August 4, 2023 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Friday, August 4, 2023

August 4, 2023 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:57 PM :: 3064 Views

Hawaii Democrats Used ‘Fake Electors’ During The 1960 Election. Nobody Was Charged.

Steve Forbes says the Jones Act should be sunk

Chief Justice Appoints Three Oahu District Court Judges

Eight Years Later: Honolulu Rail Is Still Waiting For The Feds To Release Money

CB: … Members of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation were presented with a financial update Thursday that disclosed that $125 million in federal funding — money HART officials expected to receive last December — will probably not arrive until this December.

City officials signed an agreement with the federal government in 2012 that called for $1.55 billion in federal funding to help finance the city rail line. However, $744 million of that federal money has been held up since 2014 as the Honolulu rail project suffered years of delays and gigantic cost overruns….

The $125 million is the first chunk of that $744 million, and the balance won’t be available until even later….

The FTA accepted the city recovery plan on Sept. 30, raising hopes that the $125 million tranche of federal funding would quickly be released. But the FTA is requiring an amended “full funding grant agreement” be finalized between FTA and the city before it releases any of the long-awaited $744 million.

Ten months later, that full funding grant agreement still hasn’t been approved….

BACKGROUND:

read … Honolulu Rail Is Still Waiting For The Feds To Release Large Chunks of Money

Developers Pour $600K into Mayor’s 2024 Campaign Fund

CB: … Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi has close to $600,000 in his war chest with just over a year to go until the next election, according to his most recent disclosure to the state Campaign Spending Commission.

The Friends of Rick Blangiardi committee has taken in $584,950 in contributions since January. The bulk of the funds rolled in after his campaign started fundraising events in May.

A variety of business leaders, developers and legal groups have so far contributed to Blangiardi’s 2024 reelection bid. Top donors include family members of the Kobayashi Group and the Resort Group, who collectively donated $10,000 and $6,000, respectively….

Meanwhile, Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm’s prospective 2024 campaign is running on fumes.

His disclosure shows he has just over $3,000 in cash left over from his successful 2020 run. He spent $410,532 on his campaign then. Alm declined to comment on the filing and said he would hold off announcing his plans until spring.

Colin Moore, a political analyst with the University of Hawaii Manoa, said the relatively low fundraising levels likely mean both candidates feel relatively safe given their household name recognition….

read … Fundraising For Mayor’s 2024 Campaign Is Off To A Quiet Start - Honolulu Civil Beat

Kailua attorney has gained attention defending January 6 insurrectionists

ILind: … In a post here at the end of May, I wrote about William Shipley, the defense attorney representing Mike Miske’s co-defendant, Jarrin Young. After losing in several attempts to gain Young’s release on bond pending trial, Shipley filed a notice that he was appealing the most recent decision by Judge Derrick Watson to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

On July 23, the 9th circuit issued an order denying the appeal as “untimely.”

According to the order, Shipley had 14 days within which to file the appeal. When Shipley missed the deadline, the government objected. The court’s order referred to a federal rule established the deadline as “inflexible” if the government properly raises the issue of untimeliness.

.. it appears Shipley, whose law office practice is based in Kailua, has been busy on other cases.

Most importantly, has been appearing in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., on behalf of dozens of defendants charged with crimes stemming from their participation in the January 6, 2021 insurrection and takeover of the U.S. Capitol….Much of his work there has been paid for by the January 6 Legal Defense Fund Foundation….

Shipley appears to have been the primary attorney for some defendants, a co-counsel making limited appearances for others, and in some cases coming in to take up appeals. Some of his cases have involved high-profile defendants, such as the so-called “QAnon Shaman,” Jacob Chansley, and Roberto Minuta, one of the Oath Keepers members convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges….

read … Kailua attorney has gained attention defending January 6 insurrectionists

Millionaire Hawaiian heiress among those who received federal bailout funds

HNN: … Bruce Voss, attorney for the 94-year-old Kawananakoa, said the loan was needed because the three-year legal battle over her $215 million fortune had drained her bank accounts. ….

Background: Kawananakoa Estate: Sex, Drugs, and Inequality

read … Millionaire Hawaiian heiress among those who received federal bailout funds

Same Hustle, Different Year: Classroom air conditioning (again)

KHON: … Tanaka said out of the 12,000 classrooms statewide, 3,400 units have been installed so far. He said there are classrooms in certain areas of the state that are hotter and get priority, such as the west side portions of the islands.

Tanaka said, “If we achieve 60% of what the target is, I think we are going to be in pretty good shape; and the level of urgency will be less.” …

At this point, it is a sure bet to say reaching the goal of installing A/C units in all classrooms remains years and millions of dollars away.

Tanaka said, “The cost of equipment gets higher, shipping gets higher and the units that we are going to install, some of these schools are older. So, what is that infrastructure cost going to cost us?” ….

FLASHBACK: How Not to Cool the Schools

read … Thousands of Hawaii classrooms still need air conditioning

Dead Batteries From Electric Vehicles Could “Make Islands Unlivable”

KITV: … It's a problem that's really piling up... Literally. At salvage yards across the islands, collections of dead batteries from electric vehicles are growing because there's nowhere else to send them.

True, that batteries from EVs can be recycled and repurposed, but in Hawaii it's not that simple.

"Because there's no place to recycle on the island and, and to get them off the island, it costs a lot of money per battery," explained Rob Oakley, a Kalihi Valley resident who's been in the auto repair and restoration business for over 30 years. "There's shipping restrictions, there's lithium ion batteries, there's fire hazards. They have special shipping containers that they got to be in, be in. So, you know, it costs a lot of money to get those batteries off the island and nobody wants to pay for it."…

"The fire and the safety for our, for our islands. If these cells end up in the landfills, they break down, they catch fire. You can't put out a landfill fire. The islands are pretty much unlivable if that happens."…

read … Dead Batteries From Electric Vehicles In Hawaii Find Dead Ends

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