Cachola lawyers up as investigators probe use of campaign funds
Duke Aiona: Have I done all I can do for the people of Hawaii?
Squeezed by Lawsuit, UH Hilo adopts interim policy on speech and assembly
Ryan Anderson and Jim DeMint Promote Religious Liberty in Hawaii
Matson’s Corporate Governance Dangerous to Hawaii’s Consumers
Medicaid Expansion to Cost Hawaii $326M
OHA Chaos hits Maui: "Do We Want to Increase the Bleeding?"
MN: George Manalani Kamimiola, also testified, asking the remaining trustees to rescind their letter of rescind, and to cease and desist from any other activities of the nation-building process until the answers posed by Dr. Crabbe are received.
Jocelyn Costa was also among the supporters of Dr. Crabbe saying, “It is one thing to say I don’t know; it is another to say I no like know.”
Russell Kahookele, an elected representative for the Lawful Hawaiian Government group in 2007 and 2011 also spoke in support of Crabbe’s actions saying, “We cannot wait for America to tell us, yeah you can. They said it in the apology resolution that we have the right to be sovereign, on our own, without their interference. If we listen to them, we’re going to be Indians…. What is at stake here is our nationality.”
The Board of Trustees Meeting on Maui was the last public event before the body goes into executive session on Monday....
Machado said that the intent of the (Monday) meeting is not to conduct ho’oponopono, the Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness, which she said is only triggered if there is a dispute; but said two individuals are on standby to facilitate the process, should their services be needed.
“Who knows what’s going to come out of that meeting, but we need to exercise that–to begin the process to look if something wrong happened. We need to ask those questions, and that’s what Monday is about,” said Machado.
As questions surfaced over transparency and discussions over social media, Machado raised her voice saying, “We’re not there yet. That’s all I’m trying to say. Allow us to do our job. That’s all I’m asking, allow us to do our job.”
She said all matters covered in Monday’s meeting are confidential unless Crabbe chooses to air the information out in public session. “We’re protecting his confidentiality in terms of whatever we’re going to talk about. That’s to preserve him too. And do we want to increase the bleeding?..."
read ... Overflow Crowd Voices Support for Crabbe at OHA Maui Meeting
Star-Adv: Crabbe Interferes with Drive for Federal Recognition of Akaka Tribe
SA: It can't be easy for any of the trustees or officers of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to remain neutral on the issue of forming a Native Hawaiian nation.... the majority position of OHA has been to favor one particular approach to sovereignty: seeking U.S. federal recognition for Native Hawaiians as a political entity.
But OHA's beneficiaries -- who split on whether federal recognition or full independence should be the goal -- were promised neutrality as the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission finishes its work....
Clearly, the agency's capacity to perform in that role was damaged last week with its showdown over a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry....
Crabbe has his defenders, many of whom turned out in his defense at OHA's regular board meeting Thursday on Maui. What they are overlooking, however, is that this wasn't the only crucial question raised in the letter, dated May 5.
In the closing paragraph of the 3 1/2-page letter, Crabbe wrote that while he awaits the opinion, he will ask trustees to vote for a delay in the nationhood organizational schedule. That expression of high uncertainty is not what should be telegraphed in advance of a vote.
OHA has invested a lot of energy, and money, in the pursuit of nationhood, and is trying to position itself as a facilitator of nation-building talks to occur later this year.
Some have argued that this timetable is too aggressive.... President Barack Obama has only two more full years in his second term, and having a Hawaii-born president in office considerably improves the political climate for (Federal) recognition. That is definitely an argument for pressing ahead with electing delegates and beginning the discussions sooner rather than later. (Except that the executive order is pie in the sky and House is controlled by Republicans who continue to save Hawaii and Hawaiians from the scum we elect to office.)
read ... All About Federal Recognition
Obamacare Socks Insurers with $54.1M in New Costs
SA: The state's two largest health insurers are blaming substantial losses in the first quarter on a combined $54.1 million in fees related to Obamacare.
