Army invites public comment on O‘ahu training land retention
HD 13 Vacancy: Ige Appoints Linda Clark
Eligible homeowners encouraged to apply for Real Property Tax Credit Program
State Court News: Rail Contractor Run by Convicted Felon Beats Former Atty General Turned Whistleblower
SA: … A Hawaii attorney who alleged that a big contractor on the city’s rail project was breaking the law has lost a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the construction firm that employed him.
Jurors in the Circuit Court (yep, this is the State Court system, not Federal) case determined Wednesday that Bosko Petricevic failed to prove by a preponderance of evidence that his firing by Nan Inc. in 2019 was substantially in response to concerns he expressed to Nan officials over alleged wrongdoing.
However, the (State court) jury’s verdict also determined that Petricevic did prove that he “refused to participate in drafting perjured testimony, or refused to participate in setting up fraudulent shell companies, or reported and objected to assault, or refused to participate in extortion.” …
(Did we mention that this is in State Court?)
Bosco Petricevic, who was once a deputy attorney general for the state and was employed by Nan as in-house litigation counsel for only three months in 2019, claimed in his lawsuit that he had at least four discussions with Nan owner Patrick Shin where Petricevic either reported illegal behavior or warned that he would not participate in allegedly illegal behavior by the company.
Petricevic specifically claimed that Shin and Nan Vice President Nick Flores “came up with a scheme to try to blackmail” a company called Thompson Metal Fab by threatening to report the company to the federal government unless Thompson agreed to pay Nan damages.
“When Mr. Petricevic explained the highly illegal nature of such a scheme, Mr. Flores physically grabbed Mr. Petricevic and told him to shut up,” the lawsuit claimed.
Petricevic also alleged that he was “threatened and told to mind his own business” after asking Shin and Nan Vice President Wyeth Matsubara about the FBI interviewing Nan employees.
(FBI LOL! This won’t end in State Court!)
Petricevic, who filed his lawsuit in 2019 under the Hawaii Whistleblower Protection Act, also claimed that Nan was simultaneously pursuing “inconsistent and dishonest” damage claims against Thompson and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation for the same problems….
PDF: Jury Verdict
read … Honolulu rail contractor wins whistleblower firing case
Star-Adv: ‘Reasonable’ Concern Judicial Nominee is of ‘Wrong Race’
SA Editorial: … Gluck’s nomination has been challenged, not unreasonably, by those wanting more diversity on the bench and someone with more courtroom experience. Three of the candidates Ige passed over are women of Hawaiian ancestry….
“At present, there are no native Hawaiian, Filipino, Pacific Islander, or African American judges at the Supreme Court or the ICA,” said a letter from the House Native Hawaiian Caucus.
Of course, neither the right resume nor race can guarantee a good judge. …
As head of the state Ethics Commission, he investigated numerous complaints about the misuse of public resources as well as misconduct, including one that led to the resignation of former House Speaker Joe Souki.
(Retaliation from Souki supporters.)
…In this case, those objecting to Gluck’s nomination raise important, broad questions about Hawaii’s judiciary and whether it truly reflects the diversity of Hawaii’s people. It’s entirely appropriate and necessary for the Judiciary Committee to weigh these questions along with the nominee’s qualifications and background….
News Release July 21, 2021: House Native Hawaiian Caucus Asks Governor Ige to Withdraw Nominee for Intermediate Court of Appeals
read … Racist Editorial
‘You will definitely catch COVID,’ Hawaii lieutenant governor says about visiting Las Vegas unvaccinated
IT: … “The biggest hotspot for bringing COVID home to Kaua’i? Las Vegas,” said Mayor Derek Kawakami of Kaua’i County, Hawaii, in a health update posted earlier this week.
“Visitors usually stay indoors for a long time,” Kawakami said. “They mingle with others from all over the country, including from states where COVID and the Delta variant are spreading rapidly. Masks are not required indoors in Las Vegas, and the result is the spread of COVID-19.”
Hawaii’s second-in-command was blunter when he spoke to 8 News Now’s sister station in Hawaii on Monday about traveling to Nevada unvaccinated.
“You’re taking a huge risk, and you will very likely catch COVID if you go to Las Vegas,” Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who is also a physician, said. “You’re in restaurants or in a casino where most people are not wearing masks. That’s what’s going to happen. You will definitely catch COVID. Then you’ll come back, you’ll be asymptomatic for a few days, you’ll test positive for COVID, and you’ll give it to your whole family.”…
Nearly 60% of Hawaii’s population is fully vaccinated, state data shows. Just under 40% of Nevadans are fully vaccinated. In Clark County, the figure is lower at about 39%.
Clark County’s test positivity rate held steady Thursday at 14%. A day after logging 28 deaths statewide, Nevada reported eight deaths, with seven of those coming from Clark County.
Clark County remains a “sustained hotspot” being watched by the federal government, according to a White House COVID-19 Team report updated this week.
A White House report last week singled out the Las Vegas metro area as the worst in the nation for transmission of the virus among metro areas with more than 1 million people. This week’s report lists Las Vegas as No. 4, only behind three Florida cities, including Jacksonville, Orlando, and Miami….
HNN: 20% of infections in July are due to out-of-state travel by unvaccinated residents
read … ‘You will definitely catch COVID,’ Hawaii lieutenant governor says about visiting Las Vegas unvaccinated
Vaccination sites mostly empty as COVID infections surge in Hawaii
HNN: … Statewide, clinicians only administered an average of 2,153 shots a day this week.
That’s down from last week, when the average was 2,419 shots a day….
read … Vaccination sites mostly empty as COVID infections surge in Hawaii
Why are young professionals leaving Hawaii?
LN: … During the last four years, Hawaii’s population has dropped by more than 22,000 people, equaling the third-fastest population decline per capita in the U.S.
Why?
Institute President Keli’i Akina noted, “It’s the same story being told over and over again.
“A recent poll showed that the biggest reason people leave is the high cost of living. The second reason, which is somewhat related to it, is better career opportunities and the ability to make it on the Mainland.”
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii (grassrootinstitute.org) has been studying this important issue through its “Why we left Hawaii” series.
“For some time now, our neighbors, family and friends have been moving away to states such as Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Texas, which have lower taxes and fewer regulations, and offer residents more freedoms and opportunities,” Akina explained….
read … Why are young professionals leaving Hawaii?
Worker shortage expected to end with expiration of federal pandemic UI programs
KHON: … As of May 30, people receiving benefits, once again, have to prove they’re looking for work.
Doraku Waikiki Manager Kazuma Kitajima said that’s helped a little.
“Now that, that’s a mandatory requirement, I think people are actually looking for jobs,” Kitajima said. “They’re coming back to employment. But I don’t think it’s enough.”
But some are only applying to fill the requirement.
“What we found out is people are not showing up for the interviews,” Yamaki said. “Or they’re applying for jobs that they’re not qualified for.”
One of the biggest factors in the worker shortage is the extra cash dolled-out through the federal pandemic unemployment programs.
“I think it’s contributed a lot to our worker shortage,” Maples said. “Because, quite honestly, there’s people who are making more staying at home than they would if they went to work.”
But those programs end Sept. 4.
“I think with the 300 plus-up, a lot of people aren’t really coming to work,” Kitajima said. “Or they don’t want to find jobs because they’re getting that extra benefit. But now with that going away, I think a lot of people will be forced to go back to work.”
Yamaki said the best time to look for a job is now. Don’t wait until the benefits run out, and you’re forced to go back to work. You may not have as many choices….
(Trial run for ‘universal basic income’.)
read … Worker shortage expected to end with expiration of federal pandemic UI programs
Bill 17 Allow DPP to Seize Properties over Fines
SA: … Currently, the DPP has discretion on fines, including adjusting and lowering penalties in certain cases. Under Bill 17, if a property owner has outstanding fines over $150,000 or has failed to pay fines for five years, the building official must attach the civil fines to fees such as vehicle registration, liquor licenses or driver’s license renewal and place a lien on the property.
Putting a lien on the property allows the city to enter the foreclosure process and then sell the property to recoup the owed funds….
read … Bill to strengthen DPP enforcement advances at City Council
House Panel Subpoenas Land Fund, Agriculture Agency in Attack on State Auditor
CB: … The committee is seeking two batches of documents from each agency. The first batch is due Aug. 9 and should include all the documents provided to the state auditor, which conducted the audits. A second batch of documents is due Aug. 23 and should include materials indicating how the agencies are responding to recommendations made in the audits….
read … House Panel Subpoenas Land Fund, Agriculture Agency
Stop Cash Bail? Man accused of assaulting officers freed by judge
HTH: … A 37-year-old Waimea man accused of assaulting three police officers Monday evening is free on court-supervised release without monetary bail.
On Thursday, Kona District Judge Joseph Florendo Jr. granted Pieter Christian Colson his freedom without posting bail over the objection of prosecutors, who had requested Colson’s $6,500 bail be maintained. He ordered Colson to return on Aug. 16 for a preliminary hearing….
According to police, at about 7:50 p.m. Monday, a 58-year-old woman told police Colson verbally threatened her in a residential subdivision off Kohala Mountain Road in Waimea. The woman reportedly told officers Colson drove off in a blue Jeep.
Shortly afterwards, an 18-year-old woman told police she was tailed and harassed by Colson, whom she said was driving a blue Jeep.
North Kohala officers found Colson at Kawaihae Harbor, but he reportedly resisted arrest, assaulted the officers and eluded them on foot, despite an assist to the officers from a group of bystanders.
On Tuesday, police said, South Kohala officers apprehended Colson without incident on Kohala Mountain Road in Waimea….
read … Man accused of assaulting officers freed by judge
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