was recently retracted by the scientific journal that published it, and rejected by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for having serious defects and failing to meet scientific standards.
County Councilwoman Margaret Wille made a very inflammatory remark in a comment following a Honolulu Civil Beat article written by University of Hawaii professor Michael Shintaku. In her comment, she accused Professor Shintaku, as well as Dr. Susan Miyasaka and Dean Maria Gallo (also of the UH College of Tropical Agriculture), of being “unmistakably caught in the predicament of becoming the mouthpiece for the GMO biotech industry that provides much of the funding for their employer.”
Michael Shintaku responded with a polite comment that detailed how she was incorrect. Many scientists voiced outrage at the inaccurate and flippant comment that impugned their integrity....
Some anti-GMO people proclaim that we should all just eat organic. But have a look at Table 2 on page 19 of this Baseline Food Sustainability chart from the county.
Based on that table, we compared prices between a Kona supermarket and a Kona natural food store. The annual budget for a family of five at the Kona supermarket was approximately $20,000, while at the natural foods store it was slightly more than $42,000....
Senator Ruderman, who owns a natural foods chain, claimed our price comparisons are wildly inaccurate, but they are not.
read ... 42,000 year for 'Organics'
State, VA close in on home loan agreement
SA: Veterans in Hawaii may once again qualify for VA home loans on property served by rainwater catchment systems now that the federal and state governments appear close to untying a bureaucratic knot.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stopped guaranteeing the financing for VA loans on homes with catchment systems in late 2011 because of a state Department of Health policy that did not recognize the water as safe for drinking or food preparation.
Despite protests from veterans and Realtors — and the intervention of U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, and state Rep. Bob McDermott (R, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point) — the dispute has dragged on for two years.
Earlier this month, the Health Department issued a new policy that clarifies that while rainwater catchment systems are not regulated by the state, homeowners can take action to make the water safe for domestic use, including periodic testing.
The VA, which had urged the state to adopt a testing protocol to declare the water safe, has recommended a few changes to the state's policy but has indicated that the department would once again guarantee the loans.
read ... State, VA close in on home loan agreement
More Hot Air from HECO
SBH: Pacific Business News reports, "The planned 24-megawatt Na Pua Makani wind farm on Oahu's North Shore is expected to save Hawaiian Electric Co. millions of dollars in total avoided fuel costs during the 20-year term of a power purchase agreement, the state's largest electric utility recently said in an application regarding the project sent to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission. The application seeks to get a waiver from the competitive bidding process and the approval of a power purchase agreement between HECO and Champlin Hawaii Wind Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Santa Barbara-based Champlin, the developer of the wind farm."
It may save HECO, the state's protected energy monopoly millions of dollars, but consumers will pay for this project as they have paid for past projects and studies.
read ... SBH News
Hu Honua Has New Excuse for Work Stoppage
HTH: Developers of the Hu Honua Bioenergy plant in Pepeekeo scaled back work at the site as they await regulatory permits and approvals, according to company CEO John Sylvia.
“We’ve basically had to hit the pause button after we got out a little bit in front of ourselves,” he said in a Wednesday phone interview.
“I think we underestimated the level of time it takes for these things to happen. … We’re looking at between six and nine more months of work to do, and, unfortunately, that’s the big question we just don’t know how much longer it will take while we’re waiting for a whole series of permits and approvals.”
Among those decisions upon which completion of the bioenergy plant relies is an approval by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission concerning a power-purchase agreement with Hawaii Electric Light Co., he said.
The company signed the agreement with HELCO in May 2012, with the utility agreeing to purchase 21.5 megawatts, or 10 percent of the island’s electrical needs, from Hu Honua for a total of 10 years. But before Hu Honua can begin operations, the agreement must be given the OK by the Public Utlities Commission. Sylvia said there was no way to know when the PUC might weigh in on the agreement....
This summer, construction workers at the site were also impacted when a labor jurisdiction dispute temporarily put work on standby. A spokeswoman for Hu Honua said Wednesday afternoon the dispute since was resolved, but could not say how long the work stoppage lasted.
Hu Honua is installing CO and NOX catalytic reduction technology to control greenhouse gases, an electrostatic precipitator for dust collection and a baghouse for particulate matter.” Because this 'clean energy project is very dirty.
read ... Excuses
Hoku's failed Idaho plant is purchased for $8.3M
SA: Hoku broke ground in 2007 on a 67-acre parcel outside of Pocatello. It halted construction in May 2012 and laid off 100 workers after a global collapse in polysilicon prices. Hoku secured a number of concessions from the city, including a 99-year ground lease for the land at $1 a year.
In its bankruptcy filing Hoku Materials listed assets of $7.4 million and liabilities of $780 million. Hoku Solar, the company's second subsidiary, which sells and installs PV systems, listed no liabilities.
Founded in 2001 and once heralded as one of Hawaii's most promising technology startups, Hoku Corp.'s troubles began in 2009 with a decline in prices for polysilicon, the raw material used to make solar panels. Hoku had used advance deposits from polysilicon customers to fund construction of the plant. However, customers began canceling their contracts as prices fell and asked for their deposits to be refunded.
Running short on cash, Hoku executives turned to Chinese investors, who took control of the company in 2009. The investors, led by Tianwei New Energy Holdings Co., were unable to complete construction of the plant despite pouring more than $300 million into the project, most of which was borrowed from Chinese banks.
read ... Act 221 Final Act?
