This Day in History: Truman Announces Hiroshima Bombing
Hawaii Democrats Select Lobbyist as Party Chair
COVID Count 173 new cases out of 2,383 new tests
Two More COVID-19 Deaths in Hawaii
Pine urges direct federal oversight of rail’s P3 contract awards
Parks, beaches to close, inter-island traveler quarantine reinstated amid COVID-19 surge
HNN: … A mandatory, 14-day quarantine for inter-island travel will be reinstated effective Aug 11, city and state parks and beaches on Oahu will be closed, and Honolulu police will dial up enforcement of emergency orders as part of a push to rein in a surge in new COVID-19 cases….
There was no immediate word on whether the state would also further delay the planned lifting of trans-Pacific quarantine restrictions on Sept. 1 as part of a traveler testing program.
“This is the last thing that we wanted to do,” Ige said. “We have endured several months of restrictions and had been successful. But as we reopened our community, people let their guard down.”
Mayor Kirk Caldwell said the closure of city and state parks and beaches will start at midnight Friday and extend through Sept. 5. He also said that botanical gardens will be closed, team sports at parks are suspended, and city and private pools, bowling alleys and mini-golf facilities will be shuttered….
People will be allowed to traverse beach parks to get to the water, but won’t be able to linger….
There was no announcement Thursday about schools and universities. Ige said the state is “monitoring the situation” and plans to discuss the issue soon but declined to elaborate.….
Public schools are set to resume Aug. 17, following a two-week delay to prepare campuses….
In the news conference, State Health Director Bruce Anderson also said that the state saw “at least” 200 new coronavirus infections Thursday. The exact number is not yet available because of reporting delays….
KHON: Honolulu Police Department has set up a COVID-enforcement team and hotline. The team will be staffed with 160 police officers and will start service on Sunday, August 9, at 10 a.m. To make a report of a proclamation violation in regards to COVID-19, call 723-3900 or email hpdcovidenforce@honolulu.gov.
read … Parks, beaches to close, inter-island traveler quarantine reinstated amid COVID-19 surge
COVID Ravages Micronesian Community
SA: … Pacific Islanders make up just 4% of Hawaii’s population but represent 27% of the islands’ latest COVID-19 cases, far more than any ethnic group.
The next largest number of cases across the islands — 20% — have been diagnosed among whites, who comprise a full quarter of the islands’ population, according to the latest state Department of Health data released each Friday. (The next highest rates of COVID-19 were seen among Filipinos, 18%, and Native Hawaiians, 14%, according to the latest data. No other ethnic group had double-digit numbers.)
Since the outbreak, Pacific Islanders have represented as many as 32% of Hawaii’s COVID-19 cases, Green said….
Pacific Islanders are particularly susceptible to COVID-19 in Hawaii because they tend to have lots of human contact as front-line workers, such as in fast food or retail. And new immigrants tend to “live in denser neighborhoods, especially public housing,” said Dr. Neal Palafox, of the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine….
In May, advocates representing Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders created the Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Hawai‘i COVID-19 Response, Recovery & Resiliency Team, in part to get more and accurate data on their communities.
(Translation: OHA smells money.)
Since then, Hawaii is “the only state where that data is distinctly separate,” said Kim Birnie, communications coordinator at Papa Ola Lokahi….
Two funerals are planned among Pacific Islander families on Oahu — one this week, and another in two weeks. And Tauasosi-Posiulai said volunteers from her organization have spoken to both of the families, who were receptive to ideas to reduce the spread of COVID-19 — especially if they can reduce the spread to elders.
“They said, ‘I’m so glad that you guys came,’” Tauasosi-Posiulai said….
read … Surge in Hawaii coronavirus cases highlights disparities for Pacific Islanders
Controlled by Unions, Hawaii County Council Crushes Plan to Build Panelized Pre-Fab Housing on Big Island
HTH: … (locally built by HPM) Factory-built housing will continue to be (technically) ‘allowed’ (but will be effectively blocked) in Hawaii County’s new construction code, but with extra restrictions following a unanimous vote Wednesday by the County Council after a protracted discussion.
(This is one reason why housing is so expensive in Hawaii.)
After previously agreeing to add increased inspections of factory-built homes, the council approved on a 5-4 vote implementing further restrictions by Hamakua Councilwoman Valerie Poindexter, who had concerns that Bill 197 gave factory-built housing builders an unfair advantage over traditional site-built contractors.
(Translation: The unions told her what to do to kill off the HPM factory and she did it.)
Voting no were Council Chairman Aaron Chung of Hilo, as well as Puna Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz, Hilo Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy and Kohala Councilman Tim Richards.
The factory homes, envisioned as an affordable alternative to provide much-needed housing on the island, are built using plans approved by the county Building Division. Building, electrical and plumbing permits are required and the house is inspected once it is moved to the building lot and connected to utilities.
Factory-built housing has been in the building code since 2012 with few, if any, such homes being constructed. But plans by HPM Building Supply to make greater use of the structures to help increase the island’s affordable housing inventory concerned Poindexter (the Carpenters Union). Her (Union) concerns increased when Deputy Building Division Director Neal Tanaka said the department had been talking with HPM about the prospect for two years.
“Bill 197 made provisions to help them skirt or not have the inspections,” Poindexter said. “We’re putting people in the homes that we need to ensure are safe.”
(Translation: Union jobs are more affordable than affordable housing. Special interests come first.)
Poindexter’s comments, as well as her claims that the Building Division agreed with her amendments, drew pushback from Tanaka.
“There’s a lot of misrepresentation that DPW is agreeing with you. We expressed our concerns with you,” Tanaka said. “I think we have made it clear that the Building Division is not sacrificing safety. … Safety is what we do.”
(Translation: The unions and their pet politicians are lying and dissembling to stick it to the people.)
Lee Loy, who sponsored the original bill after working with the Building Division, said the amendments give an unfair advantage to factory-built housing constructed outside the county, which aren’t required to get a county building permit compared to ones inside the county that do. That would mean a factory-built house constructed locally would need two building permits — once in the factory, once on the ground.
“These amendments actually strap some bureaucratic red tape over what we can do for affordable housing,” Lee Loy said. “I thought we were going to keep our workers working (but) we actually kick the door wide open for foreign factory-built housing.”….
(Translation: If that ever became a factor the unions would deal with it--but the Jones Act makes shipping too expensive so it probably will never be a factor.)
read … Council passes construction code
Mayor Fumes as Chemophobia Caucus Attempts to ‘Settle’ Injection Wells Case
MN: … Council Member Mike Molina is leading another push by the council to settle the Lahaina injection well lawsuit, forging a resolution to accept the latest terms offered by plaintiffs during mediation of the case that has been remanded to the lower courts by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Molina, who is chairman of the council Governance, Ethics and Transparency Committee, transmitted the proposed resolution Wednesday authorizing the settlement. The measure leaves open the option for the council to accept the counterproposal from the plaintiffs or submit an alternative offer as a result of the committee’s discussion. …
Molina said he intends to schedule the proposed resolution for review by his committee at 9 a.m. Aug. 25. In addition to receiving testimony by phone or videoconference, the committee will accept written testimony, which may be submitted by emailing get.committee@mauicounty.us.
The meeting also will be televised on Akaku Channel 53….
In 2012, the Hawaii Wildlife Fund, Surfrider Foundation, West Maui Preservation Association and Sierra Club (which own and operate Molina’s council faction) sued the county over its use of injection wells at the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility and seepage of the treated water into the ocean. The plaintiffs claimed that the county was in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.
The county was injecting 3 million to 5 million gallons a day of treated wastewater into wells beneath the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility, which sits about a half-mile from the shoreline. (ie its bad for tourism) Studies using dyes to trace the flow showed more than half the discharge from two wells was entering the ocean…. (and remember environmentalism IS tourism.)
NR: Lahaina Mediation: Mayor Victorino comments on reckless political gamesmanship
read … Molina leads a renewed effort to settle injection well case with plaintiffs
Supreme Court Hears Challenge To Lawmakers’ Gut-And-Replace Tactics
CB: … Open-government groups are challenging the Legislature’s practice of making drastic, sometimes last-minute changes to bills in the state’s highest court.
The Hawaii Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments from Common Cause and the League of Women Voters, who contend that the Legislature’s practice of gutting bills and then replacing the contents with other legislation is not open to the public.
The Ige administration and Legislature also made their case, arguing that the justices should stay out of how lawmakers conduct their business.
The court made no decision Wednesday. The justices plan to deliberate privately before making a decision.
Based on their lines of questioning, the court doesn’t seem keen on messing with the Legislature’s processes. But at multiple times during the approximately 90-minute hearing, the justices and attorneys went back to how much participation the public actually gets in the legislative process, a world that’s often unfamiliar to non-politicos….
SA Editorial: Gutting gut-and-replace
SA: Hawaii Supreme Court eyes Legislature’s ‘gut-and-replace’ gambit
HTH: Hawaii Supreme Court hears arguments about lawmakers’ use of controversial gut-and-replace tactic
read … Supreme Court Hears Challenge To Lawmakers’ Gut-And-Replace Tactics
A&B 31% of Tenants are not Paying Rent
PBN: … "Our core commercial real estate business experienced material impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic in the second quarter of 2020, but steadily recovered as businesses reopened, with 75% of tenants open by June 30,” Chris Benjamin, A&B’s president and CEO, said in a statement, citing Hawaii’s stay-at-home orders issued in late March that forced non-essential businesses, and the tourism industry, to close. “Amid the backdrop of an unprecedented health crisis that has caused significant economic disruption, we experienced a 12.2% decrease in net operating income and a 16.8% decrease in same-store NOI in the quarter."
A&B said that commercial real estate revenue decreased $5.1 million, or 13%, to $34 million, compared to $39.1 million during the same quarter in 2019.
"Within our CRE segment, our portfolio of primarily grocery-anchored properties and other needs-based retailers remains open with enhanced safety measures and continues to provide goods and services to our local communities,” Benjamin said. “Our portfolio collection rate in the second quarter was 70%, which we believe is generally consistent with shopping center peers.”
A&B said it collected 65% of rent from its retail portfolio during April, May and June, while 69% paid rent in July. Among the retail categories, grocery tenants were strongest with 86% percent paying rent in the second quarter, while restaurants were weakest — A&B collected just 35% of rent owed during the quarter from those tenants.
Among its other categories, A&B said it collected 78% of industrial rent, 92% of ground-lease rent and 88% of office rent.
Lance Parker, A&B’s vice president and chief real estate officer, told analysts Thursday that A&B had been proactive during the early days of the pandemic and offered tenants rent deferrals, but pointed out that two shopping centers — the Shops at Kukuiula on Kauai and the Queens’ MarketPlace in Waikoloa Beach Resort on Hawaii Island — are affected by the drop in tourism.
Parker said A&B will “do what we need and get creative with these tenants” in the two centers to ensure their long-term viability.
A&B said that as of July, 93% of all tenants — including 93% of retail tenants — were open in July. ….
read … A&B posts $5M Q2 loss, says 70% of Hawaii tenants paid rent
State sees soaring demand for food stamps, health insurance assistance
HNN: … In Hawaii, there is an average of $58 million in SNAP benefits per month ― up from $37 million in 2019, according to the Department of Human Services.
"We had roughly 160,000 or so pre-pandemic," said DHS director Pankaj Bhanot. "Now that number is exponentially higher."
With many people out of work, they're no longer receiving health insurance through their employer.
That’s triggered a 34% jump in Medicaid applications, but only about a 12% increase in actual enrollment, according to DHS statistics.
Bhanot said the extra $600 a week unemployment boost caused many people to be disqualified for assistance.
Now that the federal aid is no longer available, he believes more individuals will be looking for help….
read … State sees soaring demand for food stamps, health insurance assistance
“100% Hanabusa Supporter” behind the anti-Keith Amemiya attack ads
ILind: … A newly formed political committee has been running last-minute television ads attacking Honolulu mayor candidate Keith Amemiya with sharp blasts of implication and innuendo.
Aloha Aina Oiaio was registered with the Campaign Spending Commission as an independent expenditure organization on July 11, 2020, followed by two amended organizational statements in quick succession, the latest on July 28.
The organizational report filed by the group lists Lokahi Cuban as chairperson, treasurer and custodian of the group’s books. He is the only name associated with the group. Cuban’s address is given as 2149 Booth Road.
The organization is registered at 727 Kinau Street in Honolulu. It is the same address as Exclusive Distribution and Wholesale LLC, a business registered last year by Lokahi Cuban. The state’s business registration division lists the business as “Not in Good Standing.”
Cuban also registered a limited liability company using the same name (Aloha Aina Oiaio, LLC) on June 29, 2020 and at the same Kinau Street address, state business registration records show.
The name Aloha Aina Oiaio was appropriated from a Hawaiian newspaper in the late 19th century, and was recently made popular with social media videos of a sovereignty song by the same name being performed.
Back in February, Lokahi Cuban identified himself in a social media post as “a 100% Hanabusa supporter.”
He was mentioned in a post on this blog back in 2014 when he made four $500 contributions on the same day to a little known Republican political action committee which was backing Republican Richard Fale against Democratic challenger Gil Riviere….
VIDEO: Amemiya Blasted over Subject Letter
read … Newly formed PAC behind the anti-Keith Amemiya attack ads
Hu Honua Costs 3 times more than other energy sources
IM: … Contrary to a plain reading of the court decision, Hu Honua asserted that the court ordered the commission to hold an evidentiary hearing.
The Commission reopend the proceeding, took in evidence, and rejected the waiver for competitive bidding, noting that 22 cent biomass is not competitive with 8-9 cent solar plus batteries.…
The Commission noted that the Hu Honua contract requires that the facility operate at a minimum of 7 MW even when cheaper renewable energy sources are available, that Hu Honua`s operations may curtail these cheaper alternatives….
read … Civil Beat Declined Publishing a Community Voice Column re Hu Honua
How One Homelessness Group Gets Lots of Ballots Mailed to it
CB: …Lisa Darcy tries every election to get at least a few more friends of hers on Maui to vote.
With regular sweeps of homeless encampments, it’s hard to tell what district someone should be registered in. Darcy said it’s also been a challenge tracking down individuals who move often.
Mail access is another issue. If someone doesn’t have friends or family to get their mail and they aren’t registered for mail delivery at a shelter, the only option is general delivery at a post office.
Plus, registering and getting mail usually require some form of government ID, which for some individuals who may have lost those documents could take months to replace, Darcy said.
However, ID requirements for registration in Hawaii aren’t as strict as in other states.
In 2016, the Legislature added a provision to the law that allows the counties to register potential voters who don’t have a government ID or social security card but meet registration requirements, like being 18 years old.
Darcy has used her P.O. Box in Kahului to get mail ballots to some of the homeless she works with on Maui.
And even if someone is able to get registered and has mail access, getting information to make an informed vote is still difficult….
“They’re compounded by disabilities, mental health issues, just plain poverty issues. If you’re thinking about getting food for the day, you won’t put anything else in front of that,” Darcy said….
(How many ballots could YOU control in your district with these handy techniques?)
read … Hawaii’s Homeless Voters Face Hurdles With All-Mail System
Soft on Crime: Mother Stabber Gets off Easy, Assaults Police Officers and is still out on street to do it again
SA: … A deputy sheriff shot a 27-year-old homeless man in the lower torso near the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport after the man attacked the deputy several times with an unknown object Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The deputy, 41, was conducting route checks and observed the suspect near an abandoned warehouse on Ualena Street just before 5 p.m.
While in the process of identifying the man, the suspect allegedly assaulted the deputy and struck him with an unknown object….
Police arrested the 27-year-old man on suspicion of first-degree assault against a law enforcement officer. He remains hospitalized at Queen’s.
Court records show a bench warrant was issued in Maui in July for the suspect who was charged with allegedly assaulting a police officer in Haiku in November 2019.
According to a Maui News story, the suspect allegedly assaulted the officer who responded to a home in Luahine Place to investigate a report of abuse….
In a separate case, the alleged assailant pleaded no contest in 2012 to stabbing his mother in the back while she was calling 911, the Maui News said. He was sentenced to nearly one year in jail with credit for time served and 10 years’ probation….
Man in serious condition after deputy sheriff-involved shooting near HNL airport
3 people, including man shot in the leg, treated by medical personnel near Honolulu airport
read … Soft on Crime
Soft on Crime Courts Play Patty-Cake with Murder Conviction
SA: … An arraignment is scheduled to be held at Circuit Court today for a 44-year-old man accused of manslaughter in the 2009 shooting death of a 35-year-old man in the Keeaumoku area.
Phillip D. Deleon is in custody at the Oahu Community Correctional Center in lieu of $1 million bail in connection with Shawn Powell’s death. Police arrested Deleon at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on July 30 on a grand jury bench warrant, eight months after the jury returned an indictment against him, charging him with manslaughter in Powell’s death….
Deleon’s arraignment comes after the Hawaii Supreme Court reversed the 2015 manslaughter conviction against him. According to the Supreme Court opinion, the “circuit court erred in finding no factual dispute as to who was the first aggressor.” During trial, Deleon testified another man who Powell was with at the bar struck him while Powell had Deleon in a chokehold.
Later in the restaurant parking lot, Deleon and the men encountered each other again. During trial, the defense argued Deleon fired warning shots as Powell and about four other men approached him. Court records show Powell allegedly continued to approach Deleon when Deleon fatally shot Powell when they were at arm’s length of one another.
A Circuit Court judge originally convicted Deleon in 2010 of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a separate felony, reckless endangering and other charges in the deadly shooting. The Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction in 2014 and ordered a new trial after the high court concluded jurors weren’t allowed to hear testimony that Powell had cocaine in his system at the time of the shooting. The ruling said it was wrong to exclude expert testimony about cocaine in Powell’s blood.
In 2015, Deleon was convicted of manslaughter. The Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the Circuit Court’s decision but the high court later reversed the appellate court’s judgment and sent the case back to Circuit Court.
Deleon served 10 years in prison in the shooting case and was released in November 2019 due to dismissal of the case, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
Court records show an Oahu grand jury indicted him on manslaughter charges in Powell’s death a day after his release.
read … Man slated to be arraigned today in manslaughter case
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