RGA: "ObamaCare is not working for Hawaii"
Anti-GMO ‘Yogic Flying’ Expert is Latest Mainland Crackpot to Tour Hawaii
Dangerous by Design: Hawaii Worst for Elderly Pedestrian Fatalities
Akaka Bill to Native Roll
Meyer: 'HIRA Gives Fodder to Democrat Narrative'
Legislative Prayer, Tradition, and the Establishment Clause
Intermediate Court of Appeals: No Landlocked Real Estate in Hawaii
Leader of Internet Gambling Operation Sentenced to Prison
Mercado Kim vs Regents on Reopening UH Presidential Search
Hawaii Ranks #2 in Senior Health
Souki: Djou Ahead in Polls, May Win
MW: Souki sees the new crop of candidates as being less affiliated with party and more interested in issues. Surprisingly, he thought that O'ahu Republican Charles Djou had a good chance to take the U.S. House seat, and was not at all pleased with that prospect. He said that recent polls showed Djou with a five-point lead.
Background: CD1 Poll: Good News for Charles Djou (shows 9-point lead)
read ... Speaker Souki Reviews 2014 Legislative Session
WaPo: Hawaii Among 15 Top Gubernatorial Races to Watch
WaPo: 15. Hawaii (Democratic-controlled): ... On comes Hawaii, where former Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann announced Thursday that he is running as an Independent Party candidate. This could complicate matters for already-unpopular Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D), who defeated Hannemann in the 2010 Democratic primary. Former lieutenant governor Duke Aiona (R) also running. He was defeated by Abercrombie in 2010. (Previous ranking: N/A)
read ... Top 15
Bill would create environmental court
WHT: Under SB 632, the chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court will designate an environmental judge or judges for each circuit and for a district court within each circuit. The bill takes effect July 1, 2015, except for sections creating a working group to make recommendations on implementation, which would take place upon passage.
The Judiciary, according to spokeswoman Tammy Mori, doesn’t believe a separate environmental court is needed, but it has agreed to participate in the working group and provide a report about environmental cases over the past five years.
“The Judiciary still believes environmental calendars, as opposed to environmental courts, will result in better use of resources and funding,” Mori said.
The environmental courts will have exclusive, original jurisdiction over all proceedings, including judicial review of administrative proceedings and proceedings for declaratory judgment on the validity of agency rules authorized under Chapter 91, the Hawaii Administrative Procedure Act.
That includes historic preservation, protection of caves, litter control, electronic waste recycling, solid waste, safe drinking water, air pollution, environmental impact statements and a host of other state laws and regulations.
Background: Does Hawaii Need An "Environmental Court?"
read ... Bill would create environmental court
22% of Schools Have Employee on leave, under investigation
SA: Nearly 66 percent said they could not critique the DOE's implementation of Race to the Top without "fear of reprisal, retaliation or being unfairly evaluated on my performance evaluation."
About 22 percent of the principals said at least one of their school's employees was currently on paid leave and under investigation by the DOE.
The school board must direct DOE leadership to take immediate steps to ease this demoralized climate of fear and empower the principals to be the educational leaders they must be — that's the only way Hawaii's students will thrive in the long term.
read ... Culture of Retaliation
Auditor assigned to probe HawCC fees
HTH: Board of Regents Secretary Cynthia Quinn said Tuesday afternoon the board is unlikely to discuss the allegations at a meeting until at least July, as members are busy bringing to a close their search for a new university system president.
“I can tell you that he (Lassner) has assigned an internal auditor,” she said. “I think it was sometime last month.”
read ... Lassner Acting Like he is on the Job
Trask: OHA Infighting Endangers my Geothermal Scheme
SA: Most recently, the crossed signals at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs relating to how we manage our aspirations for sovereignty raise questions about leadership and protocol. Every decision made by OHA trustees and its executives must be preceded by the questions: How is this going to impact the beneficiaries? Is it going to better their conditions? (Translation: Will OHA chaos undermine my geothermal scheme?)
OHA's decisions must also be good for all of Hawaii. (ie me.)
I understand the need for both courage and compromise — while meeting our legal obligations. I have learned much from Mother Teresa in Calcutta (lol!) and the sovereignty movement in Hawaii. I believe in advancing geothermal development here using the community-based model we developed for the Maori Trusts in Aotearoa New Zealand. (Ca-Ching!)
I know that you do not get things done if you "let the perfect be the enemy of the good." I empathize with the struggle to balance principle and pragmatism as both elected leaders and bureaucrats try to make the best decisions under less than ideal circumstances. (Calm down already so I can make a buck.)
We have an obligation, all of us, to leave this world a little better than when we entered it. The conflicts across the globe, our local disagreements and the raised voices, mine included, that we sometimes hear, may lead us to conclude that our record on improving the state of the planet, even the state of the state, is less than stellar. (Stop acting like me. I'm trying to cash in now.)
Background: “Damned Sellout” Mililani Trask Defends PLDC
read ... Progress is balance between principle and pragmatism
There's power and money to be found in fear-mongering
KE: So now that we actually, finally, have some real data on pesticide prevalence in Hawaii — data that show “None of these levels present a risk to human health or the environment,” according to Department of Health toxicologist Fenix Grange — will any of the hysteria diminish?
Don't count on it. There's power and money to be found in fear-mongering, so you can be assured it will continue unabated, especially in an election year, when several candidates have nothing to offer voters but a shared affinity for red shirts and fist-waving.
Though downplayed by The Garden Island (which posted a wrong link to the study), Civil Beat's coverage tells the real story:
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.
Streams in urban Oahu had the highest number of pesticides present, including one site where 20 types were detected. In total, the study found 41 pesticide compounds.
The study also analyzed seven sites for the presence of glyphosate, an herbicide that is more commonly known by its trade name, Roundup. The state doesn't generally test for glyphosate because of the high cost, but members of the Environmental Council advocated for more testing last fall.
Three of the seven sites had glyphosate, but at extremely low levels — the highest concentration was 60,000 times lower than the lowest benchmark available.
Marjorie Ziegler, a member of the Environmental Council [and director of Conservation Council for Hawaii], said that the main takeaway for her were the higher levels in urban areas, rather than near large farms growing genetically engineered crops.
"The myth in my head says that GMO is increasing all those pesticides but maybe that isn't the case," Ziegler said....
read ... Musings: Fact and Fancy
Anti-GMO Activism Like Fundamentalist Religion
KE: When I was a little girl my mother used to play Neil Diamond records, and one song that has remained stuck in my head all these years is "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show.”
It came to mind when I received an email about anti-GMO crusader Jeffrey Smith's Hawaii tour later this week, which comes on the heels of a similar circuit taken by anti-atrazine researcher Tyrone Hayes, who is speaking tomorrow night on Kauai.
On the poster, Smith is described as “one of the most saught [sic] after, internationally recognized voices of GMO Truth.” One of his Maui talks is pitched as “an event of truth and facts,” while the other is described as “A Day of GMO Truth.” Curiously, no such claim is made for his Kauai appearance, which is listed simply as a “GMO community talk.”
And I thought, how can you possibly pretend you are serving up truth when you are presenting just one point of view? Which is when I was again reminded of how the anti-GMO movement has assumed all the self-righteous, one-way, one-truth fervor of the evangelicals — replete with swooning. I'll never forget the 2491 testimony of the lady who said she ate a GMO papaya “and fainted dead away.”
So it is clear now that in Hawaii, we will not be able to have a reasonable public discussion on this issue. We will not be able to publicly debate different sets of facts, varying versions of the truth.
In the current socio-political milieu, you're either a true believer, or a heretic, with absolutely no middle ground allowed.
read ... Musings: Dinosaurs
New Director: Waikiki Aquarium Will Teach Eco-Religion
SA: The 110-year-old Waikiki Aquarium has a long history of educating residents and visitors and empowering them to make informed decisions about protecting Hawaii's marine life.
We will henceforth take a "big picture" perspective and expand our activities to address issues facing the global ocean through an upcoming Ocean Science Laboratory and a Distinguished Lecture Series, which kicks off Thursday at Mamiya Theatre with a presentation on ocean level rise by Dr. Chip Fletcher.
So, what are some of the significant marine issues facing Hawaii, and what can individuals do to address them?
read ... Another Source of Propaganda
Waikiki Natatorium Placed on National Trust for Historic Preservation List
SA: A nearly three-decade battle to preserve the neglected Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium is getting added ammunition from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is adding the landmark to its list of "national treasures" — a move that harnesses the support of thousands of preservationists from coast to coast.
read ... National Treasure
12,000 apply for rental aid via city's Section 8 program
SA: What kind of demand is there for affordable housing on Oahu?
Consider this: Nearly 12,000 people have signed up for rental assistance six days into the weeklong open period for applying to the city's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, officials said Tuesday.
"It speaks volumes," said city Community Services Director Pam Witty-Oakland.
Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.
Another reason stoking demand is that the program hasn't been opened up for applications in nine years. That's when the city closed its waitlist after more than 10,000 families applied....
There are expected to be between 200 and 500 slots available in the next few years, depending on the availability of funding and affordable housing, officials said. Applicants can sign up online at tinyurl.com/q22sh98.
read ... 12,000
875 Days Pali Momi Volume up 30%
KHON: Pali Momi Medical Center recognized its staff Tuesday for helping to fill the void that was left behind after Hawaii Medical Center West closed 875 days ago. Since then, the hospital said it saw a 30-percent increase in volume....
The hospital made several changes to accommodate the increase in patients, including adding 10 more beds, converting the physician dining room and lounge areas into additional treatment rooms, and building a Transitional Care Unit for observation and to discharge patients.
MN: Meeting to give W. Maui hospital update
KITV: The Queen's Medical Center West Oahu opens for patients
read ... Pali Momi
Chinatown businesses upset over homeless and lack of bathrooms
HNN: An ugly problem is getting worse in Chinatown. Business leaders are fed up with the homeless using the streets as their toilets.
There is a lot to be said about the homeless problem. There's also a lot to be seen when you take a walk down River Street.
"Get away punk. Don't f--- with me. I'll kill you," yelled one homeless man to another at the corner of River Street and Pauahi.
Another woman in an altered state called me a vulgar expletive and demanded our station bring back her favorite anchor from the past. Another started talking gibberish. The next wanted to give you his life's story.
One man gave marijuana to another right in front of us. Another man was walking around with a huge hole in his pants exposing his rear end.
There was fighting, police activity and exposure to more than people should have to see. It's just another afternoon in Chinatown.
WH: Hawaii 4th-Highest % of Homeless Veterans
read ... Homeless on Rampage Everywhere
$221K Settlement after State Hands Boy Over to Homosexual Child Molester
MN: A judgment of $221,080 for the family of a 15-year-old male student referred by the Department of Health to a rehabilitation facility contracted by the state which sued after the student had a sexual relationship with one of the facility’s male staffers.
read ... Another One
Big Island man living through child support nightmare
KHON: For Ortiz, it all started back in 1995, when he got his first letter from the Hawaii Child Support Enforcement Agency.
“I quickly replied to them denying paternity,” Ortiz said.
But the letters continue to this day.
“They’ve got liens on my property. I cannot use the property at all. It’s all liened out. They send me threatening notices, I cannot get a passport. They hit me with everything and I am without resolve,” Ortiz said.
The Hawaii Child Support Enforcement Agency claims Ortiz is the father of a child who’s now 37 years old.
Ortiz, who lives in the Puna District of the Big Island, has been ordered to pay $24,000 worth of back payments.
That’s despite the child’s mother repeatedly telling the state that Ortiz is not the father.