The Hawaii Medical Service Association recorded $46.1 million in costs due to the Affordable Care Act, which contributed to a $30.1 million loss after investment gains from January to March.
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii said the federal law added approximately $8 million in first-quarter expenses, resulting in a $5.8 million loss.
read ... More Rate Hikes Coming, Thanks to Obama
HART Showboating Costs $57M in Rail change orders
SA: Rail construction delays dating back to when Honolulu city officials awarded contracts to start building the project before they had the federal say-so to proceed have so far cost taxpayers $76 million — and that amount will likely grow.
Transit officials revealed the delay total Thursday as members of the rail authority's board approved nearly $57 million in new change orders to help build the island's elevated rail transit system, which is now taking shape.
The construction-delay costs are tied to three contracts awarded to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. and its joint venture, Kiewit Kobayashi, between November 2009 and June 2011. Once those deals were signed, the firms hired staff, set up offices and acquired construction equipment — but then had to wait as long as 22 months in some cases to start work because it took the city until February 2012 to get all the proper federal approvals.
The city had decided to award those construction contracts at an early stage, in part because it wanted to "demonstrate to the public that tangible progress was being made" on rail, according to a December 2011 letter from the city to the Federal Transit Administration. (This showboating is now costing us big.)
On Thursday, members of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board, who are overseeing the 20-mile, 21-station project, agreed to pay Kiewit and Kiewit Kobayashi a negotiated $34.4 million as part of the change orders. That move brought the total payout for the construction delays to $76 million, the rail project's top executive said.
read ... Rail board approves $57M in change orders
Could Abercrombie really lose?
CB: Around town you hear the whisperings: Could Abercrombie really lose? ....
the governor is being judged, and by many people. They question his priorities. His approval ratings as governor have never exceeded 50 percent, and he has drawn a Democratic primary challenger in state Sen. David Ige....
During a short Q&A with reporters, the governor gave nods to groups representing labor, the environment, education and energy, suggesting that his administration has made progress toward shared goals. Perhaps so. But many in those same groups privately express disappointment in Abercrombie's first term, and some are giving Ige a serious look....
Abercrombie, who turns 76 next month, was surrounded by old friends and supporters Thursday. They included Amy Agbayani, Randy Iwase, John Radcliffe, Kate Stanley, Barbara Tanabe, Charlie Toguchi and Eddie Flores....
Speaking of interest: Abercrombie will be holding yet another campaign fundraiser — his fifth this month — Friday night in Kahala. The suggested contribution is $2,000.
read ... One Governor For Sale
Prostitute's Black Book Lists Judges, Former Congressman
HR: A 33-year-old madam who operated her elite prostitution business from Portlock, one of Hawaii’s most prestigious neighborhoods, for about a decade, said her list of clientele included a former member of Hawaii’s congressional delegation, judges, a deputy prosecutor and celebrities.
Malia Arciero, who is being held at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center on drug possession and distribution charges, agreed during an exclusive in-person interview with Hawaii Reporter to disclose the list of her clients.
Arciero provided access to two of several of her “black books” as evidence of her 10-year prostitution empire, which began in 2001, and included 5 to 6 prostitutes whom she managed.
The 200-page manual details some names, phone numbers, emails, preferences and fetishes of hundreds of male clients and some couples, who she booked by phone and through an extensive web of several dozen escort web sites....
Hawaii Reporter first interviewed the madam last week after she made stunning allegations in a civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court against a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement division.
She accuses Ryan Faulkner, a Special Agent with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement division, of abusing his authority.
According to the lawsuit, she said she witnessed – and was even a victim – of his criminal activity while she worked as his informant over a 6-month period from April 28, 2013, and ended in the fall of 2013. (See the Arciero lawsuit here)
read ... Portlock madam releases black book
DoH Pesticide Study Busts Anti-GMO Hype
CB: Despite growing public concern about pesticide use in Hawaii, a new study by the state Department of Health found very small amounts of pesticides in streams on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island.
