1959: Martin Luther King Jr Salutes Hawaii Statehood
Hawaii Senate Minority announces legislative agenda for 2015
Sen McCain Introduces Amendment to Jones Act
Hawaii Second Highest Taxes on the Poor
Best Cities for STEM Professionals: Honolulu Ranks 79th
241 Candidates File for Neighborhood Board Elections
Litigation Update: the Affordable Care Act
You're Paying Double for Sugar
2nd Annual Saint Marianne Cope Charity Walk
"'Integral Yoga' Group and Swami Hope to Find Their Inner Balance in Federal Court"
Sovereignty Activists Call on OHA to Restart Native Hawaiian Convention
Richard Epstein to Discuss 'Environmental Deregulation' at UH Richardson Law School
DCCA Website Compares Car and Homeowner Insurance Rates
Insurance Risk to Drivers: Hawaii Ranks 20th
Going forward and looking back at the Honolulu City Council
Hawaii PUC chairwoman resigns powerful position
Deferred: Council Saves City Taxpayers from Responsibility for HART Debt
KITV: The Honolulu City Council's Budget Committee deferred a resolution that would allow the city to issue as much as $350 million in bonds to cover short-term financing for the elevated train....
If the council goes along with the plan to issue hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds or tax-exempt commercial paper, city taxpayers would be on the hook if HART is unable to pay it back.
"It's backed by the full faith and credit of the city," City Budget Director Nelson Koyanagi said. "So in the event that HART is not able to pay for whatever reason, then the city will need to pay the bond holders."
The current memorandum of understanding would allow the mayor's administration to change language in the document without council approval.
The Budget Committee wants that to be changed.
Today the transit authority said change orders now total $190 million and the project may be forced to nix artwork and other "nice-to-haves" if the rail surcharge is not extended. (The horror!)
SA: Members push back a borrowing deal amid concerns that oversight of the project is insufficient
read ... Not on the hook
Tax Cuts proposed for Low Income Hawaii Residents
KGI: ...For the upcoming session, Hawaii Appleseed has proposed four tax policy changes that will create a fairer, more progressive tax policy that helps struggling families make ends meet. Its major priorities include adjusting the refundable, low-income household renters credit for inflation —from $50 per exemption to $150, and $30,000 to $60,000 for the income eligibility threshold.
This credit has not been adjusted for inflation since the 1980s, let alone for skyrocketing rents. Another top priority is the creation of a state earned income tax credit, set as a percentage of the federal credit, which will help working families keep more of what they earn.
Often lauded as the most effective anti-poverty program in the country, half the states have created their own EITC. Hawaii, the most expensive state in the country, should follow their lead.
Other tax initiatives proposed include adjusting the refundable food/excise tax credit for inflation; this credit has not been increased since its creation in 2007 and continues to lose ground as prices rise.
The high cost of living in Hawaii is no secret, so no one should live here and complain about it. But a taxation system that hits the poor the hardest should be adjusted....
Background: Hawaii Second Highest Taxes on the Poor
read ... Takes a Toll
Hawaii Congressional Delegation Bets Everything on Stopping Military Cuts in Hawaii
TH: The state’s power in Congress took a major hit after the retirement of Sen. Daniel Akaka (D) and the death of Sen. Daniel Inouye (D), who combined had served in the Senate for more than 70 years.
Now the state’s four-member, all-Democratic delegation is seeking to restore the Aloha State’s lost clout.
Sen. Brian Schatz has been awarded a spot on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, while Sen. Mazie Hirono last week was named the ranking member on the Senate Armed Service Committee’s Seapower subpanel.
In the House, Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Mark Takai — both Iraq war veterans — are set to serve on the influential Armed Services Committee
While the foursome has a long way to go before matching the outsized influence of Inouye, Akaka and former Rep. Neil Abercrombie (who?), they are on a mission to ensure that Hawaii has sway in the national security debate.
“I think it’s very strategic to have all of our members focused on what matters most to the state of Hawaii and one of the things that matter is, definitely, defense,” Taka said.
A unified front could prove useful as sequestration is set to return in full force in fiscal 2016, potentially cutting billions from DOD’s funding stream....
read ... Long Way to Go
Legislative Democrats Hint at priorities, say nothing
PR: The Senate Majority has finalized its set of priorities for the Legislative session, and plans to focus in three main areas: energy and food resiliency, community well-being and smart growth, and government effectiveness....
House leaders say their package is still being formulated, but it is expected to focus on improving existing programs and infrastructure and limit the amount of spending on new initiatives....
read ... Nothing Specific
MECO: If You Don't Ask for Lower Rates, We Won't Ask for Higher Rates
MN: Maui Electric Co. is forgoing the opportunity to seek an increase in base rates this year, meaning no change to those rates "at this time," according to a Dec. 30 filing with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission....
