VICTORY! SB1150 Child Sex-Change Kidnap Bill Deferred
Grassroot: State's school impact fees earn 'F'
SB933: Shell Bill with Blank Dollars to Make up for Federal Funding Freeze
Jury in ‘Moana’ copyright trial gets primer on Polynesian, Hawaiian culture on day 1
Comments Sought on Judicial Nominees for Maui County, Hawaii County
Affordable Home subsidy purchase program gives $10M to lawyers, activists
SA: … Many city workers are being given an opportunity to buy new homes subsidized by the state under a 2023 pilot program that the Legislature might make permanent.
A state agency that runs the program announced Tuesday that city emergency medical technicians, water safety officers, construction inspectors and advocates for victims or witnesses (ie: lawyers and activists) can now qualify for interest-free loans that cover part of a home purchase in return for a future share of equity.
The program was designed to help keep middle-income residents working in professions with critical staffing shortages from leaving Hawaii due to high homeownership costs.
Initially, the program was marketed to prospective first-time homebuyers with moderate-income jobs in health care, education, law enforcement, corrections and agricultural labor.
Now the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund Equity Pilot Program run by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. has been expanded to city workers in the additional job categories.
The Legislature appropriated $10 million for the program, authorizing HHFDC to provide initial subsidies until June 30, 2028….
For instance, HHFDC has committed $3.6 million under the program to help the developer of Kuilei Place in Moiliili sell 35 affordable condo units that were already reserved for middle-income buyers at below-market prices but had not sold since a lottery in July 2023.
The Kuilei Place condos were two-bedroom units priced around $627,000 with HHFDC offering to pay $103,300 per unit, or 16% of the total price.
At Sky Ala Moana, 26 studios that satisfied an affordable-housing requirement for the hotel and condo tower project but sat unsold for over two years also were approved last year for DEP program participation with subsidies totaling $1.7 million.
Another project, two towers called The Park on Ke‘eaumoku, nearing completion, was recently accepted for the program where $2.1 million will subsidize 25 units.
According to HHFDC, developers of two planned condo tower projects in Kakaako on Kamehameha Schools land have expressed interest in using the program to sell units.
To date, 29 buyers have contracted to purchase units under the DEP program, all at Kuilei Place, according to HHFDC.
Minakami, in written testimony on Senate Bill 1229 and House Bill 1009 that propose making the DEP program permanent….
read … Home subsidy purchase program expands | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Critic of High Costs of Tiny House Villages Quits Top Homelessness Post
CB: … The head of Hawaiʻi’s homelessness program, who publicly criticized excessive operating costs of some state-funded tiny home villages, has stepped down as the director of the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions.
John Mizuno, a longtime legislator, was the chief driver of Gov. Josh Green’s kauhale initiative for more than a year, bringing more than a dozen tiny home villages online in the past 15 months.
But Mizuno earlier this month drew attention to the high operating costs of kauhale that opened in urban areas before being connected to electric and sewage systems. In one instance, a village of 20 shed-sized shelters paid $21,000 in one month for electricity provided by diesel generators. Overall monthly costs at the village located on Middle Street in Honolulu topped $8,600 per month per person, an independent evaluation found.
On Tuesday, Green announced that Mizuno would be replaced by Jun Yang, who most recently worked as the homeless coordinator for the state Department of Transportation. Yang also has served as executive director of the Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Housing.
A news release from Green’s office said Mizuno will assume a new role in the administration. Mizuno did not respond to a request for comment.
“I am extremely excited with the new role of Special Advisor on homelessness as this new role will allow me to be more hands-on, working directly with homeless families and individuals along with working to reunite the homeless with their families,” Mizuno said in the news release. “I look forward to my new role.” …
Under Green’s emergency proclamation, Hawaiʻi waived competitive bidding to build the kauhale and has gone with a sole-source development contractor, HomeAid Hawaiʻi.
Green requested $50 million from the Legislature for the kauhale program this session, but it’s unclear whether lawmakers will be able to provide that much, said Rep. Luke Evslin, chair of the House Committee on Housing. He noted that the Trump administration’s cuts to federal programs have created uncertainty for state budgets….
read … Critic Of High Costs Of Tiny House Villages Quits Top Homelessness Post - Honolulu Civil Beat
Trial set in affordable housing credits scam
HTH: … A federal trial has been scheduled for two Hilo attorneys accused of receiving Hawaii County affordable housing credits and land conveyances worth at least $10.98 million, with no intention of developing affordable housing.
