More plans, few starts for construction projects

Housing authority shuts down Waimanalo residents’ greywater system, calls it “pollution”

But when rich people use their washing machines to water the grass, they receive grants and are lauded by the eco-faddists….

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Some low-income families living with no electricity, HECO proposes assistance

Hawaiian Electric Company says it tries to help low-income customers by referring them to social service agencies like Helping Hands Hawaii. HECO is also awaiting approval from the state Public Utilities Commission to offer a new program called "Lifeline Rates" to qualifying customers.

"It would provide a credit on their monthly electric bills ranging from $25 to $35," Pai said. "It's going to help folks out, but it's also designed to make sure that they still have an incentive to use energy as efficiently as possible because their bills will still be based on how much electricity they use."

HECO's been waiting awhile for the PUC to sign off on the program. The application was filed in April 2009.

If approved, "Lifeline Rates" would be open to those enrolled in one of three government programs -- the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income.

(It might even make up for the extra costs of subsidizing billionaires’ “green” energy projects.)

SA: HECO rate increase gets final OK

SA: HECO working to modernize its infrastructure

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Lawsuit: Hawaii’s Wonderful In-State Prison System holding prisoners beyond their sentences

On Wednesday State Auditor Marion Higa released a report on the Department of Public safety that showed over detention could be systemic.

According to the audit, 280 out of 985 release date errors were found at the Halawa Correctional Facility while reviewing the August 9, 2010 inmate roster report.

“One of the easiest things to check is whether the release date is correct,” said Higa. “Well we found in almost 30 percent of the cases the release date is already passed.”

“The audit shows that we are likely wasting large sums of money,” Gluck told Khon2. “The ACLU for years has been talking about the need for greater oversight, transparency and accountability and the audit shows exactly that.”

Meanwhile the state may be forced to payout even more money to inmates who were held in prison longer than what their sentences required.

A federal civil rights lawsuit filed in August of last year is awaiting a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on whether the case can go to trial. Civil Rights attorney Jack Schweigert represents six of the nine plaintiffs.

“Once I went to court on these guys they were released instantly,” said Schweigert, who believes DPS is acting with indifference to inmates’ constitutional rights.

Schweigert says much of the problem arises from DPS calculating inmate sentences consecutively rather than concurrently. (UPW make-work program?)

(So obviously what we must do is build more State-run prisons since this one is doing such a fine job.)

SA: Audit criticizes prison contractor bid process

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New Yorker Brady thinks Buffalonian Abercrombie brings new day to Hawaii

Kat Brady has been involved in community issues since arriving at the North Shore from her New York City roots 25 years ago.

She became active in the Sierra Club and engaged in teaching women with children on welfare who inhabited a homeless village in Haleiwa in the late 1980s. She says all 10 of her students soon obtained their general equivalency diplomas, and Brady then helped them get jobs.

While engaging in environmental activism in the mid-1990s as assistant executive director of the Life of the Land organization….

Q: Are you optimistic about the possibility of bringing all inmates from the mainland to the islands?

A: I really do believe that it's a new day in Hawaii. It feels different here. There's something in the air that's different. For the first time I think there really is hope, because for eight years I've been really banging my head against the wall. But I think his being a former probation officer (Gov. Neil Abercrombie), he has some understanding of the system. It's not saying that the governor and I agree on everything. We don't. But I think he's bright. I think he understands data is really important for creating good social policy.

RELATED: Theme of Prison Audit lifted from Kat Brady commentary

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Hawaii Homeless man arrested, extradited to Arizona

Authorities say Hawaii-based marshals were notified by their counterparts in Arizona that Williams had fled to the islands with his one-year-old son without the permission of the boy's biological mother.

A court had already awarded full custody to the mother.

Authorities say that when arrested at a bus stop, Williams was homeless and with his son.

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New Contractor takes over BI Head Start

An Oahu-based nonprofit has taken over the Big Island's Head Start program, which may lead to an expansion of services in the years ahead.
Parents and Children Together, or PACT, was awarded a $2.8 million, three-year contract from the federal Office of Head Start to oversee the Big Island's program

For the past year, the Big Island's Head Start program was overseen by Community Development Institute, or CDI. Prior to that it was under the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council.

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Yamada & Sons has lease on land key to Hilo garbage plan

Despite a plan that says expanding the Hilo landfill is the only alternative to trucking East Hawaii garbage to West Hawaii, the county is giving up a quarry officials admit could be needed in its expansion plans.
The Windward Planning Commission is scheduled Jan. 6 to consider a special permit for Hilo-based Yamada & Sons Inc. to establish a quarry southeast of the existing landfill on 14.99 of 2,500 acres of state land. Seeking 14.99 acres means the application won't go before the state Land Use Commission, as 15 acres is the cutoff for state review.

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UK Daily Mail: Obama given a  20-MAN motorcade to visit childhood friend in Hawaii (no wonder his Christmas holiday is costing the country $1.5m)

President Obama provoked fresh outrage today after taking a 20-man motorcade to visit a childhood friend during his lavish Christmas holiday in Hawaii.

The 10-vehicle convoy drove the president and wife Michelle from his rental property in Kailua, across highways cleared of traffic and through a military community to reach Bobby Titcomb's beachfront house.

Mr Obama, who spent eight years at Punahou School in Hawaii before graduating in 1979, has splashed out $1.5m on his trip – a decision that will not endear him to the millions of Americans facing economic hardship in the New Year.

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