Thursday, November 21, 2024
Hawaii Daily News Read

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, September 29, 2014
September 29, 2014 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:00 PM :: 3599 Views

New Aiona Ad: 'Staying on the path we're on...that's just not an option'

Galuteria Pushed Kakaako Makai Bill While on Payroll of OHA Trustee

October 6 Last Day to Register to Vote

Hawaii is the 5th Worst State for Teachers

HGEA, UPW are 'The Heart of the Problem' at HHSC Hospitals

SA: The heart of the problem is a fatally flawed government model that cannot, and will not be able to, stay afloat because public-union pay and government-costs of doing business will rise unceasingly, while Medicaid reimbursements and other lifeline financial streams continue declining....,

having the bulk of employees — health workers, maintenance, clerical and other staff — at ever-escalating civil service labor costs requires readjustment. What's needed overall is a much-more agile model that enables flexibility in work shifts and jobs adaptation, for example, and a cost-competitive core that can procure health care equipment, innovations and services much more efficiently.

Shamefully, legislators have known about this impending implosion for years, at least since late 2009, when a state-commissioned report outlined in dire detail the myriad, intractable problems with this broken public model. It estimated, for instance, that privatization of the workforce would save about $50 million annually.

Clearly, lawmakers need to pursue transitioning HHSC's dysfunctional model to a public-private one. But only half-hearted efforts were made in recent years — and though lawmakers finally seemed poised for initial steps this spring, a crucial bill died in the final days of session. Senate Bill 3064 SD 2, HD1 would have allowed for transition of the HHSC to a new health care management system as a nonprofit corporation or public benefit corporation.

As Explained: Hospital Reform? Randy Perriera Says "F*** You"

read ... Public hospitals need fixing ASAP

Hawaii Health Connector Secret Search for New Director Coming to a Close This Week?

SA: The Hawaii Health Connector is preparing to name its third executive director in a year.

The Connector's board of directors is on track to make a decision on a new head for the troubled organization in early October, Tom Ma­tsuda, interim executive director, told the Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser. He initially told lawmakers a successor would be chosen by Wednesday.

"The board is actively engaged in the process of searching for a new executive director and has narrowed the field to two candidates," Ma­tsuda said last week in an email. "We feel confident in both candidates' ability to lead the Connector going forward for the long term and are in active conversations to determine the best fit for the organization."

The exchange, created by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obama­care, has struggled with participation over the past year, attracting just two medical insurers — Hawaii Medical Service Association and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii — and signing up just 10,750 individuals, the lowest in the nation.

read ... Third Director for the Worst in the Nation

HPD Chief: ‘There’s No Dark Conspiracy Here’

CB: “There’s no dark conspiracy here” at HPD to cover up information, Kealoha said. He just doesn’t want reporters unjustly trying to build their careers on the backs of his officers.

read ... Conspiracy

Hawaii: Young Family Flees to Texas

CB: Hawaii's cost of living convinced a Honolulu family to go prospecting for a new life in Texas. "We realized staying is stupid," says Nora Yolles-Young....

David Young of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism said Hawaii has no information about why people give up on life in the state — because it doesn’t ask. But those who go are mostly “young people who are leaving for (better paying) jobs, or who thought they wanted to live in paradise, but found it too expensive,” he theorized.

read ... Progressives Chase People out of Paradise

Djou Endorsed by the Hawaii Chapter of the American Academy of Ophthalmology

Former Congressman Charles K. Djou issued the following statement on the Hawaii chapter of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's endorsement:  "I'm honored to earn the support of Hawaii's eye doctors," stated Djou.  "I am committed to reforming healthcare in America the right way, by lowering cost without compromising quality of care through malpractice tort reform, allowing the interstate sale of health insurance and expansion of health savings accounts."

Omidyar is Only Billionaire in Hawaii

SA: EBay founder (and Civil Beat owner) turned Hawaii-based philanthropist and businessman luxury resort developer Pierre Omidyar is the only billionaire on the annual Forbes 400 list to cite Hawaii as their home state.

read ... Oligarch Wanna Be

Campaign News:

QUICK HITS:


Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii