Kalapa: Alternative Energy Tax Credits Opened Flood Gates

Cayetano’s Consumer Advocate says Left is lame but Hawai’i Free Press Has no Place

A Misdirected Blast from a Supporter of Abercrombie’s New Communications Director

Star-Adv hires Kenoi Admin Official to Cover Rail

ILind: …from this morning’s Star-Advertiser: Kevin Dayton, former Hilo bureau chief and Capitol bureau chief for the Honolulu Advertiser is coming back to journalism. He’s been hired by the S-A to cover transportation issues, primarily rail. He’s been working for Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi ….

Do the Math: Kenoi backs Hannemann

Kenoi: Billy Kenoi helped Pali Shooter, Billy Kenoi at Shooters--and the Pali shooter--the connections, Malu Motta: “I need one governor so he can pardon me.”, Kenoi Fundraiser payout? Gotti lawyer on Pali murder case

And: “From Hack to Flack”: the Big Island newspaper-Democrat revolving door

read … Kevin Dayton returning to reporting

Iraq tied to 9-11 Attack? Star-Advertiser Editors Lie About Iraq War in order to Back Hirono

Star-Advertiser: After nearly nine years of being entrenched in a country that was mistakenly accused of connections with the 9/11 attack on America, virtually all U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by year's end….

Obama opposed the war in Iraq from its beginning and during his 2007 campaign. The Bush administration had attacked Iraq based on terrible intelligence that Iraq somehow was in cahoots with the 9/11 attackers. Obama began reducing the troops in Iraq and increasing them in Afghanistan upon taking office. He declared more than a year ago that the U.S. combat mission there was over.

Hawaii's U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono is right in saying that the lives lost -- and "the $1 trillion that has been added to our national debt -- has been tragic." She also points out that maintaining a strong military able to respond to threats should be combined with "diplomacy to achieve and keep the peace, and oppose ill-considered international military entanglements."

Reality: It is not possible that SA editors are so moronic as to believe that alleged connections to 9-11 were the reason for the US liberation of Iraq. Therefore the only logical conclusion is that they are liars, not morons. Here are the five reasons given by Pres. Bush in 2003 for invading Iraq:

1. WMD
2. Saddam’s military threat to neighbors
3. Saddam’s material support for terrorist cells
4. Saddam’s brutality towards his own people
5. Saddam’s violation of UN Sanctions put in place after Gulf War

read … SA Iraq Lie

And here is the item from yesterday’s News Read which the SA editors are responding to….

Ideology Trumps Reality as Hirono Denounces Iraq War one More Time

Hirono: “The cost of this war – in the nearly 4,500 lives lost and the $1 trillion that has been added to our national debt – has been tragic. Our focus must continue to be on keeping our nation safe and honoring our commitment to our returning troops and our military families. The best way to do that is for the leaders of this country to maintain a strong military that is powerful enough to deter and take action against threats, use diplomacy to achieve and keep the peace, and oppose ill-considered international military entanglements.”

Related: Ideology Yes, Hawaii No: Hirono Votes Against S. Korea Free Trade, Military Spending: In pursuit of Ideology, Hirono Votes Against 18% of Hawaii Economy

read … Out Now

Hawaii’s Very Own Dr. Death now seeking Victims

Dr. Robert "Nate" Nathanson is ready to prescribe a fatal dose of barbiturates to help any terminally ill patient in Hawaii die. (Attention HPD: He just announced his intention to kill.)

First he has to find the right person. (And he is looking for the right victim.)

"If there is somebody out there that wants to avail themselves to this and they ask their own doctor to write a prescription and the doctor is not willing to do that, then I would be," Nathanson said. "I realize I could be prosecuted for this and I'm willing to take that chance."

(And the Star-Advertiser is happy to provide lots of free advertising.)

Nathanson helped found Hospice Hawaii more than 30 years ago and treated dying patients every year. (Has he been doing this on the sly for 30 years?)

"They would ask me, 'Doc, can you help me end this? I'm miserable,'" Nathanson said.

Before he was referred to the 1909 law, Nathanson said he thought that physician-assisted suicide -- or "death with dignity" in Hawaii -- "was illegal and I risked losing my license and possibly going to jail." (Did he just admit something?)

(BTW, the idea that they just heard of the 1909 law is ridiculous. The death activists have been trying to amend it for years.)

read … Kevorkian by the Sea

Spitting on ethics might have voters spitting back

Borreca: Much like the song's warning not to tug on Superman's cape or spit into the wind, there should be some simple warning for politicians who complain about ethics laws being too tough on them.

For instance, take the case now under examination by the state Ethics Commission.

The commission is reviewing the filings by both legislators and Relativity Media, the entertainment and media company, because there is a discrepancy.

The company, seeking an increased tax credit to help pay for building new movie studios here, spent more than $200,000 lobbying the Legislature. Les Kondo, Ethics Commission executive director who used to be an engineer before he became a lawyer, noticed the firm first reported giving out 35 boxes of DVDs worth $290 but amended it to say only 25 went out and they were worth just $6.30.

Kondo asked lawmakers to help explain what happened and sent them a form to fill out, listing what they got and who gave it to them.

State law says that state employees, including legislators, shall not solicit, accept or receive anything (gifts, travel, money, loans or promises of things) when "it can be reasonably inferred that the gift is intended to influence the legislator of employee in the performance of their official duties ... "

Some lawmakers still have not come off the ceiling they hit when they got Kondo's letter.

"Your letter and insinuations are insulting," wrote one lawmaker, as he filled out his report for Kondo.

"Let me add I believe your overbearing manner is insulting to duly elected legislators. I don't need you to act as my conscience," the legislator wrote.

read … Spitting on ethics might have voters spitting back

32 Oahu Churches Participate In Massive Clean Up Effort (Religion in Action)

More than 32 churches, a multitude of denominations, were sweeping, raking, and painting all for one cause.

"We want our home, our area to be nice, to be beautiful. We also want to present the best to the world when APEC comes," said Francis Oda, pastor for New Life Church Honolulu.

"I love being a part of this. In fact, everybody should be a part of this," said Dennis Ohata, one of 600 volunteers who came to Kapiolani Park with gloves and a rake.

The one-day, massive island-wide clean up was an initiative created by 30 Hawaii pastors who wanted to make a difference in the community.

When Mayor Carlisle was asked what was needed, he told them cleaning the parks was what would help. That's what was being done by an army of volunteers which spent the morning doing manual labor at parks across the island.

Read … Compassion In Action

Wash Examiner: Prostitution Prime Business Opportunity from APEC (Atheism in Action)

With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting a few weeks away, it's not just security that's increased in Honolulu. An advocacy group for survivors of human trafficking says it is already seeing increased signs of prostitution on the streets of Waikiki.

"We're there and we see them (prostitutes) in plain view," said Kathryn Xian, executive director of Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery. "We're seeing new ones."

Xian's group expects traffickers of prostitution to see APEC as a prime business opportunity, so it is sending trained outreach workers from the group to the streets throughout the summit to help victims of sex trafficking….

Even in the shadows of the Hawaii Convention Center, where ministerial and senior officials will meet, the city's seedier side awaits. A strip club is directly across the street. A few blocks west are a smattering of more strip clubs, hostess bars and porn shops.

Everyone in Hawaii, including the adult establishments, is hoping APEC translates into brisk business.

"I got my fingers crossed," said Lucas Aholelei, manager at Club Femme Nu, a strip bar located a quick walk away….

Chesney-Lind worries that overreacting to what could transpire during APEC might lead to street sweeps in areas where prostitutes are known to frequent. (Worrying about sweeps is why Honolulu isn’t properly cleaned up for the Big Show. Anybody else would just get out the broom.)

SA: APEC Host Committee has chosen five local companies to be part of the Hawaii Business Innovation Showcase

Read … APEC expected to draw diplomats, prostitutes

Petition Drive as Chang, McKelvey Renew Push for State Lottery

One Puna woman is trying to beat long odds so others may have the chance to do the same.

Hope Cermelj's goal is to improve public schools by ending Hawaii's distinction as one of two states prohibiting all forms of gambling.

Since June, the Kalapana resident has been canvassing the Big Island and Maui for supporters of a statewide lottery.

"I've seen the revenue they can create," said Cermelj, who so far has collected more than 5,000 signatures from people who support her initiative to raise educational funding by legalizing and taxing sales of lottery tickets.

Cermelj said that she'll be taking her petition drive to Oahu in December.

"This is all paid for by me because I care," she said. (Yeah, right.)

Cermelj's effort has gained traction with two state lawmakers.

State Rep. Angus McKelvey, D-West Maui, said he was "playing around with the idea" of proposing a lottery to create a revenue stream that would replace Hawaii's "barrel tax" on oil imports.

