January 19, 2009 > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Monday, January 19, 2009

January 19, 2009
By Andrew Walden @ 8:12 PM :: 8077 Views

Poll Finds Most Blacks Say Martin Luther King's Vision Fulfilled

The poll found 69 percent of blacks said King's vision has been fulfilled in the more than 45 years since his 1963 "I have a dream" speech -- roughly double the 34 percent who agreed with that assessment in a similar poll taken last March....

"Whites don't feel the same way -- a majority of them say that the country has not yet fulfilled King's vision," CNN polling director Keating Holland said. However, the number of whites saying the dream has been fulfilled has also gone up since March, from 35 percent to 46 percent.

DLNR finally enforcing law at Iolani Palace

Officials took away three tents from Hawaiian groups at 'Iolani Palace who were there yesterday to observe the anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian government in 1893.

Under newly adopted rules, the items represented a violation of state Department of Land and Natural Resources rules governing the palace. The rules have been more stringently adhered to in recent months since a group of Hawaiians occupied the palace on Statehood Day in August.

Budget woes hang heavy on state Legislature

Rep. Marcus Oshiro, who took over the House Finance Committee chairmanship in 2007, says this is not the year for worker pay raises, nor is it likely that nonprofit and charity organizations will get any state money....

(The) state Employee-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, which administers the state's public employee medical insurance program, needs up to $27 million in extra money or must force public workers to pay more for their health insurance....

Kim said she will bring up legalized gambling. Hawaii and Utah are the only states that do not allow some form of gambling. Neither Kim nor Oshiro expect it to pass this year....

Today the two-year $22.4 billion state budget is projected to be $150 million less than the year before, but last year, budget officials had planned for the state to take in 4.1 percent more money. Now instead of growth, they are looking at a downturn of at least 3 percent.

Mufi still blaming sewage upgrade ruling on typo

But it is unclear and unlikely whether the changes in the state standards would have ultimately affected the EPA's decision, said EPA spokesman Dean Higuchi. "We evaluated it both ways," Higuchi said. "It still didn't really alter our final decision. It's really the city's choice to use what they want for their appeal."

Lau acknowledged that there was at least one typographical error in the state's water quality standard: a misplaced decimal point in a figure denoting safe levels of pesticide in fish. However, in the EPA's report for Honouliuli, it found that the pesticide levels exceeded the state's standard even with the intended amount.

The EPA ruled that the city needs to upgrade these treatment plants to include an additional level of filtering, called "secondary treatment." The city estimates construction for the upgrades costs about $1.2 billion.

(Lot of jobs in that contract, but they aren't RAIL jobs....)

Maui rallies for Israel

Rabbi David Glickman of the Jewish Congregation of Maui said, "We are not here to make a political declaration or to solve the world's problems" but to pray for peace and to support the victims of violence, including Palestinian victims of Hamas violence.

After the speeches, Israeli songs, a message from Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, and a video message from the consul general of Israel, the crowd lined Kula Highway to wave signs, including some that read, "Hamas, stop using children as human shields" and "We love Israel."

Kaua`i Anti-Superferry activists protest against affordable housing

(Failed) Former Mayor and County Council member (and anti-Superferry protester) JoAnn Yukimura said even though she acknowledges the developer’s good intentions, the project as it is will not be in compliance with high-density requirements. (One excuse is as good as another...)

Project manager Avery Youn said if 1.3 acres of that the developer is willing to donate to the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation to become part of a widened highway are counted in the project density equation, then the project would be in accordance with high-density requirements.

Kaua`i Electricity Co-op Electing Board

LIHU‘E — The annual Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative Board of Directors nominations are approaching, and there is little time left to submit a petition for current KIUC members — electric account holders — in good standing.

Related: Kaua`i electricity is cheapest of outer islands (40% lower than Big Island)

SB 2007: Should customers own the Electric Company?

Global Cooling: Maui ties record low temps

Kahului Airport thermometers tied a 1969 record for coldest Jan. 18, 54 degrees.

Dems strategy for recession: Blame Lingle

Both the House and the Senate have been preoccupied with plotting strategies in pre-session meetings in Honolulu to deal with the massive operating budget deficit. Legislators said they will take on capital improvement projects once the session gets moving.

"One of the easiest strategies to jump-start the economy is to fund capital improvement projects," said Rep. Kyle Yamashita, who represents Upcountry.

This means more whining: "Why hasn't the Governor funded (insert project here)???"

PUC: Wailuku Water Co. to not sell assets (OHA water grab)

Isaac Moriwake, an attorney for Earthjustice representing petitioners demanding that the water commission establish instream flow standards in the watershed, said the PUC's action was "very significant." Among other issues, it represents "a concrete step" to block Wailuku Water from signing contracts purporting to give access to water from the stream diversions that his clients are challenging.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, one of the petitioners represented by Earthjustice, said that the order "protects Na Wai Eha kuleana users and others who depend on the streams from arbitrary action by an unregulated public utility."

Star Bulletin coverage

According to the Feb. 14 The Garden Island in a letter to Commissioner Randal Nishimura Namuo states that “the Hawaii Supreme court has found that where surface water and underground water mix and become part of a single system, (traditional Hawaiian) water rights can be protected.”

Surface water is a state “public trust resource” and according to Namuo, part of the public trust responsibility includes maintaining waters in their natural state and allowing Native Hawaiians to exercise traditional and customary rights such as fishing and gathering.

Well water is the source of drinking water for much of Hawaii. Since all underground water comes from surface water, Namuo’s theory -- which places any claim of real or imagined damage to Hawaiian fishing rights above all other property claims -- would extend OHA control to all wells in Hawaii -- control which might pass to a “sovereign Hawaiian government” if the Akaka Bill should become law. The only water which would evade OHA’s grasp is water which falls out of the sky and directly into a catchment system.