September 15, 2024 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

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Sunday, September 15, 2024

September 15, 2024 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 5:10 PM :: 1241 Views

State Workers Have Immunity – Even Without Being Trump

Tax Hikes Coming: Socialist Legislators Launch 'Peoples Budget'

US House Passes Pacific Partnership Act

Hawaii Congressional Delegation How They Voted September 14, 2024

Plumbing the depths of Maui’s housing shortage: Can small changes have a big impact?

Maui County Corp Counsel furious over interviews released in AG Maui report

KHON: … included in the 500-page report were recorded interviews with County first responder personnel, directors, deputies and employees, which has Maui County attorneys furious, saying they were never told the interviews would be released to the public.

A recorded interview from Maui Fire Department Battalion Chief, Lee Theros, was one of about 150 technical interviews conducted by the Fire Safety Research Institute as part of their analysis of the Maui wildfire, with the recording available to the public.

During Friday’s news conference announcing the results of the report, the FSRI Research Program Manager said interviewees knew their recorded interviews would be made public.

“They knew these things were going to be used for the analysis. That was understood,” said Derek Alkonis, FSRI Research Program Manager.

Maui Corp Counsel Victoria Takeyasu disputes that statement….

The County said that interviewees were not offered immunity from subsequent civil or criminal prosecution in exchange for their testimony. Maui County Special Counsel David Minkin said some are looking at legal representation.

“We don’t know whether the County has what’s called standing to do anything about it, but the individuals most certainly do, and my understanding is some of them have already started talking to lawyers,” Minkin said….

read … Attorneys furious on interviews released by AG Maui report (khon2.com)

ABC special misrepresents facts about Maui, Lahaina

MN: … The show inferred that anyone who identifies as a “local,” certainly anyone who is part of Lahaina Strong, is of Hawaiian ancestry. That is simply not true….

REALITY: Meet the Meth Gang Behind ‘Lahaina Strong’

read … Letter: ABC special misrepresents facts about Maui, Lahaina

Kapi’olani locks out hundreds of nurses after one-day strike

SA: … Hundreds of union nurses gathered this morning to return to work at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children and to defy management’s lockout following their one-day strike on Friday.

They gathered, some in full scrubs, and marched to the entrance of the hospital at about a quarter to 7 a.m., but were met midway by Troy Branstetter, vice president of general services, informing them they could not enter due to the lockout….

The nurses then walked back to the street to hold what the union called a demonstration, holding signs reading “Illegal Lockout.” …

On Friday evening, Kapi‘olani’s CEO David Underriner sent a letter to the Agas-Yuu via fax and email, saying the lockout would occur at 7 a.m. today unless HNA unconditionally accepts the offer presented on Monday.

“If HNA does not unconditionally accept our offer, HNA nurses shall not report to work tomorrow and will not be allowed to enter the hospital for the purpose of working,” wrote Underriner. “We have communicated this information to HNA and our nurses on multiple occasions over the last nine days. Any direction by HNA to have our nurses report for work would be misleading, intentionally disruptive, and would serve no legitimate purpose.”

Honolulu Police Department officers were present near the entrance to the parking structure, but did not stop the nurses from their walk up the roundabout and back to the sidewalk….

Agas-Yuu said Friday’s strike was held to protest management’s retaliation against nurses who were filling out safe-staffing forms….

Friday also marked one year since negotiations began between Kapi‘olani and HNA, which represents about 600 nurses, with no apparent resolution on contract terms, primarily over nurse-to-patient ratios. The union has been working without a contract since December….

Management has said that in the third year Kapi‘olani’s contract offer, registered nurses would receive a base salary of between $133,000 to $160,000. The union insists the issue is unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios, not pay….

SA: Kapi‘olani nurses show up to defy lockout, and are turned away

KITV: Kapiolani Medical Center nurses & officials continue seeking resolution | News | kitv.com

read … Kapi’olani locks out hundreds of nurses after one-day strike

Cost of Living Summit to address outmigration of Hawaii’s young professionals

HNN: … Every year, more people leave Hawaii than move here, and young adults make up nearly 25% of those departures.

