June 9, 2022 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Thursday, June 9, 2022

June 9, 2022 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 6:23 PM :: 2561 Views

Audit: 50 Years of UPW Overtime Games at DPS

Hawai‘i Youth Challenge Academy Graduates 83 Students

Transsexualize Your Child: Hawaii Teachers Union Publishes Toolkit

Honolulu police clarify procedures for informing public of future arrests of new chief’s son

SA: … Honolulu police will share crime highlights at regular intervals with the public and stop using the “do not post to media” designation on those highlights following an internal review of why the felony arrest of the incoming chief’s son earned that label.

On May 24, the day after retired Maj. Gen. Arthur “Joe” Logan was picked to serve as Honolulu’s 12th police chief, his son, Zane Michael Batalona Logan, was arrested and charged with felony assault for allegedly attacking a 33-year-old man with a metal hook at Ala Moana Beach Park. Logan asked Honolulu Police Department leadership if he could participate in the news conference announcing the arrest, and made clear that he would not be kept apprised of the investigation or any interactions his son may have with police.

Joe Logan previously told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he didn’t tell the commission about his son’s more than 40 arrests and citations and a pending felony theft trial during the selection process because (insert excuse here) …

Commissioner Doug Chin, speaking during Wednesday’s meeting, told Vanic that the “do not post to media” designation still doesn’t feel right.

Chin strongly urged the department to “err on the side of transparency” and said he believes Joe Logan “has that value.”

“The caution that I would give to the department, as well as Gen. Logan, the incoming chief … I think stamps like that if they exist, it just reinforces a theme of non-transparency within the department which I think is most unfortunate,” Chin said. “That’s something that the commission, at least I did, took into account in thinking about why it would be important to bring in someone who would be outside the department to be able to bring that about.”

Vanic agreed that it was “not something we want posted on our highlights” and going forward it may be replaced with “pending review” or no label at all….

Zane Logan’s next court appearance in the case is June 13. He is scheduled for a separate hearing June 27 in a felony theft case in connection with more than $750 in electronics stolen from a Target store.

Joe Logan’s first day as HPD chief has not been announced….

Reality: Special Treatment? Chief’s Son Attacked Man at Whole Foods Market With Large Metal Hook, Razor Blade--HPD Charges as Misdemeanor

More Reality: TRO Against New Police Chief’s son places him in UH Professor's spare bedroom

read … Honolulu police clarify procedures for informing public after arrest of new chief’s son

HPD may cap OT to address problems with abuse

KHON: … During the Honolulu Police Commissions monthly meeting, HPD Interim Chief Rade Vanic explained the department is already taking steps to resolve problems brought to light in the city’s audit of their overtime policies….

City auditor Arushi Kumar called HPD’s management of overtime ‘ineffective’ with a lack of consistency following procedures.

Vanic said HPD is developing an internal committee to address that problem.

The auditor’s report showed a huge increase in overtime payments, with $38 million spent in 2019, compared to $21 million three years prior.

One of the concerns highlighted in the report — the use of paper time cards to track overtime hours which the auditor said leaves room for human error, abuse and fraud.

In a small sample of time cards, the audit uncovered at least $30,000 of overtime paid out that was unaccounted for…

Background: Audit: 'No Limits' to HPD Overtime

read … HPD may cap OT to address problems with abuse

‘Statewide Precedent’ -- LUC to Appeal Short Term Rental Ruling

HTH: … A Kona judge’s order overturning Hawaii County’s prohibition of short-term vacation rentals in the agricultural district could set a statewide precedent, the state Land Use Commission said Wednesday in unanimously agreeing to seek a ruling from the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

Circuit Judge Wendy DeWeese, in a May 2 order, denied a petition by the county and state to uphold the county STVR rules while granting a petition by a group of family trusts — dubbed the “Rosehill Petition” — who own land in the agriculture district and want to pursue short-term rentals.

State law requires houses to be farm dwellings and have a connection to agriculture if they’re built on land classified under the state system as being in the agricultural district. The farm dwelling requirement took effect June 4, 1976, leading the county Planning Department to allow nonconforming use permits only for STVRs on lots created before that date.

But DeWeese ruled that state land use law doesn’t specify the allowable duration of leases of farm dwellings.

Land Use Commission Chairman Jonathan Scheuer said both the “black letter” and the intent of the law is clear that the state envisioned farm dwellings to be used in farm-related activity, not short-term rentals.

“We are at a point in Hawaii, do we run Hawaii for outside capital (ie developers other than KSBE, A&B, etc), for visitors and for other outside interests,” Scheuer said, “or do we run Hawaii for ourselves (ie KSBE, A&B, etc), for those of us who live here and for the islands themselves (ie KSBE, A&B, etc), .” ….

read … LUC vows vacation-rental battle: Land Use Commission to take lawsuit to Intermediate Court of Appeals

SD7: Will Enough Haole Wannabees Support Grifter Walter Ritte to Overcome Hawaiians Voting for DeCoite?

MN: … Walter Ritte will take another shot at Sen. Lynn DeCoite’s seat in the Democratic primary in August, two years after the candidates faced off in a race decided by fewer than 100 votes.

DeCoite and Ritte, both from Molokai, filed papers to run for the state Senate District 7 seat that covers East Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe.

Ritte said he “definitely” expects the race to be just as close as their last face-off in August 2020, when DeCoite was a representative for House District 13. The results of election night, with DeCoite holding a 91-vote margin, were close enough to prompt a mandatory recount that solidified DeCoite’s victory with a 93-vote lead days later….

CLUE: The Senate seat has more haole voters and a smaller percentage of Hawaiians, thus giving so-called Hawaiian leader Ritte hope for victory.

2020: DeCoite leads by 91 votes as recount is planned—’Hawaiian Leader’ Ritte Just Couldn’t find enough Upcountry Maui Haoles to Overcome all the Votes Against him in Hoolehua

Confused? Catch up with reality here: 2020 Primary precinct level results with explanatory notes

read … DeCoite, Ritte rematch on the horizon after close 2020 finish

“Way too High’ -- Maui Council approves $1B budget

MN: … “We ended up with a budget that’s way too high,” Chairwoman Alice Lee said during the vote on second and final reading on Wednesday. “I think a good budget is less symbolic and more realistic. And more realistic means, a budget can be implemented. So if we end up with enormous carryover savings, then that means we didn’t get the job done. So hopefully that doesn’t happen. But I have a feeling that is going to happen.”…

The council-approved budget, which takes effect July 1, includes nearly $806 million for operations and almost $264 million for capital improvement projects. It is just slightly higher than the almost $1.05-billion budget proposed by Mayor Michael Victorino in March and is the first time that the county’s budget has exceeded $1 billion.

By law, the council had until Friday to approve its own version of the budget, otherwise the mayor’s proposed budget would have taken effect….

Victorino has the option to sign the budget, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature….

Funding in the budget goes toward items such as affordable housing, capital improvement projects and proposals like the Halau of ‘Oiwi Art, a facility in Wailuku to “foster the art” of hula and other cultural practices and one of the biggest-ticket items in the budget. The fiscal 2023 budget includes $43 million in general obligation bonds for the design and construction of the facility, which was proposed by the mayor and supported by the council….

CB: Maui County Council Approves Record-Setting $1 Billion Budget

read … Council approves $1B budget despite concerns over cost

Crime Pays: Hawaii Prisons Phone Service Provider To Repay Inmates Up To $67 Million

CB: … The lawsuit alleges Global Tel Link overcharged inmates and their families, and people who used the system (to set up buys or hits) have until next week to file for reimbursement….

all Hawaii facilities use the GTL system under a contract the state signed with the company in 2017.

Hawaii was among the places where the company zeroed out accounts that had money in them that went unused for extended periods. More recently, the company has been restoring balances in the accounts (instead of forwarding the money to crime victims restitution fund) when customers call to complain (after being rearrested)….

read … Crime Pays

Chinatown Reset after 1,000 Bums Removed

KHON: … The River of Life Mission ended its homeless feeding operation in Chinatown a little over two months ago, and community members say it's a much cleaner and safer place now.

With the end of the free food distribution, homelessness and crime on the streets have significantly subsided.

But they're hoping business will soon return.

"All of a sudden you had 1,000 fewer people here coming to Chinatown," said landlord and businessman Oren Schlieman.

But there's still not enough people coming to eat and shop downtown -- with locals and tourists trickling in.

"It's a smattering. And ... as we look to distribute the load of tourists around Oahu, Chinatown is a natural place to get behind," he added. "If you really do want to reset Chinatown, now's the time to do it." ….

SA: Mayor Rick Blangiardi presents his plans for Chinatown improvements

read … The Homeless are Predators, not Victims

How to Keep the Homeless in Waikiki

SA: … It is a predictable response to homelessness in Waikiki, or in any community, all the more so when it’s an area marketing itself as a visitor destination. That response: Get the homeless to leave. …

The district has taken notice of the rising count of homeless seen sleeping in the parks or other Waikiki public spaces, mostly single men.

It’s time, surely, to try a few other strategies (ie keeping them in Waikiki, not making them leave), providing more of what they ‘need’: ~~a place to live~~ (methamphetamines)….

Honolulu Star-Advertiser tourism writer Allison Schaefers touched base with one Waikiki ~~denizen~~ (druggie) identifying himself as Frank, who had a Section 8 voucher under the federal subsidy program but found no qualifying units where he could use it.

(IQ Test: Do you believe this story?)

“What good are affordable housing programs if there aren’t enough places to rent?” he asked.

Indeed.

(Translation: The Star-Adv editorial board is letting a brain-addled meth head do its ‘thinking’ for it.)

That means helping the unsheltered capable of living on their own who prefer to stay in this area. To address that issue, vacant or derelict properties could be recast as affordable units.

(That way criminals won’t have to travel so far to rob tourists. This will reduce CO2 emissions thus contributing to the reduction of global warming!)

House Concurrent Resolution 93, which was adopted by both chambers, listed 19 properties (all owned by Okada Trucking, hmmmm) the city should purchase at fair market value to address “community needs” (tweeker retention program) ….

(Even if this was real, the Star-Adv is asking Waikiki to wait yeas while acquisition and construction occur. This kind of thinking is why we are overrun with homeless criminal drug addicts everywhere.)

read … Waikiki could use affordable rentals

Honolulu puts the brakes on buying more gas powered buses

KITV: … But greener, quieter travel comes with a cost. A regular diesel bus costs $650,000 to purchase. It is $100,000 more for a diesel/hybrid one. Electric buses cost a whopping $1 million. ….

read … Honolulu puts the brakes on buying more gas powered buses

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