Hirono: SCOTUS Seat Could Stay Vacant for Two Years
Mazie Hirono Needs to Shut up, Stand Up and Name Names of Hawaii Democrat Sex Harassers she is Covering For
Grassroot Institute to Host Congressional District 1 Candidate Forum
Hawaii State Taxes $6,084 per Capita
Special Session Decision ‘Imminent’ – No Buyout for Lava Zone 1&2 Residents
HTH: …A decision on a whether there will be a special session of the state Legislature to consider disaster relief funding appropriation, especially for Puna communities impacted by lava from Kilauea volcano’s lower East Rift Zone eruption, needs to be made soon.
Roy Takemoto, executive assistant to Mayor Harry Kim, said Tuesday that he thinks a decision by legislative leaders on whether to recommend such a session “is imminent.”…
Takemoto said that following a Sept. 5 meeting with House leadership, the county scaled back its funding request for immediate needs through the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2019, as well as its second-tier priorities, which are for state-funded initiatives that don’t include federal funding.
He said House leadership asked the county “to recheck our priorities and make sure that they are high priorities. And, number two, to check with the governor’s office again and see how much of that they could fund.”
“When we took a closer look at the (top-level) priorities, we reduced that almost in half, to 6 (or) 7 million (dollars),” Takemoto said. “And when they took that number to the governor’s office, they said they could probably find the money to fund us. So that took it out of the immediate ask of the Legislature.
“Then, we took a closer look at the phase two projects and … focused on what was really the higher priorities for phase two. When we did that, the number that would be a request to the state fell to about $140 million, which is kind of in line with what they approved for Kauai for just flood damage at $100 million last year.
“When we got it down to $140 million that seemed to be more of a reasonable ask.”
Takemoto said the county’s amended request “still preserves all the options we’re looking at for housing, but we definitely would be not as ambitious.”
In addition, Takemoto said the county is working to organize a housing fair for November. He said such an event “would allow the displaced households to get information as well as those who have vacant property who would be interested in building an ohana dwelling … for disaster population for affordable housing needs, as well.”
One item Takemoto said was removed from the county’s previous wish list was $189 million to buy out private property owners in areas either inundated or isolated by lava from the eruption, which started May 3 and went into a lull in early August. More than 700 homes, all in lower Puna, were destroyed.
“That has all been pushed back, because the comments from the House leadership is they probably wouldn’t put state money towards buying anybody out in (lava) zones 1 and 2,” Takemoto said. “So any kind of significant compensation would probably be dependent on federal funding.”
Takemoto and state Sen. Russell Ruderman, who represents Puna, said if a special session is convened, another issue to be hashed out would be an expansion on what the county could spend the $10 million that it expects to collect from a quarter-cent surcharge on the state’s general excise tax, which starts Jan. 1.
“By expanding it, that would really help us help ourselves,” Takemoto said….
read … Based on feedback from lawmakers, county scales down lava recovery wish list
Poverty Persists Among Hawaiians Despite (or is it because of) Cultural Nationalism
CB: The jobless rate for Native Hawaiians was only 4 percent in 2017 but they continue to have higher-than-average poverty rates….
The poverty rate for all Hawaii residents was 9.5 percent, while the rate for Native Hawaiians was 13.5 percent.
The unemployment rate for Native Hawaiians — 4 percent — was actually lower than the state rate of 4.2 percent, although they were within the margin of error.
Noreen Mokuau, professor and dean of the University of Hawaii School of Social Work, says the poverty rate for Native Hawaiian is tied to lower education levels and lower wages.
In 2017, 11.5 percent of Native Hawaiians in Hawaii had graduated from college compared to nearly 22 percent of the state population. Fewer than 5 percent of Native Hawaiians in Hawaii had a graduate or professional degree, less than half of the statewide rate…. (And how many of those degrees are for something ending in ‘studies’?)
Native Hawaiians also aren’t earning as much as many other communities in Hawaii. Their median household income in 2017 was $66,317 compared with $77,765 statewide. The percentage of Native Hawaiian workers in “management, business, science, and arts occupations” occupations was only about 22 percent, compared with more than 34 percent statewide….
Jonathan Osorio, dean of the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge at UH, says poverty in the Native Hawaiian community goes back to the 1893 overthrow over the Hawaiian Kingdom that imposed a territorial government backed by sugar plantation owners and resulted in the loss of Hawaiian lands. He doesn’t see the problem changing anytime soon.
(Translation: He cannot solve your problem.)
KITV: Big bucks set aside for Native Hawaiian families
read … Poverty Persists Among Hawaiians Despite Low Unemployment
How Hawaii is Faking Carbon Neutrality
CB: … China is now the No. 1 greenhouse gas emitter in the world, but a quarter to a third of their emissions are for exports which we and other western countries consume.
Then we blame them for our ever-increasing consumption.
Consumption-based economics is based on the concept–if you eat it–you get credited with the calories, the fat, and the greenhouse gas emissions.
Common sense, eh?
How could Hawaii achieve fake carbon neutrality by 2045?
Use production, not consumption numbers. Rely on out-dated analysis errors if they are favorable like biomass-based electricity is always carbon neutral. Exclude the emissions of 10,000,000 tourists flying to Hawaii. Omit trans-oceanic travel. Omit emissions from fracked imported fuels. Omit. Omit. Omit.
