1959: Martin Luther King Jr Salutes Hawaii Statehood
Lesson for UH and DoE--How P3 Can Eliminate Deferred Maintenance
Gabbard: No regrets about meeting Syria's Assad
Hawaii Statehood Was Part of Civil Rights Movement
SA: … Sixty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. touched down in the islands to salute Hawaii’s fledgling statehood and speak about racial injustice confronting the nation.
Addressing an assembly of state lawmakers on behalf of that era’s civil rights movement supporters, King said: “We look to you for inspiration and as a noble example, where you have already accomplished in the area of racial harmony and racial justice, what we are struggling to accomplish in other sections of the country.”
Hawaii’s 1959 statehood was secured two years after strife-filled school desegregation in Little Rock, Ark., and a few years before the 1960s sit-ins and marches that helped pave the path to President Lyndon Johnson’s ushering in of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the War on Poverty.
In some circles, Hawaii’s admission to the Union was opposed because of its racial diversity; only about one-quarter of residents here were “white.” So it was, in 1959, that King pointed to Hawaii as “a place where we see the glowing daybreak of freedom and dignity.” …
HNN: Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. remembered, along with Hawaii ties
read … King also sought economic justice
Did Kealoha’s CIU Protect Politicians From Being Busted for Corruption?
ILind: … on the list of “criminal threats” addressed by CIU would be political corruption and certain white collar crimes.
Several CIU members were charged along with the Kealohas, and most had personal ties to the chief or, more often, his wife….
It’s likely natural that the chief wanted to reward his own people with these choice assignments, but was he also concerned about staying informed about what federal investigations CIU was partnering in?…
Was this the only time that this unit, charged with keeping track of everything from organized crime to political corruption, went off the rails in this way? If they could frame defendants, could they also steer investigations away from other possible defendants in unrelated investigations? If the federal allegations proved to be true, then these police officers were certainly capable of it.
Sellers and another retired CIU detective, Niall Silva, have entered guilty pleas, along with several others who were not HPD officers. They are believed to be cooperating with the continuing investigation.
My guess is that before the current grand jury (or grand juries) complete their work, we could very well see the investigation expand in this way….
SA: Let’s keep Kealoha trial on schedule
read … Did Kealoha stack the CIU?
Halawa prison project delays cost millions
SA: … A spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety said the electrical and other work has been completed in two of Halawa’s four housing modules as well as in all of the prison’s nonresidential areas such as the administration offices, infirmary, food service area, program areas, gym and guard towers.
But the work has not been finished in two other modules, and is ongoing in Halawa’s Module 2. That module has been vacated by the inmates during construction.
The Halawa contract was awarded Oct. 20, 2015, and the contractor was given notice to begin work on Feb. 16, 2016, according to DAGS.
Espinda told senators Jan. 8 during a committee hearing that the job was originally supposed to take 11 months, but work started on the project six months late. Espinda said the original completion date was November 2016, but DAGS said in a written response to questions that the original completion date was Sept. 7, 2017.
The problems began when the security electronics subcontractor that was included in the original bid for the job discontinued that line of work and had to be replaced, Nishimoto said. “Then, unfortunately, we encountered a problem with their electrical side contractor.”
Nishimoto said an exterior electrical conduit that was installed by a subcontractor at the prison did not meet state requirements and required “a lot of rework, and that was a big portion of the delay.” The bonding company for that subcontractor is now paying to complete the work properly, he said.
Nishimoto told lawmakers the general contractor on the job is BCP Construction of Hawaii Inc., and DAGS has notified BCP it may be forced to pay liquidated damages for the delays in the project….
Corrections officials have emptied out entire modules in Halawa and shipped hundreds of inmates to a privately run prison on the mainland to clear the way for crews to install the new electronics, and so far the state has spent more than $11 million housing those displaced prisoners in Arizona.
(Actually this would be a net savings, because Hawaii’s UPW-controlled prisons cost so much more than the efficient Arizona prion.
The job is being overseen by the state Department of Accounting and General Services, and was originally supposed to be completed at least 15 months ago. It still isn’t finished, and prison officials this year are seeking an emergency appropriation for another $3.4 million to continue holding inmates out of state for another six months until the work is finished in June….
read … Halawa prison project delays cost millions
Soft on Crime: 22 Priors out on Streets Does it Again
SA: … Gouveia had been on the run since late December and is wanted for shooting his girlfriend in Kahaluu. Police said a bullet grazed her head, and paramedics took her to a hospital in serious condition.
A CrimeStoppers bulletin was issued, asking for the public’s help in locating Gouveia, and released images of the silver BMW sedan he was seen driving when he fled the scene.
A state judge had issued a $1 million warrant for Gouveia’s arrest in December. Gouveia has 22 prior convictions, including 14 felonies….
read … Police arrest fugitive wanted in Kahaluu attempted murder case
Gabbard shouldn’t be part-time member
SA: … I call for her to resign immediately and propose that the Democratic leadership in Hawaii call for this also….
read … Gabbard shouldn’t be part-time member
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