Half of Hawaii's teachers quit within five years
Why Can’t We Feed Keiki Local Food?
Maui Vacation Rental Ban: Giving the finger to bigoted, racist and xenophobic comments
BH: … The debate has resurfaced previously underlying tensions related to race and xenophobia. Some community members argue that the push to eliminate these short-term rentals is driven by anti-tourist sentiment that also unfairly targets non-resident owners, many of whom are from the mainland or international backgrounds….
This sentiment has been described by some as a manifestation of xenophobia, reflecting a broader reluctance to accept outsiders in Hawaii. These have long been real yet sometimes unspoken issues in Hawaii, for time immemorial...
During the heated discussions we viewed online, prominent Hawaii economist Paul Brewbaker, who authored a white paper on the economic impact of the proposed ban, became embroiled in an unexpected and emotional behavior.
Brewbaker made the obscene hand gesture during the virtual meeting, directed at what he perceived to be bigoted, racist and xenophobic comments from one of the participants, Justin Kekiwi. That comment which Brewbaker reacted to was regarding Maui vacation rental owners. Justin said: “Those people no belong here. And we don’t want you here. So, sell your units ‘back’ to us.”
(LOL: ‘Back’ CLUE: Kekiwi's comments are a distraction designed to steer people down a dead-end path until they are ultimately forced to move to the Mainland.)
This incident further inflamed the debate, with some applauding Brewbaker for standing up against prejudice…
(NOTE: This is the ONLY place where you will learn what Brewbaker was responding to.)
read … Maui Vacation Rental Ban Sparks Unprecedented Xenophobic and Racial Tensions
$4B Lahaina Settlement: Maui Judge Pretends he can take control of something that does not exist
CB: … Insurers paid out $2.34 billion as of the end of June, and total insurance losses are expected to top $3.2 billion, according to the latest data from the Hawaii Insurance Division. Insurers that pay claims typically can seek reimbursement from parties responsible for the damage. So in January more than 140 insurers filed a separate lawsuit in Honolulu circuit court seeking reimbursement for the insurance claims they have paid.
(QUESTION: Why do they call Maui ‘Duckburg’? A: Because there are so many quacks.)
Echoing the victims’ suits, the insurance suit says parties including HECO, Hawaiian Telcom, Kamehameha Schools and others were negligent in allowing fires to start and spread. As a consequence, the so-called subrogation suit says, the defendants should have to reimburse the insurers.
But victims are concerned the insurers could end up eating up most of a settlement if the insurers have a priority to be paid first, leaving little compensation for victims who were uninsured or underinsured.
(REALITY: So another phony political circus is organized to distract the people while they are moved to Las Vegas.)
Earlier this week, Wong wrote Cahill asking for him to resolve the thorny questions concerning subrogation. In a rare agreement between the litigants, HECO backed its opponent’s request in a separate letter to Cahill.
(CLUE: All of this is a desperate effort to keep HEI out of bankruptcy. It won’t work.)
With Friday’s order, Cahill (without laughing) essentially agreed to step in. He said that the Maui court has jurisdiction to resolve the matter, even though the insurers have a separate subrogation suit in Honolulu.
“Despite the filing of a separate lawsuit pending in a different circuit, THIS COURT FINDS AND CONCLUDES that it has the jurisdiction, authority and legal duty to review and resolve subrogation liens in the event of settlement any Maui Fire Case,” Cahill wrote.
(CLUES: Intermediate Court of Appeals. Toast.)
And he scheduled a status conference for Aug. 13 to sort out the apparent cause of the obstacle: A dispute between wildfire victims who have filed suits seeking compensation for damages suffered because of the fires on one side and, on the other side, insurance companies that have paid out fire claims to policyholders.
The dispute centers on who will have priority over settlement proceeds: the victims or insurers.
(TALKS: Q: “Will you insurance companies walk away from $1.4B so HEI can avoid BK?” A: “Nope.”)
KITV: 600 Maui wildfire lawsuits; parties ordered to appear at Aug. 13 hearing in Maui
HNN: Part of the conversation apparently involved inaccurate news reports from out-of-state media that there was a four billion dollar settlement on the table.
read … Maui Judge Tries To Clear The Path To A Settlement Of Billion-Dollar Wildfire Cases
Lahaina survivors ‘re-traumatized’ by emergency sheltering program
HNN: … Hawaii News Now has been following the story of Front Street evacuee Charles Nahale, as he was moved five times. He talks about the stress that comes even with supposedly reliable housing.
“Where are we going to go when this contract ends in February we are all going to be on the streets again?” he asked.