UH backs Cancer Center's embattled director
SA: "The university is developing a plan to strengthen the Cancer Center under the continuing leadership of Michele Carbone as director," UH said in an emailed statement. "The Cancer Center is vital to our state, and the university is committed to ensuring that it achieves its full potential to serve the people of Hawaii."
UH did not provide additional details of the plan, and faculty at the center say they have not been privy to any details.
Years of internal disputes over Carbone's management came to a head last week as former and current faculty say they were prompted to petition the Board of Regents to remove Carbone after two failed attempts by UH-Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple to terminate him.
read ... Mesothelioma
Molokai Gradually Recovering From Damage Caused by Ritte
MN: The greatest success story in the state was Moloka’i, where October’s unemployment rate of 7.5 percent is down from 11.2 percent in September and 14.4 percent a year a ago.
SA: State's growing labor force holds unemployment rate steady
read ... Unemployment Down
Rich housing risks easing out locals
SA: It was more than a touch ironic that the kamaaina real-estate developers who are building a second opulent condominium complex at Ala Moana Center announced the same week that their retail arm is shutting down all eight Price Busters stores elsewhere on Oahu, throwing nearly 200 people out of work after the holidays. Clearly, the profits are in luxury goods, not discount ones.
That's not a surprise, of course, in our glittering city at the crossroads of the Pacific. But the juxtaposition did give us pause, and cause to wonder anew: As Waikiki seemingly blends into Kakaako, what's in it for middle-class people who live on this island — as opposed to wealthy investors buying second or even third homes — not to mention those Oahu residents even farther down the economic ladder?
All the new luxury developments in urban Honolulu bring jobs, of course, in construction and related industries, which are vitally important. A variety of taxed spending related to their construction flows into city and state coffers
read ... Kakaako
Envros' Threat: Sue to Keep Kam Hwy Jammed
CB: Local attorney Bill Saunders said he is planning to file a lawsuit against the state and the city as soon as the barriers are in place.
“We have prepared a complaint and we're ready to go,” Saunders said.
Saunders said he will represent several Hawaii residents he declined to name but described as “famous people who are longtime users of the area who are involved in ocean sports.”...
Gil Riviere, a former lawmaker and a member of the state’s task force that is analyzing the traffic issue, said the Department of Transportation is overcompensating for its lack of action in previous years....
State Rep. Richard Fale, who represents the North Shore, said in an email that many people in his district are frustrated and that he’s working with the state to make sure that the concrete barriers are effective.
read ... Kam Highway Chaos: State's Parking Barriers May Bring Lawsuit
ILWU To Endorse Hanabusa for Senate
CB: In a big boost to her campaign, Hawaii’s chapter of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union is backing Colleen Hanabusa for U.S. Senate.
The 18,000-member ILWU Local 142 is expected to make the announcement soon. Hanabusa, the U.S. representative who is leaving her seat to challenge Sen. Brian Schatz in the Democratic primary, is a labor attorney who has previously enjoyed ILWU support.
read ... ILWU To Endorse Hanabusa for Senate
Abercrombie Demands 9th Circuit Overturn Gay Marriage Ruling
EOT: The same-sex couples who fought Hawaii’s same-sex marriage ban in federal court have now filed, along with Governor Abercrombie, requests to have the Ninth Circuit appeal dismissed. Earlier this month, the Ninth Circuit gave the plaintiffs 21 days to seek dismissal, based on the fact that Hawaii’s new law granting marriage to same-sex couples has been signed by the governor, and the law went into effect on December 2.
The plaintiffs and Governor Abercrombie filed separate responses. The plaintiffs asked the Ninth Circuit to completely wipe out the district court’s decision which had initially upheld Hawaii’s ban. Because “it would be inequitable for Plaintiffs and the Governor to suffer any preclusive effects of the District Court’s Order and Judgment, without the ability to appeal from them,” they write, the would oppose unconditionally dismissing the case. They point to two cases currently in a state court and a federal court challenging the enactment of the new same-sex marriage law (on the rationale that Hawaii’s constitutional amendment’s language prevents enactment of a law granting marriage to same-sex couples), arguing that if those were to result in decisions that struck the new law down, they want the Ninth Circuit appeal to be reinstated. That would be the only way the plaintiffs could seek relief from the reinstatement of the marriage ban.
Governor Abercrombie’s response to the Ninth Circuit’s order notes that he agrees the plaintiffs are entitled to have the district court decision vacated, but adds that he himself is also entitled to that action: the only exception to granting that type of relief is if the party asking for it actually caused the case to be moot. Governor Abercrombie points out that no matter how much he wanted the same-sex marriage law passed, it’s the legislature’s role. He also notes that he doesn’t consent to dismissal of the appeal prior to an order for the courts to vacate the district court decision. His filing also points to the two current lawsuits as a reason to reinstate the appeal, if they were to move forward the case would not be moot as the new same-sex marriage law would be voided.
Totally Unrelated News: KS Teacher Charged with Child Molestation
read ... Must Obliterate all Opposition to Our Gay Lords
Hawaii Officials Informed in August the Obama Library not Coming to Kakaako
CBN: So far, Barack Obama has said nothing about where he wishes to build his Presidential Library. Several sites have been mentioned as possibilities including Chicago State University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and even that intensely scenic, but somewhat remote island state of Hawaii.
But as long ago as last August, Hawaii officials were apparently informed the state is totally out of the running. Sorry, Aloha State.
read ... Chicago Business News
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