Rejected for DHHL: 'Evasive' Anderson 'Misrepresents Commission'
HB1049 Cuts Income Tax
Senate Committees to Hear Bill Legalizing Hashish and Honey Butane Oil
Hawaii Republicans lose challenge of 2022 election audit process
DLNR--'No Plans to Eliminate Free Parking Spots at Ala Wai'
City: Koko Head Shooting Complex to reopen for Archery in March
New Aloha Stadium will be built of Steel Recycled from Old Aloha Stadium, LOL!
KHON: … After delays from former Gov. David Ige last fall to send out requests for proposals on the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District, current Gov. Josh Green said he wants an expedited timeline for the NASED project.
(So many delays they forgot that ‘rusted steel’ was the lie they told to con-vince the public to accept closure of the old Aloha Stadium.)
“Let him get a chance to get a full grasp of this project. He inherited it. So, he’s got to learn about it; and he’s gone about it, I think, in a really smart way.,” Aloha Stadium Manager Ryan Andrews said. “They’re asking great questions; and again, we’re just kind of tightening everything up before we proceed,”
Public Works Administrator Chris Kinimaka said Monday night, Feb. 13 at the Aiea Neighborhood Board meeting that she expects it to take about a week or so.
The years of work that were put into RFPs before Gov. Ige’s pause last year is still usable.
“At this point, nothing is lost. Everything is as we’re waiting for the green light to release these RFPs and if we need to make any changes or modifications to make sure this aligns with Governor’s priorities,” Andrews said.
Once RFPs go out, a developer can then be awarded the contract to build the stadium. First, that developer will be tasked with deconstructing the existing steel structure.
“From what I understand from meetings I’ve been a part of is that, unfortunately, this is not going to be your implosion situation. I would love to be sad to see it go, but it would be a fun way to see it go. My understanding is going to be more taken apart piece by piece as a steel structure. There’ll be cranes in here and taking it apart piece by piece,” Andrews said.
The hope is much of that steel can become a part of the New Aloha Stadium.
“We’re going to be requiring this developer to recycle as much as possible and reuse as much as possible,” Andrews said. “It helps the cost. It’s the right thing to do environmentally and not just thrown into a trash bin,”…
(They now admit there is nothing wrong with that steel. The old Aloha Stadium was perfectly sound and did not have any rust problems. They just admitted that the entire case for demolition was a bunch of lies.)
read … Governor preparing for next New Aloha Stadium step
Otake to be Disqualified in Another Corruption Case?
CB: … The U.S. Attorney’s office said it’s a conflict of interest for defense attorney Thomas Otake to represent former Honolulu Corporation Counsel Donna Leong because Otake’s law partner Loretta Sheehan is a “significant government witness,” according to a motion to the U.S. District court filed on Tuesday. Otake and Sheehan both work for the law firm Davis Levin Livingston.
“Although her testimony is primed to cut against Leong, the task of discrediting Sheehan will fall on Otake – Sheehan’s partner from the same law firm,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Chiang wrote. “These entanglements jeopardize the integrity of the proceedings; needlessly so.” ….
ILind: Government again questions Otake conflicts in a second case
PDF: US Motion for Inquiry into conflicts of interest
read … Feds Move To Disqualify Attorney In Honolulu Corruption Case
HB106: Crooked DPP will Seize Your Property
SA: … As part of the 2022 county package to state legislators, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi requested “nonjudicial foreclosure” powers, i.e., the power to seize private property without going to court. Fortunately, House Bill 1434 did not pass last year.
This year’s package includes another request for “nonjudicial foreclosure,” aka “power of sale.” It represents an alarming threat to property owners and is prevalent in totalitarian regimes.
This year’s HB 106 offers weak assurance that “a county may, after all notices, orders, and appeal proceedings are exhausted, satisfy all unpaid civil fines through the power of sale on the real property subject to a recorded lien.”
Unfortunately, our years of civic participation at Honolulu Hale show that due process has not always been fair and equitable to ordinary residents.
