Occupy Honolulu: Waikiki Shooting was “Round One”
Giuliani Video: OWS Is Millstone Around Obama's Neck That Will Take Presidency Down
Former Waipahu High School Manager Charged with Money Laundering
Abercrombie: Forests Worth $14B of Your Money, Orders $11M spent to Create 150 HGEA, UPW Positions
HR Video: Interview With Lawyers for Human Trafficking Victims
Federal agent from mainland arrested for killing man in Waikiki
Deedy's LinkedIn web page identifies him as a special agent working for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security at the State Department and from the Washington D.C. area.
According to the State Department's website the bureau is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. President Barack Obama and 20 other world leaders are expected to attend the APEC Leaders' Meeting next weekend.
Police say the shooting happened in front of the McDonald's restaurant on Kuhio Avenue between Royal Hawaiian and Seaside avenues just before 3 a.m. The victim is 23, and is a Hawaii resident, police said.
Deedy was identified and arrested a short distance away at 2234 Kuhio Ave. at 3 a.m. He was being held without bail this morning pending a second-degree murder charge, according to police.
Police said initial indications are that the suspect and the victim, a man in his 20s believed to be Hawaii resident, did not know each other. The victim's identify has not yet been released.
Police said four males got into a confrontation and the victim sustained a single gunshot wound. Paramedics took him in critical condition to a hospital, where he died.
Deedy had not been charged as of this afternoon.
read … APEC Security
Obama to Renew Push for Free Trade at APEC
Mr. Obama is expected to make a case for expanding and liberalizing trade with other Pacific Rim countries, a position that has been made more credible now that Congress has finally passed a free-trade agreement with South Korea. When he meets President Hu Jintao, he should press him again to raise the value of China’s currency. The expected announcement of a new military basing agreement with Australia, the appointment of a full-time American negotiator on North Korea and efforts to resolve disputes over the South China Sea are intended to show that the United States is not ceding anything.
read … And Now for Something Different
Borreca: Abercrombie is an Outlier of Failure
It turns out that Gov. Neil Abercrombie's fate may just be "Outliers" in reverse.
The brilliant Malcolm Gladwell book, "Outliers: The Story of Success," explains how many of the outstanding, successful people became that way with a lot of help….
If Gladwell's theory holds, then a corollary may be that you could be an "outlier" in the other direction: No matter how good you are, you just may be fated to fail….
(Or no matter how hard-headed Abercrombie is, he just kept getting elected with the help of media sycophants like … )
Looking at members of Congress who either filed for governor while serving in Congress, such as Abercrombie, or without serving any other state office in the interim, Jacobson found 13 governors.
Six of them left office enveloped in scandal.
Remember Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois governor nabbed for trying to sell the appointment of President Barack Obama's old Senate seat? And then there was Mark Sanford, the South Carolina governor who made "hike the Appalachian Trail" a double entendre for hooking up with an Argentine mistress. Also former Gov. Bob Wise, who decided against seeking a second term in West Virginia after an affair with a state employee was disclosed.
From that original list of 13, three other governors who used to be congressmen failed to win a second term. Then two more governors served another term, but left office with plunging disapproval ratings. Only two governors escaped with their reputation and approval rating intact: Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania and Rob Riley of Alabama.
The lesson to learn from all this is that being a member of Congress is not what you want on your resume if you are running for governor….
"There is little experience in public office that prepares you more poorly for service in the governor's office than service in the House," Jacobson quotes one political expert as saying.
To suggest that someone who is 73, has served in the state House and Senate, the City Council and Congress for 20 years must now learn an entirely new skill set may be harsh, but it appears that's what Abercrombie has to do.
read … The Harsh Reality about Abercrombie
Abercrombie: A Failure to Miscommunicate
- Authorities continued a series of sweeps to remove homeless camps from the view of APEC delegates -- while insisting the cleanups are not sweeps and not related to APEC. That nobody is buying it suggests a failure to miscommunicate.
- University of Hawaii faculty and students chanting "APEC sucks" disrupted a pre-conference event on campus. With that slogan, it's hard to tell whether they're anti-globalization or anti-intellect.
read … Obama offers photo shoot, GOP offers shots in the dark
Case: Hirono beholden to Special Interests
As for Hirono and Lingle, he called them traditional candidates more beholden to special interests than voters.
Related: Small Business Tax: Lingle Campaign pushes back against Deceptive Tactics from Opponents
read … Case seeks more collaborative government
Star-Adv APEC Roundup:
Maui: Occupy Wall Street solidarity
"Things have got to change," Medeiros said. "This is my first protest, but it is a cause that needs to happen."
read … Occupy
Molokai: Legislators hear a united opposition to Big Wind
“We have not found anyone in favor of the project,” admitted Gabbard, “but there are people who want more information.”
In July, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission ruled that a new Request For Proposals would need to be issue on the 200-megawatt Molokai project. Proposals are now being accepted.
Lifetime locals and malihini alike spoke with a united voice at the Mitchell Pau’ole Center. Kanoho Helm, an organizer for the local group I Aloha Molokai, spoke forcefully about the opposition to bring as many as 90 400-foot tall windmills to Molokai’s west end. Helm wore his group’s lime green T-shirt along with another 50 or so members. Approximately 150 people in total attended.
“When are you going to get it!” said Helm, addressing the visiting legislators. “It’s just not going to happen … our representatives need to listen to our community.”
read … United
Panel: Cutting, combining boards could save money
MN: The county could save more than half a million dollars a year if it eliminated, combined or refocused some of its 37 boards and commissions, according to the Cost of Government Commission.
To view the complete report, go to www.co.maui.hi.us/index.aspx?NID=179 and click on "Cost of Government Commission Final Report 2010-2011."
read … Cost of Government
Lahaina Halloween Triumphant
Maui Chamber of Commerce: Look at Halloween, an event that was heard in 2nd Circuit Court the Thursday before the event was to take place Monday. Thankfully, the case was dismissed. In her ruling to dismiss the case against Maui County and the Lahaina Town Action Committee, Judge Rhonda Loo stated that "Canceling this event will not prevent the harm alleged by the plaintiffs" and explained that halting the festivities could cause "irreparable harm" to the Lahaina community. Numerous merchants provided statements saying they depend on the event for a major source of revenue.
We thank all who wrote in or spoke out in support of Halloween, whether they planned to attend the Front Street event or not. We believed that a winning solution was possible and supported the mayor's vision of a fun, safe, family-friendly Halloween, which is what the community received. Congratulations to Mayor Alan Arakawa, the county Office of Economic Development, the Planning Department, the LahainaTown Action Committee, the businesses, police officers, contributors, volunteers, and all who helped to make this successful event a reality. Praise is being heard from people across the island who are thrilled that the event is back and went well. It demonstrates that we can come together to address concerns and hold positive community activities. We look forward to another triumphant event next year.
read … Lahaina
Army looks to upgrade Pohakuloa
Army officials want to create modern training ranges, improve roads and utilities, and build new support facilities for members of the military using the training base between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, according to a programmatic environmental impact statement. The Army is collecting comments on the document through Nov. 30, and is hosting two public meetings, one at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Aunty Sally Kaleohano's Luau Hale
in Hilo and the second at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Waimea Elementary School.
The meetings are part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, which requires consultation with Native Hawaiians and organizations. From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., community members may ask questions and view poster displays about the project. From 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., community members may offer comments during an open microphone session. People may also submit written comments.
read … Pohakuloa
Matayoshi: Hawaii succeeding in improving its schools
- Gains are widespread. This year, Hawaii was the only state in the country where student achievement improved across the board: significant growth occurred in both mathematics and English in fourth and eighth grades.
- Gains are sustained. Over the past eight years, Hawaii's performance growth places us among the top five states.
