Micronesian President: Chinese Bribery ‘Happens all the Time’
Sovereignty Activist Sentenced--17 Years in Prison for Wire Fraud Schemes and Aggravated Identity Theft
Lawmakers broaden educator housing eligibility to all school employees
Sue and Settle: 122,277 acres on Big Island to be 'critical habitat'
Gun Bills: Legislative Update
Aloha Stadium Has Already Cost Taxpayers $20M. Where’s All The Money Gone?
CB: … Consultants working on plans for the new stadium already have had big paydays. Now those plans may be changing (so the consultants can be paid to do it all over again)….
A contract laying the groundwork for planning for a new stadium grew from $790,000 at the start of 2019 to more than $26 million today, and consultants for the stadium project have billed for nearly $20 million worth of those costs as of November….
(CLUE: This is the same method OHA uses to dish out money for Kakaako Makai ‘planning.’ But somehow this money went to a mainland firm--hence the need for a re-do.)
State officials have said that about 30% of the established plans, about $6 million worth of work, would still be usable if the state abandons P3 model, which refers to a collaboration between a government agency and a private-sector company. But more than $13 million would have been spent in vain.
The future of the $26 million contract with Missouri-based Crawford Architects for planning is not clear. The future of the new stadium is also not certain. The Stadium Authority, a nine-member board that oversees the project, is set to meet Thursday….
Crawford partnered with WT Partnership, another international consulting firm that specializes in public-private partnerships. The two firms came away with the most money from the project – at least $6 million each as of the end of 2022, according to state records. Bridey Best, WT’s senior vice president based in Honolulu…
The project team included about a dozen other subcontractors, most of them Hawaii-based, that provided various services for stadium planning.
Architects were subcontracted for new stadium designs. Engineering firms performed soil tests, aerial surveys and planning for water infrastructure necessary to sustain the entertainment district. Other sub-consultants were responsible for developing projections on finances….
(FUN FACT: UH renovations to TC Ching cost less than $20M.)
read … Aloha Stadium Has Already Cost Taxpayers $20M. Where’s All The Money Gone?
Sunshine? It's Getting To Be Crunch Time At The Capitol
CB: … There’s just a week to go until some pretty important sunshine bills will be dead if they don’t get heard in committee….Most of these bills must be heard by April 5 or April 6 — next Wednesday for single referral bills or Thursday for others….
At the top of the list of reforms lawmakers just can’t seem to come to grips with is banning the flow of cash to their campaigns during the legislative session…. Both House Bill 726 and House Bill 89 passed the House unanimously and have been awaiting a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee. In fact, HB 89 has been waiting since Feb. 9 and HB 726 since March 9….
Along the same line is Senate Bill 1493, which bans contributions from lobbyists during session as well as just before and just after session. But everyone else can still write those checks as much as they want. This bill passed both chambers but is headed for conference committee because of amendments….
Campaign finance reform advocates have been trying to tighten the flow of money from government contractors to lawmakers for a few years, and this year House Bill 724 and Senate Bill 201 are the vehicles to do just that. Both would prohibit contributions from owners, officers and immediate family members of companies that have state or county contracts. The bills also put a similar ban on organizations that receive grants-in-aid from the state and counties.
HB 724 has passed both chambers but has been amended, so its fate will be decided in conference committee later in April. SB 201 was passed by the Senate but languishes in the House, awaiting a Finance Committee hearing….
And a bill that seemed at the beginning of session to be in for pretty smooth sailing may be in danger of being torpedoed by Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, the chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. House Bill 719 is the measure that would cap the fees charged by agencies for public records requests and would waive fees altogether for requests made in the public interest, such as those that come from civic groups, many nonprofits and the media.
Last year, a similar bill was approved unanimously by lawmakers — including Dela Cruz — only to be vetoed by then-Gov. David Ige. Gov. Josh Green has said he will sign the bill if it gets to him this year….
(CLUE: The first half of a Legislative session is very noisy. It’s all fake. The second half is where the real bills are written, and it is done very quietly.)
read … Sunshine Blog: It's Getting To Be Crunch Time At The Capitol
Schools are for students, not high-paid executives
SA: … Good grief, schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi is building a feudal realm (“Proposed raises for Hawaii DOE executives reduced,” Star-Advertiser, March 24)! No wonder the Department of Education is one of the state’s biggest-ticket budget items.
Meanwhile, schools go unrepaired to a dangerous level. Mandated use of local farm-grown food is ignored. Staff shortages, from teachers to support workers, go unfilled. Our University of Hawaii graduates move to the mainland. We have a very low state ranking for education.
Hayashi seems to forget the goal is to provide our children the best available education….
Perhaps the DOE executives should receive pay commensurate with ratings given to each school in terms of educational ranking, staff satisfaction, maintenance and parent satisfaction. After all, our tax dollars pay for this….
read … Schools are for students, not high-paid executives
4 rail stations in project’s airport segment expected to be done by year’s end
SA: … The joint venture company that nearly seven years ago got an $875 million Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation contract to build elevated rail and stations from areas east of Halawa to Kalihi outlined its efforts this week.
In 2016, STG — comprising Shimmick Construction Co. Inc., Traylor Bros Inc. and Granite Construction Inc. — was tasked with designing and building the Airport Guideway and Stations project consisting of 5.2 miles of elevated guideway, four stations and associated facilities from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to the Middle Street transit center.
During a virtual business and community meeting Tuesday afternoon, the contractor provided a presentation that showed construction of the four stations — Makalapa, Lelepaua, Ahua and Kahauiki — is expected to be finished before the end of the year.
“We’ve 97% of our project completed,” Maribell Pabalan, an STG spokesperson, said. “And the 5.2-mile alignment is underway, so that means ongoing roadway restorations.”…
Kahauiki Station at Kamehameha Highway and Middle Street will serve the Kalihi, Honolulu Harbor and outlying residential areas. That station — deemed 91% complete — has one entrance, a side platform and will offer a pedestrian bridge to the adjacent Kalihi Transit Center platform.
“This station is built over the water,” Pabalan added (proving that we really don’t believe in sea-level rise).
read … 4 rail stations in project’s airport segment expected to be done by year’s end
Frustrated Kauai residents balk at new utility rate hike
HNN: … The island’s utility cooperative is proposing a 9% increase to their electric rates.
It would be KIUC’s first rate hike in over a decade, raising the average customer’s bill about $19 a month.
But critics said a closer look at the breakdown shows that some residential customers could pay nearly double that….
Meanwhile, KIUC said in the past year, it’s achieved the lowest residential rates of any island in the state….
read … Frustrated Kauai residents balk at new utility rate hike
Questions remain over future of Concealed Gun Carry policies in Honolulu
KITV: … Former HPD officer/detective & current 808 Gun Club Managing Partner Tom Tomimbang told KITV4, "If you create a label of an area that says this is a gun free zone you're creating a potential target for individuals who think they can have ill intent, they want to cause harm to other people because they know they can't be stopped, and I think that's a problem."
Bill 57 also raises other question and concerns.
"HPD has already vetted these individuals and said they fit into the state requirement of being a person of good moral character. Now we're saying we trust you to have a concealed carry permit, but we don't trust you enough to carry it in certain areas," said Tomimbang.
In some cases, concealed carry weapons can save lives, according to Tomimbang.
"There are incidents where churches, gunmen went in, but there was also an incident where a gunmen with ill intent in a church, was stopped by another parishioner that was armed. Did that parishioner prevent a crime, sure," Tomimbang claimed (explained) ….
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi is expected to sign into law soon bill 57 aiming to protect sensitive places, such as schools, from gun violence….
read … Questions remain over future of Concealed Gun Carry policies in Honolulu
Federal review underway into handling of sick homeless man who spent days on ER sidewalk
HNN: … The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is looking into whether Queen’s Medical Center violated federal law that requires emergency rooms stabilize and transfer patients appropriately….
Walker was taken to the ER for treatment, but was released six hours later.
In the past, HNN was told, Walker refused emergency treatment and declined shelter with IHS.
However, this time Walker was ready for help.
After HNN’s story ran, Walker was taken to the Punawai Rest Stop for the homeless. When his condition deteriorated, he was then transported to Straub Medical Center for treatment. After a week in the hospital receiving treatment, HNN was sent a picture of a clean-shaven Walker who appeared be smiling….
read … Federal review underway into handling of sick homeless man who spent days on ER sidewalk
No Cash Bail: Released by Court, Does it Again
SA: … An Oahu grand jury Tuesday returned an indictment against three men, charging them in connection with the brutal March 16 attack on a 37-year-old man in Kalihi.
The grand jury indicted Jermick M. Ungeni, 23, with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree robbery after he allegedly attacked the victim with a machete while the victim was walking back to his apartment.
Chris Pham, 19, and JS Titus, 18, were both indicted with second-degree robbery in the case.
The attack occurred near Island West Apartments and 7-Eleven on North King Street at about 11 p.m. March 16.
In February, Titus was charged in a separate case for third-degree assault. He was released following his Feb. 13 appearance at Honolulu District Court and ordered to return March 6 for a hearing.
A $200 bench warrant was issued for Titus’ arrest after he failed to appear at the hearing, according to court minutes….
read … Jury indicts 3 men in brutal Kalihi attack
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