OHA aide accused of wire fraud--Tried to Flee Country
Capital improvement procurement protests grind to a halt
Lock and dam system for Honolulu? Is this just the beginning?
Kerry Announces 'Green' Cashflow to Hawaii Insiders
Real ID enforcement deadline extended to May 2023
Maui, Kauai Mayors to Pursue TAT Tax Hike
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Decommissioning Update
Hawaii Government Assistance Payments Jumped 62% for 2020
New County Hotel Tax Is Approved In Final Vote
CB: … Hotel industry representatives staged a last-minute lobbying push in an effort to block House Bill 862, which would authorize the counties to impose a new hotel room tax of up to 3%.
The bill would also allow the state to seize $103 million in transient accommodations — that is, hotel room taxes — currently distributed to the counties, and would reduce funding for the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
The hotels’ lobbying push was ultimately unsuccessful as the House approved the measure 45-6 while the Senate approved it on a 23-2 vote.
House Finance Committee Chairwoman Sylvia Luke said the House was determined to “hold HTA accountable, and to set a vision for HTA which was not specifically industry-driven, but really was state-driven.”
She cited what she described as a disturbing trend in recent years when visitor spending did not grow nearly as rapidly as visitor arrivals, which peaked in 2019 at more than 10 million.
If the counties actually impose the new 3% hotel room tax increase, that would increase the hotel and transient vacation rental tax from 10.25% today to 13.23%.
Lawmakers also voted Tuesday to increase the rental car surcharge from $5 per day to $8 per day in a series of steps over the next six years, and gave the state Department of Land and Natural Resources more flexibility to set or raise fees for the use of state parks.
“This is all part of the big plan — how do you have tourists pay for their fair share of using natural resources in the state of Hawaii?” Luke said.
HB 862 would also reduce funding for the Hawaii Tourism Authority from $79 million down to $60 million, and would reduce funding for the Hawaii Convention Center from $16 million down to $11 million.….
The potential increase of 3 percentage points in the hotel room tax amounts to almost a 30% bump in the overall transient accommodation tax rate, which is “ridiculous,” Vieira said. He predicted it will drive visitor traffic to cheaper, illegal vacation rentals that don’t pay the tax.
“I just think legislators are being greedy, and taking the easy route, and like always, it’s ‘screw the visitor’ — always,” Vieira said….
WHT: Legislation OK’d Tuesday gives counties the ability to impose extra hotel tax of up to 3%
read … New County Hotel Tax Is Approved In Final Vote
Hawaii House kills bill curtailing governor emergency powers
KHON: … Lawmakers introduced the measure after the coronavirus pandemic prompted Gov. David Ige to issue 19 emergency proclamations to suspend laws, impose travel quarantines and take other steps to address the public health crisis.
The bill said if the Legislature terminated an emergency proclamation and the governor wanted to issue another one for the same emergency or disaster, lawmakers would have to adopt a resolution authorizing such action.
The bill also said that the state of emergency would be authorized for no more than 60 days….
(Summary: Legislators were just faking it to mollify you.)
read … Hawaii House kills bill curtailing governor emergency powers
After Months of Pandering, Legislators Vote for their Real, Predetermined Agenda
SA: … In one of their last days to make or amend state law, state legislators passed a budget they say avoided catastrophic cuts to the most needy, killed a bill aimed at restricting police no-knock warrants and suspended raises for themselves and other key state officials.
Dozens of other bills that now could become law after Tuesday’s separate votes in the House and Senate include allowing police to take blood samples from drunken-driving suspects without their permission.
The $31.2 billion state budget approved Tuesday to cover the next two fiscal years was salvaged by $1.35 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds….
Others bills passed Tuesday by the Legislature that are now going to Gov. David Ige for his possible signature or veto would:
>> Restructure how the Hawaii Tourism Authority is funded and change the way that transit accommodations taxes are collected.
>> Move money from some state special funds into the general fund, while putting a five-year sunset clause on other special funds.
>> Require landlords to engage in mediation with tenants who have not been able to pay rent after a current moratorium on evictions expires. The time period to terminate a rental agreement also would be extended to 15 days from five.
>> Appropriate $2 million to the state Department of Transportation for a pilot project to photograph red-light violators.
