Petition: 'Hawaiians are not a Tribe'
O‘ahu businesses and activities to continue operations in Tier 3
DLNR: Court Ruling Balances Municipal Water Needs with Protection of East Maui Streams
Forbes: Hawaii Tops List Of Worst-Performing States
Commission that Loved Kealoha gives Ballard low marks for leadership, management
HNN: … The Honolulu Police Commission raised a host of concerns about Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard’s performance in her latest review, giving her “below expectations” in management of administration and leadership.
They also said a “culture of blame” had developed at the agency under her watch. Ballard didn’t stay around while commissioners briefed the public on the evaluation.
“The outcome of the evaluation has raised serious concerns,” said Police Commission Chair Shannon Alivado, reading a statement from the entire body.
The commission put together a “performance improvement plan” that the police chief must take action on within 60 days, when her next evaluation is conducted….
read … Embattled HPD chief gets low marks for leadership, management in latest review
Medical Examiner IDs 16-yr old boy killed after police chase—arrested 30 times, but he was back out on the street
HNN: …A 16-year-old boy fatally shot by HPD officers after a police pursuit Monday has been identified.
The Medical Examiner’s Office identified the teen as Iremamber Sykap, of Aiea….
Police sources say Sykap was arrested more than 30 times in his short life….
(But he didn’t spend enough time locked up in a nice safe jail. He would be alive today if he were locked up.)
read … Killed by Soft-on-Crime Crowd
HB1174: Solar Schemers Whine About Loss of $18M Taxpayer Subsidy
SA: … A Senate committee, in fact, slipped language halving the renewable energy credit into an unrelated film tax credit bill — House Bill 1174 — and did so without notice or outreach to Hawaii’s clean energy stakeholders….The Senate says slashing the credit will save just $18 million…
Auditor: Review of Income and Financial Institutions Tax Credits Pursuant to Section 23-92, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes
HB1174: Text, Status
read … Some Whining
Chun reiterates UH support of astronomy on Maunakea is not a conflict of interest
HTH: … During a meeting of the Maunakea Management Board, Greg Chun, UH’s executive director of Maunakea Stewardship, advised the board that an upcoming working group to explore possible alternative management structures for the mountain could present “issues” for UH and suggested that fellow board members preemptively discuss those issues ahead of time.
“Just as an example, one item that I’ve identified as an issue that will likely come up, and I understand why, is the point that has been made by some folks that UH holding the master lease puts it in a conflict-of-interest position because of our intention to support astronomy on Maunakea,” Chun said. “We believe that it’s not a conflict because we’re being asked to implement a state policy that supports astronomy on Maunakea.”…
The working group was created in response to an independent review of UH’s success in implementing its Comprehensive Management Plan. That review was critical of the university’s communication — or lack thereof — with Native Hawaiian groups.
While the resolution, which passed in early March, was not well received by Native Hawaiian groups — who largely felt it was disingenuous and stacked against their interests — it also received pushback from Chun himself.
During a February hearing, Chun testified that he thinks it is unfeasible that any recommendations from the group will be implemented and that basing the group on the independent evaluation of the Comprehensive Management Plan is “unbalanced” against UH….
read … Chun reiterates UH support of astronomy on Maunakea is not a conflict of interest
Citing safety concerns, state seeks $20,000 fine against owners of Wahiawa dam
HNN: … The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is seeking a $20,000 fine against the owners of the Wahiawa Dam at Lake Wilson.
DLNR engineers believe the dam’s concrete spillway isn’t large enough to prevent flooding downstream during extremely heavy rains.
They said the owners of the 115-year-old earthen dam ― Dole Food Co. and Sustainable Hawaii ― haven’t done enough to address safety deficiencies of the spillway.
But Dole disagreed.
“We have maintained the dam in a totally safe condition,” said Dan Nellis, Dole Food’s Hawaii general manager. “We have completed all of the improvements we have been asked to complete except we have not built the bigger spillway yet.”
The disagreement is over the number of repairs needed for the spillway. The state wants the spillway and dam to be designed to handle rains of more than 45 inches in a 24-hour period.
The landowners say those kinds of rains have never been recorded in the Wahiawa area, and the chances are slim that severe rain of that caliber would happen.
They estimate the cost of the repairs at around $15 million…..
read … Citing safety concerns, state seeks $20,000 fine against owners of Wahiawa dam
Money News: Greenmail Campaign Targets Mahi Pono
II: … ‘Responsible Markets’ argues that Mahi Pono depends on securing water at rates that are exploitative to indigenous Hawaiians and diverts water from local farmland.
“Rather than creating local food security as the company has promised, the Mahi Pono business plan is dependent on export crops,” wrote Shay Chan Hodges, a co-organizer of Responsible Markets’ initiative, the Maui ESG Project, and co-author of the report. “Additionally, the company operates secretively and with little transparency, and has failed to generate the number of jobs promised.” (blablabla).…
IM: Failed Diversified Agriculture on Maui -- Transformation From A&B to Mahi Pono
PDF: Sham Report
Related: DLNR: Court Ruling Balances Municipal Water Needs with Protection of East Maui Streams
read … Activists Want Money
Kauai Tiki Bar mandates employees receive vaccine
TGI: … In March, Michele Rundgren, owner of Tiki Iniki, made the decision to mandate all employees have a COVID-19 vaccine, including servers, bartenders and cooks.
“I’m of a generation where we, through vaccinations, wiped out entire horrible diseases,” Rundgren said Monday. “So it personally was something that felt patriotic to save the world. We all need to do our little part by getting that little vaccine.”
About 30% of the staff, many long-time employees, have opted to not receive the vaccine, and ultimately will not be asked back when the Princeville bar and restaurant reopens on April 20.
While Rundgren understands there are objections, “it just isn’t worth risking my customers’ lives” or “risking my whole business.”…
read … Tiki Iniki mandates employees receive vaccine
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