"But then, out of the blue, I met Hope," he said. (Yeah, right. Uh huh.)

"I'll need the support of all my colleagues," McKelvey said, adding that topping his list will be state Rep. Jerry Chang, D-Hilo.

Fascinating Read: Google “Hope Cermelj”

read … Tax on the Poor

A red tape emergency: Abercrombie's stealth decree waiving land-use law

"It's clear that during emergency situations, DLNR can declare an exemption," said Gary Hooser, director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control, who said he was not contacted about Abercrombie's decision to invoke the proclamation. (But Hooser thinks and EIS is necessary to tie a barge to a dock for the Superferry.)

He said in many cases of rights of entry for munitions cleanup, an environmental assessment is not even necessary.

"On virtually any action or project that's going on," Hooser said, "if the agency looks at the potential impacts and decides that it is not likely to have any significant impact, there's a path to declaring an exemption ... The agency, in this case the DLNR, makes that determination and a lot of people think getting something exempt is a very difficult process, and it's not a difficult process, if the expected impacts (of the entry) are not going to be significant."

The availability of adequate funding for the work has been an issue since the national munitions program began in 2004. Two years into the program, then-U.S. Rep. Ed Case said, "Basically, what we're talking about is $640 million to clean up Waikoloa versus a national budget for (the program) of $250-plus-million, so clearly, there's a problem all across the country."

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka said at the time that "current appropriations are not enough for the (Defense Department) to move ahead with cleanup tasks."

Abercrombie spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said funding was important in listing the corps' projects "on a risk management ranking approach." The Hapuna Beach work was "at the top of the corps' project list," she said.

"Even though the current level of funding would allow for the completion of a few of the top projects," Dela Cruz said in an email to the Star-Advertiser, "these are the projects with the highest risk assessment. In other words, even if removing all unexploded munitions from state lands could take a long time, losing the funding would prevent the state from cleaning up those sites with the highest risk to human health, safety or the environment on state lands."

read … Red Tape Emergency

New Foreclosure law flounders

But since the announcement, the foreclosure resolution program has yet to help a single person. And there is considerable doubt it ever will.

Critics of the program -- which was crafted by legislators earlier this year, signed into law by Gov. Neil Abercrombie with urgency on May 5 and kick-started with $400,000 in state funds -- say the law was a colossal failure that is hurting Hawaii's real estate market and economic recovery.

"I haven't heard a single person say this is a good idea," said local economist Paul Brewbaker.

"I think the bottom line is: The law is working," said Rep. Bob Herkes, chairman of the House Consumer Protection Committee who, along with Sen. Rosalyn “I went bankrupt” Baker, was a chief architect of the law that overhauled the way lenders may foreclose on homes without involving the courts.

Link: mfdr.ehawaii.gov

read … Another Hawaii Legislative Failure

Arson at Kawaiaha’o Church Burns Human Remains

Remains exhumed during archaeological work at Kawaiaha'o Church were intentionally set on fire earlier this month, police say.

The incident has been classified as "abuse of a corpse," police spokesman Caroline Sluyter said Friday. (Obvious question: Did sovereignty activists do this?)

The fire was discovered on the morning of Oct. 10 at a dig at the church's historic cemetery. The archaeological work is being done ahead of construction of a foundation for a multipurpose center.

In an emailed statement, church officials said the remains in the grave had been covered with a paper cushion and plywood….

In January, Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto denied a preliminary injunction against native Hawaiians who wanted the church to provide an archaeological inventory before developing the multipurpose center.

Church officials said they have increased security and repaired a construction fence damaged in the incident.

read … Kawaiaha’o

Kauai Council to Burn $75K trying to Steal Boatyard from Owner

The Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday by a 6-1 vote approved $75,000 to hire special counsel to represent the county against Michael Sheehan in a condemnation lawsuit.

“We feel strongly that the Fifth Circuit Court is the proper arena to hear all sides and make a final determination on a fair purchase price,” Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said in a written statement following the decision. “We all look forward to seeing the long-standing goal of expanding Black Pot beach park move ahead at the earliest possible date.”

Sheehan owns a riverside property behind Black Pot Beach Park in Hanalei, which has been the site of much controversy over the years due to commercial boating operations and other activities. With the Planning Commission pulling his permits, the county has moved forward to buy the land through condemnation. The snag of late has been the council’s concerns over approving the expense of outside legal counsel for the case.

Read … Eminent Domain