Zero! …
SA: Activists Still Pushing Carbon Divestment for UH
read … Imagine The Absurd
Ige’s not hiding, but he’s totally dodging
Cataluna: Republican gubernatorial candidate Andria Tupola sent out an email blast last week with the provocative subject line: “Can You Believe He’s Hiding?”
The “he” to which the email refers is her opponent in the general election, incumbent Gov. David Ige, a Democrat.
The “what” from which Ige is accused of hiding is Tupola’s challenge to debate. Tupola wants to take on Ige in a televised debate and also wants to go face-to-face in separate public forums on six islands. “Each community deserves a chance to ask the candidates how they will address Hawaii’s most deeply rooted issues,” Tupola said in a news release….
Ige would have much to lose in a series of debates with Tupola. Not the election — it’s hard to imagine a Republican wresting control of the state’s top office in this deeply blue state and in an era where the local party’s ranks in office has dwindled to almost nothing.
What Ige might lose is his precarious standing as a good-enough governor. He survived a heap of criticism for his indecisive fumbling and uninspired first years in office, and redeemed his image just enough through various storm-related press conferences. He survived a primary challenge by hard-edged U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and won the race, though some would argue that it wasn’t so much that Team Ige won as that Team Hanabusa ran a losing campaign.
But then there’s Tupola, who has a rapid-fire, high-voltage speaking style and a kind of personal warmth that David Ige couldn’t fake if his life depended on it. She might not be the perfect candidate, but she could run right over Ige in a debate. It may not cost him re-election but it would be another painful reminder to everyone in the state how bad he is at communicating and how he doesn’t have much to communicate to begin with….
UPDATE: KITV4 Island News to host first General Election governor's debate
read … Ige’s not hiding, but he’s totally dodging
Maui: Ex-county official fined for theft of vacation time
MN: …A former Maui County Public Works Department supervisor was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine after he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor theft charge involving a subordinate employee’s unrecorded vacation time.
Raynard Oshiro, 60, of Kihei was ordered to help pay $550 in restitution to Maui County as part of his sentence imposed last month.
He was sentenced Aug. 28 after pleading no contest to a reduced charge of third-degree theft.
According to court documents, the theft occurred from Jan. 6 to Nov, 25, 2014. Oshiro allegedly falsified records to cover up undocumented vacation time that he approved for Lea Cadiz, who was working as administrative support in Oshiro’s office.
Cadiz, 40, of Pukalani pleaded no contest Tuesday to a reduced charge of third-degree theft in the case. She is set to be sentenced Dec. 20 by 2nd Circuit Judge Peter Cahill.
According to the county, the theft was discovered during an investigation into payroll records relating to a commercial kitchen in the Public Works Department baseyard in Wailuku. The kitchen allegedly was outfitted with tens of thousands of dollars of equipment charged to a government purchasing card or pCard in 2015, according to a Honolulu television news report.
The kitchen investigation is separate from the theft case, according to the county….
read … Ex-county official fined for theft of vacation time
Mauna Kea: DHHL Orders Shutdown of Activists Checkpoint
BIVN: …The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is cracking down on the “Aloha Safety Checkpoint” and the Hale Kūhiō set up by the Mauna Kea Access Road, beneficiaries say.
Speaking out at Monday night’s community meeting in Keaukaha, Beneficiary Trust Council kanaka rangers told the audience they were recently told to take down the small structure. The meeting was organized by State Senator Kai Kahele and County Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy, and held in the absence of a scheduled DHHL meeting, apparently postponed due to last week’s threat from Tropical Storm Olivia.
“Dear Mr. Wilson,” Kalaniakea Wilson read, holding a letter he received from DHHL. “It is been brought to my attention that you are owner of the illegal dwelling / structure posted on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands property on Mauna Kea.”…
KITV: Hawaii Island residents standing post at 'Aloha Safety Checkpoint' are on the verge of being kicked out
read … Kanaka Rangers Say DHHL Cracking Down On Hale Kuhio
15% of Hawaii's young men aren't registered with Selective Service
HNN: …Men ages 18 to 25 are required by law to register with Selective Service.
The Selective Service was set up for national security purposes in the event of a national emergency.
It's also required in order for young men to get access to all federal student loans and grants and job training programs and to be eligible for most federal jobs, including the U.S. Postal Service.
However, only 85 percent of Hawaii’s young men have registered with the Selective Service. That’s below the national average of 93 percent registration….
Register online, at a local U.S. Post Office, or with a high school counselor….
read … 15% of Hawaii's young men aren't registered with Selective Service
Mental Health: Insurers Cut Back on Psychiatrists Pay
CB: …Workers comp treatment fees were capped by the Legislature in 1995 — 23 years ago! Inflation has gone up 68 percent in that time. Before I retired, it was not uncommon for an injured worker to have called 10 psychiatrists before me.
CHAMPUS for the military allowed close to the HMSA rate in 1988, $129/hr. vs. $135. The next year it was cut to $109/hr. and the following year to $89.
HMSA froze my rate at $135/hr. from 1989 to 1993. I asked my wife and office manager what our own premiums had risen in that time and she reported — 50 percent. So I went non-participating. When I myself needed treatment in 2010, 17 years later, my therapist was allowed to charge only $133!…
CB: Mandatory sharing of all electronic records into a centralized database with full access for clinicians and patients.
read … Mental Health Care Crisis
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