Panos Drops Out of 2012 Mayoral Campaign
Dinesh D’Souza to Address Heritage Foundation Honolulu Dinner
Meet the Profiteer Behind Hawaii Medical Marijuana Cards
PREL: Hawaiian Students Failing, So Give Us More Money
Post-HMC Desperation: Tripler to bolster state's trauma network
SA: (With the closure of HMC putting crushing pressure on Queens) Tripler Army Medical Center has agreed to become a trauma center for the treatment of nonmilitary residents on Oahu, providing relief to the Queen's Medical Center, which is the only civilian trauma center on Hawaii's most populated island.
Tripler plans to become a participant in the state's trauma system in six months to a year, and will care for "low-level" trauma patients, a move that will allow Queen's to focus on seriously injured individuals.
Civilian patients from the west side of Oahu, including Aiea, Ewa Beach, Kapolei, Kunia, Pearl City, Wahiawa, Mililani, Waianae and Waipahu, would be candidates for care at Tripler, officials said….
A hospital's ability to care for trauma in Hawaii is based on a four-level system, with "I" being the highest level of care and "IV" being the lowest. Tripler said it will enter the state's trauma system at Level III, while Queen's already is a Level II facility….
Rosen said Oahu has no other trauma centers (and having Queens constantly overflowing with patients because of HMCs closure is making it very difficult to maintain the level of trauma care Hawaii needs.).
Rosen said having only one trauma center leaves Oahu vulnerable. "On a day-to-day basis we don't usually run into too many problems, she said. "Queen's can handle the load." But in a "mass-casualty situation," that might not be the case.
Tripler said it treated more than 11,000 injury cases in fiscal 2011, 297 of which were severe enough to be classified as trauma cases.
By treating non-Defense Department civilians, the Army hospital projects that it will more than double its trauma treatment per year to 682 cases.
read … Military saves Oahu from Failure of Abercrombie, legislature
Legislative Commissioner: Stimulus Money Helped DoE Keep Bloated Bureaucracy
HTH: Members of the panel were appointed by Hawaii's state and federal political leaders; as a result the commission had a strong Democratic tilt. The exception was certified public accountant Ed Kemp, who was nominated by Senate Republicans Fred Hemmings and Sam Slom. The other five voting members could not be reached Friday.
"Even though I was appointed to this committee, I'm not a great fan of the whole concept of spending our grandchildren's money, eliminating the need to make some adjustments to live within our means," Kemp said.
He was most critical of the state Department of Education, which Kemp said missed a chance to reduce its "bloated bureaucracy" and instead "relied on stimulus funds to maintain the same employees."
Kemp supported the goal of lower unemployment but questioned some of the accounting practices used to justify the number of jobs saved or created.
Full Text: Legislative Federal Economic Stimulus Program Oversight Commission Report
read … Federally-funded Bloat
Civil Unions Give Couples 71 benefits and 290 rights under Hawaii Law
CB: Civil unions are about love, of course, but they are also about equal rights. It gives couples in unions 71 benefits, responsibilities and obligations not previously enjoyed. They include things straight couples take for granted, like adoption rights, tax deductions and inheritance.
There are also 290 rights and obligations under existing state statutory provisions implicating civil unions. They include making state and county employees eligible for two hours paid leave to attend parent‐teacher conferences, for example….
"This is just a waystation on the way to marriage," said (convicted thief) Michael Golojuch, chair of Honolulu Pride.
Related: Broken Trust Gang finally Imposes Gay Unions on Hawaii
read … Children
Boon for Tourism: Taiwan May Get Visa Waivers
SA: In Hawaii, worried observers in the tourism industry feel most frustrated by the unrealized promise of the burgeoning China visitors market. The average wait time at the five U.S. State Department posts in China is 48 days — 64 days in Shanghai and 60 days in Beijing.
The sought-after solution is providing the option of visa waivers for overseas visitors, easing the process of coming to this country. There are 36 countries, such as Japan and South Korea, with that option, but expanding that roster remains a thorny issue. Most of those thorns grew out of the devastating 9/11 attacks a decade ago and its attendant security concerns. Before then, in-person interviews weren't the norm for visa applications; now they are, and there are fingerprint checks and other measures besides.
That clampdown has come with a cost. The U.S. share of global travelers now stands at 12 percent, down from 17 percent before 2001, statistics that mean lost economic gain at a time when America is hungry for an influx of cash from overseas.
Hawaii and the rest of the U.S. recently got good news with the nomination of Taiwan to become the next to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. An American delegation is due to visit Taiwan in the early months of this new year to finalize the review.
read … U.S. visa policy hinders tourism
DOE held on to $34.2M from 2010
SA: The bulk of this year's carryover —about 67 percent — was of per-pupil funding at the school level, the Department of Education report said.
