Taiwan President Lai visits Bishop Museum in Hawaii
ALERT: Stop the misguided "empty homes" tax proposal
Deferred Maintenance
Breaking: Mike Miske found dead at Honolulu’s Federal Detention Center
ILind: … it has apparently now been confirmed and reported by Hawaii News Now. Before it became public, the news had been spreading rapidly among those Miske’s criminal enterprise had impacted, including family and friends of Jonathan Fraser.
Miske was convicted by a federal jury in July on 13 of 16 charges, including murder for hire, murder in aid of racketeering, and kidnapping for the murder of Fraser, who Miske wrongly blamed for the death of his son, Caleb Miske. The jury also found that more than $20 million of assets should be forfeited to the federal government.
Miske was scheduled to be sentenced early next year. Several charges carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison…
SA: Fraser was last seen July 30, 2016, and his body has not been recovered. (One last insult: Miske suicide without revealing location of Frasier's body.)
KHON: What does Miske's death mean for co-conspirators, victims?
KITV: The Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Center confirmed that at approximately 9:15 a.m., Michael Miske was found unresponsive at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Honolulu.
KHON: Honolulu EMS initially responded to the medical emergency call at 9:18 a.m. and was there for nearly an hour. The medical examiner’s staff took over after that.
HNN: Multiple law enforcement sources confirm he died in an apparent suicide.
SA: Sources have confirmed with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser as of noon, but his cause of death has not been confirmed.
CB: Miske was found dead on Sunday morning in the Federal Detention Center where he had been incarcerated for more than four years
CB: Miske Felt Hopeful About Appeal Before His Death In Jail, Lawyer Says
read … Mike Miske found dead at Honolulu’s Federal Detention Center
DNI? Gabbard set to lose 48-52, RFK will lose 45-55
CK: … Sen. Mullin says Hegseth should be able to get confirmed given the police report clears him of criminal wrongdoing (and barring any other allegations). GABBARD — Sen. Mullin believes she currently has 48 YES votes, with five Republicans who he believes can be convinced. RFK JR. — Sen. Mullin says he has about 45 YES votes, but believes all 53 can still be convinced ….
Tulsi Gabbard Accused Trump of Being Saudi Arabia's Bitch -- She also posted to Facebook, writing, “Despicable. Trump’s offering to place our military assets under the command of a foreign country—Saudi Arabia—is a disgrace and betrayal of my patriotic brothers and sisters in uniform and to our Constitution. We are not your prostitutes. You are not our pimp.”
TI: Tulsi Gabbard’s history with Russia is even more concerning than you think
CSM: Can Russia’s ‘girlfriend’ Tulsi Gabbard keep US secrets? - CSMonitor.com
read … Gabbard, RFK don’t have the votes
Slush Fund News: OHA Fears Trump Will not Give Cash for Military Leases
KWO: … How dramatically did the results of the presidential election affect the ongoing negotiations over the expiring leases between the State of Hawaiʻi and the military?
Without a doubt, the answer is: significantly.
When the negotiations began, the president and the governor were in the same party. Now, the situation has been upended.
There are still three likely outcomes. 1) The State of Hawaiʻi and the military negotiate a new agreement (which the parties have been working on); 2) The State of Hawaiʻi takes the land back à la Kahoʻolawe; 3) The military decides to just seize the land.
(TRANSLATION: ‘Working On’ = Protesting against military to obtain leverage to trade for cash from the DoD.)
The third option, which could be made possible by a directive from the president to just take the land, was the dreaded outcome for most people paying attention to negotiations. Now, it might be the most likely outcome.
“Our biggest concern is if [the incoming Trump administration] suddenly decides that they don’t want to work as partners and act unilaterally, that would be disappointing for everyone,” said Gov. Josh Green in a phone interview….
(TRANSLATION: No slush fund for OHA.)
For the past six decades, the State of Hawaiʻi has “made” a little more than a penny-and-a-half every year for letting the United State military use more than 230,000 acres of state lands in four tracts for their unrestricted purposes.
The leases are set to expire on Aug. 16, 2029.
(IDEA: Renew leases for another $1 to support national defense.)
The person at the focal point for the state is Dawn Chang, who now occupies Ferry’s post. She has said another lease like the one signed in 1964 is out of the question.
“What’s the community benefit package?” asked Chang. “Clearly the dollar, and it’s not even a dollar a year, it’s one dollar for the 65-year lease. That’s not going to happen. I think it’s very clear to United States Department of Defense that’s not going to happen.”…
Chang said there was a possibility that the negotiators could have followed the path of the innovative and aloha-driven solution like the settlement in the Navahine case against the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, where the adversarial parties ended up on the same side of the negotiating table.
“I would urge others to look at [the Navahine] model,” she said. The youth plaintiffs “got a seat at the table, so I tell the community to participate. No grumble. Participate.”…
(TRANSLATION: OHA dream is based on kids ‘global warming’ lawsuit against ‘big oil’—soon to be smashed by SCOTUS.)
When I went to the meeting at Pōhakuloa, the optimist in me was looking for a pair of hopeful elements: Could the lessons of successful efforts on Mauna Kea and Kahoʻolawe be brought forward to the lease negotiations? And was there the possibility of a Navahine-like non-monetary settlement?
(How to define ‘successful’? CLUE 1: Telescopes moving to Chile. CLUE 2: Kahoolawe is still a dead island.)
Chang cited Navahine as an inspiring peaceful path to a resolution. But the incoming administration now walking down the path with Chang’s team doesn’t have a reputation for conciliatory gestures or aloha-driven tactics.
“The realities are – and I don’t think any of us are being naive about this – is that it is likely that there will be litigation,” she said. “So, four years is not a lot of time and while everything will have to come to some crossroads in the year 2029, from now until then, they should be moving in the direction of ensuring that they are complying with all of the regulatory requirements to retain these lands.”…
read … To Cede or to Seed: Has the election changed the State of Hawaiʻi’s approach to the expiring military leases? - Ka Wai Ola
After Losing to Pierick Again, Rosenlee asks Court for a Mulligan
SA: … The result of the contest has been appealed to the Hawaii Supreme Court by Corey Rosenlee, a James Campbell High School teacher and Democrat who lost by 11 votes to Republican incumbent Rep. Elijah Pierick to represent communities including Royal Kunia, Village Park, Ho‘opili, Honouliuli and part of Waipahu in House District 39.
Rosenlee, the former head of the powerful Hawaii State Teachers Association, alleges in his complaint filed Monday that some voters snuck into voting lines on Election Day after a 7 p.m. deadline to be in line, and that other voters decided not to vote on Election Day because lines were too long.
Rosenlee’s complaint also contends that some voters who cast mail-in ballots weren’t given enough time to correct ballot envelope signature deficiencies.
Such “irregularities and illegalities” are grounds to invalidate the House District 39 election results and to hold a new election, according to Rosenlee’s legal challenge.
SA: Off the news: House challenger contests razor-thin loss | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Related: Long Lines Suppress Republican Votes on Election Day: City Clerk Plans to do it Again in 2024
read … Close Hawaii House election goes to court after recount | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Hopeful restaurant owners have to begin as ‘snack shop’ due to county’s permitting process
BIN: … Over the past few years, Mark Singletary has curated an Italian sandwich menu that he imagined would be an untapped niche for Hawaiʻi Island, especially in upper Puna.
When ʻOhana Market and Grill closed early this year in Mountain View, Singletary and his wife Cassie Hitsman saw an opportunity to put that menu to use.
In April, they leased the former restaurant with a great location at 17-4003 Ahuahu Place. They were eager to hit the ground running, but they say Hawaiʻi County’s permitting process has slowed their progress for nearly eight months….
While they were able to open in July as Wyattʻs Place, named after their newborn son, they say they could not do so as a restaurant. The countyʻs Planning Department told them they could only serve eight customers inside at a time, and offer take-out.
Singletary said the location had been operating as a restaurant for years, so he was surprised at the limitations….
While Singletary and Hitsman said they knew they needed a liquor license and were open to doing whatever was necessary to operate their business, they did not foresee the time it would take and the amount of departments involved with the process. They also were told they may need a new inspection from the Department of Public Works’ Building Division.
It turns out the 1-acre parcel is zoned for agricultural use, which means Singletary and Hitsman had to apply for a special use permit since the intent of this zoning is to preserve lands of high agricultural potential.
In 1998, the former owner of the property, Daniel De Luz, applied to amend his special use permit to include a commercial kitchen and snack shop, which was approved, according to the Planning Department….
read … Hopeful restaurant owners have to begin as ‘snack shop’ due to county’s permitting process
No Excuse for Rolling Back Historic Income Tax Cuts
Borreca: … state Council on Revenues projections of state general fund tax collections growing 3.5% this fiscal year and 2.2% the next year.
Other Hawaii governors have come into office with either deficits or no-growth budgets. In fact former Gov. Ben Cayetano had recalled that his first Cabinet meeting was marked with grim jokes that the first order of business would be a search for things the state could sell to balance the budget.
In comparison, Gov. Josh Green’s administration has only known good times….
…Hawaii maintains a strong carryover balance while keeping up a $1.5 billion rainy day fund….
PEW: Number of States With Annual Deficits Hit Record Low in Fiscal Year 2022 | The Pew Charitable Trusts
read … Column: Gov. Green fortunate on good economy, but dark clouds loom
Empty homes tax raises many issues
SA: … if these were to be rented, I’m sure the amount would hardly be considered affordable for locals ….
read … Column: Empty homes tax raises many issues
DHS Plan: Make foster kids wait four more years for help
SA: … The agency contracted out nearly all its licensing services to Catholic Charities in 2019, then failed to monitor and evaluate compliance with the licensing process, despite its legal duty to do so….
Out of 49 active cases the audit sampled, just three — 1.5%! — had been licensed within the 90-day limit….
Catholic Charities officials informed House Human Services Committee Chair Lisa Marten, they typically could not get initial information required for licensing work from CWS until 28 to 110 days after placement….
In one of the cases described in the audit, three children were removed from a foster home after allegations of sexual abuse were raised — but only after CWS had allowed the home to operate for nearly 17 months and seven deadline extensions without licensing.
In the random sample of 49 out of 585 foster care cases in which a child was placed with a family member, the auditor found 18 foster homes operated under provisional certificates for more than a year without completing required background checks, training or home studies. In one case, a foster child had been living in an unlicensed home for nearly two years — 720 days.
Catholic Charities is no longer doing the work for CWS, and the agency is now fully responsible for this process, but it is preparing to again put the service up for bid. …
129 of 402 funded positions within CWS are currently unfilled, another indication of an agency in disarray and in need of leadership….
An electronic system is being developed to track licensing work and replace the antiquated paper-based system — “a game-changer,” said CWS administrator Elladine Olevao — but it won’t be operational for at least two years….
Amending all procedures, policies, rules and statutes to fix licensing issues, while also training staff on changes — this will take up to four years….
read … Editorial: Hawaii’s foster care kids need help — now | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Tarnas: Legalize Drugged Driving
SA: … Rep Tarnas believes a new cottage industry of private, indoor locations could emerge to give tourists places to legally smoke indoors.
He also wants to eliminate any minimum level of THC in the bloodstream to determine impaired driving ….
(GREAT IDEA: Legalize stoned school bus drivers.)
B: Hawaii Medical Marijuana Caregiver Ban: 'Government Failure' Sparks Crisis, Threatening Thousands - Benzinga
read … New Hawaii legislators, leadership hold fate of legal recreational marijuana
News Rules for Legislative Committee Referrals?
SA: … A new House Democratic “rules group” has solicited ideas from House members about imposing internal, uniform requirements, including suggestions to make the release of written testimony the same ahead of every committee hearing and requiring committee chairs to publicly announce why they are deferring votes on bills, which essentially kills legislation for any session.
“We also have to tighten up” when a bill gets referred to a finance committee even if does not require state funding, “which gives the finance committee a reason not to approve it,” Tarnas said. “People are frustrated by that.”
But another suggestion to require a committee hearing on every bill would be unwieldy, according to Quinlan.
In general, about 3,000 bills are introduced each session. About half get at least one committee hearing, and 9% — or 250 to 300 — pass both the House and Senate and make their way to the governor, Quinlan said.
“If every bill were guaranteed to get a hearing,” he said, “you would hear some really awful ideas that are really intended to make a statement by the introducer.”…
read … New Hawaii legislators, leadership hold fate of legal recreational marijuana
Green Fee Still Unconstitutional, Legislators will waste time on it anyway
SA: … The commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution limits Hawaii’s ability to impose different “interstate commerce” requirements on tourists from other states. And increasing the state’s hotel tax — known as the transient accommodations tax — also has faced opposition from tourism interests.
Quinlan said charging visitors arriving at Hawaii airports would not work because fees assessed at airports have to go directly into airport operations.
And an ala carte, pay-as-you-go model already being used at some popular state attractions such as Diamond Head State Monument would not generate the kind of volume and revenue that a broader fee on all visitors would.
When he was House Tourism Committee chair two sessions ago, Quinlan made 14 amendments to the House bill in response to concerns.
“We tried really hard to implement a green fee,” he said. “We ran into a lot of constitutional issues and we still aren’t quite there.”…
REALITY: Crandall v. Nevada 1868- Wikipedia
read … New Hawaii legislators, leadership hold fate of legal recreational marijuana
Honolulu rail’s failures overburden residents
SA:. .. Since the first segment opened in June 2023, interest in the Skyline has been underwhelming. In October 2024, average daily ridership was about 3,530. While this represents an improvement from 3,058 riders during the same period in 2023, it still falls far short of the city’s target of 8,000 to 10,000 riders per day.