In a footnote to its submission to the PUC, the utility said that "the recent decline in world oil prices has reduced fuel expenses and benefitted Maui Electric customers...." (But not enough to cut rates, eh?)
MECO said it reserves the right to make its case for higher rates if the PUC determines that a change in base rates is needed or that a traditional rate case proceeding (one involving testimony and evidence discovery) is more appropriate. The company said it could provide additional material "to support the increase in revenue requirements forgone by this filing."
If MECO were to seek an increase in base rates, its requested increase in revenue would be for nearly $11.6 million, or a 2.8 percent hike over current income, the utility said....
read ... Blackmail
Big Wind, Big Cable Coming Back? Friends of Lanai, I Aloha Molokai Request Deferral of HECO-Nextera Merger
IM: In a series of orders issued on December 20, 2013 and April 28, 2014, the Commission has specified steps that must be taken for HECO to become an asset, rather than a liability, in these efforts. Whether HECO will succeed in those steps is a matter of continuous questioning by all observers.
Now, in the midst of this intensive work, appears a proposal grounded in the self-interest of two holders of monopoly franchises, to transfer control of HECO's assets, along with its government-granted, government-protected right and obligation to serve, to a very different type of company....
read ... Merger Deferral Requests filed with Public Utilities Commission
Lock in our Alt-Energy Schemes plan before sale to NextEra, Lobbyists say
SA: Several Hawaii environmental and renewable energy groups lobbyists asked Wednesday that the Public Utilities Commission make a decision on Hawaiian Electric Co.'s clean-energy transition plan put forth in August before making a decision on the proposed sale of the utility to NextEra Energy Inc.
The Alliance for Solar Choice, Blue Planet Foundation, Hawaii PV Coalition, Hawaii Solar Energy Association and Sierra Club of Hawaii petitioned the PUC to complete plans for Hawaii's clean energy future before reviewing the Juno Beach, Fla.-based energy company's proposal to buy HEI for $4.3 billion.
read ... NextEra
Milner: We Destroyed Working Class Families, now we can Impose Universal Pre-K
CB: Right now there is little we can do to improve the economic lives of the new working class. But we can improve the lives of their children.
One way to help these kids is well established. It’s universal pre-kindergarten. The other, which is more speculative but quite possibly just as significant, is character education.
Universal pre-K and character education appeal to both conservatives and liberals. Liberals like character education? Really? You’ll see why later.
The problem for the new working class is a combination of non-marriage and non-work. (See my previous column.)
Many working class jobs have disappeared and are not going to come back. Cultural attitudes about pre-marital sex and out of wedlock births have changed. It is more acceptable to have pre-marital sex and to have children out of wedlock.
The results are unstable family relationships and more single-parent households typically with the mother as the sole parent.
Children in these families are more likely to face serious problems....
CB: Debate Is Crucial to Overcome the Private-Public School Divide
read ... Accept Working Class Realities and Help the Kids
Poor Leaders Like Showoffs Ritte, Hooser Hurt Their Own Protests
Bob Jones: This is not going to make local anti-GMOers jump for joy, but the news is that everything seems to be going against you....
A team of Italian scientists has analyzed 1,783 studies about the safety and environmental impact of GMO foods and didn’t find anything even hinting that they pose any harm to humans. That analysis was published in Critical Reviews in Biotechnology (March 2014, Vol. 34, No. 1).
What’s happened locally on the GMO front is that any legitimate concerns about engineered food and pesticides used on experimental crops were pre-empted by the low-on-facts, high-on-emotion rants by such as Kauai politician Gary Hooser and Molokai activist Walter Ritte.
Something likely could have been worked out with the GMO companies had concerned people not let their self-appointed leaders use bad science and tactics like the Facebook posting “MONSANTO IS POISONING OUR CHILDREN!” to fuel a protest.
Weak protest leadership seems to be a mostly-in-Hawaii failing.
Example: Occupy Honolulu. It began as a protest against the richest 1 percent, then morphed to De-Occupy, protesting America’s annexing of Hawaii — and finally, against laws to keep the homeless off the sidewalks. But the leaders moved their own tents, couches, tables, TVs and generators onto the sidewalks. Most of us felt that was a bad trade-off and, in short order, De-Occupy lost follow-ership and faded away.
In both cases above, semi-worthy efforts were led down a dead end by leaders more focused on their own ego fulfillment than politically smart strategies.
Civics lesson? Avoid showoff leaders....
read ... Mostly-in-Hawaii Failing
Kauai Anti-Dust Bill Aims at Attacking Seed Growers (Again)
KE: In regards to Councilman Gary Hooser's anti-burning bill, Assistant Police Chief Roy Asher summed it up perfectly: “It all comes down to us spinning our wheels here.”