(CLUE: Vegas.)
The survey heard from 2,097 Maui residents — 1,105 of them directly impacted by the fires. It found 59 percent of survivors were moved three or more times. In focus groups many said constant fear of relocation with little warning wore on them, as well as feeling “gaslighted” — jerked around by system, Grove said.
(CLUE: Move to Vegas.)
“Getting different people assigned to their cases and then having to go back and tell their stories all over again,” she said. So, what are they doing? They’re re traumatized every time they have to tell a story to a stranger.”
(CLUE: Move to Vegas.)
read … Survey finds Lahaina survivors were re-traumatized by emergency sheltering program
Panic: Desperate HART Board Privately Weighs 'Funding Scenarios' For Remaining Rail Construction
CB: … (Panicked) Board members overseeing Honolulu’s Skyline transit construction met for more than 90 minutes behind closed doors Friday to discuss what was described as “hypothetical funding scenarios” to build the rail system as far as Kakaako.
(TRANSLATION: They have seen the bids and know there is no money.)
The discussion occurred three days after the latest bids for the project’s pivotal “City Center Guideway and Stations” contract were due to the city. Board members (claim they) haven’t seen those bids, but (we know they have.) Concerns remain over whether (how much) they came in on (over) budget as construction labor and materials costs continue to rise.
(TRANSLATION: $2B)
Several previous attempts to award the city center contract have failed in the past decade amid Skyline’s myriad cost and schedule woes….
read … HART Board Privately Weighs 'Funding Scenarios' For Remaining Rail Construction
DPP Springs into Action: Shuts Down N Shore Affordable Housing project
CB: …HRI is the land management arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
In a column earlier this month, I reported on its proposed Laie oceanfront development. (I am a member of a club that owns property along the same Laie shoreline but the club is not involved in the development.)
At that time, HRI President Eric Beaver said the project was in its beginning stage with the company seeking multiple permits including an environmental assessment and a Special Management Area permit before it could start any work.
But the city planning department cited HRI on July 17 for jumping the gun by clearing land on part of the oceanfront property without a SMA permit and also for doing grubbing work without a permit on a road that leads into the proposed development.
In one notice, DPP cites HRI for removing trees and vegetation. The notice requires HRI to stop all work on that parcel until it gets an SMA permit or it could be fined up to $100,000 initially and up to $10,000 a day after that.
A second notice of violation cites HRI for grubbing without a permit approximately 16,305 square feet of land that’s part of a road widening project. DPP says HRI must get a grubbing permit by Aug. 19 or restore all the vegetation it removed. If the violation is not corrected, there will be an initial fine of $50 and $25 a day after that.
Laie resident Faye Fukuyama told Civil Beat on June 24 that HRI had started work to double the width of the 10-foot road, which is jointly owned by her family, HRI and other owners….
(TRANSLATION: N Shore not for little people. Get rich or go home.)
read … Denby Fawcett: Laie Beachfront Developer Cited For Starting Work Without Permits - Honolulu Civil Beat
Dozens of new Hawaii preschool classrooms, are there enough teachers?
KHON: … Educators are still needed statewide amid Hawaii’s teacher shortage, however a total of 44 spaces that went unused in Hawaii Department of Education schools have been converted into preschool classrooms. …
(CLUE: ‘Solution’ to declining DoE enrollment—add two new grade levels.)
“These 44 preschools, yes, we do have teachers for those preschools. We also are working with our high schools and their career technical education programs,” DOE deputy superintendent Heidi Armstrong said, “to garner interest into the teaching field.”
DOE officials also pointed to there still being about 270 vacancies online for teacher positions across the state. …
KHON: School bus drivers still needed as kids get ready to go back to school | KHON2
read ... Dozens of new Hawaii preschool classrooms, are there enough teachers?
City renews non-Mafia Waikiki beachboy concession permit
KITV: … The city has confirmed to Island News that it has extended the permit with (non-Mafia) Dive Oahu for another six months after the permit expired last week.
However, some (Mafiosos) aren't too happy with this extension, including many Waikiki Beach Boys.
"With the city, they've got two concessions and they gave both of them to the same guy," Aaron Rutledge, (Unity House. LOL!) owner of Star Beachboys, told Island News. "It wouldn't be too bad if one concession, the way it used to be, one business had one, another business had one, and the one's that lacking, the other one can pick up the slack."
2022: FBI: Miske Ran Waikiki ‘Beachboy’ Concession
2019: Unity House: After 70 Years, Corruption Comes to an End
read … City renews controversial Waikiki beach concession permit
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