According to the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, the Skyline carries only about 250 people per hour, despite its capacity being 14 times that amount. Many people prefer using their own vehicles, which offers more flexibility and eliminates the need to align their schedules with the rail.
Low ridership has added to the financial burden on residents. The construction of the Skyline is expected to cost $10 billion, and its $85 million annual operating budget — covering electricity, administrative and maintenance costs — is heavily subsidized by taxpayers. While the fare is $3, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii estimates that without taxpayer subsidies, the real cost per ride would be about $54. With Hawaii’s already high cost of living, the added financial strain of maintaining a sparsely used rail system only exacerbates the burden on taxpayers.
Moreover, the rail is a project that residents never even wanted. A 2021 poll found that the rail project was opposed by 53% of registered voters on Oahu, while just 34% supported it. This means that the majority of taxpayers are now funding a project they didn’t approve of, and with low ridership, they may face greater financial instability as the rail continues to operate at a loss….
read … Column: Honolulu rail’s failures overburden residents | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Hawaii looks to ban sale of single-use plastics at city facilities
KHON: … Honolulu City Councilmember Matt Weyer and Chair Tommy Waters introduced a bill to prohibit the sale and purchase of single-use plastics, including water bottles, at city facilities and events… The measure said the recycling rate for plastic bottles in Hawaii is 37% versus 55% for aluminum….
(TRANSLATION: Intent is to benefit Reynolds Recycling.)
RELATED: 20 Years of Fraud--With Tokuda out of Legislature, DoH finally begins to check up on Recycling Companies
‘Details a Little Fuzzy’ as Plastiphobes Mandate Stainless Steel Bento Boxes for Downtown Hilo
HTH: … Hilo restaurants could start serving food in stainless steel bowls and bento boxes next year.
A pilot project that would develop a system for distributing and collecting reusable food containers at participating Hilo establishments is expected to launch by mid-2025 as Hawaii County looks for a distribution partner….
The project was funded in 2023 through a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and is a partnership between the county Department of Environmental Management, Zero Waste Hawaii Island and Perpetual, a nonprofit that has developed similar reusable foodware programs across the country.
Participating businesses and organizations will receive reusable containers in which to sell food in lieu of paper or plastic clamshell boxes, for example. Customers would then be able to dispose of the empty containers at public collection sites or at a participating business….
Jennifer Navarra, program director for Zero Waste Hawaii, said about possible 70 collection site locations have been determined, primarily around Hilo’s commercial hubs in the downtown area and around Prince Kuhio Plaza.
Other logistical factors of the program have yet to be determined, Navarra said. For example, a system to incentivize users to actually return the foodware instead of keeping it still isn’t finalized.
“It’s still a little fuzzy,” Navarra said. “We were planning to allow for a weeklong checkout policy, and if you paid with a card, it would automatically deduct a fee if you didn’t return it after a week.”
Of course, Navarra said, customers who pay with cash or EBT would need a different system, and that hasn’t been determined yet. She said she has considered a reward program with bonuses for customers who return the foodware, but nothing has been decided.
Similarly, a dedicated space for a wash station — where the used foodware would be taken to be sanitized and redistributed back to participating establishments — hasn’t been selected yet.
However, other specifics have been figured out. Navarra said the program most likely will use stainless steel bowls and boxes instead of plastic or glass. The bowls, she said, should be constructed in such a way that hot foods like soups or curries shouldn’t conduct heat through the metal….
(TRANSLATION: These are expensive high-quality bowls. They will burn up that $2.1M fast and look good in your kitchen.)
read … Takeaway, not throwaway: Under pilot program, eateries would serve take-out meals in reusable containers
read … Hawaii looks to ban sale of single-use plastics
Dude Admits he was trying to Sneak into Womens Restroom at US Congress—promises not to do it again
SA: … McBride, a Delaware Democrat, is the first openly transgender member of Congress. She (He) was greeted with a resolution by Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, banning transgender ‘women’ from using (real) women’s bathrooms at the Capitol.
Johnson, the GOP leader, enacted a rule restricting bathroom use to “individuals of that biological sex,”…
(IQ TEST: Why did Democrats lose to Donald J Trump?)
McBride brushed it off, saying, “I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families. Like all members, I will follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson, even if I disagree with them.”
(TRANSLATION: I did want to use the ladies room. I need Dems to win the majority, so I can poke around inside.)
read … David Shapiro: Demonizing trans people not path to U.S. greatness
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