Tax Cheat linked to Holocaust Deniers is Source for National Democrats’ Attack on Lingle
Running Afoul of Credit Risks due to Lack of Leadership
Bachmann wins Iowa Straw Poll, Pawlenty ends Candidacy after Disappointing 3rd Place Finish
Silent salute to honor fallen Isle Marine
Hundreds of people are expected to stand silently Thursday along the one-mile access road leading to West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery, where Chris will be laid to rest. He is the first killed in action veteran interred at the cemetery in its nearly 14-year history, said John Grogan, president of the West Hawaii Veterans Council and West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery Association.
Cemetery interment services will begin at noon Thursday at the cemetery, mauka of Queen Kaahumanu Highway and 5 miles north of Kona International Airport. With the family's blessing, local veterans and residents have organized a silent honor guard along the cemetery access road to demonstrate appreciation for Chris, pay their respects and bid farewell, Grogan said….
Word of the planned procession quickly spread around the island through word of mouth, newspaper and radio coverage, announcements from the troop support organization Gathering of Eagles Hawaii, as well as forwarded emails. The message for the day is duty, honor, respect, love for others and being able to express those emotions, Grogan said.
Those interested in participating in this silent honor guard should be in place along the cemetery road by no later than 11:30 a.m. Grogan asked that vehicles be parked along either shoulder of the cemetery access road to allow for two lanes of traffic to pass.
Residents and visitors can also pay respect as the funeral procession is en route Thursday, standing where they choose. The procession will travel from the Annunciation Catholic Church in Waimea along Mamalahoa Highway to Waikoloa Road Junction, then south on Queen Kaahumanu Highway to West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery, Grogan said.
Related: Big Island plans massive salute to LCpl. Camero
read … Silent Salute
Stop Rail Plaintiffs may seek Injunction Halting Work
The federal government also says to some of the charges that it lacks "knowledge or information sufficient" to answer to the allegations, and that certain allegations "constitute conclusions of law to which no response is required." The response is similar to the city's response filed in July.
"There's almost no argument there, compared to our complaint, which is much more specific," Cayetano said Saturday. "I guess the thing speaks for itself. I'm not sure what to make of it, actually. … I'm not sure they even have answers for what we allege."
Roth said the federal government's reliance on "We don't know" denials leaves it vulnerable.
"We've been expecting to win this case, but the weakness of this answer reinforces our belief," Roth said. "In fact, we are thinking about asking the judge to tell the defendants to hold off on all work on the rail system until the case has been finally resolved."
Full Text: Federal Response August 12
read … Rail lawsuit gets muted response from federal government
COFA: Hawaii Spends $115M, Arkansas Spends $1M
Hawaii's government spent more than $52 million in the 2010 fiscal year on more than 17,000 Compact of Free Association migrants' human services — including health plans for low-income residents, welfare programs, public housing and homeless support, according to Department of Human Services figures provided under an open records request.
In addition, education costs exceeded $55 million to pay for the instruction of nearly 5,500 compact students, and total costs to the state were $115 million, according to a state impact report released last week.
Guam's expenses for education and social services of more than 18,000 migrants reached nearly $54 million in the 2009 fiscal year, according to the territory's most recent compact impact report.
And in Arkansas, where about 4,000 people from the Marshall Islands live and work, the state Department of Health estimated it spent more than $1 million to provide services to the compact migrant community in the 2011 fiscal year. Many of the migrants moved to Arkansas to work in Springdale, the headquarters of Tyson Foods Inc.
"The Marshallese bring a lot of value to the state of Arkansas," said Arkansas Department of Health spokeswoman Ann Wright. "We have and will continue to look at multiple funding sources to help offset any costs the state incurs." The federal government splits its $30 million in annual funding based on a 2008 census of where the compact migrants live. Guam's 18,300 counted migrants draw nearly $17 million a year; Hawaii's 12,200 migrants bring in about $11 million; and the Northern Mariana's 2,100 migrants result in $1.9 million.