The study, which analyzed water from 24 streams, found that the areas with the greatest number of pesticides were not near large farms but rather in urban Oahu.
Fenix Grange, an environmental toxicologist who works as a supervisor at the Office of Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response at DOH, presented the results of the study during a meeting of the Environmental Council on Thursday. The full report isn’t scheduled to be published until next week.
read ... Information the Anti-GMO Hypesters Can't Use
Grad student organization votes 'no confidence' in UH Presidential search
HNN: "We think that the search process did not illicit faith in the resulting candidates regardless of their individual merits or qualifications of these two candidate and therefore we would like to ask the board of regents to reinitiate the search process," said Tigchelaar.
GSO cited their belief the rules were bent to allow Dr. David Lassner, who holds the interim position, to be considered for the permanent job
"Initially, the presidential search committee agreed that it would not be appropriate for whoever held the interim position to be considered for the job permanently but then they allowed him to be nominated," said Tigchelaar.
They also voiced concerns about Gen. Wiercinski lacking what they described as the "minimum requirements" set out by the presidential search committee....
"He does not have the degree in higher education the doctoral degree that was sought by the committee and he also does not have any experience working within a university or the University of Hawai'i," said Tigchelaar.
SA: UH Sticking With Presidential Finalists
read ... Grad student organization votes 'no confidence' in UH Presidential search
UH: Narrow-Minded Anti-Military Haters Advocate 'Critical Thinking' LOL!
KITV: "We believe the Lt. Gen. brings no qualifications to the table regarding the social, cultural and historical specificity of working in a special place like Hawaii," said associate professor Noelani Goodyear-Ka'opua.
People opposed to Wiercinski as a candidate came to present the UH Board of Regents with a 617-person petition. They backed it up with words Thursday and questioned Wiercinski's qualifications and cultural awareness.
"A military institution is a patriarchal hierarchy and doesn't encourage critical thinking, which is the kind of thinking that we want to foster in a university environment," said Tina Grandinetti, a UH Master's student (who has just proven herself wrong and she doesn't know it.)
read ... About Arrogant Morons
Broken Windows Policing Strategy for Waikiki
SA: We need to treat Waikiki the way the New York Police Department treats Times Square: a large number of police officers, with their strong presence deterring both criminal and disorderly behavior.
The police department must establish zero tolerance for those who come to Waikiki and choose to violate our criminal and traffic laws. No more warnings or breaks. You break the law; you get arrested. Waikiki is too important to our state's economy not to take that approach....
While the homeless population in Waikiki presents myriad challenges, the focus should be on several constant problems that if not addressed consistently will undoubtedly result in the need for a "crackdown" or "sweep." These problems include sidewalk viola- tions, beach thefts, street robberies and disorderly behavior -- the last two occurring primarily during the late night and early morning hours.
Sidewalk violations -- e.g., peddling, obstruction, prostitution, animal solicitation and hand billing -- and beach thefts are best addressed by dedicated enforcement units. Not consistently addressing both is akin to not taking care of a manicured lawn. The longer you neglect it, the more the weeds will take over.
Late-night/early-morning street robberies and disorderly behavior associated with the over-consumption of alcohol are effectively addressed through incident-based (or hot spot) policing, foot patrols and stationary posts -- all employed nightly between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m....
Background: Broken Windows Strategy
read ... Broken Windows Strategy
Double Dipping: Cachola Billed Taxpayers for Car Bought With Campaign Funds
AP: While driving the car purchased with campaign funds, Cachola also received a car allowance from the Honolulu City Council, according to public records. Cachola received an allowance of $250 per month nearly every month from March 2008, when he bought the car, until July 2012. He also listed the Pathfinder as his primary vehicle when he applied for a parking spot at the Legislature, according to the complaint.