Furthermore, recent federal indictments and guilty pleas continue to show the troubled Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) has no consistent record of fair play or efficient management. Written testimonies reveal alarming threats toward private property rights….
HB106: Text, Status
read … Bill threatens private property owners
SB911: Sen Karl Rhoads and Megan Kau want Convicted Felons to Serve on Juries
KITV: … Convicted felons are barred from serving on a jury in Hawaii.
But state Sen. Karl Rhoads has introduced a bill to change that.
The proposal could open up jury duty for nearly 5,000 residents with a criminal past, according to Rhoads.
“Almost all felons get out of jail or get out of prison at some point,” Rhoads said, adding this would prevent recidivism by (preventing other criminals from being convicted.)….
Megan Kau, a former deputy prosecutor turned defense attorney, said the change could help diversify a jury pool.
“Studies have shown that minorities, especially Native Hawaiians, are over-represented in detention facilities and in the criminal justice system,” Kau said….
A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for Thursday morning….
REALITY: Federal Court Ruling: Sen. Karl Rhoads participated in Honolulu County Council Kickback scheme
REALITY: ODC Complaint: Megan Kau Worked for Miske and Cop Who Arrested Him
SB911: Text, Status
read … Convicted felons can’t serve on Hawaii juries. This lawmaker says it’s time to change that
Exposed: City program to ban repeat offenders from Waikiki is Fake
HNN: … In September, the city made a big splash in launching “Waikiki Safe and Sound,” a program billed as taking a harder stance on crime in the state’s no. 1 tourism destination.
A centerpiece of the initiative: Banning habitual criminal offenders from Waikiki for up to a year.
But five months after the program’s launch, critics say “Safe and Sound” has key flaws, the most glaring of which is there are no immediate consequences for banned offenders caught returning to Waikiki.
That’s because HPD can’t just arrest violators on sight, a facet of the program some say needs to be changed.
Critics say when Waikiki “Safe and Sound” was launched, it was advertised as something it wasn’t.
In announcing the program at a news conference, city Prosecutor Steve Alm pledged: “Let’s keep guys who are causing trouble in Waikiki out of Waikiki. And if they come here that would allow HPD to arrest them on the spot.”
But it’s not that simple.
“We were under the impression people were going to be immediately picked up once they violated the stay away order,” said Waikiki resident Tim Garry.
Waikiki resident John Duetzman added, “It’s not immediate. It’s a lot of paperwork.”…
Even after HPD has the information, Platt said, “We don’t arrest them. What we do is make a report.”…
Judges issued geographic restrictions to at least 30 additional people, bringing the total to about 70.
HNN confirmed at least 25%, or 18 offenders, have been caught returning to Waikiki.
When asked how many arrests there have been of people ignoring their stay away orders, officials said there have been at least two….
(IDEA: Sign the rest up for jury duty.)
read … ‘A lot of paperwork’: 5 months in, flaws apparent in city program to ban repeat offenders from Waikiki
Manini News: Legislature Looks To Tweak Internal Rules To Accommodate Ethics Reform
CB: … not all of the ideas to improve governance require statutory or constitutional changes. Instead, some can be made administratively through changes to rules that guide the House and Senate.
The Senate on Jan. 19 adopted new rules to allow for more remote testimony and to provide livestreaming and archiving for committee meetings and floor sessions “to the extent practicable.”
Where public testimony will be received at a meeting, testifiers “shall be allowed the option to testify remotely” via Senate-provided telecommunications, digital, or video conferencing technology.
By placing new language on streaming and testifying into its rules, the Senate appears to recognize much of this has become standard operating procedure at the Legislature because of the pandemic — and that it has been embraced by the public.
At a Civil Beat Civil Cafe on Jan. 24, Senate President Ron Kouchi also said the Senate would also post legislative allowances for public view. In an email Tuesday, he said he anticipated that the members’ spending figures will be posted beginning March 1.
