Will Ige Give Robin Danner Control of Hawaiian Homelands?
Teachers Unions Oppose Teacher Accountability Standards in Common Core
331 Hawaii Medal of Honor Recipients Remembered from Deck of Battleship Missouri
Veterans to Receive In-State Tuition at UH
Forbes: Hawaii Ranks 45th for Business, Careers
What does Horizon Line’s demise mean?
Horizon Sells Hawaii Operations to Pasha Lines, Alaska to Matson
Election Results: NFIB expects increased focus on small-business issues
Study: Hawaii Best at Combating Lung Cancer
400 Homeless Dead Because they were not forced into Shelter
CB: More than 400 homeless people have died on Oahu in the past eight years, a Civil Beat review of medical examiner’s death records has found.
Nearly once a week on average, the body of a homeless person is wheeled into the Honolulu morgue for investigators to verify who they were and how they died....
Drugs and alcohol were the biggest killers of the city’s homeless, but suicide and murder were also frequent causes of death....
Drugs and alcohol were contributors to the most deaths, playing a role in at least 142 cases. Methamphetamine, a contributing factor in 67 deaths, was the drug most frequently identified.
Medical examiners attributed an additional 44 deaths to opiates, such as heroin, morphine and oxycodone. Alcohol was at least partially to blame for 26 deaths, mostly due to long-term abuse....
Studies show that the homeless — no matter the city, state or country they live — have a higher risk of dying than the general population. Their life expectancy is closer to 50, about 30 years less than the national average.
But Lozier is one of many experts who believe high death rates among the homeless can be reduced.
His organization, which pushes for increased access to health care for the homeless, stresses that placing people in permanent, stable homes is the most effective way of treating conditions that might have led to a life outdoors in the first place....
read ... 400 Dead
Soft on Homelessness Policy Allows Woman to Drink Herself to Death on Streets of Waikiki
CB: "Wood told Jay that she had been forced into rehab as part of a court order (in Las Vegas), and from what he could surmise, she seemed to be getting better. That all changed once she moved to Hawaii."
Reality: If she had been forced into treatment in Hawaii she would likely be alive today.
read ... Death toll of the Homelessness Industry
Honolulu could expand sit-lie ban beyond Waikiki
SA: The council plans to vote on Bill 48 Wednesday. The proposal would expand the sit-lie ban enacted in September to pockets of commercial districts throughout Oahu.
Reclining on sidewalks in Waikiki was outlawed in September after pressure from the tourism industry.
Now, it could be prohibited in other parts of Honolulu, Kailua, Kaneohe and Waipahu.
Proponents say it's unfair to let sleeping homeless people limit pedestrian access. Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi says small businesses can't afford to have homeless people blocking their doorways and discouraging customers.
read ... Waikiki
Federal probe of Hawaii public housing tenants targets fraud
HNN: The U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, known as HUD, began an Inspector General's investigation into tenants at federal housing projects across Hawaii several months ago, sources said.
There are about 5,500 federal housing units in Hawaii, (at 68 sites) from large projects such as Mayor Wright Housing in the Kalihi-Palama area to small complexes like Kauhale Ohana in Waimanalo.
Sources said federal agents have already interviewed public housing tenants and found some of them are in violation of rules, such as lying about their income to qualify for federal housing or failing to disclose criminal backgrounds. Others may be receiving a federal housing subsidy when they are not entitled to it, sources said.
Hakim Ouansafi, the executive director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority which oversees tenants in federal housing projects, did not confirm the investigation....
Sources said tenants found violating the rules could face not only eviction from housing projects but also could face federal prosecution for crimes such as fraud or theft.
read ... Fraud
Report: Half of poor keiki under 8 in Hawaii lack a mom or dad with a full-time job
SA: "If we are talking about better preparing our children for the future, we really do need to focus on both the children and helping lift lower-income parents out of that risk zone," said Ivette Rodriguez Stern, junior specialist at the University of Hawaii Center on the Family and the Hawaii Kids Count project director. "Changes in our economy over the past few decades have made it more difficult to support a family."
Four out of 10 kids born to parents at the bottom of the income ladder in America stay there, according to the report released Wednesday, "Creating Opportunity for Families: A Two-Generation Approach." But even a small increase in family income, especially during a child's earliest years, can make a lifelong difference, boosting the child's future ability to earn, it said.
About half of the Hawaii's low-income families with children under age 8 are in the precarious position of having no parent who has full-time, year-round employment, the same ratio as the national average. In more than 70 percent of those families, no parent has a post-secondary degree.
LINK: Kids Count Report
read ... To reduce child poverty, aid parents, study says
Army realignment would have staggering economic impact on Hawaii
PBN: ...the Army is considering eliminating about 19,800 soldiers and civilians at Schofield (16,606) and Fort Shafter (3,786), according to the group Keep Hawaii's Heroes.
Additionally, the state stands to lose more than 30,000 family members, equaling about 5 percent of Honolulu's total population.
Communities around Schofield, including Wahiawa, Waialua, Schofield, Mililani and Kunia, would lose about 38 percent of their population and about 20,000 jobs with impacts on such industries as construction, retail, restaurants, real estate and professional/scientific/technical services, the group said.
The economic impact to Hawaii would be a loss of $1.35 billion as well as $9.2 million in sales tax receipts.
read ... Army realignment would have staggering economic impact on Hawaii
Voters Didn’t Show Up Because the Election Was Boring
CB: This election was clearly dull to some voters because there were no “villains” to take out such as Gov. Neil Abercrombie, in whom Hawaii Democrats had lost faith and tossed out with a historic vote in the primary election. Or the mean-seeming Mufi Hannemann of past elections. There was no reason for vindictive voters to go after Hannemann this time. The former Honolulu mayor had worked hard to reinvent himself into a kindly statesman. And with very little money to spend and consistently low poll numbers, he was no longer a threat....
Carmille Lim, executive director of Common Cause Hawaii, says all the excitement tapered off after the primary because many people were resigned to the fact that Democrats would win all the big races. Boredom set in....
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Ige was a halting speaker. Republican Duke Aiona looked like he would rather be at a basketball game. And Hawaii Independent Party candidate Hannemann performed exceptionally well, but that didn’t seem to inspire voters to support him....
Common Cause Executive Director Lim believes a larger pool of candidates is needed, new and exciting candidates from all political parties, new Democrat hopefuls, new Republican wannabes and other candidates from parties including the Greens, Independents and Libertarians. Not just the same recycled Democrats voters are offered today.
Lim says potential voters will continue to be bored if they think incumbent Democrats will always win even if they make the effort to vote for other candidates.
But Lim also says that to engage voters, candidates must be sincere and truly motivated to serve the public.
Lim says this year she found herself constantly pressing her palm to her forehead in exasperation after she talked to poorly prepared, weak political candidates who told her things such as, “I want to run for office because I don’t like my current job.”
read ... Boring
Aiona-Ahu Worship Service Nov 20
PR: Former Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona and Elwin Ahu, a former judge and a senior pastor at New Hope Metro, are scheduled to appear at what is being billed as a "Hana Hou Worship Service" by We Believe on Nov. 20 at 7pm at the Hawaii Prince Hotel....
read ... Hana Hou
Carlisle: Start thinking about challenging Keith Kaneshiro for the Prosecuting Attorney
CB: Since I was booted out as mayor to find new life as a partner in one of Hawaii’s oldest law firms I have been asked one question multiple times in a week and sometimes multiple times in a day. “Are you going to be running for Prosecuting Attorney again?”
read ... 2016
Health Connector Still Expects Exchange to Fail, Hires Humans Instead
SA: The Hawaii Health Connector has quadrupled the number of call center workers at the state's insurance exchange to make it smoother for residents to enroll in medical coverage after a disastrous rollout a year ago.
The online marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act has hired more than 200 people, up from about 50 when it first opened in October 2013, said Jeffrey Kissel, the Connector's new executive director.
Besides fixing "several thousands" of system defects, the Connector has hired more "human beings because we're worried about the system not functioning properly," Kissel said Tuesday. "It's the first year people are able to renew their coverage."
The exchange has been plagued with problems from its inception, enrolling just 10,800 people after a series of computer glitches left consumers frustrated and looking elsewhere for coverage.
But this time around, Connector officials are determined to make the process easier with more manpower and have "spent a lot of time in training."
read ... Hire The Humans
Ige: Hope for HSTA Control of DoE
SA: That new day Gov. Neil Abercrombie promised for Hawaii's public schools may actually arrive with Gov.-elect David Ige, propelled to office with the help of the Hawaii State Teachers Association and possessing a far deeper knowledge of the decentralization movement the current governor once lauded.
Ige's close ties to the teachers union do bear watching, especially since his choice as chief of staff, Hawaii Tourism Authority president and chief executive officer Mike McCartney, also has union ties: Early in his career McCartney was a negotiations specialist for the HSTA, and later its executive director.
Reality: Teachers Unions Oppose Teacher Accountability Standards in Common Core
read ... Ige raises hope for DOE reform
Finmeccanica until Nov 17 offers Ansaldo for Sale
R: "On 17 November, the term" to submit binding offers for the Transportation division (which includes Ansaldo Breda and Ansaldo STS) of Finmeccanica. This was announced by the CEO. Group Mauro Moretti in a conference call, adding that "the two potential bidders have asked a few more weeks to submit their best offers." After reviewing the bids received by the deadline, the goal is to reach a "decision later this year."
read ... Deadline Coming
Matson: Horizon Lines' Alaska operations will add $330M annual revenue
PBN: The total value of that transaction is $456.1 million, while Pasha said that it is acquiring Horizon's Hawaii operations for $141.5 million.
Matt Cox, president and CEO of Matson, said during a conference call that Horizon's Alaska business represents a natural geographic extension for the company.
He called the deal a "rare" and "compelling" opportunity that will position the company for future growth.
The Alaska market mirrors the Hawaii market in many ways, despite different economic drivers, Cox said.
"Horizon has a long operating history in Alaska, pioneering container shipping into the market in 1964 under the Sea-Land banner," Matson said.
Horizon operates three diesel-powered Jones Act-qualified container ships in Alaska and operates port terminals in Anchorage, Kodiak and Dutch Harbor, the company said.
George Pasha IV, the president and CEO of The Pasha Group, said that his company's deal with Horizon will make the Hawaii shipping industry more competitive.
MN: Pasha’s purchase to expand offerings
read ... $330M
Maui Council 'Coup' Sets Stage for Rancorous Years
MN: We suspect that it was done secretly because Gladys is known as a conciliator and persuader. The main plotters felt that if she found out in advance, she might have changed some minds.
Gladys' reputation as a conciliator probably cost her the job as chair. She told The Maui News she was informed that other councilors felt her ties to the Arakawa administration were too close. She worked to find ways to calm the waters between the mayor and White as they feuded over taxes, the Old Wailuku Post Office, trash and this year's budget.
Both White and Mayor Arakawa were re-elected. The stage is set for a rancorous couple of years - and Gladys will not be there as chair trying to find things the two can agree on.
We had hoped that after the election, there would be an attempt at reconciliation between council members and the administration - that they could bury the hatchet.
Well, the council has started out by burying the hatchet in Gladys' back.
If you like the way things work (or don't work) in Washington, you're going to love the next couple of years in Maui County.
read ... Gridlock
MCCC female inmate alleges sex assault by facility guard
MN: Breiner said he helped make sure that the videotape, as well as clothing with DNA evidence and text messages sent to the woman by the guard, were turned over to police. The videotape shows the guard repeatedly sexually assaulting the woman in the back of her car, Breiner said. He said the text messages include a photo of the guard's private parts that he sent to the woman's phone from the jail, Breiner said.
"This was an absolute ironclad case," Breiner said.
He said he doesn't understand why the guard wasn't immediately arrested and was allowed to leave the state.
"How does this guy just happen to skip town right ahead of a grand jury warrant?" Breiner asked. "Because they allowed this sexual predator to leave the state, we plan to file suit against the state of Hawaii as well as the Department of Public Safety, most likely the Maui Police Department and possibly the Maui prosecutor's office. They all have some degree of responsibility."
read ... MCCC female inmate alleges sex assault by facility guard
Open Secret: Hollywood Homosexual Child Molesters
HR: Oscar-nominated documentarian Amy Berg talks 'An Open Secret,' which targets underage abuse and names more names: "When you meet the victims … it’s difficult to ignore"....
Talent manager Marty Weiss — who pleaded no contest in 2012 to two counts of committing lewd acts on a child after he was charged with eight felony counts of molesting a young performer he represented — is seen in the film attending family gatherings with one of his victims, then is heard, on tape, admitting to the molestation. Bob Villard, a talent manager who at one time represented a young Leonardo DiCaprio and who pleaded no contest to a similar felony charge in 2005, is alleged to have sold pictures of boys (often pictured shirtless, in subservient poses) on eBay.
The film also claims that Michael Harrah, a talent manager who sat on SAG-AFTRA's Young Performers Committee, had young boys stay with him in his home and tried to take at least one of them to bed....
An Open Secret originated in 2011, when Berg, 44, who received an Oscar nomination for her 2006 documentary Deliver Us From Evil, which explored sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, was approached by Matthew Valentinas, a Boston entertainment attorney. He and hedge fund manager Alan Hoffman were looking to do something about victims of sexual exploitation, and, after listening to interviews in which actor Corey Feldman talked of encountering abuse, they decided to produce a documentary. "We chose Amy because we didn't want it to be exploitative or tabloid," says Valentinas. "We wanted it to be empowering for the victims." ....
"But even many years after the DEN story, what I found really disturbing was the number of convicted pedophiles who are still being hired on set, on kids' shows. These are people who technically should be nowhere near children. That was really upsetting."
read ... Hollywood Homosexuals
GMO Vote Paves Way for Utopia
MN: The County Council failed to approve the moratorium or even to label GMO products. But in the Nov. 4 election the people expressed their will, possibly paving the way for the creation of a utopian society on Maui (see mauitopia.org).
Another One: A Completely Typical and Average Anti-GMO Activist Explains Why They Won on Maui
read .. A Completely Typical and Average Anti-GMO Activist
Veterans Day
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