The commission hired an investigator who trailed Cachola for a week in January and saw him driving the vehicle to work and church. Investigators peered into the car and saw no campaign signs or posters, they said.
Cachola also spent unusual amounts on public relations from 2011 to 2013, paying more than $2,700 in chunks of $50 to $200 to dozens of individuals, according to the complaint. Candidates running for mayor or governor sometimes hire public relations firms, but most candidates running for seats in the statehouse do not, Kam said. Those who do hire public relations help usually pay firms, not individuals, he said.
Cachola wrote a letter to the commission in April asking for more time to respond because of the busy legislative calendar. A request for an extension was denied.
But after attorneys for Cachola dropped off documents stating that Cachola had made some reimbursement payments, commission officials chose to grant a continuance on Wednesday.
"If there's any monies that are in dispute or in question, we'd rather pay that and worry about it later on," Green said.
The case will be heard on June 18.
Big Q: 96% say Cachola out of line
NOTE: Nobody is running against Cachola for HD30
read ... Cachola a crook
Kim and Chang Join Schatz and Abercrombie on TV
CB: Kim spent $40,120 on 135 spots on all the major channels: KHON, KITV and Hawaii News Now, along withOceanic Time Warner cable networks ESPN, FXNC, HGTV, TBSC and USA. Her priciest buy was for $2,000 on KITV during "Dancing With The Stars."
Chang spent $38,550 on 80 spots on KHON, KITV and Hawaii News Now. Chang spent the most, $5,600, for his ad scheduled to run during the evening news on KGMB.
The political action committee Working Families For Hawaii (HGEA) also joined in the ad buying, spending $16,200 on 22 spots scheduled to run from May 19 until May 30 on KHON. The most expensive spot will air during the evening news for $3,000.
Schatz continued with his ad purchases, with spots scheduled to air through June 8. He bought 286 ads for $78,800 on KHON, KITV and Hawaii News Now. His priciest buys were for $3,000 during KHON's evening news.
In addition, since March 24, Schatz has spent $58,715 on 377 spots on the Oceanic Time Warner cable channels BRAVO, ENT, FOOD, HGTV, LIF, OC16, OXYG and TLC.
So far this election cycle, Schatz has spent $371,180 on his ads.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie spent $86,285 on 230 ad spots on all the major stations: KHON, KITV and Hawaii News Now. His priciest spot was for $1,820 during KGMB's morning news.
Since April 21, Abercrombie has also spent $9,420 on 104 spots on the Oceanic Time Warner cable networks TLC, TRAV, CNBC, HGTV, FOOD, GOLF and HIST.
PR: From Waianae to Washington
read ... TV Stations Love Politicians
Judge Awards Attorneys' Fees in Police Records Case
CB: A Hawaii Circuit Court judge awarded more than $43,000 in attorneys' fees Thursday to The Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest in a lawsuit involving disclosure of police misconduct records.
Judge Karl Sakamoto ordered the City and County of Honolulu to pay the law center after it denied Civil Beataccess to the disciplinary files of 12 Honolulu police officers who had been suspended for more than 20 days.
Sakamoto ruled in February that those files should be public.
The nonprofit law center filed the lawsuit on behalf of Civil Beat, which had sought the records as part of its ongoing investigation into police misconduct.
read ... Police Records
How much are you paying for Hawaii’s bad roads?
KHON: Both the counties and state pay out to pothole victims — hundreds to thousands of dollars each — more than $100,000 for the state and Honolulu City and County combined over the past couple of years. State roads pay the lion’s share, but it’s big on the radar at Honolulu Hale too....
The state has ramped up road repairs by tens of millions in each of the past couple years. The city has repaved nearly 560 lane miles over the past year and a half, and aims to spend a lot more keeping up the pace.
“The city council right now is considering $130 million to $150 million so that we can really continue the acceleration of road repairs,” said Honolulu City Council member Ron Menor. “It’s basically a matter of setting priorities, and to me when it comes to road repairs, it needs to be given top priority. So in that regard, the money will be found by the city council.”