As for the House, which is still operating under its 2021-2022 rules, Speaker Scott Saiki said his chamber is reviewing a 56-page draft copy of new rules for the current biennium. The focus is on clarifying a representative’s potential conflict of interests when voting on bills.
Here’s an excerpt from the draft: “A member may be recused or excused from voting when the member has a conflict of interest. A ‘conflict of interest’ arises when the standards herein are impacted and includes, but is not limited to, situations when the measure affects the member’s direct personal, familial, or financial interest; provided that a conflict does not arise where the measure applies to a broader class.
“We have received some feedback and are taking that into consideration,” Saiki said Tuesday….
read … Legislature Looks To Tweak Internal Rules To Accommodate Ethics Reform
Alleged cocaine dealer received COVID relief loan
CB: … A 25-year-old Waikiki man in federal custody for allegedly selling a fatal dose of cocaine Opens in a new tab to a Kaneohe Marine reportedly received more than $20,000 in loans from a COVID-19 Opens in a new tab relief program for what he claimed was his taxi business.
Rayshaun Emilio “Nova” Ducos was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and a firearm offense. He pleaded not guilty to both charges Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom A. Trader. His trial is set for April 11.
Ducos was allegedly found in possession of two “ghost guns” when federal agents searched his Waikiki apartment Jan. 30. A 9 mm handgun and a 5.56 mm AR-15-style handgun, neither with manufacturer markings, were found “in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime,” according to the indictment.
The government is seeking forfeiture of the firearms and $30,829 in cash seized from Ducos’ apartment.
According to a search of ProPublica’s Paycheck Protection Program loan database, Ducos used a sole proprietorship, which he represented in a federal loan application as a “taxi business” in Honolulu, to obtain $20,416 in PPP funding on April 28, 2021. His business supposedly existed for more than two years prior to receiving the federal aid….
read … Alleged cocaine dealer received COVID relief loan
Tracking Hawai‘i Homeowners Who are Equity Rich or Seriously Underwater
HB: … More than 58% of homeowners had at least 50% equity in their homes in the fourth quarter of 2022, up from 53.2% in the same quarter of 2021. That ranked Hawaiʻi at No. 10 in the nation for the percentage of equity-rich homes. Vermont was No. 1 with a whopping 76.6%, while the national average was 48%.
But ATTOM Data Solutions also reports that 2% of homeowners in Hawaiʻi were seriously underwater at the end of 2022, meaning they owed at least 25% more than the market value of their homes.
That’s up from 1.5% in the fourth quarter of 2021, and while Hawaiʻi’s underwater percentage is among the lowest in the nation, that increase of 0.5 percentage point was the second-highest increase in the U.S. Nonetheless, Hawai‘i’s statewide rate of 2% was the 15th-lowest in the U.S.
Neighbor Islands homeowners are the most equity rich in Hawai‘i – 61% of them on Hawaiʻi Island, 68.4% on Maui and 71.9% on Kauaʻi have more than 50% equity in their homes. On O‘ahu, 54.7% of homeowners are equity rich. Oʻahu also had the highest percentage of seriously underwater homeowners at 2%….
read … Tracking Hawai‘i Homeowners Who are Equity Rich or Seriously Underwater
Soaring fuel surcharges boost HEI’s revenue over $1B
SA: … Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. topped $1 billion in revenue for the second straight quarter as customers paid higher bills for soaring fuel costs and subsidiary American Savings Bank achieved its best loan growth in more than a decade.
The holding company for utility Hawaiian Electric and the state’s third-largest bank reported Tuesday that revenue rose 32.3% to $1.02 billion in the fourth quarter from $770,272 in the year-earlier period. The last two quarters marked the only time the company has topped $1 billion in revenue.
Its previous high was the third quarter of 2008 when HEI generated revenue of $915.4 million.
HEI noted that its utility customers have been paying higher bills mainly because oil and purchased power costs are up….
The electrical utility’s cost for fuel oil nearly doubled last quarter to $391,071 from $197,104 in the year-earlier period, while purchased power rose 3.8% to $186,757 from $179,974. The utility’s revenue jumped 33.4% to $924,951 from $693,394….
read … Soaring fuel costs boost HEI’s revenue over $1B
Hawaii legislator concerned by distribution of Chinese newspaper
SA: … “Given what’s going on with the balloons, my question is, Why is Communist propaganda being distributed at the state Capitol?” asked Ward, (R, Hawaii Kai-Kalama Valley). “It’s clearly the propaganda arm owned by the CCP in Beijing.”
He told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the English-language China Daily contains “high-level academics. It’s quite nuanced. But it’s totally propaganda.”
During 2022’s legislative session, stacks of the China Daily sat outside the House Sergeant of Arms office in the basement of the state Capitol.
This year, representatives can ask to have it delivered to their offices, along with the locally produced Filipino Chronicle and Fil-Am Courier….
House Speaker Scott Saiki told the Star-Advertiser that the newspapers are dropped off for free at the Capitol, and representatives are not required to accept them. Saiki said that he declined to have the China Daily delivered to his office.
“If they don’t want a newspaper, they can choose not to have it delivered, which is what I did,” Saiki said. “We don’t pay for it. Someone drops it off at the Capitol. I’m not going to take the position that I can determine what is and what is not delivered to a member’s office.”
The China Daily, Filipino Chronicle and Fil-Am Courier are distributed by the staff of the House Sergeant of Arms, who also deliver House members’ mail to their offices, Saiki said.
In a follow-up email to the Star-Advertiser, Ward wrote, “It’s pretty obvious what the CCP is up to in the State Legislatures of this nation.”
This session, Ward introduced a bill to ban the wildly popular TikTok app from state-issued devices, part of a national push intended to prevent breaches of sensitive information to China. Ward’s bill appears stalled….
read … Hawaii legislator concerned by distribution of Chinese newspaper
Downed Chinese balloon aimed for Hawaii but was blown off course -U.S. official
R: … U.S. officials believe a Chinese balloon that was shot down after crossing the continental United States originally had a trajectory that would have taken it over Guam and Hawaii but was blown off course by prevailing winds, a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday.
The balloon, which Washington accuses Beijing of using for surveillance and China says was a civilian research vessel, drifted across Alaska's Aleutian Islands, then Canada and the central United States before it was shot down by the U.S. military off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4….
YN: Satellite Images Reveal Chinese Balloon Bases Aimed at Pacific Military installations
read … Downed Chinese balloon aimed for Hawaii but was blown off course -U.S. official
Commission on Native Children’s Hawaii Regional Hearing begins today
SA: … Today’s hearing will kick off with a cultural presentation and opening protocol followed by guest speakers, and researcher and expert panelists from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, Ulima said. It will resume at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., where the public is invited to give in-person testimony….
Background: Interior Department Lumps Kamehameha and Lahaianaluna in with 'Indian Boarding Schools'
Background: S. 2907 Federal 'Truth and Healing Commission' will dig for Bodies at Kamehameha School
read … Commission on Native Children’s Hawaii Regional Hearing begins today
American Samoa youth allowed to remain in Hawaii Youth Challenge program after outcry
HNN: … American Samoan youth who were ineligible for the National Guard’s Youth Challenge Academy and sent home were granted an exemption on Wednesday and are allowed to remain in the program.
The state’s Department of Defense said DC officials reversed an earlier decision to deny the exemption for a group of 24 students, who were five weeks into the program.
According to DoD policy, U.S. nationals are not allowed in the National Guard program.
“Our request to have the exemption to allow American American Samoa youth who are U.S. Nationals will now be accepted into the Hawaii Youth Challenge program. So that’s it’s big news, great news. We’ll get to keep the 13 American Samoa youth that are still here. And we were working on getting the 11 that we just shipped out yesterday, back into the program,” said state DoD Director of Public Affairs Jeff Hickman. …
read … American Samoa youth allowed to remain in Hawaii Youth Challenge program after outcry
Legislative Agenda:
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