Inflexible policies continue to hinder Lahaina wildfire recovery
HTA Hearing Uncovers an Old Story: The State Still Doesn’t Pay on Time
Forgery, Fraud and Theft: Former Top Honolulu Attorney Charged with 22 Felony Counts
'Self-Certification' to Bypass DPP Delays
Lawsuit Settlement will Impose ‘Big Expense’ on Your ‘fuel, groceries, and airfare’
SA: … The Hawaii Department of Transportation has a draft plan to largely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from ground, air and ocean transportation vehicles in the state by 2045.
HDOT Director Ed Sniffen shared highlights of the draft with a panel of state lawmakers Wednesday, drawing praise and encouragement mixed with concerns over cost.
Implementing the plan will involve a big expense, which has yet to be estimated but is expected to add to what residents pay for fuel, groceries, airfare and other things….
The biggest and costliest piece of the plan is establishing clean fuel requirements for all types of transportation vehicles, including cars, passenger jets and cargo ships….
(TRANSLATION: Move to Vegas.)
Producing the plan by June 20 was required as part of a June 2024 settlement of a climate impact lawsuit filed against the state in 2022 by about a dozen Hawaii youth.
(New administrative law being written via a ‘sue-and-settle’ scheme.)
Isaac Moriwake, a local attorney with the environmental law firm Earthjustice involved in the litigation, also participated in Wednesday’s presentation and called the settlement a “path-breaking” agreement to address the biggest sector in Hawaii’s economy adding climate-changing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
As part of the settlement, there will be court oversight and collaboration with a 20-member local youth transportation council that includes five plaintiffs to help ensure HDOT reaches a target set by the Legislature in 2018 to achieve net-negative greenhouse gas emissions in Hawaii’s transportation system by 2045….
(Anybody who identifies a specific weather effect as proof of ‘climate change’ s a fraud. Now these fraudsters are setting policy.)
Another element in the plan is to estimate greenhouse gas emissions for every HDOT ground transportation project, including road widening and repair.
“No other state is doing this,” Sniffen said.
The single biggest greenhouse gas emissions change under HDOT’s plan is to come from imposing a clean fuels standard for air, ocean and ground transportation vehicles.
Such fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel for planes, liquefied natural gas for ships and lower-carbon fuels for vehicles on Hawaii roads will result in higher costs for industries and consumers, according to Sniffen, which elicited concerns from some lawmakers.
“I’m all for the decarbonization of Hawaii, but … you are asking folks to move towards a green infrastructure who don’t have green,” said Rep. Darius Kila (D, Nanakuli-Maili), referring to the color of paper money.
“I live in one of the most transportation-impacted areas in the state where work is not where we live, and everything is exacerbated based off of cost, and that’s just rural Oahu. I don’t even want to talk about neighbor island costs,” continued Kila, who chairs the House Transportation Committee. “I know what we’re trying to accomplish, but … you’re asking folks to almost bend to a capacity that they don’t have.”
HDOT intends to seek legislation to provide tax credits for airlines and ocean transportation firms to meet future Hawaii clean fuel standards while other potential incentives are envisioned for drivers throughout the state….
CB: Lawmakers Worry Hawaiʻi's Emissions Goals Could Leave Some In The Dust - Honolulu Civil Beat
Read … Plan to cut Hawaii transportation emissions takes shape amid cost concerns | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
CNHA Erodes Public Trust in Tourism Management
CB: … In 2022, CNHA was awarded a major contract to manage marketing to the U.S. market, traditionally led by the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau. What followed was a prolonged procurement dispute, legal challenges, and ultimately, an erosion of public trust in how these decisions are made….
we must reinvest in and strengthen partnerships with HVCB and other industry professionals who bring marketing expertise to the table….
Let me be clear: regenerative tourism, cultural integrity, and community-based management must be central to Hawai‘i’s future, but so must global marketing expertise, proven industry relationships, and measurable results. That’s where HVCB continues to provide critical value. Its decades of experience promoting Hawai‘i to the world cannot be dismissed or undervalued….
Read … Ground Tourism In Both Cultural Values And Professional Expertise - Honolulu Civil Beat
Legal fees for criminal former city officials total in the six figures
KHON: … A Honolulu City Council committee advanced two resolutions following their executive session, adding funds to contracts started two years ago to defend Max Sword and Donna Leong.
Sword and Leong pled guilty earlier this year for conspiring to illegally pay former police Chief Louis Kealoha from police funds without council approval when the former chief was under federal investigation.
Leong’s legal bill totaled $102,000 with Sword’s bill totaling almost $106,000.
Following their plea, they were sentenced to time served and were ordered to pay a $250,000 restitution to the city.
Former Managing Director Roy Amemiya entered a deferred prosecution agreement over his role in Kealoha’s payout. Amemiya’s legal tab paid by the city was estimated to cost approximately $100,000 ….
Read … Legal fees for former city officials total in the six figures | KHON2
Who gets insurance through hurricane fund?
SA: … The HHRF offers hurricane-only commercial property insurance for condominium and townhouse Associations of Apartment Owners in Hawaii, also known as condo master policies, according to the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. “The HHRF does not provide insurance for individual condo units and only covers association property” for the portion of losses above $10 million caused by wind during a hurricane, it says.
To be eligible to apply, an association must have been denied hurricane coverage by at least two Hawaii-licensed insurance companies and have buildings with a total insured value above $10 million. Applications opened this week; for details go to cca.hawaii.gov/ins/hhrf ….
Read … Kokua Line: Who gets insurance through hurricane fund? | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HPD Chief: Officers Shot Man In Mākaha After He Rammed Their Police Car
CB: … It was the second police shooting on Oʻahu in less than a week, and comes as Honolulu police have been trying to ramp down increasing violence on the Westside in the past year.
Logan led the press conference Wednesday to explain more about what had happened in Mākaha the day before.
He said the man was driving a stolen white Ford pickup truck in the area of Hana Street when officers with the Honolulu Police Department’s crime reduction unit began following him in an unmarked vehicle at around 3:45 p.m.
The officers turned on the car’s police lights and tried to initiate a stop as the man turned onto Hana Street. He suddenly reversed the vehicle and rammed into the officers’ car, causing it to catch fire. He continued accelerating into the officers’ vehicle, Logan said.
One officer got out of the vehicle while the other remained trapped inside. Both officers shot at the suspect multiple times. Logan said he did not know how long the second officer was trapped.
The suspect was not armed, though Logan said police are still investigating whether he had a weapon in the vehicle he was driving.
Paramedics transported the suspect to The Queen’s Medical Center. He remained hospitalized as of Wednesday afternoon.
Logan declined to release his name but said he had been wanted for a previous assault on a law enforcement officer on June 7. He also had three prior felony convictions and three outstanding felony warrants….
SA: Man shot by police after Sunday confrontation has been identified | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
SA: Officers critically shoot man who slammed into police car | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HNN: Suspect shot by HPD after ramming police vehicle in Makaha
Read … HPD Chief: Officers Shot Man In Mākaha After He Rammed Their Police Car - Honolulu Civil Beat
HPD seizes gambling paraphernalia from illegal game room
KHON: … On June 24, HPD executed a search warrant at the illegal gambling room near Hoʻolehua Street. At around 5:30 p.m., officers recovered 16 machines and $3,855 in cash, officials said.
During their search, police said they arrested a male suspect for Promoting Gambling in the Second Degree and Possession of a Gambling Device….
NOTE: This is the 2nd raid in a row where HPD recovered both money and male suspect/s. Usually, they recover no money and a lone female suspect. Something has changed.
SA: Police arrest man, 52, in Pearl City gambling raid | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Read … HPD seizes gambling paraphernalia from illegal game room | KHON2
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