Bad roads aren’t the only thing causing big payouts by the city and state. The process of fixing them often leads to claims for vehicle damage from things like steel plates, even construction equipment mishaps (Honolulu: $9,475 in claims paid out 2012-14, state: $9,635 in claims paid).
Tree damage to cars and property has led to more than $55,000 in claims paid the past couple years (Honolulu: $24,140, state: $31,659).
Bad sidewalks equal big money, often due to bodily injuries, $25,019 combined....
Other notable payouts on the city and state small-claims lists:
Towing people who didn’t deserve it. One guy even got nearly $10,000 back when his wrongly towed car got sold at auction.
City or state vehicle and personnel incidents cost nearly $20,000, including police and fire incidents, and garbage trucks bumping into cars or property.
Lots of patients’ belongings, even hearing aids and dentures, are getting lost state at medical facilities, causing payouts nearing $30,000.
Even state prisoners who’ve lost stuff, stayed too long or alleged injury got nearly $60,000.
read ... How much are you paying for Hawaii’s bad roads?
Kauai Council approves more fees
KGI: The measure to increase the county’s motor vehicle weight tax from $0.0125 to $0.02 for passenger vehicles and $0.025 to $0.03 for commercial vehicles beginning on Jan. 1 passed by a 4-3 vote. Councilmen Gary Hooser, Ross Kagawa and Mel Rapozo cast the dissenting votes against that measure.
These would raise the taxes on an average compact car from around $50 to $80 and average sedan from around $62.50 to $100.
The second measure to raise the county’s landfill tipping fees from $90 to $119 per ton beginning on July 1 passed by a 5-2 vote. Kagawa and Rapozo cast the dissenting votes against that measure.
After three days of meetings, the council balanced its $182.3 million budget Wednesday.
read ... Kauai Council
Hawaii County Agency reining in property tax breaks
HTH: A recent comparison of property owners claiming the county homeowner’s exemption against vital statistics from the state Department of Health discovered 1,200 deceased people benefiting from the exemption, some for as long as 10 years. That’s cost the county untold thousands in lost taxes.
In addition, Sitko’s staff is currently reviewing 4,000 aerial images of agricultural land to see whether crops do indeed exist on the land where an agricultural exemption is claimed.
“If there is visible activity, we give them a pass at this time,” Sitko said.
read ... Agency reining in property tax breaks
Change orders at McKinley High School will be costly
KHON: KHON2 has obtained new information on the costly delays at McKinley High School after the state spent $4.5 million on a new softball stadium and girls’ locker room.
Both facilities were completed in December, but will likely sit idle until sometime next year due to failed inspections. The city said a fire hydrant near the softball stadium did not have enough water pressure while the fire alarm at the locker room was not connected properly.
According to the state Dept. of Education, the softball stadium, complete with bleachers and a concession stand, costs $2.8 million while the girls’ locker room cost $1.7 million.
And with the delay comes even more costs.
The biggest is fixing the hydrant. Even though the hydrant is close to Kapiolani Blvd., the school was told that it has to connect to a water main on Pensacola St., which is more than 200 yards away. The DOE said digging a trench and installing a new water line will cost $225,000.
read ... Change orders at McKinley High School will be costly
People Not Fooled by Gay 'Marriage'
AP: "We've really used a spirit of relentlessness," says Marc Solomon, the national campaign director for the mis-named group 'Freedom to Marry'. "That's the way we've approached this entire movement from the get-go in Massachusetts and around the country."
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage. Judges in seven other states have struck down bans on gay marriage, though officials are appealing.
Opposition remains stiff in many places. Critics point out that most states still do not allow gay marriage and that in most of those that do, it was the work of courts or legislatures, not the will of the people.
Only Washington, Maryland and Maine have approved gay marriage through a public vote, while residents of 30 states have approved constitutional amendments to ban it.
read ... The People are Ruled, not Fooled
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