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Monday, October 20, 2014
October 20, 2014 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 5:35 PM :: 3702 Views

Hawaii Energy Survey Shows Public Support Inversely Proportional to Amount of Energy Produced

Government to Ordained Ministers: Celebrate Same-Sex Wedding or Go to Jail

Plastic Bag Ban Increases Litter

Crony Capitalists Angered by Possibility of Lower Utility Bills

SA: ...Hawaii Gas filed an application with the Public Utilities Commission on Thursday seeking to import more LNG.

Currently, Hawaii Gas manufactures synthetic natural gas from an oil derivative for its utility customers on Oahu and distributes propane to customers throughout the state.

Hawaii Gas' 28,000 Oahu customers on the synthetic natural gas pipeline are expected to save approximately $6 million per year ($6M / 28K = $214 each) and almost $90 million over the next 20 years ($90M / 28K = $3214 ea) if the switch to more LNG is approved. Hawaii Gas requested a conversion of 30 percent of its current supply of synthetic natural gas to liquefied natural gas and has its sights set on full LNG conversion.

"(They) will see modest initial savings on their gas bill under current rate structures. However, we anticipate substantial savings if the project can be scaled to convert 100 percent of our SNG demand to LNG," said Nate Nelson, vice president, general counsel and secretary for Hawaii Gas....

Environmental organizations, including the Blue Planet Foundation and the Sierra Club, have opposed shipping liquified natural gas to Hawaii.

The groups argue that utilities should put their efforts into increasing renewable energy use by paying off their 'green' donors rather than looking for cheaper fossil fuels which might benefit the ignorant peasants.

read ... Danger Utility Bills Dropping

Star-Adv Rundown of Competitive Legislative Races

PR: We have updated our rundown of potentially competitive state House and Senate races for the November general election. The fundraising figures are through the primary. We will refresh when the next round of campaign-finance data is released in late October.

read ... The Rundown

Galuteria Puts OHA Ahead of Constituents

SA: 12th District (Kakaako-McCully-Waikiki): Incumbent Brickwood M. Galuteria faces an aggressive challenge from Republican Chris Lethem, who accuses Galuteria of putting the interests of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs ahead of residents opposed to rapid development in the district.

... we share Lethem's disapproval of the Senate majority leader's bid last session to let OHA build residential units on its Kakaako Makai land. That plan failed, and should not be resurrected....

The spirited campaign by Lethem, a software expert with a military background, taps into frustration over the pace and scope of development in this district.

IM: Hawai`i Ethics Commission dismisses complaint against Senator Brickwood Galuteria

read ... But these clowns Endorse Galuteria

Gubernatorial Candidates All Have it Both Ways on Common Core

SA: State Sen. David Ige, a Demo­crat whose wife, Dawn Amano-Ige, is a vice principal at Kanoe­lani Elementary School, said it is clear Common Core is an upgrade from previous education standards in Hawaii. The state senator said his criticism is with the department's execution.

"With all the different things that have been going on in the department, implementation, training — all the kinds of things that you believe should happen in order to allow for a smooth implementation and transition — really a lot of those components have just been lacking," he said.

Former Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, a Republican who is a substitute teacher at public schools, contends principals and teachers should be able to develop a curriculum that best fits their schools.

"Common Core is something that goes across the board," he said. "And one of the biggest complaints I've heard from teachers and principals — I wouldn't say it's unanimous, but I think it's the consensus — they're not happy with Common Core."

Aiona said he is sure schools would voluntarily adopt some of the Common Core standards if given a choice, "but I think what they want is the flexibility," adding, "They want to be able to develop their own standard. And I'm definitely in support of that."

Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who does outreach in public schools, told a New Hope Leeward forum this month that he does not agree that Hawaii should adhere to Common Core because it "flies in the heart" of decentralizing decision-making at public schools.

In an email, Hannemann clarified that he would not try to end Common Core. "The answer is ‘no' at the outset, but they have to execute the program better and be much more responsive to input from those who are at the front lines leading and teaching, parents and the community," said Hannemann, the Hawaii Independent Party candidate.

CB: Teacher Defends Common Core

read ... Gubernatorial candidates weigh in on Common Core

Should Hawaii Purge More People from List of Registered Voters?

CB: ...thousands of people who are still on the registered voter list have moved, gone to prison or died since the last election, lowering the overall turnout percentages published by the state Office of Elections in any given year.

Heading into the Nov. 4 general election, the state has identified 626,431 people as “active” on its master list of 706,890 registered voters....

Officials put 80,459 people — 11 percent of the overall total — on their “failsafe” list, a sort of holding period that keeps them registered as voters while the counties confirm whether they should be purged from the voter rolls.

In the Aug. 9 primary, just 42 percent of 697,033 registered voters cast ballots. If 11 percent of the total registered voters could have been purged, the turnout would have been 47 percent — still not great, but better. And it’s still likely among the worst voter turnout in the nation.

Some suspect there could be more dead weight on the voter rolls than elections officials identify — possibly even twice as much.

State Sen. David Ige, who’s been in elected office since 1986, said his campaign team routinely identifies 15 percent to 20 percent of the names on the voter registration list as people who no longer live or vote in that district.

read ... Deadweight

No consequences for key politician in Kauai dam breach tragedy

HR: Public records show Kauai County received an anonymous complaint about Pflueger's extensive illegal grading around reservoir in 1997.

A county engineering inspector, John Buist Jr., who worked for (Mayor Mary Ann) Kusaka’s administration, checked the site from afar, cited Pflueger for a grading violation, and issued a notice to Pflueger to "stop work immediately.”

But Pflueger didn't stop. Instead, the inspector was called into a meeting by Kusaka and told to stay away from Pflueger. Specifically, he was told to "stop all actions involving Mr. Pflueger."

Hawaii Reporter obtained a copy of Buist’s internal memo – a document the county in 2006 told Hawaii Reporter did not exist – which detailed the meeting with Kusaka.

Pflueger told Hawaii Reporter in an exclusive follow up interview that he gave a large contribution to the mayor. He said that he handed Kusaka $9,000 in cash hoping he would get the harassing inspectors off his back.

After some prodding, Pflueger confirmed the contribution in a follow up interview with "ABC 20/20"’s Jim Avila saying he hid it in the names of eight of his employees, but he claimed there was no deal.

read ... Impunity

Carlisle Proposes Blood Alcohol Limits for Gun Possession

CB: ...it’s quite a different story for people who lawfully have a loaded gun on their person and, like Christopher Deedy, are under the influence of alcohol.

In Hawaii, we crack down on people who drive a motor vehicle while under the influence because a driver consuming alcohol can create an endless array of human death, injury, loss and tragedy.

Yet I am not aware of any law in Hawaii that prohibits a person from drinking and having a loaded gun on their person.  I can’t think of any reason why a person who has any alcohol in their blood should have a loaded gun in their hand.  This would include Chris Deedy, all armed law enforcement officers, someone watching a football game in their living room or someone passed out inside their home with a loaded gun on their lap.

Put bluntly you have a loaded gun in your hand you have zero alcohol in your blood.  To accomplish this result in Hawaii would require legislation.

read ... Drunk Gunning?

Djou Endorsed by the Associated Building Contractors, Hawaii Chapter

Former Congressman Charles K. Djou issued the following statement on the Associated Building Contractors - Hawaii Chapter endorsement:

"My team and I know how hard individuals in the construction industry work and we are honored to earn their support," stated Djou.  "The Associated Building Contractors, Hawaii Chapter, shares our vision of lowering Hawaii's high cost of living and expanding jobs in our community.  My team and I are excited to have ABC join our surging campaign and add to our growing momentum."

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