Standing Room Only at Grassroot Gubernatorial Forum - Ige a No-Show
Mufi, Duke: No Consensus Behind Kanaiolowalu Roll
Sources: OHA to Fire Crabbe--Search Underway for New CEO
Sutton Endorses Aiona-Ahu Ticket
Media Hammers Ige for Skipping First Gubernatorial Forum
SA: The 90-minute forum, moderated by Kelii Akina, president and chief executive officer of the Grassroot Institute, a conservative-to-libertarian research group, was initially billed as the first debate among the candidates for governor after the primary.
But state Sen. David Ige, the Democratic nominee, withdrew. In a letter to the Grassroot Institute on Wednesday, Ige said he did not agree that the group would record the forum and "distribute it as we see fit."
While the group clarified that the forum would be posted on its website in its entirety, Ige said he had already accepted another invitation for Friday.
Ige's withdrawal was a surprise since he had clamored for debates with Gov. Neil Abercrombie before the primary. The state senator also criticized the governor for withdrawing from three of four debates hosted by AARP Hawaii.
"When the public was finally afforded a chance to hear from all of the gubernatorial candidates, it's a pity that Ige backed out because he wanted complete control over the interpretation of his messaging," Pat Saiki, the state GOP chairwoman, said in a statement. "Is this the quality of transparency and openness we can expect to see from the Democrat candidate?"
read ... Aiona would seek an exemption to the Jones Act; Hannemann would host talks on the issue
Chief election officer grilled by commission, many call for his ousting
KHON: Nago also admitted that, in hindsight, he should have made known the presence of the Maui card that held 800 votes and released those results, instead of waiting to include them with the Puna election the night of August 15.
Before the meeting concluded, the commission decided to conduct three separate investigations. One will look into Nago’s handling of the election process, a second will explore the Puna election, and a third will review Maui’s votes and results after a card containing 800 votes failed to be counted in initial primary results.
“We need to validate what he had to say today. We want to validate some things in our mind about the process,” said William Marston, chairman, State Elections Commission. “Without doing that, we would be remiss in our jobs.”
When asked if the commission would add a discussion on Nago’s future in the position on the agenda for its next meeting on October 3, Marston responded, “I can’t tell you whether we’ll do that or not.”
As part of the agenda, the commission also reviewed preparations and staffing for the general election on November 4 and, in executive session, went over all litigation, including Rep. Colleen Hanabusa’s lawsuit against Nago.
Many called for Nago’s ousting during the public testimony portion of the meeting, including state Sen. Sam Slom (R-East Oahu) and Big Island councilwoman Brenda Ford. “The integrity of the election process is in jeopardy,” Slom said....
Meanwhile, state Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, who did not testify but sat through some of the testimony, told KHON2 she believes the commissioners should conduct their own investigation into what happened. If that doesn’t happen, Kim said the state Senate may conduct its own inquiry.
Kim said she’s questioned Nago’s ability to serve as chief election officer from day one....
read ... Fire Nago
Gabbard Too Busy for VA Hearing, Puna Relief?
CB: Gabbard was a no-show at a Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs field hearing Tuesday in Honolulu. Chaired by U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, the hearing focused on the VA’s response to lengthy wait times for Hawaii veterans, which are the longest in the nation.
Gabbard was invited. There was a name placard for her, and Hirono told attendees at the hearing at the Oahu Veterans Center in Salt Lake that Gabbard was expected to participate.
Pfeffer was there, as were many other important people in the veterans’ community, including one of the VA’s top officials. So was state Rep. Mark Takai, a veteran seeking to join Gabbard in Congress.
Civil Beat has tried over the past four days to get official comment from Gabbard’s offices in Honolulu and D.C. as to why she was AWOL.
We also tried to reach her regarding Gabbard’s views on military-style police equipment and tactics in Ferguson, Missouri, and in Hawaii. Her office recently issued a press release detailing her call for demilitarizing cops.
On Friday, after yet another call from Civil Beat, Gabbard’s office finally issued this statement:
“Congresswoman Gabbard welcomed Senator Hirono’s invitation to attend her Senate Veterans Affairs Committee field hearing, and had been looking forward to attending. Unfortunately, an earlier commitment that day ran very late and the congresswoman was unable to attend the hearing. Rep. Gabbard’s Hawai`i District Director attended the hearing, and the congresswoman continues to work closely with the VA, and veteran stakeholders within our community, to bring about necessary reforms to ensure veterans are honored, served, and cared for.”
We understand Rep. Gabbard is a busy person. In fact, she’s a much-in-demand political figure and speaker.
She is a frequent guest on the Sunday morning political talk shows. She’s helped Democrats nationally to raise money for campaigns. She is featured in flattering magazine spreads.
Apparently, she had other priorities Tuesday that kept her from the hearing on veterans.
She also appears to have had other priorities following the Aug. 9 primary. While U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa traveled to help storm victims in Puna the very next day, Gabbard did not make it there until Friday, Aug. 15, even though Puna is in her 2nd Congressional District....
read ... Too Busy
Lingle Joins Isle group rallying support for Israel
SA: Hawaii and Israel are on opposite sides of the world, but when it comes to matters of the heart, both stand on essentially the same ground, former Gov. Linda Lingle said at a "Pro-Israel Rally" this week at the state Capitol.
Organized by the Hawaii-Israel Alignment, the gathering was the second of three rallies slated for Oahu, Hawaii island and Maui. They were held in response to international criticism of Israel's retaliation against Hamas rocket attacks from the Gaza strip, said the Rev. Nowlin Correa, founder of the organization. Most of the casualties have been children and innocent Palestinians, who Israel believes were used as human shields by Hamas, a radical Muslim group, he said.
The third rally will be held Thursday at the Capitol and on the neighbor islands....
For more information on the times and locations of the neighbor island rallies, call 330-8893 or 357-3303.
read ... Support Israel
Hawaii Driving Out Anti-Science "Haole Activists" In The Democratic Party
S2: You'd think Hawaii would be really supportive of science.
Without genetic modification and the GMO Rainbow papaya crop, papaya on Hawaii would be extinct due to the ringspot virus, but everyone in Hawaii hates science. Naked girls sell calendars of cheesecake under the pretense that it will save Hawaii from science, a politician drafted a bill to ban all GMOs except the GMO Rainbow papaya.
It must a real anti-science hotbed.
Except it isn't. There are certainly loud anti-science activists in and around Hawaii, and they want to pretend they have support - Pesticide Action Network is flying in anyone they can find to convince high school students pesticides are killing us all, for example - but the politicians embracing those beliefs are finding that citizens are not being educated by environmental advertising. Anti-GMO candidates are being slaughtered at polls. The closest candidate lost by 20 percent. One candidate got under 2% of the vote. One running in a general election got 12% in the primary.
read ... Science 2.0
Decoupling Drives Oahu electric bills up again
SA: It is the third month in a row that Oahu electric bills have risen. The combined increase for that period is $7.90, which includes $4.89 that was assessed in June as part of the company's "decoupling" tariff. The tariff, which began in 2011, is received annually by the utility to compensate it for declining sales as more customers use alternative energy sources....
"Fuel costs, which currently make up more than 70 percent of the monthly electric rate, are largely the driver for the fluctuation from last month," HECO spokeswoman Lynne Unemori said. "We know how difficult high bills are for our customers. That's why we are so focused on cutting fuel costs through the use of cleaner, lower cost renewable energy and alternatives to expensive oil like liquefied natural gas."
HECO, which doesn't make any profit on fuel purchases, said in June that it has no plans to file for additional rate increases over the next three years beyond what it is getting annually through the decoupling tariff.
Reality: Decoupling: How HECO's "Money Printing Machine" Causes High Electric Rates
read ... Up Again
Trask's Geothermal Hypocrisy: Activist turns entrepreneur and smells the $$$$
ILind: Lets just skip to the comments: "What about all of the “sacred” places?? Why is it now OK to drill into the very breast of Madam Pele?? My how things change when the activist turns entrepreneur and smells the $$$$. Now the Aina is something to be exploited rather preserved. I never thought I would see the day."
read ... Trask: Geothermal “is key to economic sovereignty for our people”
Biofuel isn't Green and City Wastes $2.3M on it
KITV: In 2012, the city launched a pilot project with 20 buses that used B20 biodiesel for 37-and-a-half weeks. The buses were used on normal routes and consumed 122,423 gallons of the renewable fuel. Although biodiesel releases fewer particulates into the air, the added cost could be too much for the cash-strapped city to bear.
According to the report, converting the city’s entire fleet of 519 buses to B20 biodiesel would result in an added annual cost of $2.3 million. That’s enough money to fund 8.3 weekday bus routes for an entire year.
The pilot project also showed that primary and secondary fuel filters in the 20 buses tested required changing at double the normal rate, and 35 percent of the vehicles experienced algae growth in their fuel systems.
Meanwhile, even with a substantial break on state and county taxes, biodiesel cost the city nearly 40 cents more per gallon compared to petroleum diesel, $4.14 to $3.76 respectively. Buses that ran on B20 were also 1.7 percent less fuel efficient.
However, Jeff Mikulina, executive director of the Blue Planet Foundation, (front group for biofool industry) says the city shouldn't turn its back on biodiesel just yet.
read ... Wasteful Spending
The lawsuits pile on against makers of Natural Supplements
HNN: Dozens of people have now filed lawsuits against USPlabs, the manufacturers of OxyElite Pro products after an outbreak of liver injuries.
The problem was widespread between April and October of last year and prompted the state to do a voluntary recall before the company pulled the products from store shelves.
In just six months, the Centers for Disease Control says 72 people who took an OxyElite variety got sick.
47 of those had to be hospitalized. Lance Taniguchi, a 22-year old Pearl City man was one of those. He spent weeks in the hospital with liver damage.
Three people had liver transplants, including 22-year old Kenneth Waikiki from Kona.
One person, Sonnette Marras, a mother of seven from Maui, died.
Attorney Wayne Parsons represents 38 people who filed lawsuits against USPlabs, the owners, and GNC Stores.
read ... Lawsuits
Cop Cams for KPD?
KGI: The Kauai Police Department may become the first law enforcement agency in the state with all officers wearing body cameras.
MN: Police cam a valuable tool
read ... Body Cams
Sovereignty Mortgage Scammer Can't Even Keep his own Home
BIVN: Kale Gumapac is again without a home, after police arrested him for trespassing on a contentious Hawaiian Paradise Park property.
One month ago, prosecutors dropped illegal trespassing charges against Kale Gumapac after he was arrested in 2013 for being on the property. Gumapac refused to pay the mortgage on his HPP home – he says he was only following the terms of his contract – which resulted in his forceful eviction. Gumapac and his lawyer Dexter Kaiama assert there is an inherent defect in all land title in Hawaii thanks to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. They say the loan agreement calls for the Title Insurance Company to pay off the mortgage because of the defect in title. The situation – and its relationship to ongoing Hawaiian sovereignty struggle – was documented in a five part video series in December 2013.
Deutsche Bank, the trustee of the mortgage, and Ocwen Loan Servicing, the servicer of the mortgage, apparently disagree with Gumapac’s position. A non-judicial foreclosure was initiated, and Gumapac was served an eviction notice and later arrested for living at his home....
Reality: Sovereignty Mortgage Scammer Keanu Sai at it again with help from Legislators, Maui Council, University
read ... VIDEO: Police Thwart Kale Gumapac’s Homecoming
Campaign News:
QUICK HITS: