Aiona Proposes Homeless Court, Veterans Outreach
Health Survey: 11.8% of DoE Students Treated After Attempting Suicide
Missing IRS emails outrage targeted Hawaii tea party leaders
Homelessness: It's A Sidewalk, Not A Sideseat Or A Sidebed
Writ to Watch: Oahu Publications, Inc. v. Neil Abercrombie
Supreme Court Briefs in Bridge Aina Lea: Takings, Reclassification, and Orders to Show Cause
Louie Applauds US Supreme Court Ruling on Firearm Background Checks
Kauai Prison Administrator admits running illegal gambling ring--Still Employed
AP: A former member of the Kauai Police Commission on Monday admitted running an illegal sports gambling business that his attorney called "small time."
Bradley Chiba said in federal court in Honolulu that he collected bets and paid winnings out of his Kauai home. He said he received wagers via text message and then placed bets on Internet gambling sites.
The 37-year-old pleaded guilty to participating in an illegal gambling business and filing a false tax return. As part of his plea, Chiba must pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service of about $11,000 and will forfeit about $29,000 in gambling proceeds that were seized.
He admitted failing to report income received in the gambling operation when he filed his 2012 income tax return, which stated his adjusted gross income was $99,880.
In February, Chiba resigned from the Kauai Police Commission...
Defense attorney Michael Green said after the guilty plea that Chiba got caught in a statewide sweep...Green said Chiba will likely lose his job with the state Department of Public Safety. Department spokeswoman Toni Schwartz said Chiba remained employed as an administrator for the Kauai Intake Services Center pending the court proceedings (in which he just pled guilty).
read ... Another Day in the Nei
UH: Proposed Kakaako Obama Library 'Raises the bar for Sea Level Rise Planning' --to elevation 3'
HPC: "In an age of rising sea levels, the Obama Presidential Center has the opportunity to raise the bar for resiliency planning in coastal environments. Building for the challenges of the 21st century can allow the Obama Presidential Center to endure beyond our grandchildren’s generation and can make the facility a model for responsible, resilient and sustainable design."
read ... Abercrombie and UH Admit Sea Level Rise is a Hoax
Supporters Step up to Defend Big Isle Farmers Against Mainland Activist Groups
CB: On Kauai, Syngenta Inc. and other agribusinesses are suing the county to overturn a recent law requiring more disclosure about pesticide use and genetic engineering practices. On Maui, local residents are pushing for a voter initiative that would ban GMO farming, which could cripple Monsanto Co. and Dow AgroSciences operations if it passes this fall.
But the Big Island is different. There are no biotechnology companies on the Big Island, and Bill 113 exempted existing genetically engineered crops like papayas. When the debate on Bill 113 unfolded in the county seat last September, few representatives from multinational companies testified in what was largely a fight between local farmers and a growing local anti-GMO movement.
The involvement of the global trade group, which comes just two months after the national anti-GMO advocacy group Center for Food Safety set up shop in Honolulu, is yet another indication of the significance of the Hawaii GMO debate on the national stage.
Karen Batra, spokeswoman for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, said that the group joined the lawsuit to show its support for local farmers, including one of its members, the Hawaii Papaya Industry Association, which is a fellow plaintiff in the case.
“Bill 113 is a direct assault on the technology and on the local farmers and growers that utilize that technology to increase their productivity,” she said.
Reality: Illegal Mainland Campaign Contributions Flow to anti-GMO activist Ritte
read ... Fight fire with Fire
Campaigning for governor is whole new sport for Ige
Borreca: Ige was first appointed to the state House by former Gov. George R. Ariyoshi and the young electrical engineer mostly ran unopposed.
Perhaps his biggest challenge was his first race, a Democratic primary between newly appointed Ige and Kevin Kuroda, the son of the popular Pearl City senator Joe Kuroda.
The primary was won by Ige, 2,720 to 1,726. Kuroda went on to become one of the Legislature's most reliable budget analysts and is now House sergeant-at-arms.
read ... Campaigning for governor is whole new sport for Ige
Two escapes in one week from the Oahu Community Correctional Center
HNN: Officials with the Department of Public Safety say 23-year old Daniel Skelton's slim build may have helped him climb though the ceiling of the bathroom at OCCC's Annex One. Skelton is believed to have punched a hole in the ceiling. He was then able to get to the roof of the one-story, wooden building.
Skelton is 5'10" and weighs 145 pounds.
The convicted thief was being held for violating probation. He has numerous arrests for burglary and theft.
Less than a week earlier, another inmate, Allan Abihai walked away from the work furlough program. He was convicted of rape and attempted murder.
read ... About the Prisons we want to move our Arizona Inmates to
Desperate to Save his job, Hawaii’s VA director promises shorter wait times by year’s end
KHON: The head of Veterans Affairs in Hawaii says before the end of the year, veterans entering the medical system will no longer wait longer than a month to see a primary care doctor.
Last Friday, KHON2 revealed more allegations against Hawaii’s VA system from a health care provider who wanted to remain anonymous. Among the accusations — the waiting list is not 145 days see a doctor, but more like a year, and bonuses for administrators and management are based on the number of patients they see and not on actual care.
Director Wayne Pfeffer made a bold prediction on the controversial wait time and issued a challenge to his staffers.
With senior staff at his side at Monday’s news conference, Pfeffer said that with the help of an additional three doctors to go with the seven full-time equivalents now with the center, along with more hours of operation and other improvements, a veteran entering the system of care in the Pacific will wait no longer than a month to see a primary care physician.
Best Comment: "He has run VA centers for 11 years according to the article. Now after he is being asked to resign he is going to try to fix some problems."
Reality: Tulsi Gabbard Full Text: Hawaii VA Director is a Liar, Should be Fired
read ... Yeah, right
Obama Bans Fishing Between Hawaii and Am. Samoa--700,000 sq miles of Ocean Closed
AP: Moving to protect fragile marine life, President Barack Obama announced plans Tuesday to create the largest ocean preserve in the world by banning drilling, fishing and other activities in a massive stretch of the Pacific Ocean.
Using presidential authority that doesn't require new action from Congress, Obama proposed to expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, which President George W. Bush designated to protect unique species and rare geological formations. The waters are all considered U.S. territory because they surround an array of remote, mostly uninhabited islands that the U.S. controls between Hawaii and American Samoa.
read ... Another Attack on Fishing
Kiribati to forbid fishing in 160,000 sq miles of Pacific Ocean
UPI: The small island nation of Kiribati announced today that it would set aside and protect a large chunk of the Pacific Ocean, forbidding fishing and other commercial activities.
The news comes just as reports broke that President Obama would dramatically expand an already protected portion of the Pacific Ocean south and to the west of Hawaii, apparently doubling the amount of preserved ocean water in the world.
The area of preserved ocean established by Kiribati is roughly the size of California (163,696 sq miles) and will enjoy its first official day of protection on January 1, 2015.
read ... More Fishing Bans
HTDC Gives Away $248K to Rich People
PBN: Innovate Hawaii, a program of the High Technology Development Corp., has given a total of $248,310 to four local companies as part of the Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research matching-grant program.
The companies include Kampachi Farms LLC, a marine fish aquaculture firm in Kona on the Big Island; Pacific Rim Defense, a defense contractor; Oceanit, a Honolulu-based research and development company; and TeraSys Technologies, a builder of advanced wireless technologies.
Background: Tax Credit Scammers Find a New Home in HSDC
read ... Corporate Welfare
Obama invites self-proclaimed gays to sue federal contractors
PBN: The White House is celebrating LGBT Pride Month by announcing that President Barack Obama will sign an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
read ... Males coming to a ladies room near you
Honolulu 9th Worst City for Car Drivers
NW: 9. Honolulu, Hawaii-- Besides having the highest gas prices in the country at $4.35, Honolulu drivers also have to deal with Hawaii’s expensive car registration fees. Hawaii is 1 of 13 states that collect registration taxes based on vehicle weight, which means that drivers with trucks or vans end up paying far higher fees than drivers with sports cars.
read ... Honolulu 9th Worst
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