Trump to be Removed from Hawaii Republican Ballot--or vice versa
New information suggests link between Miske group and a North Shore drug gang
ILind: … Back in August, I wrote about the young North Shore man who had just been “outed” after serving as an FBI confidential source during the federal investigation that led to the indictments of former Honolulu business owner Michael J. Miske Jr. and a dozen co-defendants (“A North Shore Shooting That Left Two Men Dead Has An Intriguing Link To The Miske Case“).
A friend of the newly disclosed FBI source, Keoni Adric, said Adric had denied being an FBI source, and he had not been connected to Miske by any public documents available at that time, although one of the apparent attackers he shot and killed during the 2018 shootout in the Haleiwa Joe’s parking lot had been mentioned once or twice in the Miske case files because he had allegedly been considered for a “contract” to kill Lindsey Kinney, probably in 2017.
But according to information publicly disclosed for the first time in recent court filings by attorneys for Miske and his co-defendants, Adric became an FBI informant after he was shot “multiple times” while attending a chicken fight in Waianae in March 2017, when he was only 18. His assailant, Dusky Toledo, was the man Miske had considered hiring for a “hit,” and was one of the victims killed by Adric in the Haleiwa Joe’s incident. The other Haleiwa Joe’s victim, Dustin Young-Toledo, was Dusky Toledo’s nephew, according to news accounts….
read … New information suggests link between Miske group and a North Shore drug gang
“We are considering moving to Mexico,” Government proposals worry Maui short-term rental owners
SA: … Finding housing for survivors has emerged as a top priority in the wake of the devastating Maui wildfires, but many fear that proposals coming forth to convert vacation rental units will jeopardize some businesses still struggling to stay afloat after the pandemic and since Lahaina’s destruction….
Farm stays are an allowable accessory use on agricultural land and Smith said the cottages are licensed vacation homes that are registered with the county and state. She said before she and her husband Maurice bought the 20-acre agricultural parcel it had been used for illicit purposes, including drugs and illegal dumping….
“We turned a garbage dump into a coffee farm,” Smith said. “My husband (Maurice) and I spent five years restoring the ecology of the stream. When we moved the garbage, we found the petroglyphs and contacted archaeologists, who have been working on the site.”….,
Both women say they are proud of the improvements that they have made to their properties, which were once the dregs of the neighborhood. They say their farm stays also have allowed them to create a regenerative tourism market that supports Makawao and Haiku businesses.
Over the years they have survived governmental pushback on vacation rentals, which since the growth of hosting sites has had a complicated relationship with some Maui residents.
But they worry proposals from Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen and Gov. Josh Green aimed at compelling vacation rental owners to turn their properties into longer-term housing for Maui wildfire survivors might be their end, and more broadly would essentially equate to another tourist shutdown, which could irreparably harm businesses, especially those that barely survived COVID-19.
“We are considering moving to Mexico,” Smith said….
read … Government proposals worry Maui short-term rental owners
Horse Tour Operator Being Fined to Death
CB: … A popular North Shore business accused of illegally offering horseback rides and ATV tours is resisting orders from the county to shut down.
North Shore Stables is in Waialua near Kaiaka Bay. It’s on agricultural land, which by law is intended for farming. Owner Adam Lee says he does use the property to grow crops and manage animals. But for the last two years, the business has also sold beachfront trail rides and four-wheeler tours.
The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting has issued multiple violation notices and finally issued notices of order — including fines — in mid-November. The department says the business must cease the horse rides and ATV tours and pay fines that have been accumulating at a rate of $500 a day.
Racquel Achiu, vice chair of the North Shore Neighborhood Board, said she and other community members are pleased to see the city take action to ensure agricultural land is used for its intended purpose ….
(Horses are not agricultural? Any excuse to squelch small businesses….)
read … Fines Pile Up Over ATV Tours And Horseback Rides On North Shore Ag Land
Tourist Count Up but tourist income in real terms hasn’t grown in the past 30 years
CB: … “Unless Hawaii takes note and acts, we fear that Hawaii’s unique people, culture, environment, and way of life are at risk – the Hawaii of the future may be unrecognizable,” Patrick Sullivan, the founder and chief executive of Oceanit writes in a paper titled “Hawaii – Losing the Future?” It was co-authored with Paul Brewbaker, principal of TZ Economics and a prominent voice in local economics.
It’s not just that tourism has negative side effects on natural and cultural resources, the authors argue. It’s also that tourism in real terms hasn’t grown in the past 30 years when accounting for inflation….
PDF: Microsoft Word - Sullivan n Brewbaker - Hawaii Economic Future Ver 16 a (documentcloud.org)
read … Hawaii Economists To Lawmakers: Help Diversify Beyond Tourism - Honolulu Civil Beat
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