The DOE is required to report to the Legislature on the total carryover for each fiscal year.
In its newest report, prepared for the upcoming legislative session, the DOE notes that schools may have had to hold on to more money than usual because of a spending freeze on equipment, office supplies and out-of-state travel during the last two months of fiscal year 2010-11.
Norman Pang, acting Pearl City-Waipahu complex superintendent, said several schools in his area also increased their carryover because of projected enrollment increases.
Solomon Elementary, for example, kept about $550,000, according to the DOE report. Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary carried over $339,000. And Pearl City High held on to $472,000.
read … DOE held on to $34.2M from 2010
Occupy Honolulu: KHON Should be Forced off the Air
IB: There is now a poll up on the occupy honolulu facebook page that people can participate in, and direct your friends to. It asks whether KHON2 news should be forced off the air, and gives four possible answers. If you are on facebook (sorry to promote facebook) you can find it here:
http://www.facebook.com/OccupyHonolulu?sk=questions
Click on "Do you think KHON2 Television News should be forced off the air?"
- The public should occupy the station to improve the reportage and analysis -- 11 votes
- Yes, they engage in Yellow Journalism and are beholden to the capitalist class -- 8 votes
(While planning to censor the media, be sure to chant: “This is what Democracy Looks Like”)
Here is what appeared on the KHON2 website and the results so far:
DO YOU THINK MEMBERS OF OCCUPY HONOLULU SHOULD BE FORCED TO LEAVE THE AREA BY THOMAS SQUARE PARK?
- Yes, they are blocking the sidewalk for pedestrians (80.1%)
- No, they can stay as long as they follow city and park rules (19.9%)
Related: Occupy Honolulu: Waikiki Shooting was “Round One”
And don’t forget: Star-Advertiser: Occupy brought “Heady Whiff of Revolution” to a “Self-Important Democracy”
read … Censorship
Occupy Wall Street Protests Outside Pelosi’s Kona Resort
HR: At the December 31 protest, participants complained about everything from "greed kills" to "war is not a jobs program" to the "1 percent" of America's wealthy should not be so rich.
They stood within a mile of the exotic and luxurious Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu in Kona where U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement, has been staying this holiday season.
1KTP: anti-Kukio Occupy Hawaii protest a complete bust, Occupy Hawaii Island Movement Plans Protest Near Pelosi’s Posh Hawaiian Hotel
read … Occupy Targets Wealthy Democrat
HFD: "No Significant Decline In Fireworks Related Calls"
KITV: Honolulu Fire Captain Terry Seelig said New Year’s Eve was not less busy than years past, despite a fireworks ban.
The fireworks ban was signed into law in Oct. 2010 but this is the first New Years it went into effect.
“There were still a lot of aerial fireworks; all aerials are illegal in Hawaii,” said Seelig….
“We didn’t see a significant decline in fireworks related fires or call volume and that’s a little troublesome,” said Seelig.
Read … Fireworks
Harassed over Dead Fish, PETCO Agrees to Stop Selling Hawaii Species in Local Stores
KGI: About 30 to 50 people protested in front of Maui’s Petco store Wednesday against the sale of marine fish. The store announced it would stop selling Hawaiian species at its five locations statewide. But protest organizer Renee Umberger said protesters want Petco to stop selling all Hawaiian fish in all of their stores, not just in Hawai‘i. Snorkel Bob’s executive director Robert Wintner, who helped organize the protest, said Petco should halt sales of all marine life….
Read … Harassment Succeeds
Surfing moves to wipe out drug cheats after death of the sport's triple world champion
UK Daily Mail: Surfer Andy Irons died from a heart attack with traces of crystal meth, methadone and cocaine in his blood ….
Read … Move follows death of Hawaiian star Andy Irons
Obama Leaving
KITV: The First Family is expected to end their two week Hawaii vacation today, with a 5 p.m. departure from Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam
read … b-bye
Deedy Leaves Hawaii
KITV: 27-year-old Christopher Deedy returned to his home in Virginia Saturday after gaining special permission to leave Oahu while awaiting trial.
According to Deedy's lawyer for his criminal proceedings, Brook Hart, Circuit Judge Karen Ahn granted the special permission Friday afternoon.
Deedy then took a "late night" flight back to Virginia that evening.
read … Waikiki Shooting
Aurora Foundation Hosts New Years Eve Fundraiser on Kauai
…the Ka Loko Dam, located in the hills above her home, breached, sending 360 million gallons of water down the mountain in terrifying waves. It was just before dawn, Tuesday, March 14, 2006, when Aurora, her husband Alan Dingwall, and her toddler son Rowan were swept to their deaths. Four of their friends staying on their property also died that morning….
Want to help the Aurora Foundation? Log onto http://www.amicusfoundation.org/amicus-2/kauai-flood/index.htm
read … Ka Loko