The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii’s Young Professionals (YP) Program is hosting a summit to discuss solutions to the brain drain.

Organizers Jessica Yuhara and Alena Kangas Auyoung joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about efforts to retain top young talent in Hawaii and its Cost of Living Summit on October 25 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Alohilani Resort in Waikiki.

Among the factors prompting the outmigration of young adults are the high cost of living and lack of civic engagement in Hawaii. According to UHERO and DBEDT, young adults ages 25 to 34 represent 13.8% of Hawaii’s population, yet account for 24.3% of departures….

read … Cost of Living Summit to address outmigration of Hawaii’s young professionals

Rental housing tower for DHHL beneficiaries ready to rise

SA: … A long-planned rental apartment tower in Honolulu’s urban core for state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries is slated to begin construction next month after delays.

The $154 million project, dubbed Hale Moiliili, will provide 278 units for DHHL beneficiaries with very low to moderate incomes.

Apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units will serve households earning as little as 30% of the median income on Oahu and up to 100%. Monthly rents will be tied to incomes, and based on current levels would range from $657 to $3,460….

read … Rental housing tower for DHHL beneficiaries ready to rise

‘Top Two’ Primary Would have Stopped Tranny

Shapiro: … Another key to restoring the general election as the main event is adopting “top two” primaries like California and Louisiana, where candidates from all parties and independents run in a single primary, with the two top finishers — no matter their parties — running off in the general.

It would force Hawaii Republicans to fix their dysfunction if they want to compete, encourage Democrats of different ideologies to challenge party incumbents and open possibilities for smaller parties and independents — all working to give more choices to a bigger general election electorate.

This year’s landmark race where Kim Coco Iwamoto narrowly upset House Speaker Scott Saiki would have been run in the general election instead of the Democratic primary, with potentially twice as many voters weighing in on such a momentous decision….

SA: House Speaker Scott Saiki leaves a legacy of addressing hard issues | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

CB: Kim Coco Iwamoto Talks About Ousting The House Speaker And Prospects For Legislative Reform

read … Volcanic Ash: Make the general election more than just a sideshow

Some hikers blame ‘rancid’ toilet facilities for norovirus outbreak on Kalalau Trail on Kauaʻi

KNN: … As the Hawaiʻi State Department of Land and Natural Resources continues with its survey to determine the cause of the norovirus outbreak that has affected at least 50 visitors on the Kalalau Trail along the Nāpali Coast on Kauaʻi, some are blaming the virus on the state’s facilities that they say are unsanitary.

One hiker also said a hospital’s failure to report her case contributed to the spread…

Signs of the virus began when Burr witnessed one of her friends spring out of his hammock to throw up. Shortly after that, Burr saw other people getting sick, including a person lying on the ground next to the public toilets….

Despite telling doctors and nurses at the hospital that she was one of many others that were sick on the trail, Burr says no one from the hospital reported the incident to the state Department of Health.

“I was thinking I’m going to see the park is going to be shut down, or they’re going to have some type of announcement. And two days had passed and I saw nothing,” she said.

Two days later, Burr called the state Department of Health to report the illness and was given a testing kit that confirmed norovirus. That afternoon, the trail was shut down….

Aside from the reporting, Burr says there needs to be better signage, education and maintenance of the composting toilets, which she called “smelly” and “poorly maintained.”…

Despite the state’s enforcement efforts leading to a decline in the number of squatters and illegal businesses, some people continue to live there.

Burr had mentioned she was camping next to a woman who been living at the site with her 8-month old baby for over a month. The woman had given birth to the baby in the stream at Kalalau.

“She trusts that spirit will provide,” Burr said, but added that the woman relies on other hikers to “take pity” on her and offer to help her out.

Burr later learned through Facebook that the woman also contracted norovirus and became really sick….

read … Some hikers blame ‘rancid’ toilet facilities for norovirus outbreak on Kalalau Trail on Kauaʻi

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