Councilman Ross Kagawa similarly nailed it: “I have heard every department we are counting on to enforce this bill...and all of them are telling us it's not reasonable, not doable, it doesn't make sense, it doesn't solve the problem.”
But the Council is going to hash it out anyway, let the public weigh in, try and hold the state Department of Health's feet to the fire, go through the process. That's their choice, even if it is a terrific waste of time and money.
At least it's clear that Gary's previous histrionics about how Council Chair Mel Rapozo was going to keep his bills off the agenda, stymie public participation, were totally off base and overblown.
And given the Council comments, it appears unlikely the bill will survive.
What bothers me, though, are three things: Gary's total denial about the possible cultural and community impacts of his bill; his misrepresentations about a similar ordinance on Maui; and his use of this bill as a backdoor attempt to achieve some of the goals he failed to secure with Bill 2491.
Let's start with the last first. Gary spoke repeatedly yesterday of his real reason for the anti-burning bill: “If my neighbor is doing something that harms my health, or my mother's health, it should be against the law.”
Sound familiar? It should. Because that's the same language and reasoning he was using to push through Bill 2491 – if you're spraying, or tilling and making dust, or experimenting with crops, and somebody thinks it's harming them, they should be able to shut you down
KGI: Air pollution bill gets initial OK 5-1
read ... Musings: Getting Burned
Civil Beat: Time to End Marijuana Prohibition
CB: After taking far too long to implement medical dispensaries, the state should start collecting tax revenue instead of wasting money on enforcement.
read ... We want dope
Attorney: Honolulu Police Chief’s Stolen Mailbox ‘An FBI Matter’
CB: But neither attorney Alexander Silvert or an FBI spokesman would say any more about what sort of case might be in the works involving the chief and the Honolulu Police Department.
Silvert believes the chief and his prosecutor wife, Katherine Kealoha, were involved in a frame-up of his client.
“All I can say is that there was a meeting and I believe it was productive,” Silvert told Civil Beat. “Other than that I can’t comment further because it’s an FBI matter and I can’t speak for the FBI.”
read ... The FBI is Coming
Former HPD cop will spend almost 3 years in federal prison for extortion
HNN: The former HPD Traffic officer pleaded guilty to extortion. Tsunezumi, and an accomplice Jeremy Javillo, convinced the owners of a Honolulu bar that they were the target of a robbery plot. Tsunezumi suggested they pay $15,000 for protection and said if he didn't, they could be in danger....
Tsunezumi also admitted to taking part in an elaborate scheme to sell stolen cars. It was his accomplice, Jeremy Javillo, who ended up working with the FBI to set up Tsunezumi. Court documents detail the scheme saying Officer Tsunezumi would buy junked cars at auction and would send Javillo to steal a similar car. Tsunezumi would then switch the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN and sell the stolen car....
Tsunezumi was allowed two weeks at the request of the U.S. Prosecuting Attorney who said he needed the former officer's help with an ongoing case. Hmmmm.... He will surrender to authorities on January 28.
US DoJ: News Release
CB: Former HPD Officer Sentenced for Extortion of Hostess Bar
read ... Extortion
Mental Health Shifting to Civil Service Positions
PBN: "There is a need to have our formal organizational structure correspond to how we are providing actual services today and to get our positions into civil service titles," Fridovich told PBN.
There are eight Community Mental Health Centers in the state — four on Oahu, one on Kauai, one on Maui, and two centers on the Big Island in Hilo and Kona. To date, five of the current eight Medical Director positions are filled, and three are vacant.
Dr. Carol Minn, the medical director at Central Oahu Community Mental Health Center says that whoever holds the new director position for Oahu or the Big Isle will have a tough time juggling the work load, especially because the bulk of patients are court-ordered for treatment or on conditional release.
"When you get rid of the structure within each CMHC it's going to be difficult to respond to crises in a timely manner," Minn told PBN. "The question is how does one person respond to all the problems that occur for all sites?"
Background: Audit: 67% of 'Exempt' State Positions Vacant
read ... Civil Service
UPW: Privatizing Garbage Collection is Unconstitutional
SA: The service is slated to end Jan. 31. The United Public Workers' request for a temporary restraining order that would halt the implementation will be heard before Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto at 10 a.m. Jan. 28.
The UPW lawsuit filed Dec. 31 argues that eliminating front-loader service is unconstitutional because it essentially calls for the privatization of a service that is "customarily and historically performed by civil servants." The lawsuit cites a 1997 Hawaii Supreme Court decision that Hawaii County's privatization of jobs at the new Puuanahulu Landfill in North Kona was improper.