Arkansas wasn't included under the terms of the treaty, and it only received one-time federal funding of about $250,000 to create a satellite clinic, Wright said.
(There is a lesson here for anybody who wishes to learn it.)
DN: Pay-up Abercrombie tells Uncle Sam
read … Cold War
Akaka Tribe Gathers for 10th Annual meeting
Topping the agenda this year is Senate Bill 1520, which recognizes Native Hawaiians as "the only indigenous, aboriginal, maoli population" of the islands and requires the governor to establish a five-member Native Hawaiian roll commission "for administrative purposes to prepare and maintain a roll of qualified Native Hawaiians."
"I think the public gets fed a view of Hawaiian sovereignty as just 'about debate, or demands about the past injustices,'" Danner said. "Sovereignty for Hawaiians is all about Hawaiians having the responsibility and taking action to do something about the condition of our community."
read … Native Hawaiian convention turns 10
Hawaii Monopoly Bosses Top $6m in Pay
Territorial Bancorp Inc. CEO Allan Kitagawa, who led the company's transition into a publicly traded financial institution, topped the list of Hawaii executives with a pay package of $6.78 million in 2010, up from $2.21 million in 2009. The biggest chunk of Kitagawa's compensation — $4.25 million — consisted of stock grants and stock options. Territorial Bancorp is the parent of Territorial Savings, the state's fifth-largest bank.
Besides Kitagawa, the members of the $6 million compensation club were Hawaiian Telcom's Eric Yeaman at $6.72 million, Constance Lau of Hawaiian Electric Industries at $6.57 million and Hawaiian Airlines CEO Mark Dunkerley at $6.35 million.
read … Stock awards lift isle CEOs' pay
Fontaine: Holding informational briefings is part of a legislator’s responsibilities
In a commentary published in The Maui News on Aug. 9, Maui County Democratic Party Chairman Todd Craine ranted about pipe dreams and "Wall Street CEOs . . . bilking taxpayers for trillions."
An implication was made that it is inappropriate to use legislative email to announce a public meeting held at the state Capitol, where legislators hear from the public on public issues.
He is wrong. Legislative email is used throughout the year to announce hundreds of public meetings.
Legislators are free - in fact, obligated - to hear from the public on issues before the Legislature.
Linda Smith: Informational briefing was an important event
Background: Molesters, Cocaine, and Bribery ignored--but Maui Democrats Frothing at Mouth over Cybercrime Briefing
read … Holding informational briefings
DoE Hit List: Six Schools beat 90% Proficiency
Six Hawaii schools saw at least 90 percent of their students proficient in reading or math this year. In 2010, two schools had scores that high. (Wanna bet that these schools are targeted for closure?)
Haleiwa Elementary
Reading: 91 percent
Math: 99 percent
Manoa Elementary
Reading: 91 percent
Math: 84 percent
Waikiki Elementary
Reading: 95 percent
Math: 89 percent
Mililani Ike Elementary
Reading: 90 percent
Math: 87 percent
Momilani Elementary
Reading: 93 percent
Math: 89 percent
Noelani Elementary
Reading: 90 percent
Math: 85 percent
Most telling Line: “Haleiwa's high scores follow a tough patch for the elementary school, which was threatened with closure last school year ….”
Totally Related: The state is trying to shut an achievement gap to satisfy U.S. education law (Simple solution. Eliminate the gap by finding excuses to close the successful schools.)
Reality: Study: Rich or Poor, Hawaii DoE Fails everyone more Equally than Most
read … 6 isle public schools achieve 90%
KOS: Unnecessary Ed Case is our Favorite Punching Bag
If you're a regular Daily Kos Elections reader, you probably know that Democratic ex-Rep. Ed Case is one of our favorite punching bags, whether it's his far-too-conservative record for his dark-blue former district (HI-02), his thoroughly unnecessary primary challenge of Sen. Dan Akaka, or his screwing up the jungle-style HI-01 special election, letting Republican Charles Djou end the Democrats' long streak of special election holds. The news today shows that we're not alone in feeling that way, and the animus is coming from a pretty surprising source: the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which usually maintains a public face of absolute hands-off neutrality in contested primaries
read … DSCC smacks down Ed Case over bogus poll
Tax Cheat Gary Hooser considers run for Congress, Mufi may Announce at End of Month
According to an email sent Friday to core friends and supporter Hooser said "I know in my heart that at some point, serving in public office is where I need to be. While the timing may be uncertain, my commitment is not. The 2nd Congressional District in the United States Congress is a path many have encouraged me to explore and one which I am seriously considering. I live in the District, have established networks on all islands and understand the unique challenges faced by rural communities."
Gary Hooser’s own blog has an article on the subject….
Political Radar: Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is poised to announce his intentions, perhaps by the end of the month
Related: Tax Cheat linked to Holocaust Deniers is Source for National Democrats’ Attack on Lingle
read … Hooser Mulls Congressional Run
Jesse Jackson Jr: Inouye, Akaka suffer the most from budget cuts
The Great Recession has hit minorities and women the hardest with the highest unemployment, the most home foreclosures, the biggest budget cuts and the resulting slow economic growth. On the day that the committee was formed, I sent a letter to both parties' leaders in the House and the Senate appealing to them to appoint minorities and women to the Super Congress committee.
Yet… Senator Harry Reid did appoint Patty Murray but overlooked Hispanic Senator Robert Menendez, Asian Pacific Senators Daniel K. Akaka and Daniel K. Inouye….
(These oppressed Senators are viciously being denied the ‘right’ to loot the treasury and borrow more money from China and Saudi Arabia….)
read … Those Who Suffer the Most Are Least Represented
Census shows 78% more homosexual couples in Hawaii, 21% control children
Hawaii's 78 percent increase ranked fifth highest in the nation last week after census data on gay and lesbian households was released for 41 states, said Gary Gates, a demographer at UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute who has been poring over the data.
The 41 states combined for a 50 percent average increase in same-sex households between the 2000 and 2010 census counts, Gates said….
While he could not pinpoint a specific reason for Hawaii's 78 percent gain, Gates said, "I have faith in those Hawaii numbers."
The 2010 Census showed 4,248 same-sex households throughout the islands, with the largest number — 2,530 households — on Oahu. Urban Honolulu's 1,186 same-sex households represented the biggest block of any Hawaii community.
Hawaii island had 839 same-sex households in 2010, followed by Maui County with 614. Kauai County had 263 same-sex households, followed by two households in tiny Kalaupapa on Molokai.
There were children being raised in some 905 same-sex households in Hawaii — or 21 percent. Fifty-six percent of those households were female. (And what are the rights of the missing biological parent?)
SA: Benefits of Choosing to submit to Homosexual Unions Increase
Just Ignore this It is totally unrelated: Homosexual Rape went on for Years at DoE Blind and Deaf School
And be sure not to read this: The Overhauling of Straight America
read … Civil unions enhance beneficiary rights
Dudley: Thai workers are rich liars, happy with treatment by Sou Brothers
The news media painted the 44 Thai workers as "impoverished peasants." Not true. Thailand exports more than 100,000 workers a year to countries with high exchange rates. Working abroad is a huge business, with the U.S. the most sought-after country. At $9.40 an hour, one earns the Thai equivalent of $141 an hour in actual purchasing power. In a month, the equivalent is $22,560; in one year, $270,000.
All of the recruiters in Thailand charged exorbitant fees. But the workers were willing to lie to the Thai Department of Labor in Bangkok when asked if they were overcharged, because they knew they could work one year to pay off the fee, and then make the equivalent of a half million dollars in the next two years. Most of the 44 worked abroad before; some twice or more. They weren't poor.
When they arrived in Hawaii, they adjusted quite well, and their statements to the FBI show they were generally happy. But after a few months, their initial workers' visas expired, and the U.S. government, without explanation, renewed them only for two months, in spite of the Sous' requests.
The Sous were put into an impossible position.
