Forgotten Honouliuli: Jack Burns, Police Spy
A-1 A-Lectricitian--Feds Overreach on Election Regulation
KIUC Nominating Committee Selects 5 Candidates for Board Election
Pearl Harbor Day
Maybe Hee’s pals could repay funds?
SA: I think most of us who are not friends of Mr. Hee would be more in favor of leniency if his group of friends who have supported him in their letters to the judge, now public, would reimburse what Mr. Hee stole.
read … Stolen Money
ACLU Policy Helping Homeless Stay Homeless
CB: …The rain was drizzling off and on throughout the early hours of Wednesday, but Stash and Carrie were staying snug and dry under the canopy in front of Queen Emma Mart, a mom-and-pop convenience store on South Vineyard Street.
The couple were among a handful of homeless people who had taken refuge there for the night. But they were rousted awake at around 2:30 a.m., when the city’s maintenance crew, accompanied by three police officers, showed up and cordoned off the area with red tape.
The crew was there to enforce the stored property and sidewalk nuisance ordinances, and Stash and Carrie — who declined to give their last names — knew they had only a few minutes to collect their belongings and move along.
Under flood lights from one of the city trucks, they worked hurriedly, but they needed some time to finish loading everything onto a (stolen) shopping cart.
For one thing, Stash was fighting an infection in his injured right knee (expensive multiple emergency room visits and ambulance rides) and required two crutches to get around. Carrie, for her part, was busy taking care of an acquaintance, who was about to be taken into custody on an outstanding warrant (another expensive jail stay).
Meanwhile, members of the maintenance crew, clad in orange safety vests, stood a few yards away, patiently waiting for the couple to finish up.
After about 20 minutes, Stash and Carrie were finally done, with their belongings stacked up more than 5 feet tall on their (sic) cart.
Only a few items remained on the sidewalk — some crumpled bed sheets and a plastic basket with small items inside. With Carrie’s consent, the maintenance crew removed the items and threw them into a yellow dump truck.
After the maintenance crew drove away, Carrie said the sweep was markedly different from her past experiences.
“They’ve taken a lot of my stuff before. And they would tell me stuff like, ‘We don’t ever want to see you again.’ They had no heart,” Carrie said. “But they were awesome tonight. One of them just came right up to me and said, ‘We’re going to let you keep all your stuff, but we’ve got to do a sweep.’ They’ve never been quite as nice as they were tonight.” …
(Translation: We’re gonna stay on the street and keep on racking up $1000s in medical bills and jail stays.)
9N: Robert Allenby still has nightmares over Hawaii bashing and robbery
read … Keep the Homeless, Homeless
NextEra hearings need more light
SA: …much of the information provided by NextEra in arguing for approval of the sale has been marked confidential. And at this critical stage, it’s unclear how much of that information will remain secret, never to be discussed in public….
…on Thursday, one participant questioned how much money NextEra expects to save by reducing operating costs. That important figure is on a document marked confidential — among the thousands of pages deemed confidential by NextEra — thus couldn’t be discussed openly….
Through the public hearings, we’ve learned that the $60 million in cost savings for customers would amount to $1 in savings per month over four years. Beyond those four years, it’s anyone’s guess. Under questioning Wednesday, NextEra Energy Hawaii President and CEO Eric Gleason said that all costs related to Hawaii’s goal of getting to 100 percent renewable by 2045 would come from ratepayers except projects done by individuals. NextEra has stated moving to 100 percent renewable would cost an estimated $30 billion….
IM: Tis the Season for Utility Change
read … NextEra hearings need more light
FSM Resolution Calls for Early Termination of COFA Agreement
GPDN: “Whereas, the United States derives many benefits from the amended Compact, not least of which is its exclusive control over the military use of the Federated States of Micronesia’s extensive territorial waters and airspace," according to the resolution.
"Be it resolved that the Nineteenth Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia, Third Special Session, 2015, requests that the President of the Federated States of Micronesia terminate the Amended Compact of Free Association with the United States of America," the resolution reads in part.
The resolution also states “the recent words and deeds of United States policymakers suggest they view the amended Compact as an act of charity by the United States rather than a treaty between two sovereign nations.”
The FSM Congress resolution makes reference to a recent recommendation by the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “consider establishing a pre-screening process and requiring advanced permission for prospective travelers from the Federated States of Micronesia and other Freely Associated States to enter the United States.”
read … National Security
Ethanol Requirement Expires Dec 31
MN: Q: I read that Hawaii passed a law repealing the state requirement for ethanol in our gasoline this summer but haven't heard or seen anything more about it at the pumps. I know this is a state issue, but it affects all drivers in Maui County, so I'm wondering if you might know when this law goes into effect, and what it means for those of us who have never liked the performance-altering effects of ethanol-mixture fuel. Mahalo.
A: SB717, which was signed into law by Gov. David Ige on July 1, repeals the state mandate of 10 percent ethanol in gasoline sold locally. It takes effect on Dec. 31. While it removes the requirement to sell blended gasoline, it does not make it illegal to do so, so fuel retailers still have the option of selling ethanol-blended fuel. The state's ethanol fuel requirement and accompanying tax credit programs were originally introduced years ago to attract alternative fuel producers to Hawaii, but over time it was evident the program was not achieving the results that lawmakers had anticipated.
read … Ethanol Requirement Expires Dec 31
Native Americans Warn Native Hawaiians of the Dangers of Federal Recognition
IC: In 2001, the late Russell Means of the Oglala Sioux nation visited Hawaiʻi where he shared his grandfather’s words regarding the impact federal recognition has had on indigenous peoples.
“Grandson, all of this land someday will not be yours. That’s the reality of federal recognition. Someday, none of this will be yours. Welcome to America.”
His prophetic words particularly ring true today….
read … Dangers
Dengue Could Last for Months
NYT: Authorities are now trying to curb the outbreak by spraying mosquito-infested areas and adviseing people to wear protective clothing and repellent.
The outbreak prompted a visit by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team.
Dr. Lyle Peterson, director of the agency’s division that covers diseases spread by mosquitoes, arrived on the island last week. He said in remarks to reporters that the outbreak could continue for months.
“Dengue outbreaks are extremely hard to control,” Dr. Peterson said.
“We must be prepared for the long run,” he later added.
read … Dengue
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