Al Hee Laughed out of Court—“Close this Case!”
HECO Announces Three Days of Rolling Blackouts -- Lists Communities to be Targeted
DCCA Approves Hawaiian Tel Sister-Isles Cable TV Franchise
NASED: One Bid Received for Aloha Stadium Boondoggle
Honolulu Resident Files Lawsuit Over Concealed Carry Permit Denial
Let’s Play Pretend Again: Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says settlement for 2023 Maui wildfire could come next week
AP: … The parties involved in Lahaina wildfire lawsuits against the state of Hawaii, Maui County and utilities are close to a global settlement of claims that will be worth a little over $4 billion, Gov. Josh Green told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Green said he’s hoping to finalize the details in coming days, perhaps as soon as Aug. 6, which would be two days before the one-year anniversary of the fire that killed 102 people and wiped out historic Lahaina.
“If that could happen, it would be great. I humbly invite all the parties to finalize the agreement,” Green said in an interview at his office. “It appears that we are almost there, and we only have a very tiny holdout remaining.”
(REALITY: A $4B ‘settlement’ could save HECO from BK but it is only possible if insurance companies agree to accept $600M rather than $2B. Settlement talk is just a distraction from the Governor.)
Cahill noted that he hadn’t received any notice for any party “of any settlement let alone one of a global nature.” However, he also hadn’t been informed of any impasse in the negotiation process, he wrote.
Jake Lowenthal, a Maui attorney selected as one of five liaisons for the coordination of the cases, said Wednesday, “as of now, there’s no settlement.”
Hawaiian Electric Company spokesperson Darren Pai said in an email that the mediation process is confidential and the company would not comment. Maui County didn’t respond to an email seeking comment….
MN: Insurance payouts for Lahaina fires exceeds $2.3 billion
read … Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says settlement for 2023 Maui wildfire could come next week
There Are So Few Doctors In Maui County That Even Medical Workers Struggle To Get Care
CB: … More than two-thirds of Maui County residents experienced delays accessing health care last year, according to a new report…..
There has long been a shortage of women’s health care providers — and health care providers in general — in Maui County, said Litt, who has worked as a nurse practitioner and certified nurse midwife on Maui since 2018.
Rising housing prices, the loss of key doctors, ongoing struggles with interisland transportation and the 2023 Maui fires have exacerbated the problem.
Today, residents are increasingly finding it difficult to get routine care. More than two-thirds of county residents experienced a delay in accessing health services in the last year, according to a recent report published by the Hawaii State Rural Health Association — a 21% increase from 2022.
A whopping 81% of medical professionals surveyed said they and their families struggled to get the appointments they needed….
read … There Are So Few Doctors In Maui County That Even Medical Workers Struggle To Get Care
TVR Fight Latest Excuse to Push the Failed ‘Vancouver Tax’?
UHERO: … Maui already levies higher property taxes on STRs (1.25-1.5% vs 0.3-0.8% for long-term rentals).[4] Further increases to the STR rate would push the least profitable short-term rentals out of the market, freeing up housing. Meanwhile, the most profitable rentals would persist, and continue paying county taxes. This revenue could support affordable housing initiatives, infrastructure, or other public projects, ensuring the short-term rental market better serves residents’ needs.
This approach parallels a policy solution that a growing number of cities have used to try address housing shortages: levying higher taxes on vacant housing units.[5] The available evidence shows that such taxes succeeded in reducing the number of vacant housing units in France and Vancouver, while also generating additional revenue from the remaining vacancies.[6] ….
read … Tax hike for Maui short-term rentals, UHERO blog suggests | University of Hawaiʻi System News (hawaii.edu)
Statewide initiative is danger to Gay Agenda
SA: … Had we had statewide initiative in 1993, when our Hawaii Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples had the right to marry unless the state could demonstrate a compelling state interest in denying them licenses, there is no doubt in my mind that there would have been a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 1994 limiting marriage to a man and woman. Because there was no statewide initiative, those supporting equal rights for our LGBTQ community were able to fight proposed constitutional amendments in the Legislature during the 1994, 1995 and 1996 sessions, and we had our day in court where the state failed to demonstrate its purported compelling state interest to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
We became the first state to recognize same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, in its 1997 session, the Legislature ultimately succumbed to political pressure and proposed the constitutional amendment that was adopted in 1998. The amendment, however, only gave the power to the Legislature to ban same-sex marriage — rather than writing the ban into the Constitution as statewide initiative would have done….
read … Column: Statewide initiative is danger to state constitutional rights
61-Time Loser Gets Bail, Guess What Happens Next
SA: … A 43-year-old man was charged with multiple crimes after allegedly driving a stolen van into a Manoa home, causing damage estimated at more than $5 million, and breaking the shoulder of a Honolulu Police Department officer who was trying to arrest him Sunday, according to state court records.
Savan Lokomaiki Tuazon was charged Tuesday with first-degree attempted assault, first-degree unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree criminal property damage and first- degree assault against a law enforcement officer.
At the time of Sunday’s incident, he was out on bail for allegedly stealing a black 2013 Lexus on Dec. 28 and has more than 61 prior arrests and citations, according to court records.
(IDEA: Don’t give bail to criminals with more than 20 priors.)
Tuazon’s bail in this latest case was set at $1 million, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for today….
read … Court records detail Manoa crime spree
63% of Bums Leave County Homeless Camp in First Month
HTH: … The county dismantled the Ponahawai shelter and relocated its 15 remaining occupants to a new shelter on Kuawa Street — a short road connecting Manono Street and Mamalahoa Highway just mauka of Kamehameha Avenue….Kunz said the downtown Hilo site began with about 40 former storm drain occupants, but that number has diminished. Some left the camp on their own, others broke rules and were made to leave, and still others were connected with homeless services.
(One Month: 63% of bums bailed.)
In what Kunz called “a bit of tough love,” residency at the Kuawa camp comes with a condition: All residents must register for assistance.
“If you’re coming here, then you want to be helped,” Kunz said. “If you don’t want to be helped, there’s nothing we can do.”
Kunz said a major challenge at the Ponahawai site was not the difficulty of keeping residents in it, but in keeping out visitors (drug dealers). The Kuawa site already had a chain-link fence around it before the camp was established, and will have 24/7 security to keep the peace….
read … County homeless camp relocated: Former site in Hilo has been restored
HPD Releases Body Camera Footage In Only A Fraction Of Deadly Encounters
CB: … In 2018, the Honolulu Police Department for the first time released body camera footage of a fatal officer-involved shooting. But since then, it’s been a rarity, with HPD sharing footage in just three of 22 deadly incidents. … in many cases, body camera footage wasn’t available because the officers involved in the incident were part of specialized units exempt from wearing the devices. In a few recent instances, the department has declined to release video, citing ongoing investigations….
read … HPD Releases Body Camera Footage In Only A Fraction Of Deadly Encounters
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