Reality: Human Trafficking: Did the US DoJ Purposefully lose the Aloun Farms Case?
read … Sou brothers were the real victims
Mikulina: Refreshing if Task Force Enterprises Implode
Jeff Mikulina, executive director of Blue Planet Foundation, a nonprofit renewable-energy advocacy group, agrees that it can be tough to round up enough expertise for task forces without overlapping into the lobbyist sector. But if the whole task-force enterprise imploded, that could be "a refreshing outcome," he said.
"In my experience of 13 years in the Legislature, the task force is pretty much the antidote to progress," Mikulina said. "We have done so much wheel-spinning in the task force realm."
Related: Hawaii Senators go all out to defend opportunity to profit from Influence Peddling
read … Ethics
Telescope Shakedown Continues in name of “gods”
Hearings officer Paul Aoki, University of Hawaii officials and opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope visited numerous sites that would be affected by the TMT project. The site visit was intended to give Aoki a hands-on orientation to the difficult issues he will tackle in next week's contested case hearing.
The Board of Land and Natural Resources ordered the contested case hearing when it approved the University of Hawaii at Hilo's proposal to build the TMT last February. After the hearings, Aoki will issue a recommendation regarding whether the Land Board did the right thing in approving the TMT's Conservation District Use Application, and the board will reconsider its action from last February.
In contrast to the sometimes raucous public hearings regarding Mauna Kea in past years, both university representatives and the petitioners were in good spirits. At every opportunity the petitioners, which included Kealoha Pisciotta, Paul Neves, Clarence "Ku" Ching, Deborah Ward, Marti Townsend of KAHEA and the Flores and Case ohana, peppered TMT representatives with questions while Aoki listened.
Reality: Telescope: The Shakedown begins, Thirty Meter Telescope Selects Mauna Kea -- Let the looting begin!
read … Can TMT, gods coexist?
Honolulu City Council to decide if hotel in Laie can be built
This empty plot of land that once held the Laie Inn could soon house a new, bigger hotel.
"It's been sorely missed and are community has suffered a bit without accommodations here so it would be nice to have those back again," says Steve Hoag, Hawaii Reserves Vice President of Administration.
The Inn was demolished in November 2009.
Full Text: Resolution 11-84
read … Laie Hotel
Clean Energy Project to Spew 246 tons of Pollution
The proposed Pepeekeo power plant could be more polluting than both the operator and state regulators claim, a federal agency said after reviewing draft air permit conditions.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it has "significant concerns" with how the state Department of Health plans to regulate emissions from the $70 million plant Hu Honua Bioenergy wants to operate on the site of the old Pepeekeo electrical facility.
Chief among them is whether the 21.5-megawatt biomass facility will qualify as a "minor" source of hazardous air pollutants or if it must meet more costly regulations imposed on "major" polluters.
The DOH's Clean Air Branch claims plant emissions will fall 3.6 tons below the annual 250-ton cap for "minor" sources of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide releases, according to the EPA's June 30 letter to the CAB.
read … Power plant spurs concern
Late mortgage payments in Hawaii decline
Hawaii ranks 19th in the nation for mortgage delinquencies in the second quarter.
That's according to a TransUnion report that shows delinquent mortgages in Hawaii fell to 4.9 percent of all mortgages in the second quarter, down from 5.7 percent a year ago.
A mortgage is considered delinquent when a payment is 60 or more days late.
read … Late
Strategic Airlines to fly to Hawaii
New Australian carrier Strategic Airlines says it will fly two new routes between Australia and Hawaii.
From this week the airline will operate services between Brisbane and Honolulu and Melbourne and Honolulu.
It will use Airbus A330 aircraft with a seat configuration of 30 business class and 244 economy class seats.
read … Strategic Airlines
Flying Donkeys Set To Arrive At LAX
Donkeys were taken to the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1800s to help in the farming of sugar and coffee and have since lost their usefulness in the eyes of society.
As the processes became more mechanized, the donkeys were released onto lava flows where they thrived and multiplied. Residential and commercial developments have come into direct conflict with the donkeys.
Left unchecked, their population has soared to numbers too great for the island ecosystem to handle.
read … Flying Donkeys