Autism: Federal Judge Orders DoE to Pay for Special Education in Private Schools
9 Years of Hawaii Law Blogging
Mayor’s 9-11 Remembrance Walk held Sunday
Telescope: Major delay and added costs coming
SA: ...A member of the TMT International Observatory Board also conceded that the project — currently planned to become operational in 2024 — might take longer to build if the court insists on correcting perceived due process flaws related to the telescope’s state permit.
But Michael Bolte, a University of California, Santa Cruz, astronomy professor, indicated that the board plans to see the project through because, among other things, Mauna Kea “clearly provides the best window to the universe in the Northern Hemisphere.”....
During oral arguments Aug. 27, the Supreme Court justices zeroed in on the issue of due process.
Attorneys representing the state and the University of Hawaii at Hilo appeared to wobble and waver when asked to explain why the state Board of Land and Natural Resources in 2011 didn’t hold off its vote on the telescope’s Conservation District Use Permit before holding a contested case hearing.
At least one justice implied that the process lacked the appearance of being fair.
After the hearing, anti- TMT activists were elated. Many predicted the court, at a minimum, would order a do-over on the permit process, a possibility that could set the project back for years....
Meanwhile, Hawaii’s astronomy community continues to search for ways to make the telescope a reality.
“The observatories on Maunakea remain committed to finding a way forward and confident that a community based vision for the future of Maunakea will emerge through dialog,” Doug Simons, director of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope....
read ... court’s due-process focus suggests a major delay and added costs
Charges for medevac flights soar
SA: The two companies operating in the state — Hawaii Life Flight and AMR Air Hawaii — do not list their prices online, but Hawaii Life Flight charges thousands of dollars more than AMR for similar flights,according to Honolulu Star-Advertiser research.
A Hawaii Life Flight bill for emergency transportation from Hilo to Oahu in December 2013 totaled $70,580. It lists a base rate of $16,441 and a charge of $219 per mile, bringing the mileage total to $54,139.
AMR said it charges a base rate of $14,000 per flight and $25 per mile. The same flight from Hilo to Oahu would be about $20,000 on AMR. Both operate the same aircraft, King Air twin-engine turboprop airplanes, and also have medical helicopters.
In 2010 Hawaii Life Flight merged with Air Med Hawaii, leaving only one carrier in the islands until AMR Air entered the market in 2013. Following the merger, air ambulance rates skyrocketed, said Speedy Bailey, general manager of AMR, which is part of the state’s ground ambulance provider American Medical Response.
“We entered the marketplace basically two years ago because we were getting complaints from our patients on the ground that they were getting large air ambulance bills,” said Bailey. “When we saw the rates, we were very concerned. We wanted to have a quality option and a price option. We believe you can do business in Hawaii and not overcharge.”
Flashback: Former cocaine dealer J Kalani English: Bought and paid for by Hawaii Air Ambulance
read ... Charges for medevac flights soar
Waikiki condo manager frustrated by homeless woman who refuses help
HNN: ..."I've had my staff here call some women's shelters, and called the city and state to see if we can get her some assistance. And all the agencies said that they've offered her assistance. She refuses help," he said.
Johnson also said he has called police, who tell him they can't do anything because she's on public property, and is in an area not covered by the city's sit-lie ban....
read ... Refuse Shelter
Star-Adv: Oppose Bike Lanes? Sit down and shut up
SA: Clearly the public is interested in it conceptually, with many attending a recent demonstration at City Hall sponsored by the nonprofit Bikeshare Hawaii. The event showcased the four bike-rental vendors vying for a city contract to run rental kiosks around town.
When it gets down to the brass-tacks realities of bikes mixing with traffic, however, some drivers continue to regard sharing the road with a jaundiced eye. Honolulu’s motorists have grown accustomed to having the lanes to themselves.
But change on that score is inevitable, and residents need to make the transition to an altered cityscape.
read ... Embrace move toward city that’s bicycle friendly
Obama: Federal Contractors must pay for sick leave
KITV: ...The Labor Day announcement comes after a set of similar orders requiring federal contractors to boost paychecks and conditions for their workers, including expanding overtime compensation, banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and raising workers' minimum wage....
The order would affect 300,000 American workers who currently aren't eligible for any paid sick leave, the White House said, adding an unknown additional number of workers would be granted additional sick time....
Republicans who control Capitol Hill oppose such steps, saying they will raise the costs of doing business and make products and services more expensive.
Instead, Obama has issued orders requiring the federal government, and the many companies who receive federal contracts, to abide by the new labor rules....
read ... Sick Leave
The Grinch is about to give back Christmas
SA: A group of Honolulu restaurateurs, hoteliers and merchants is lobbying to change the city’s fire code, which bans the display of cut trees, including Christmas trees, in large gathering spots. The Honolulu City Council gave the second of three approvals to a bill that would amend the fire code to allow the cut trees to be on display as long as they are treated with fire retardant.
read ... Christmas
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