>> Stiffen drunken-driving laws two ways.
>> Repeal the Hawaii tobacco prevention and control trust fund, and transfer any balances to the general fund in 2025.
read … Hawaii lawmakers pass budget and suspend pay raises
Honolulu Prosecutors Have Long Been Stymied When Investigating Police Killings. That’s About To Change
CB: … For decades, every time an on-duty Honolulu police officer killed someone, prosecutors issued a memo to the police chief.
While the facts differed in each case, every memo came to the same conclusion: The use of deadly force was legally justified.
Now, in the aftermath of two fatal shootings by the Honolulu Police Department this month, the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says it is rethinking how it reaches those conclusions.
Tom Brady, the first deputy in the prosecutor’s office, said the decisions were based on a flawed process in which HPD investigated itself, prosecutors were not allowed to ask questions of the officers who used deadly force and the findings were not routinely shared with the public.
Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm, who took office in January, is scheduled to hold a press conference Thursday to discuss reforms to his office, including the process of reviewing police shootings. Brady said the office is examining how it can make the investigative process more transparent and accountable.
“Steve Alm will be addressing this issue specifically and making recommendations as to a new way of approaching these matters,” Brady said. “It’s something we’ve taken a hard look at over the past month.”…
read … Honolulu Prosecutors Have Long Been Stymied When Investigating Police Killings. That’s About To Change
Rally to support Hawaii law enforcement agencies scheduled for May
SA: … A rally to support local law enforcement agencies is being planned in early May in the downtown area.
Groups like Stolen Stuff Hawaii, a popular local social media group best represented by its Facebook page, and Back Da Blue, another social media group, are among the hosts of the rally.
The rally is scheduled for May 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to an announcement on Stolen Stuff Hawaii, and will be held at three locations — the Honolulu Police Department headquarters, Honolulu Hale and the Hawaii State Capitol — located just a few blocks from each other….
read … Rally to support Hawaii law enforcement agencies scheduled for May
Lawsuit: Former Maui Prosecutor Blames ‘Diabetic Rage’ for Mood Swings
CB: … Maui County’s former top prosecutor is suing the county and the mayor for firing him last year after an employee complained he acted violently toward her at work.
Don Guzman, a former County Council member who had been Maui’s prosecuting attorney since April 2019, was terminated after an investigation found he violated the Violence in the Workplace Action Plan last September. Guzman grabbed a copy of an email from Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Leslee Matthews during a meeting, according to the lawsuit filed last week by Guzman.
Guzman, who acknowledges the behavior in the lawsuit, says he suffers from diabetes that can lead to “rage” and “mood swings.”
Guzman now says that complications with his diabetes, medication and the stress of dealing with the pandemic while managing employees led to the incident with Matthews.
According to the lawsuit, the prosecuting attorney was “suffering from diabetic neuropathy and other negative impacts from Type II Diabetes, such as diabetic rage, which is a result of fluctuating glucose levels” as well as “more drastic diabetic-related mood swings.”…….
MN: Don Guzman said incident that led to complaint was due to health issues, stress of job
read … Lawsuit: Former Maui Prosecutor Says The Mayor Was Wrong To Fire Him
Honolulu named 4th worst hit city for small businesses during pandemic
KITV: … Honolulu ranked as the fourth worst hit city for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report by business company Intuit shows.
The report shows that Honolulu's small businesses median annual revenue was down $26,000 from April 2020 to March 2021 compared to April 2019 to March 2020.
It also shows that cities and states with tourism and hospitality businesses experienced the most disruption to its small businesses. …
read … Honolulu named 4th worst hit city for small businesses during pandemic
Despite nearly 60,000 unemployed residents, restaurants struggling to find employees
KHON: … Restaurants in the state of Hawaii are having a difficult time finding employees, despite 58,750 residents unemployed.
Hawaii’s unemployment rate, which was above 20% a year ago, has dropped down to 9% in March. The figure is still 3% above the national average.
“It’s been a little rough honestly,” Mangiamo by 604 General Manager Sarah Lovetre said. “Usually whenever we put out a job offering we usually get about 15 (applications) for each position and now it’s been about closer to 3 or 4,”
Mangiamo has openings both in front and back of the house. Listings have been posted on Craigslist, Indeed, and other social media platforms to no avail.