UPW also is arguing that the end of front-loader service violates a 1998 agreement it has with the city that requires any modifications to a contract that deals specifically with public collection of trash at multifamily properties, condominiums and nonprofit organizations to be negotiated between the city and the union. The class-action lawsuit says the decision to end service was made "unlawfully and unilaterally" without regard to the 1998 agreement or how it would affect UPW workers.
The move also "impinged upon the right of public employees to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining and to negotiate core subjects (wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment)" in violation of the state Constitution, the lawsuit says.
read ... Garbage Constitution
Hawaiian Airlines CFO Suddenly Gone
SA: Scott Topping has left his position as chief financial officer of Hawaiian Airlines.
The state's largest carrier said Wednesday that he has been replaced on an interim basis by Shannon Okinaka, who had served as vice president-controller since 2011. Okinaka also will hold the role of senior vice president.
Hawaiian spokeswoman Ann Botticelli said she would not elaborate on the announcement and declined to say why or when Topping left and where he went.
read ... Gone
King St Bike Lane: Cyclist Crashes onto Hood of Car, No Fatalities Yet
SA: Question: While turning left on King Street into the driveway of a business, I paid extra special attention to watching my rearview mirror for any bicyclists in the new dedicated bike lane. Imagine my horror as I proceeded to see a bicyclist come barreling at me in the dark from the opposite direction. Believing that the one-way status of King Street applied to everyone, I wasn't looking toward Diamond Head at all. If the bike lane is for two-way bike traffic, the city needs to heavily publicize this before there is a tragic accident....
Question: Is anyone keeping track of how many accidents happen because of the new King Street bike lane? Traffic was stopped on Pensacola Street by Kaiser Medical Center for a red light. When the light turned green, five lanes of traffic started to cross King when this bicyclist heading Ewa on King came barreling across Pensacola. To try to avoid a collision, she landed on the hood of my car. Fortunately, no one was hurt. A police officer saw the whole thing and told me it wasn't my fault. But the bicyclist said there are no lights facing Diamond Head so she didn't know the lights changed. Will traffic signals for Ewa-bound traffic be installed?
read ... Kokua Line
Bribery for the People: Restaurants Would Go out of Business under Obama's Latest Freebie
KHON: Obama is calling on all businesses to give their workers up to seven paid sick days a year....
But what do local business owners think about the plan?
Some say for restaurants, especially the smaller ones, giving workers paid sick leave just wouldn’t be affordable.
Goran Streng, chef and owner of Tango Contemporary Cafe, has 25 employees. He says that added cost has to be added on to the customers just to keep his business profitable.
“It’s a very tight margin. Any little thing is going to make a difference,” he said. “It’s just like the minimum wage. There’s that ripple effect to everything.”
Gregg Fraser, executive director of the Hawaii Restaurant Association, says paid sick leave may add to the already staggering number of restaurants that go out of business within the first year of operating.
“It’s my opinion that it should be left up to the individual business owner to decide what benefits are offered,” he said in a statement....
The president’s proposal would require seven days a year and a state lawmaker says overall it’s a good idea.
“I’m sure there would be debate and we’d try to balance the needs of the employers and the needs of the employee, but I think overall, I would think it would be something that we would support,” said state Sen. Maile Shimabukuro, (D-Kalaeloa, Ko Olina, Nanakuli, Maili, Waianae), vice chair of the Senate labor committee.
But, Shimabukuro says, it’s important that employees don’t abuse that right, so there should be certain safeguards like requiring a doctor’s note. “That at least shows that I truly was sick, here’s some proof from my doctor, and it’s not something where you can just call in and claim to be sick,” she said.
read ... more 'free' crap from Obama
Japanese Government Demands Censorship of Textbook Written by UH Manoa Prof
WSJ: ...The textbook, written by historians Jerry Bentley and Herbert Ziegler, contain two paragraphs on comfort women, who were coerced into servitude in Japanese military brothels in the 1930s and 1940s. Many of them were Korean.
“The Japanese army forcibly recruited, conscripted, and dragooned as many as two hundred thousand women aged 14 to 20 to serve in military brothels, called ‘comfort houses,’” it says.
The book also says the Japanese military “massacred large numbers of comfort women to cover up the operation.”
Prof. Ziegler, an associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said in an e-mail that he wrote the section on comfort women.
“And, yes, the publisher and I have been contacted separately by representatives of the Japanese government, essentially requesting some sort of revision of the offending narrative. Neither the publisher nor I entertain any such notion,” he said.
WSJ: Statements by Japan, Publisher Over Textbook Passage on ‘Comfort Women’
read ... The Wall Street Journal
QUICK HITS: