November 26, 2024 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

November 26, 2024 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 3:13 PM :: 276 Views

UHERO Grudgingly Admits ‘Uncertainties’ in Empty Homes Tax

Answers to Questions for Tulsi Gabbard about the National Socialists who directed her Syria Trip

DHHL Awards 68 Ag Lots on Big Island

Green: RFK responsible for 83 deaths in Samoa

KHON: …“RFK Jr. went to Samoa and demagogued the idea that vaccines were hurting people,” Gov. Green said. “He collapsed that vaccination program and that meant 83 people died. We were asked by the prime minister to come in and I took a medical mission team, to Samoa. We vaccinated the entire country. We did just under 37,000 vaccines in two days and that stopped the measles. If he does that kind of thing in America, you’ll see outbreaks of measles, mumps, rubella, polio, meningitis. He’s a terrible pick for HHS secretary and I hope that the President-Elect will pick someone else. A conservative Republican, perhaps, totally fine. His former surgeon general, Dr. (Jerome) Adams, is a good person, for example. So we have to, again, look out for our keiki. This stuff shouldn’t be political, and our RFK should go down.”

Currently, Hawaii’s health department requires 11 vaccines for schools. Incomplete immunizations have gone up from 3.44% in 2019-2020, to 7.63% in 2021-2022, and the latest report in 2022-2023 is 18.7%. Gov. Green is concerned about what is happening.

“That’s part of the trend where you have people, using misinformation or even disinformation to torpedo vaccination programs, which are totally safe. And then you’re gonna see outbreaks in areas that are more rural where people don’t have as much health literacy. I experienced that as a physician in Ka’u where sometimes we saw dips in the vaccination rates. Look, vaccinations are our best preventative measure to keep kids healthy. We should not be questioning that. There’s lots of good health debates that can occur, but vaccinations are safe.” ….

read … Hawaii Gov. Green blasts RFK Jr. nomination | KHON2

After losing race, former Maui County council chair calls for new election

HNN: … After losing the race for the South Maui County Council seat by just 97 votes, former Council Chair Kelly King is asking Hawaii's Supreme Court to void the results and have a new election ….

read … After losing race, former Maui County council chair calls for new election

Instead of empty homes tax, release more land

SA: … The geniuses at the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice have advised the Honolulu City Council to impose a 3.5% tax on homeowners who choose not to occupy their homes all year round. The group blames these part-time residents for Hawaii’s growing housing shortage.

However, instead of trampling on private property rights (in the way of communist China), perhaps the center should consider a more constitutional way of alleviating the housing shortage: Get rid of the state Land Use Commission and release a small portion of the 95% of Hawaii’s undeveloped land for more housing. Duh….

read … Instead of empty homes tax, release more land

Hawaii Nursing Home Deficiencies Among Highest In The Nation

CB: … The number of average deficiencies in Hawaii nursing homes almost doubled between 2015 and 2023….

Hawaii’s Office of Healthcare Assurance said the rise in average deficiencies reported here are linked to Covid-19. New federal infection control guidelines were implemented during the pandemic, leading to an increase in deficiency reports as surveyors in Hawaii ensured facilities were complying with the new standards….

read … Hawaii Nursing Home Deficiencies Among Highest In The Nation

Matson’s New Vessels Illustrate Jones Act’s Grip On Hawaii Shipping

CB: … Customers ultimately will be the ones to foot the bill, thanks to America’s protectionist maritime law….

read … Matson’s New Vessels Illustrate Jones Act’s Grip On Hawaii Shipping

Trask Geothermal Scheme back with Backing from UH

SA: … Between 2011 and 2017, Innovations Development Group (IDG) led the way in focusing on geothermal energy, equipping both the general public and policy-makers with insights from its experience in New Zealand.

IDG has set up Waika Consulting, which has been selected as the contractor to the University of Hawaii to build capacity and undertake preliminary planning for the exploration and development of geothermal energy….

read … Column: Develop geothermal, not fossil fuels | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Life in Academia: New UH President Was Only Accused Of Discrimination Twice Before Hiring

CB: … At the time of the Gaza protests on New York City campuses earlier this year, the incoming president of the University of Hawaii was facing accusations of discrimination by a Jewish faculty member — concerns that followed similar allegations by a Black law professor in Georgia.

It remains unclear whether the UH Board of Regents knew about either complaint when it chose City University of New York Provost Wendy Hensel as a finalist to lead its 10-campus system.

The allegations at CUNY and Georgia State University raise questions about the vetting the UH regents conducted before they hired Hensel for a job paying $675,000 a year, plus a $7,000 monthly housing allowance. UH continues to downplay the two incidents while declining to say whether the executive search firm WittKieffer, paid nearly $148,000 for the search so far, knew about them or brought them to the regents….

read … New UH President Was Accused Of Discrimination At Two Posts Before Hiring

The Unnamed Dead Of Honolulu May Be Revealed Through DNA Testing

CB: … Some were crime victims. Others lived and died in solitude.

Some may have been lost hikers, runaway children, or wanderers.

One thing connects the 58 or so remains at the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office found with no identification card and no next of kin to claim them: They remain nameless.

Forensic pathologists hope that advanced DNA testing technology will allow them to attach names to all of the agency’s unidentified people. But for now, five cases — all children and teens — have been sent for additional testing thanks to a $50,000 grant from Texas-based cold case resolution company, Othram. …

Thus far, her agency has worked on one successful identification with Othram.

Skeletal remains unearthed by a construction crew in Manoa in 2010 were tested and later identified as belonging to William Hans Holling Jr., a Washington man last seen by friends and family in January 1985. Othram identified Holling’s remains and the Honolulu Police Department confirmed his identity in July. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains open….

read … The Unnamed Dead Of Honolulu May Be Revealed Through DNA Testing

QUICK HITS: