DOH: All Water Tests Below DoH Action Level
Case: NDAA Mandates Repair of Red Hill Pipes
First Anniversary of COVID Vaccine in Hawaii
Fatal Drug Overdoses on the Rise in Hawaii
Soaring Unfunded Pension Liabilities Threaten Taxpayers
Honolulu--Lowest Charitable Giving in USA
Inmate Killed For ‘Being A Snitch’ In Miske Case
CB: … A Circuit Court lawsuit filed this week alleges that a 23-year-old prisoner at Hawaii’s largest jail was murdered by other inmates after being accused of “being a snitch” who provided police with information about an alleged murder-for-hire case involving Michael Miske.
Miske, a former Honolulu businessman, was charged along with nine others in 2020 as part of what federal prosecutors describe as a wide-ranging racketeering organization that engaged in kidnapping, murder, drug trafficking and armed robbery.
According to the lawsuit, James Borling-Salas in 2016 provided information to Honolulu police about the alleged murder-for-hire of 21-year old Jonathan Fraser, who disappeared in July 2016….
(This makes him one of the earliest informants--if not the earliest. Too bad he foolishly confided in HPD instead of the Feds.)
Borling-Salas was jailed in the fall of 2019 for violating probation after being convicted of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, and was severely beaten by other inmates in an Oahu Community Correctional Center dormitory called Annex 1 on Dec. 14, 2019.
(Translation: Miske’s friends in HPD targeted this guy until they could make an arrest, thus putting him in position to be killed.)
Borling-Salas lapsed into a “vegetative state,” and died on Jan. 16, 2020, according to court records….
The lawsuit was filed Monday on behalf of Borling-Salas’ mother Janet Salas by the law firm of Eric Seitz, and it alleges corrections officials never told Janet Salas about the beating. Instead, she learned about it from other inmates, according to the court filing.
Borling-Salas had been threatened by members of the La Familia prison gang, and he had expected “retribution,” the lawsuit said.
(Translation: La Familia working for Miske.)
He reported the threat and was placed in protective custody but was later moved to a holding unit in the fall of 2019 as punishment for a disciplinary violation. When his time in the disciplinary unit ended in November, Borling-Salas was not moved back into protective custody.
Instead, the lawsuit alleges he was placed in the general population of the jail and was attacked by three inmates in Annex 1 the following month.
(Translation: PSD officers working for Miske or La Familia, putting him in position to be killed.)
According to the lawsuit, corrections officials took 10 to 15 minutes to respond to the attack and Borling-Salas was not taken to The Queen’s Medical Center until three hours after he was beaten.
(Translation: PSD officers working for Miske or La Familia, making sure the beating was sufficient.)
The lawsuit alleges corrections officials knew the video cameras in Annex 1 were not functioning at the time of the attack and later had them fixed….
(Translation: PSD officers working for Miske or La Familia, making sure nobody gets caught.)
The civil lawsuit names three inmates as defendants because they allegedly beat Borling-Salas, but no arrests have been made in the case, said Gary Yamashiroya, who is special assistant to Attorney General Holly Shikada. Yamashiroya said the case is still under investigation….
(Translation: Previous AG Connors did exactly nothing about this and or any other corruption related cases. That’s why she was nominated for Federal Prosecutor by the Congressional Delegation.)
PDF: Lawsuit
Background:
read … Lawsuit Alleges Inmate Was Killed For ‘Being A Snitch’ In The Miske Case
Pandering: Honolulu City Council pretends to defuel Red Hill
SA: … The Honolulu City Council voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of two measures in response to the Red Hill water contamination.
Notably missing from the special full meeting were representatives from the U.S. Navy, the federal Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Health.
Only Board of Water Supply’s Manager and Chief Engineer Earnest Lau came to testify….
Council member Radiant Cordero and Waters introduced Bill 48, which would require a city permit to operate an underground storage tank that holds more than 100,000 gallons. The permit also would not be granted unless the operator could demonstrate that the tank would not leak during its operating life….
The Council also passed Resolution 21-276, which calls for the immediate defueling and removal of the Navy’s massive underground fuel storage tanks, which can hold up to a total 250 million gallons of fuel….
The Council also passed Resolution 21-276, which calls for the immediate defueling and removal of the Navy’s massive underground fuel storage tanks, which can hold up to a total 250 million gallons of fuel….
The Board of Water Supply also passed a resolution on Red Hill Tuesday that called for the immediate defueling from the Red Hill underground tanks and to revisit other long-term solutions to protect Oahu’s water….
REALITY: Navy: State has no Authority over Red Hill Tanks
read … Empty Gestures
City Finalizing Deal With Consultant To Help Select The Next Honolulu Police Chief
CB: … PSI Services LLC has been awarded a $145,777.50 contract to the relief of police commissioners who believed the process was taking too long….
(This is how Kealoha was chosen.)
PSI Services, which operates in 160 countries and heralds itself as the “world’s leading career development company,” will be tasked with whittling down the field of police chief candidates before they are presented to the police commission.
Alivado said the commission plans to invite consultants from PSI Services to an upcoming commission meeting so they can introduce themselves and outline their vision for the selection process.
“They are basically there to provide guidance for the commission as to the steps that it will take to identify who the finalists are,” Alivado said.
According to a multi-phase plan for the selection process, the consultant will lead the search effort during the initial stages before the commission is presented with the names of the finalists.
The consultant will help formulate questions for the written examination all candidates are given, which is expected to thin the field of applicants to between eight and 12.
Following the written examination, the remaining candidates will participate in an “assessment center” made up of individuals tasked with evaluating the applicants through a series of interviews and simulated exercises….
Once the assessment center process concludes and the remaining candidates are identified, a town hall-style meeting will be held with the candidates, according the commission’s plan.
The fourth and final step would be a final round of interviews.
Alivado said that the commission plans to discuss a timeframe for the search with the consultant, but gave no estimate for how long it may take….
REALITY: Say 'Uncle' -- What Connects Miske to Kealoha?
read … City Finalizing Deal With Consultant To Help Select The Next Honolulu Police Chief
Saiki Shut Down Rail Audit -- Now Seeks to Blame Kondo
CB: … As the House Investigative Committee examining two audits by the Hawaii Office of the Auditor nears the end of its work, it is seeking more information on several contracts related to the Honolulu rail project.
On Wednesday Chair Della Au Belatti asked for and received support by most of her committee members to issue a subpoena for the “appropriate person” at the state’s Department of Accounting and General Services to learn more about the contracts.
The Legislature in 2017 approved spending $1 million for the audit of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. The contracts in question, according to Belatti, were for Randall Lee, Dan Hanagami and accounting firms BKD and Baker Tilly.
As Hawaii News Now reported in 2019, State Auditor Les Kondo hired Lee and Hanagami to work on the rail audit but that they were soon terminated….
Rep. Dale Kobayashi voted against issuing the subpoena, saying the rail audits are not within the scope of the committee’s work, which is focused on the audits of the the Agribusiness Development Corporation and a special fund used by the Department of Land and Natural Resources….
read … House Panel Wants Answers On Rail Audit Contracts
The old stadium couldn’t support itself, so what makes people think this will be any different?
SA: … As for me, a former chairman of this same neighborhood board and current board member, with 40-plus years living in this community, I am speaking for myself and some of my neighbors who feel strongly against this fiasco development.
I oppose a new stadium development at this location. The old stadium couldn’t support itself, so what makes people think this will be any different? If state Sen. Glenn Wakai thinks soccer and rugby will fill the stands of a new stadium, I would like to know what Kool-Aid he is drinking. We have had soccer and rugby games in the past with not much success. Taxpayers will be funding NASED and a new stadium for the rest of our lives if we go down this road, since it will not sustain itself.
Wakai, who appears to be the mouthpiece for this project, in a Jan. 31 article proposed to give the Stadium Authority “super powers” and called it the “Avengers,” referencing a group of Marvel superheroes (“‘Super powers’ proposed for Stadium Authority,” Star-Advertiser). Maybe Wakai is disguising himself as the “Joker” in this “superhero” fiasco since no one should have “super powers” when they work for the taxpayer….
read … Column: Aloha Stadium alternatives: affordable housing
Teen defying odds after being paralyzed in crash blamed on HPD officers
HNN: … Gouveia had multiple surgeries on his neck and face.
Weeks after the crash, he surprised his mom when he moved his hand, to try to grab hers. Not long after that, he was able to move his feet.
“In the beginning was super hard,” Gouveia said.
Physical therapy pushed him and on Dec. 1, he was able to walk out of the rehabilitation hospital….
read … Teen defying odds after being paralyzed in crash blamed on HPD officers
Newly sworn in MPD chief, deputy chief must now tackle challenge of filling vacancies
HNN: … This is the first time a Maui police chief and top deputy chief were selected from out of state…. With 137 vacant positions to fill, the two men have several challenges ahead — but are eager to get started….
MN: John Pelletier says he seeks to create more unity between MPD, community
read … Newly sworn in MPD chief, deputy chief must now tackle challenge of filling vacancies
Kauai Drug Addicts Rise from Dead 23 Times
TGI: … Since September, emergency service provider American Medical Response and the Kaua‘i Police Department have administered emergency anti-opioid nasal spray Narcan at least 23 times on island since September, according to officials.
The Kaua‘i County Council, with support of county administration, has passed a resolution acknowledging the increase of opioid drugs, including fentanyl, on Kaua‘i, and encouraged heightened enforcement within drug-free zones.
This comes off a September incident where two women were found unresponsive on the ground at Kapa’a Ball Park, both exhibited signs of drug overdoses. One struggled to breathe, while the other was not breathing at all….
At the council’s Dec. 1 meeting, KPD accepted a donation from Malama Pono Health Services for a 60-piece Narcan supply to assist in reducing overdose mortality….
(IDEA: Reopen the insane asylums, arrest drug addicts and force them into treatment until cured.)
Dec 2, 2021: In effort to reduce crime, police clear out homeless drug addicts’ encampment on Kauai -- “500 used syringes, as well as numerous used Narcan applications and empty crystal methamphetamine bags”
read … Kaua‘i County Council voice concerns for drug use in public spaces
A New Program To Help Homeless People On Oahu creates 30 positions
CB: … CORE, which began operations on Oct. 15, was funded with approximately $3.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act for the first year, according to city officials. The program has hired 15 people so far, including a program manager, EMTs and community health workers.
On Monday, CORE launched a hotline that will allow people to call them directly if it’s a non-emergency. The number is (808) 768-2673, and the operating hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., down from the 24/7 availability that was originally intended.
Honolulu Emergency Services Department Director Jim Ireland, who oversees CORE, said the plan is to hire 15 more people, including nurse practitioners, paramedics, physicians and a psychiatrist, early next year.
The program is housed under the Honolulu Emergency Services Department and currently uses two old ambulances that otherwise would have been retired….
read … A New Program To Help Homeless People On Oahu Is Off To A Slow Start
Green Energy Group Ranks Honolulu Among The ‘Most Improved’ Cities
CB: … Specifically, the report singles out Honolulu for adopting a stringent emissions and renewable energy goal for its municipal operations, converting all its street lighting to LEDs, installing eight megawatts of on-site solar, and adopting a procurement policy prioritizing the purchase of energy-efficient vehicles.
The report also commended Honolulu officials for engaging with Hawaiian Electric. The company is a regular participant in Honolulu’s Climate Action and Resiliency stakeholder meetings, the report said, and has encouraged more utility-scale and distributed energy generation. It also noted the city’s Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant that captures and processes the biogas emitted from its operation.
read … Green Energy Group Ranks Honolulu Among The ‘Most Improved’ Cities
As Usual, the Maui Council’s Latest ‘Affordable Housing’ Scheme is Illegal
MN: … Victorino said in his letter that he disagreed with the bill, as giving responsibility to the county to determine and verify eligibility for projects, including income of an applicant, would place liability on the county should an applicant be erroneously deemed eligible.
He said that if there are “valid and verified concerns” over eligibility determined by developers, the county “should focus on providing more oversight to the existing process, rather than taking on the liability of the developer.”
Increasing the marketing duration for projects from 90 days to 120 days for unsold units is also a concern for Victorino, who said that it will limit the ability “to quickly get qualified residents into housing that may belong to another income bracket and increase carrying costs for developers, which will likely be passed onto the homeowners.”
Victorino also took issue with the residency requirement — which would give priority for the affordable units to those who have lived on the island the longest — saying it could impact “the county and developers’ ability to comply with the federal fair housing law and the equal protection and privileges and immunities clauses” in the U.S. Constitution.
“While I am in full support of ensuring our long-term residents have the ability to work and raise their families here, this particular requirement needs to be well thought out and researched before placing an expectation upon our residents that they will receive preferential treatment,” Victorino said in his letter.
He also worried whether the county would be able to properly defend itself if someone filed a legal challenge….
MN: The council voted 6-3 in favor of the override.
MN: Mayor calls for more review of tax, sunscreen bills
read … Council Just Pretending to do something
Dentists Could Soon Find It Easier To Move To Hawaii Under Proposed Bill
CB: … Quinlan’s bill would change the law so Hawaii’s Board of Dentistry could grant a license to an applicant who is a practicing dentist, licensed in another state and meets other qualifications. According to the bill, a prospective licensee also cannot have been disciplined by another licensing board and subjected to court judgments or settlements that show a pattern of negligence or incompetence….
Quinlan’s bill comes at a time when state and federal policymakers in Hawaii and across the nation are taking a hard look at reforming licensing laws. Nearly half a century ago, Hawaii passed the Hawaii Regulatory Licensing Reform Act of 1977 to make sure its occupational licensing laws were protecting the public and not the industries they were set up to regulate.
Since then, more than a dozen states have gone a step further, passing comprehensive reciprocity laws that make it easier for skilled professionals to move freely between states.
Hawaii is inching in that direction. Last month, Rep. Aaron Ling Johanson, who chairs the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee, said it might be time for Hawaii to assess the state’s licensure laws and consider reciprocity.
Meanwhile, on the federal level, President Joe Biden in July issued a comprehensive “Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy.” The order specifically calls out restrictive state licensing requirements, saying they can harm people hoping to move between states.
“While many occupational licenses are critical to increasing wages for workers and especially workers of color,” the order says, “some overly restrictive occupational licensing requirements can impede workers’ ability to find jobs and to move between States.”…
read … Dentists Could Soon Find It Easier To Move To Hawaii Under Proposed Bill
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