“Especially bartending and serving there’s a lot of money to be made there but it’s just the people would rather stay home I guess,” Lovetre said….
The Hawaii Restaurant Associations says the shortage of applicants is happening across the islands, and blames the state waving requirements for folks getting unemployment benefits to search for a job.
“The intent of the President was very magnanimous but by creating that and not requiring people on unemployment to even look for a job for them to continue to get payment, that really takes the equation out,” said Victor Lim of the HRA….
read … Despite nearly 60,000 unemployed residents, restaurants struggling to find employees
Add cyber to infrastructure package, Hawaii Gov. Ige tells Congress
SS: … Hawaii Gov. David Ige told members of the House Homeland Security Committee Wednesday that any infrastructure package that Congress passes should include specific funding for cybersecurity, a feature that the current $2 trillion proposal being put forward by President Joe Biden currently lacks.
“We strongly urge Congress to include cybersecurity in any national infrastructure plan or legislative package,” Ige, a Democrat speaking on behalf of the National Governors Association, said in his opening remarks to the panel’s subcommittee on emergency preparedness.
Ige, whose remarks came during a hearing on emergency preparedness grants administered by the Department of Homeland Security, praised the department’s recent increase to the minimum amount that award recipients are required to spend on cybersecurity, but also asked lawmakers to again consider creating a dedicated cybersecurity grant program benefitting state and local governments. (Rep. Yvette Clarke, the chairwoman of House Homeland Security’s cybersecurity subcommittee, recently said she plans to re-introduce such legislation.)…
read … Add cyber to infrastructure package, Hawaii Gov. Ige tells Congress
Most UH students will likely remain at a distance until Spring 2022
HNN: … UH Provost Michael Bruno said Tuesday the university system likely won’t resume normal campus procedures until Spring of 2022.
In an update posted online, Bruno said school officials are “cautiously optimistic” about the future of the pandemic, considering more people are getting vaccinated.
“With four months to go before the first day of fall classes, we are definitely trending in the right direction in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” the message said.
In the meantime, distance learning is continuing for some students, while Bruno is hopeful more in-person classes can return in the fall.
Looking ahead, more than 60% of students are set to continue with online classes in the coming semester….
Social distancing in classrooms limits capacity to 70%. To read the full message, click here….
read … Most UH students will likely remain at a distance until Spring 2022
City rolling out more dangerous bike lanes in Honolulu
KITV: … Along with the number of bicyclist going up, so has the number of bike injuries.
"We have more injuries than before. But when you adjust for the increase in volume, our injury rate has actually gone down," said Renee Espiau, the Complete Streets Administrator for the City and County of Honolulu.
Even on areas of Oahu without a protected bike lane, designated areas for those on two wheels offer some protection.
"When we look at bicycle injuries, we are seeing that protection. The bike lane has 25% of the injury rate compared to the section without bike lanes along the Ala Wai Boulevard," added Espiau.
"The lanes don't guarantee safety. There are things bicyclists need to do to help improve their chances, including being visible, predictable and signaling their intentions," added Lori McCarney, Executive Director for Hawaii Bicycling League.
Riders on protected lanes still have to watch out for drivers, who complain bikers come out of nowhere -as they focus on traffic or turning left.
"Sometimes they don't look this direction. They don't expect bikes to be coming this way," said Buestad….
KITV: On Tuesday, Biki sent an email blast to roughly 44,000 customers asking them to write to Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and City Council in support of keeping the bikeshare alive.
read … City rolling out more protected bike lanes in Honolulu
City again pretends to take first steps to relocate landfill
SA: … For the third time, the city has started evaluating sites to replace the island’s only municipal landfill, Waimanalo Gulch, on the West side of Oahu.
The state Land Use Commission ruled in 2019 that Waimanalo Gulch must close by March 2, 2028, due to environmental justice issues, and the city must select a new location by Dec. 31, 2022.
The city has identified 12 potential areas that meet the mandated requirements for a new landfill. Two are on the West side, which will prove to be controversial as Waimanalo Gulch is also there. Three areas are on the north side of the island, and one is in Central Oahu….
read … Just Pretend
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