- Gains are at the national forefront. This year, Hawaii's performance is among the top three states compared to the 12 that were awarded the highly competitive federal Race to the Top award.
For critics at home and on the mainland, it is worth recapping how these hard-earned gains were won….
How they did it:
SA: Parents of tweens urged to tour public middle schools
read … DoE Propaganda
Homeownership: Consuelo Foundation Does the Job the State Won’t
The foundation bought 14 acres of land in Waianae Valley and began to develop the project, named Ke Aka Ho'ona, or the "Spirit of Consuelo." (Under the Admission Act, the promotion of home ownership is one of the five purposes of the ceded lands. But the Legislature does not fulfill its obligation.)
In 2001, the last of the eight increments was completed, with a total of 75 homes. The average price of the houses was $56,000, based mainly on the costs of materials. The homeowners also entered into a lease-to-own land agreement with the foundation, which absorbed the infrastructure and administrative costs. As a result, the cost of homeownership is very low, with most carrying monthly home mortgages of about $500….
Years later, the signs of a successful experiment at Ke Aka Ho'ona are manifested in rates of emotional and financial family stability, the educational success of offspring (e.g., three valedictorians and one, on scholarship, admitted to Punahou School), no confirmed incidences of child abuse and neglect, and high levels of social cohesion and capital among neighbors.
The primary lesson learned is that it took only a house to relieve families of the huge stressors associated with housing and economic survival, and energies could be redirected into raising healthy children.
read … It is possible to help the homeless
Profitable Non-Profit Seeks Profit from Scenic Byway Proposal
Residents also questioned the makeup of the byway committee, particularly Bob Martin and Chris Helmuth's participation. Martin is founder and treasurer of the North Kohala Community Resource Center. Helmuth, the center's president, also works with the West Hawaii Mediation Center, which is listed as the mediator in the event any dispute arises between the committee and the center….
It is true, he said, that the byway grants are not supposed to be used for maintenance of existing roads or new signs, pullouts or interpretative centers that are eventually created. He pointed to the way the community cares for the King Kamehameha statue and how local donors have banded together for other projects as examples of how maintenance funding could be found in the future.
Byway opponents last week expanded their criticisms to include the North Kohala Community Resource Center, which is the fiscal sponsor for the byway committee. The center also sponsors 70 other projects in the district, Executive Director Christine Richardson said Friday. In a letter mailed to Kohala residents this week, she noted the center collects a service fee of 5 to 8 percent on donations and grants of $500 or more.
Community members alleged the center was supporting the byway project to increase its own funding.
read … Profitable non-profit
Dreams of his mother: Obama's Sydney connection
Pondering what might have been, she said: ''US history might be totally different, right?''
A search of the National Archives did not produce any evidence of a visa application by Ms Dunham, but staff say an application would not necessarily have been retained.
University records show Ms Guertin and Ms Dunham attended between 1963 and late 1966. It was at the end of this time that the White Australia policy was in the process of being dismantled.
The search did uncover evidence that Mr Obama has visited before - albeit very briefly.
An arrival card bearing the future President's signature shows he had just turned 14 when he passed through Sydney Airport from Indonesia. Mr Obama was attending high school in Hawaii at the time.
read … We’re not in Kansas any more
Website displays documents from Hawaiian Kingdom
More than 300,000 pages of government papers and records are available online ….
Link: http://punawaiola.org/
read … State Archives
Scenic donkey rescuers attend California Donkey Town 2011
Tehachapi, Calif., became Donkey Town 2011 on Oct. 29.
More than 1,225 people came to the 140-acre ranch to see 450 wild donkeys, many recently rescued from Hawaii.
The ranch is part of the Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue (PVDR) organization. And Joan Dunkle and Fred Clark, who operate the Scenic, Ariz., PVDR satellite, were there, too.
The focus of the event was providing the public an opportunity to see the wild donkeys recently airlifted from Hawaii to the mainland as the other rescue donkeys at the ranch available for adoption.
read … Kona Nightingales