Honolulu Bill 57: Concealed Carry Gun Restrictions
Pentagon Press Secretary: 'Red Hill created a trust deficit'
Nearly Every Republican Tulsi Gabbard Endorsed Lost the Election
TNR: … On October 11, Tulsi Gabbard proudly announced her departure from the Democratic Party. Calling on “fellow common sense independent-minded Democrats” to join her, Gabbard wasted no time on her new path, endorsing 13 Republicans before the midterm elections…
Many of the races were high-stakes. Among Gabbard’s endorsements were election denialists and conspiracy theorists.
Ten out of the 13 candidates she endorsed went on to lose their election….
…Only three candidates she endorsed won the election: J.D. Vance for Ohio senator, Mike Lee for Utah senator, and Kristi Noem for South Dakota governor….
Though Gabbard’s endorsements have largely failed, her efforts are paying dividends for her own self-interest. On Monday, MAGA Republican Matt Gaetz floated Gabbard as a potential speaker of the House candidate. That same day, Gabbard officially signed a deal with Fox News to join the network as a paid contributor. And in the evening, Gabbard once again hosted Carlson’s program.
If Gabbard expected to coast into the GOP on a red wave, one bolstered by her “free-thinking” endorsements, she might be disappointed with the results. She’s not alone, of course. Donald Trump has an even longer list of failed endorsements. Now both seek to fail upward—Gabbard, as she becomes a mainstay of the right-wing media sphere, and Trump, who is expected to soon announce his third consecutive bid for the presidency….
read … Nearly Every Republican Tulsi Gabbard Endorsed Lost the Election
Meth runner for ex-Kauai Council member gets 3-year term
SA: … A 41-year-old Kauai man who agreed to run drugs and collect money for a drug trafficking organization headed by a former Kauai County Council member and supplied by Samoan gang members, was sentenced Tuesday to three years in federal prison.
Kelvin Kauwila Kai, aka “Kauwila,” had been facing a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life after agreeing to plead guilty in May 2021 to a single count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. In addition to 36 months in prison, U.S. District Court Judge Derrick K. Watson sentenced Kai to three years of federal probation and levied a $100 special assessment….
In spring 2019, when Kai met former Kauai Council member Arthur Brun, aka “Ata,” Kai had served time in federal prison for a drug charge and reportedly kicked a methamphetamine habit. One day while drinking and hanging out with Brun, who was leading an organization that marketed methamphetamine on Kauai while also serving on the Council, Kai accepted Brun’s invitation to smoke meth, according to court records….
TGI: Brun associates Kai and Huihui sentenced for roles in drug trafficking conspiracy
read … Meth runner for ex-Kauai Council member gets 3-year term
FEC says Kahele congressional campaign must return $48K
HNN: … The Federal Election Commission says U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele’s congressional committee must refund more than $48,000 to its political donors.
That’s because the contributors donated for the November 2022 general election, which Kahele didn’t run in.
“You can keep money that was donated to you for an election you’re running in, but you can’t accept donations from elections you didn’t run in,” said University of Hawaii political science Professor Colin Moore….
The federal watchdog agency listed more than two dozen contributions that were made to Kahele for the congressional general election that now have to be returned.
Kahele ended up not running for re-election in that race but instead ran for governor in the Aug. 13 Democratic primary, which he lost.
In its letter, the FEC asked Kahele’s campaign what corrective action it plans to take and to send any photocopies of checks that it refunds.
The FEC also said it could also open a formal investigation if it doesn’t received a response by Dec. 19….
read … FEC says Kahele congressional campaign must return $48K
Hawaii Could Lose More Affordable Units Than It's Possible To Replace
CB: … Affordable housing is divided in two groups by tenure for sale or for rent.
Not including for sale units, the affordable housing rental stock includes units owned by the Public Housing Authority, units developed with financing by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation’s low-income housing tax credits properties, USDA properties and inclusionary zoning properties administered by the counties including the state 201H developments.
Over the last 20 to 30 years, we have lost over 3,000 of these units when affordability restrictions have lapsed. Currently, there are only an estimated 17,000 of these units remaining. Over the next 15 years, approximately 4,500 units will lose their restrictions and another 10,000 units over the next 30 years….
read … Hawaii Could Lose More Affordable Units Than It's Possible To Replace
Bill to help reduce backlog of building permit applications deferred
HTH: …At a meeting of the County Council’s Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit, Hilo Councilman Aaron Chung presented a bill that would for six months allow any plans and specifications stamped by a licensed architect or professional engineer to be approved without further review by DPW….
Under the terms of the bill, the architect or engineer putting their stamp on a plan would also certify it conforms with all requirements of the county construction code and all applicable laws. The bill also would allow the county to limit which architects or engineers could bypass the DPW review process in this way.
This period would last for 180 days unless a future bill extends it.
Several residents testified in support of the proposal, with many complaining about the county’s extreme delays in approving residential building permit applications, fueled in part by the adoption of the county’s Electronic Processing and Information Center, or EPIC, which allowed the county to enforce the expiration of permits and therefore required permit holders to reapply for those permits. In May, DPW reported that more than 6,800 permits expired in this way.
“The result of this is a plethora of individuals that will have to disassemble a large share of their house to get the newer energy-efficient codes approved,” wrote Pahoa resident Tony Matulonis. “Overall, us folks need our state/county representatives to obtain an extension, moratorium, or any temporary reprieve from the recent building permit expiration so that we have enough time (at least 180 days) to get our permits completed under the codes for which our original permits were drafted and approved.”
Darryl Oliveira, co-chair of the Hawaii Island Housing Coalition, estimated that at the county’s current rate, it will take about 20 years to develop the 13,000 new housing units that the 2019 Hawaii Housing Planning Study determined are needed for the island. By circumventing the DPW review requirement, Oliveira said the county is acknowledging the ability of the engineers to maintain the its standards while boosting residential permitting….
Ultimately, the bill neither passed nor failed, because Chung — who is term-limited and departing the council next month — moved to postpone the legislation until January so that newly elected council members will have an opportunity to discuss it….
read … Bill to help reduce backlog of building permit applications deferred
Report: Hawaii Needs More Healthcare Employees To Meet Growing Demand
CB: … Hawaii needs more than 3,800 healthcare employees to meet the state’s demand – a 76% increase compared with 2019, according to a statewide report released Tuesday.
The Hawaii Healthcare Workforce Initiative 2022 report, which looked at non-physician positions in the healthcare industry, found that the greatest need in the state is for registered specialty nurses, licensed practical nurses, social workers and entry-level healthcare professionals….
read … Report: Hawaii Needs More Healthcare Employees To Meet Growing Demand
Riders say the Handi-Van is failing them. And the city agrees
HNN: … “I do not ride Handi-Van because I cannot get to the places I need to on time,” she said, holding back a sob. “We’ve been working since 2000 trying to get more Handi-Vans for more people to ride. We need the help, please.”
City Transportation Services Director Roger Morton conceded, “It is a serious problem, and we have no solution. I mean the status quo is not acceptable.”
Morton described parallel pandemic-related challenges. The most serious immediate concern: Falling service performance rates, such as only 40% of calls answered by reservationists in five minutes or less….
in recent months the call center ― run by the non-profit Oahu Transportation Services ― had been struck by COVID-related absences as well as problems recruiting new staff. Performance of the center has plummeted since the spring….
A contract for 65 new vehicle is held up by negotiations over the price.
Soderholm Sales is the city’s broker to buy Handi-Vans.
In July, it asked for a 15.4% increase to cover prices that have gone up drastically since they bid three years ago. The city seemed understanding, said co-owner Erik Soderholm, but hasn’t made a decision….
2018: Uber Caldwell: Level the Playing Field for Everybody Except HandiVan
read … Riders say the Handi-Van is failing them. And the city agrees
Jury finds state not liable for alleged inmate sex assaults by guards at women’s prison
HNN: … A jury on Wednesday found that the state was not liable for the repeated sex assaults against five former inmates at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua.
The ruling from the panel of five women and four men rejected the women’s claims seeking more than $7.5 million in damages from the state ― even though the state acknowledged that the sex assaults happened….
The suit alleged that four adult correctional officers sexually assaulted the women at least 53 times between 2013 and 2016. The guards were accused of forcing the inmates to have sex with them, oftentimes giving them contraband such as snacks, access to cell phones and even drugs as rewards.
All four were fired by the department and least two of the former officers have been convicted on sex assault charges. One of the victims killed herself four years ago.
The state argued that it was not liable for the actions of rogue corrections officers and that it investigated the assaults and provided treatment for the victims.
But attorney Terry Revere, who also represents the women, argued that the state didn’t do enough to prevent the rapes because it failed to place surveillance cameras in areas where the crimes occurred but resisted calls to do so.
He said the state still isn’t doing enough to prevent prison rapes.
“Forty percent of the dilapidated cameras are still not working in this place,” said Revere….
read … Jury finds state not liable for alleged inmate sex assaults by guards at women’s prison
Contraception to Control Wild Pigs?
GVO: … Feral pig hunters on the Hawaii island of Oahu are upset about a contraceptive being distributed on the island to help control the invasive pests.
read … Hawaii Hog Hunters Huffy About Contraception
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