Ortiz asked the child to go in for a DNA test years ago.
“And so my son did, and it was definitely proven that he was in no way the father of my son. So once again we thought it was done but evidently not,” the child’s mother Maxine Camvel said.
read ... Big Island man living through child support nightmare
VA Whistleblower on Active Duty in Hawaii
AP: Former Navy reservist Lisa Lee told The Coloradoan that she and another scheduler were transferred from the Fort Collins clinic in March 2013 for refusing to hide the waiting time for appointments. She said she was later suspended for two weeks after filing an internal grievance about the transfer and scheduling practices.
Lee’s complaint led to an investigation that found clinic workers were told to make their records show veterans got appointments within 14 days of the day requested, whether or not it was true. The report was leaked earlier this month....
Also this month, a nurse who works for the Cheyenne, Wyoming, VA office was put on leave for allegedly sending an email telling employees to falsify appointment records. The Cheyenne VA oversees the Fort Collins clinic, as well as parts of Wyoming and Nebraska.
The email acknowledged the approach was “gaming the system a bit,” but also said the “front office gets very upset” when the 14-day target for appointments isn’t met.
Lee told the newspaper her grievance was denied, and she was forced to drive almost an hour each way to work in Cheyenne for less pay.
“They had to punish us. They had to make us an example to the other (schedulers),” said Lee, who is now on active duty in Hawaii.
MG: News from VA, ER front bode ill for Obamacare
read ... VA Scandal
Hawaii Has $52M in Unspent Funds for Drinking Water Projects
CB: Each year, the EPA gives the state about $8 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The state matches 20 percent of the money and then issues 20-year loans to the counties at low interest rates for projects such as installing new pumps and protecting wells from contamination. But some state and federal officials are concerned the money hasn’t been flowing out to counties as quickly as it should.
The excess money is nearly a third of the total the program has received since it was established in 1997.
The surplus doesn’t mean Hawaii’s drinking water infrastructure is up to par. Dean Higuchi, spokesman for the EPA, said the agency’s latest national survey found there is a significant need for improvements in Hawaii.
“We've identified over a billion dollars in need,” Higuchi said, noting that over 90 percent of that is within the City & County of Honolulu. “It's not like there's not a need out there.”
Jill Kuramoto, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, said lengthy and stringent requirements to qualify for the loans, along with limits on the agency's borrowing capacity, have slowed down efforts to utilize the funding.
Still, she said that the BWS has received $37 million from the fund since its inception and that another $19 million in loan agreements are being processed.
Gary Gill, deputy director of environmental services at the Department of Health, acknowledged the counties may be discouraged from participating in the program because of cumbersome conditions, such as a Buy American provision and record-keeping rules.
“We have been struggling for more than a decade to encourage the counties to make more use of this fund,” Gill said.
read ... $52M in Unspent Funds for Drinking Water Projects
Indictment: Longterm Deceit Alleged in Honolulu Landfill Disaster
CB: ...In the weeks after the environmental disaster, executives of Waste Management Hawaii, which operates the city landfill, blamed a freak heavy rainfall and said that they were just weeks away from completing a storm water diversion channel that would have prevented the discharges.
But late last month, a federal grand jury issued a 13-count indictment that paints a startling version of events that transpired before and after the spill.
The indictment lays out detailed allegations that officials at Waste Management Hawaii repeatedly lied to federal and state health officials about having an adequate storm water system in place at the time of the spill.
It cites evidence of landfill managers conspiring with an unidentified Honolulu environmental consulting firm to cover up deficiencies and dupe state health officials into issuing a storm water discharge permit allowing the facility to continue operations.
And it accuses the landfill operator of shoddy management practices, such as covering garbage with a torn tarp that was quickly swept away by heavy rains in December, leaving mounds of sewage, spoiled food and other trash exposed to rainwater. Waste Management Hawaii was legally required to cover the garbage with at least six inches of soil, according to the indictment....
read ... Indictment: Longterm Deceit Alleged
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