Rail: Caldwell’s Dog n Pony Show Designed to Force GE Tax Hike
Report: OHA Chair to Resign After Re-Election
TS Madeline Following Iselle's path onto Big Island
DoE Enrollment Drops Again—Charters Growing
Visitor Arrivals Set All-Time Monthly Record in July 2016
DBEDT: Hawaii economy continues to expand
Fraud: Maui Glass Recycler Gets Year in Prison
Defeat: Anti-GMO Protesters Chase Syngenta out of Hawaii
SA: One of Hawaii’s biggest seed companies caught up in lawsuits and protests over genetically modified crop farming and pesticide use has decided to sell its local operations.
Syngenta, a Swiss agribusiness behemoth, announced a decision Tuesday to seek a buyer for its Hawaii operations, which include nearly 6,000 acres of land it leases or owns on Oahu and Kauai.
However, Syngenta said it will seek to have its existing seed work here continue in some degree under contract with a new owner….
Today Syngenta has 105 full-time Hawaii employees and a number of contract workers….
read … Unemployed? Thank a Protester
Family of Victims Sues over Lanikai Gabbard Cult Boat Death, Injury
KHON: Family members say they’re frustrated the state has not yet taken action against the boat’s operator, Sai Hansen, so they’re filing a lawsuit.
“I think the the family has been devastated by this loss,” said Mark Davis, who is representing the family. “Trey has had some very serious injuries which he is slowly recovering from. It’s our hope that the filing of this lawsuit will get to the bottom of the facts that gave rise to this incident.”
The state is still investigating the incident.
Sai Hansen was initially cited by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources for not having a mandatory boater’s safety certificate. Prosecutors later asked a judge to drop the citation while they continued their investigation.
read … Sue Cult
Hurricane Not Enough to Force Homeless to Accept Shelter
WHT: Ride it out.
That was the survival plan for two residents of a Hilo-based homeless encampment Tuesday as Hurricane Madeline — followed by Hurricane Lester — marched toward Hawaii Island.
“The trees keep us pretty covered,” one of the residents, a 30-something female, explained, gesturing around their tucked-away tarp encampment. “It’s not as bad as you think; the worst that happens is puddles on our tarps, but that’s easy to fix.”
When tropical storms, hurricanes and other natural disasters hit, some of the island’s homeless seek refuge with friends and family. Others head to homeless or emergency shelters. But many stay put. And that strategy worries relief organizations, including HOPE Services….
“A lot of them decided to stay out in the weather. So with that, there’s no protection out there. Although we offer transportation … ”
read … Apply More Force
National expert says state's making progress on homeless crisis
HNN: ….Miller believes the state has made progress tackling the states homeless crisis.
On Tuesday, she toured Oahu's newest shelter, the Family Assessment Center in Kakaako, which is slated to open the middle of next month.
"The purpose of this building here is quickly bringing them into safety. Assessing their needs and moving them into permanent housing," said Miller.
This is the third shelter in Honolulu to adopt the "bridge housing model" over the past year. The feds say it's a strategy that works. But in order for it to be successful in Hawaii:
"Everyone needs to work quickly and the units of housing are critical here. Without a place to move people it's very hard to end homelessness," said Miller.
Miller pointed out coordination between the government, the community, and service providers has improved. Outreach workers agree saying for the first time different agencies are helping each other.
"A year ago there was no relationships now people are calling one another making the referrals and things are actually happening," said Justin Phillips….
SA: 3 New houses for the homeless delivered to site in Waianae
read … Homeless
Star-Adv: Don’t let federal law hinder local vacation rental tax effort
SA: …Among other elements, Act 204 requires that internet broker websites accept only vacation rental advertisements that include the business’ tax ID number.
This would ensure, for one thing, that property owners reaping income from the rentals pay the transient accommodations tax that is owed the state.
Once the state cracked down on tax scofflaws, it could move on to Step 2: empowering the rental brokerage sites to collect the tax.
Gov. David Ige in July vetoed a bill that moved immediately to Step 2, rightly finding that enforcement has to come before the tax collections.
Beyond the question of tax revenue, having the ID number posted online simplifies the challenge counties face enforcing their own zoning regulations.
The number will help in identifying a property owner conducting business that is not permitted in a residential zone.
However, the Internet Association, a consortium of the brokerage sites — including web portals such as Airbnb, Vacation Rentals by Owner, HomeAway and others — has opposed Act 204.
David Louie, the former state attorney general who is representing the association, has said that the law is preempted by a provision of the federal 1995 Communications Decency Act.
Some of the original language, aimed at protecting children from “indecent” materials on the web, was struck down years ago. But Section 230, a provision added to the original bill, shields online service providers and users from liability for the content posted by third parties….
read … Hinder
Judge Rules Feds Properly Withheld Details Of UH Biolab Inspection
CB: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention redacted most of a report that found 30 safety violations….
read … Judge Rules Feds Properly Withheld Details Of UH Biolab Inspection
Wrongful Foreclosure Claims Rock Hawaii Condo Associations
ILind: A class-action lawsuit alleges at least 160 individuals had their property illegally foreclosed by 72 Hawaii condominium associations….
PDF: Brown v. pmkc
read … Wrongful Foreclosure Claims
Hurricane: Will Caldwell Botch it Again?
QUICK HITS