After at least two lengthy delays, Paul Sulla Jr., 78, and Gary Zamber, 55 — along with 64-year-old businessman Rajesh Budhabhatti — are set to stand trial starting May 12 before U.S. District Judge Jill Otake in Honolulu….
Alan Scott Rudo — a former housing specialist in the county Office of Housing and Community Development from 2006 to 2018 — pleaded guilty in August 2022 to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud by awarding affordable housing credits to false limited liability companies established by alleged co-conspirators, and then selling those credits to other developers for a profit.
Rudo’s share of that profit was at least $1.8 million. As part of his guilty plea, Rudo agreed to forfeit his interest in the recovered funds and housing credits, in addition to real estate connected to the charges. He’s also agreed to a monetary judgment of more than $2.1 million against him.
According to court documents and information presented in court, Rudo solicited and accepted multiple bribes and kickbacks from Sulla, Zamber and Budhabhatti while working for the OHCD.
Sentencing for Rudo, who is expected to testify for the prosecution, has been delayed numerous times. He’s now scheduled to be sentenced June 2 before Otake….
BACKGROUND:
read … Trial set in housing credits scam - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Government workers who don't do much—is it worth the cost to fire them?
HNN: … Do government workers who take breaks justify the cost saving of being let go? ….
read … Hawaii News Now Sunrise at 6:00 a.m.
Oʻahu Public Housing Tenants Promised Relocation Help Hit Dead-Ends
CB: … In late September, the 215 tenants were given 90 days to move out. The letter from Hakim Ouansafi, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority, promised all the help they’d need moving to comparable homes.
For many, those promises – which are required by federal law – proved largely hollow. Today, two-thirds of the targeted apartments remain occupied as the relocation process drags on.
Some residents were sent to look at apartments only to find them already occupied, even boarded up. Others were offered places across the island, far from jobs, doctors and children’s schools. At least one disabled resident was sent to an apartment accessible only by flights of stairs. Several were given phone numbers for landlords who turned out not to be landlords at all. ….
read … Oʻahu Public Housing Tenants Promised Relocation Help Hit Dead-Ends
Hawaii 20% SNAP Food Program Overpayment Rate
CB: … Hawaiʻi has been fined nearly $11 million by the federal government after its payment error rate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program spiked for two consecutive years. Now, the Department of Human Services is hoping technology improvements will get that penalty reduced.
The department is asking lawmakers for about $5.46 million — half the amount of the fine — for a new computerized screening system to determine eligibility and benefits amounts for SNAP.
If the state commits that money to improve its accuracy, the federal government may waive the rest of the fine, lawmakers were told. Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP is the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service’s food aid program.
Hawaiʻi’s payment error rate was about 21% in the 2022 and 2023 federal fiscal years, nearly double the national average for both years, said Scott Morishige, administrator of the Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division for the state Human Services department.
The errors were a combination of (1%) underpayments and (20%) overpayments of benefits, Morishige told Civil Beat. The Food and Nutrition Service imposed the $10.93 million fine last June, he said.….
The House Finance Committee gave preliminary approval to HB 1099 on Monday, and the Senate Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to take up a nearly identical request in Senate Bill 1418 on Thursday….
NW: SNAP Benefit Overpayments Highest in These Five States “The state with the third highest rate of overpayment is South Carolina, with an overpayment rate of 20.94 percent. It is followed by Hawaii (19.97 percent) and Delaware (19.23 percent).”
read … State Is Scrambling To Fix SNAP Food Program Following $11M Fine For Errors - Honolulu Civil Beat
HECO Electricity not 60 cycles per second--Making Clocks Run Fast
SA: … Question: Is anybody else noticing their clocks running faster and faster? Mine are about six minutes ahead. Not on my cellphone but on my oven, microwave, etc. What is happening?
Answer: Fluctuations in Hawaiian Electric’s power frequency caused the problem, which readers asked about and which a Hawaiian Electric spokesperson says now has been fixed; reset your clocks and they should run normally. The problem affected clocks that rely on the power grid to keep time.
Electric clocks use the alternating current of the power grid like a metronome, which means the clocks run slower or faster than they should depending on the frequency fluctuation. Changes in demand for electricity may cause the fluctuation, which electrical utilities must control.
Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission requires in General Order 7 that “the standard frequency for alternating current distribution systems shall be 60 cycles per second. The frequency shall be maintained within limits which will permit the satisfactory operation of customers’ clocks connected to the system.” …
(CLUE: System runs fast because it is overloaded with useless junk electricity from wind and solar systems.)
read … Kokua Line: Why are clocks running 6 minutes fast?
Hawaiian Homes Commission Greenlights New Hilo Diesel Power Plant to charge Batteries—calls it ‘bio’
CB: … The commission that oversees Hawaiian homelands granted preliminary approval to a new power plant in Hilo that could one day generate up to a third of the electricity required to power the Big Island. (CLUE: It’s diesel.)
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands will get at least $40,000 a year in revenue from the biofuel project, and the developer is required to return community benefits to the Native Hawaiian homesteaders who live in the surrounding community….
(CLUE: ‘Biodiesel’ is just a lie. It’s diesel.)
Dan Giovanni, one the project’s consultants, said that the biofuel-burning plant was safe, but acknowledged that even he had concerns with plans for an on-site battery storage facility.
He referred to fires at a battery storage facility in Moss Landing, California that led to mass evacuations. Water is ineffective against lithium-ion fires, which could “burn until it burns itself out,” Giovanni said….
(Wow.)
The Alahao renewable energy project, proposed for a 12-acre plot in Panaʻewa near Railroad Avenue, would burn diesel produced from plant oils. Hawaiʻi Land & Power, the project developer, said it would cost $250 million with funding from Lotus Infrastructure, an investment firm based in Connecticut.
Hawaiʻi Land & Power is pursuing a power purchase agreement with Hawaiian Electric Co. to eventually produce up to 60 megawatts of power, about a third of the 180 megawatts of electricity the Big Island requires daily.
(KEY WORD: ‘Eventually’)
Pacific Biodiesel, which has facilities in Puna, would supply the fuel for the plant, project officials said.
Energy produced by the project would be transmitted to HECO’s facility just across the street.
The project will eventually need to win approval from the state’s utility regulators.
(Wow. That’s an important little detail.)
(CLUE: Pacific Biodiesel doesn’t produce enough to fuel this plant and it never will. Like all the other ‘bio’ diesel plants, this plant will burn regular diesel. They are laughing at you because you fall for this shell game again and again.)
HECO requires the project to provide between $90,000 and $180,000 worth of community benefits (bribes) each year the facility operates, according to Hawaii Land & Power owner David Berryhill.
DBEDT: Research & Economic Analysis | Energy Dashboard
BREG: Hawaii Land & Power (no kidding!)
NR: Emerald Capital Partners has partnered with Hawaii Land & Power Holdings – Emerald Capital Partners
REALITY: Biofuel Shell Game: How Giant Diesel Plant Became part of Hawaii's 'Clean' Energy Future
read … Hawaiian Homes Commission Greenlights New Hilo Power Plant
Homeowners in Aliamanu fireworks explosion case released pending investigation
KITV: … HPD announced that at approximately 8:25 p.m. on Monday, February 24, 2025, both the man and the woman that were previously arrested were released pending investigation.
The case will be sent to the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney….
read … Homeowners in Aliamanu fireworks explosion case released pending investigation
Group of jewelry scammers being kicked out of the country
KHON: … While this has been going on for years, HSI says they stepped in now as they were able to use their immigration authority, among other circumstances.
“We’re stepping in because, number one we want to make sure that we’re cleaning our neighborhoods,” Cabral-DeArmas explained. “And if that means that I utilize my immigration authority to make sure that criminals are deported from our country, than I will do that.”
Cabral-DeArmas said the Coast Guard helped transport the suspects from Kauai to Oahu where they are being held at the Federal Detention Center awaiting deportation.
Last month alone, she said HSI removed roughly 11,000 immigrants from the U.S. because of their immigration status, whether they came in illegally, overstayed their visa or committed a crime….
TGI: KPD arrests additional suspects in ongoing scam investigation - The Garden Island
read … Group of jewelry scammers being kicked out of the country | KHON2
Movie to feature the war for control of Hawaii organized crime in the ’60s and ’70s
ILind: … A movie proposal now being pitched in Hollywood would tell the story of one-time Hawaii crime boss Wilford “Nappy” Pulawa, whose organization, known as The Company, battled its way the top of organized crime in Hawaii a half-century ago.
According to the online news site, Deadline.com, the Martin Scorsese-directed film would star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Pulawa and also star Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt….
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read … Movie to feature the war for control of Hawaii organized crime in the ’60s and ’70s | i L i n d
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