Hawaii County: Government by retaliation--Procurement issue appears headed to court

According to a contract between the county and HMP, the county is supposed to buy tackcoat -- a liquid asphalt material applied to road surfaces for paving projects -- only from HMP this fiscal year, which is July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.

Somebody with the Public Works' Highways Division, however, decided to start buying tackcoat from Kailua- Kona firm Grace Pacific last summer at the same price because Grace Pacific offered to apply the material for free.
After HMP Vice President Shon Pahio complained that procurement regulations were violated and that the county owes his company the money it lost to Grace Pacific, Public Works halted paving projects on Sept. 3 allegedly because the tackcoat provided by HMP was not meeting specifications....

"But what the county won't tell you" is that the source of the material that tested below county specifications came from tackcoat Public Works let "sit around" for an extended period of time, Hong said....

"The county decided to retaliate against my client because he turned in the Public Works Department to the procurement office," he said.
The lawsuit may also allege the county is guilty of deceptive trade practices and racketeering, Hong said.

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Pork Dreams: State will mark 50 years with new power in D.C.

Barack Obama's swearing in as the nation's 44th president is only part of the ascendance of Hawaii in national politics.  This year also marks the start of Hawaii senior U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye's tenure as chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

While no one is suggesting having two native sons in such prominent roles would amount to preferential treatment for Hawaii, it could be beneficial.

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Students' names must be revealed (Kam Schools 'Plan B')

The attorneys for the four students, David Rosen and Eric Grant, had asked Kurren to reconsider, citing anonymous threats posted on the Internet and hostile remarks attached to the comment sections of local online news stories about the admissions controversy.

Parents of the students have said in court papers that they may drop the lawsuit if the children are not allowed to pursue their lawsuit anonymously.  (Precisely the point...)

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Kaua`i County Charter Commission in disarray

When the 2006 proposal to form a new commission in 2007 was strongly adopted by the Kauai voters it was the expectation of many that it would turn its attention early to the county manager concept. But this was not the objective of the mayor and the council chair. Although the term for the new commission began in January 2007, appointment of members was delayed and the commission did not hold its first meeting until September 2007.

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