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Saturday, March 15, 2025
March 15, 2025 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 3:18 PM :: 432 Views

We Were Scammed:  NZ Lawsuits Expose Fraudulent Hawaii Geothermal Developer

“After a decade-long battle against public corruption in Hawaii, we have successfully brought numerous cases to a close."

UH Manoa Next? Columbia Expels Anti-Semites After Trump Cuts Funding

9th Circuit Rules Hawaii Gun Registration Unconstitutional

State Let Felon Back out on Streets--but now the Feds Have Got Him

Mexican Illegal Deported Six Times--Comes Back to Kauai for #7

Illegal Caught with 5lbs of Methamphetamines

Army Deletes Web Page Devoted to 442nd Regiment

HART Insiders believe Trump Administration Hasn’t Noticed Them—expect to waste $968M this year

SA: … The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation this week responded to City Council questions over its $968.3 million budget package proposed for fiscal year 2026.

HART’s budgets, expected to take effect July 1 if adopted, show marked increases to debt service on the project’s loans as well as increased labor costs for the over-$10 billion Skyline construction.

They show other higher costs as well.

Rail officials indicate that due to the awarded contract of $1.66 billion for City Center Guideway and Stations, or CCGS, meant to take the rail line to Kakaako by 2031, the project’s capital budget is expected to rise from $482.4 million in the current fiscal year to more than $526.9 million for 2026 — a 9.2% increase.

In August, HART awarded the CCGS contract to Los Angeles-­based Tutor Perini Corp. to design and build Skyline’s last 3-mile segment to Halekauwila Street.

But rail staffers say because of the large contract — about $360 million above original estimates — certain rail-related projects might need to be temporarily deferred….

According to HART’s budget information, 2025’s total operating budget will rise to $174.7 million — an increase of $36.4 million, or 26.3%, over the rail agency’s current $138.3 million spending plan.

Of that amount, $169.7 million — or 97% — is composed of debt serv­ice expenditures.

That includes $129 million in principal payments on outstanding general obligation bonds — an increase of $40.8 million over the current fiscal year, budget reports indicate.

But the agency notes $40.3 million in interest payments on debt equates to a $4.6 million decrease compared with the current fiscal year.

Conversely, total labor costs are budgeted at $1.5 million — a $368,153 increase, or 32.4% higher than the current year.

HART’s main funding sources — local taxes and federal funding — total over $1.25 billion for fiscal year 2026, budget plans indicate.

The federal funding source for 2025 totals $125 million, or about 10% of the project’s funding budget, compared with $518.3 million, or about 41%, derived from local taxes, budget reports state….

At the meeting, Council Chair Tommy Waters queried HART officials on potential impacts — namely involving the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding — that could affect FTA and the city’s rail project.

“Have you folks noticed any change in the team that you’re working with over at FTA, and do you anticipate any of that occurring?” Waters asked.

In response, HART Deputy Executive Director and CFO Rick Keene said, “We haven’t heard anything, so we think that’s good news.”

“We hope that this next $125 (million) that’s budgeted in fiscal 2025 for the completion of segment two will not come about until the end of the year,” he said. “We’re hopeful that by then the dust will have settled a little bit.”

Moreover, Keene alluded to talk “in the media” about the Republican-controlled Congress’ possible defunding of California’s long-planned high-speed rail system.

“And out of Washington, to us, there’s been clear distinctions made between that situation and our situation. So at this point we haven’t heard anything,” he added. “If we hear otherwise, we will let everyone know, but right now we still feel confident in the numbers.”…

read … HART’s $968M budget under Honolulu City Council review | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Maui Police Commission to meet March 19 to discuss whether to put Chief Pelletier on leave due to ridiculous Diddy lawsuit allegations

MN: … On Monday, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen sent a letter to the Police Commission requesting that Pelletier be placed on administrative leave and that the commission launch its own investigation….

Stacey Moniz, the chair of the Police Commission, declined to comment on Monday about the case, and she could not be reached on Tuesday.

But a member of the Police Commission who requested anonymity told the Hawai‘i Journalism Initiative on Tuesday that due to Sunshine Laws that require advance public notice, it was too late to call for an emergency meeting before the commission’s regular meeting on the third Wednesday of the month.

So the commission will wait until that scheduled meeting, on March 19, to discuss the mayor’s request. In the meantime, Pelletier remains as Maui’s police chief. 

The chiefs of the Maui police and fire departments are unique in that they are hired and fired by a commission of volunteers appointed by the mayor, unlike the heads of most county departments who are appointed by the mayor and approved by the Maui County Council….

The charter does not specify who would serve as head of the department if the chief were to be placed on administrative leave. Next in line, according to the organization chart, is the deputy chief, a role currently held by Wade Maeda.

On Tuesday, Pelletier said in his own statement that he was “deeply disappointed” by Bissen’s request to put him on leave, but added he would fully cooperate with any investigation.

“Let me be clear: the allegations made against me are completely false, and I have not been formally served with any legal paperwork,” Pelletier said….

The Police Commission has previously been a big supporter of Pelletier, whom they voted 9-0 to succeed retired former police chief Tivoli Faaumu in 2021. Pelletier was chosen out of a pool of 17 applicants and was one of five finalists….

SA: Maui chief ‘deeply disappointed’ by calls to step aside | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

REALITY: Crackpot Lawsuit is all it takes--Maui Mayor and SHOPO make Complete Fools of Themselves Trying to get rid of Chief Pelletier

read … Maui Police Commission to meet March 19 to discuss whether to put Chief Pelletier on leave due to Diddy lawsuit allegations

Costs of running interisland ferry service for Maui County clearer as study completed, could come up in budget talks

MN: … Maui County would need a subsidy of nearly $2 million annually to operate an interisland ferry system and more than $46 million to purchase and expand the fleet owned by the company that runs routes between Maui and Lānaʻi, according to early estimates.

The potential costs of taking over the current operations and adding a route to Molokaʻi are becoming clearer with the completion of a $300,000 feasibility study that is set to be transmitted today to the County Council….

read … Costs of running interisland ferry service for Maui County clearer as study completed, could come up in budget talks

Donald Trump coming to Hilo to End Global Warming?

CB: … For nearly 70 years, scientists have used an outpost near the top of Mauna Loa on the Big Island to record the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — one of the top indicators of human-caused climate change.

(CLUE:  It is long past time to shift back to global cooling hysteria.)

However, future collections of that data atop one of Hawaiʻi’s tallest volcanic peaks remain uncertain amid efforts by President Donald Trump and his special advisor, Elon Musk, to slash federal programs and agencies.

The Hilo-based office supporting that Mauna Loa Observatory is one of at least 34 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facilities flagged for possible closure, according to a list circulated by Congressional Democrats….

(CLUE: Akamai readers will remember that Obama promised to end Global Warming, but did not deliver.)

(IDEA: Statue of Donald Trump in front of Hilo Federal Building with bronze plaque commemorating the moment he ended Global Warming.  ECO TIP: Recycle the bronze ‘Keeling Curve’ plaque from the Mauna Loa observatory.)

MEANWHILE: Bill Gates Gives Up on Climate Change  (See?  Its’ already working!)

read … Climate Change Science Atop Mauna Loa Could Stall Amid Federal Cuts - Honolulu Civil Beat

TRUMP NEWS:

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