Barney Frank on Maui: Hirono Raises Funds with Man Who Caused Housing Collapse
NRA: Immediate Action Needed on Hawaii Instructor Liability Bill
Abercrombie: We Need to Move Past Self-Appointed Hawaiian Organizations
WHT: Work on Queen Kaahumanu Highway needs to begin soon, Abercrombie told a couple of hundred people at the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce event at the Keauhou Outrigger Hotel.
“It’s being delayed by what I’m told are Native Hawaiian organizations,” he said, adding he asked which organizations. “It’s somebody self-designating and getting some standing. That’s something we’ve got to move past.”
Such “self-designating” organizations, he said, grab on to cultural protections and environmental protections and seek standing to prevent action in areas they decided they needed cultural activities “discovered six minutes ago.” Those people shouldn’t get standing and should be thrown out of court, he added.
“If we don’t have some relief, this is going to cause jobs not to occur and there’s no good reason for it,” Abercrombie said.
He went on to defend Senate Bill 755, which began as an unrelated measure but now proposes to give the governor broad leeway to exempt projects from environmental review.
“If you don’t approve of what I’ve done, you can vote me out of office,” he said, pointing out he has been involved in more than 40 elections. “I’m accountable.”
He accused “pseudo-environmental and cultural” organizations of standing in the way of necessary projects. Abercrombie said he helped write Hawaii’s environmental laws, and the intent was not to stop projects from going through.
read … Abercrombie Wants to Deal Only with OHA
OHA Cronies Will Get $200M worth of Land to Personally Profit From
CB: Senate Bill 2783 was approved Thursday (March 29) without amendments, meaning it awaits a House floor vote Friday.
If passed March 30, it goes directly to Neil Abercrombie for his signature — a major victory for the administration and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and a historic development in the long-simmering dispute over ceded-land revenue.
SA: "This is a long-standing issue that should have been settled years ago, so it's about rectifying that," former Gov. John Waihee, chairman of the commission preparing a roll of participants for a Native Hawaiian government, said of the settlement. "It's really just about rent that's already due to OHA."
Another long-standing issue: State Sues to Get Back $39M Looted from Graves by John Waihee
read … OHA-Kakaako Bill Passes House Finance
Abercrombie: I delayed Capital Improvement Projects for 20 Months
WHT: At the beginning of his speech, he said he delayed capital improvement projects for 20 months, “to prove this state was being run on an accountable basis.”
We Noticed:
read … No CIP from Abercrombie
Laura Thielen, Former Lingle appointee, to run for SD25 as Democrat
ILind: A political drama has been quietly playing out behind the scenes of the Hawaii Democratic Party in recent weeks over Laura Thielen’s application for party membership and request to run for public office as a Democrat.
Thielen, an attorney, was appointed to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources by former Gov. Linda Lingle in 2007, and previously served as executive director of the Office of State Planning. She is the daughter of Republican State Representative Cynthia Thielen.
Thielen apparently has not previously declared a party preference.
Thielen reportedly wants to run for the 25th Senate District seat (Hawaii Kai-Kailua) won by Pohai Ryan in 2010 following the retirement of Republican Fred Hemmings. Ryan squeaked past two others in a tight Democratic primary in 2010, and captured just 50.1% of the vote in the general election.
The final reapportionment plan has expanded the district to include more GOP-leaning areas, and Hemmings is said to be considering a return to politics, potentially putting this seat at risk of going to the Republicans again.
Thielen filed for Democratic Party membership in January, but missed a key deadline requiring candidates to be members “in good standing” for six months before the June 5, 2012 filing deadline in order to run for office under the party label.
read … Laura Thielen
Hawaii Legislature Advances Law in Hopes of Deceiving US Department of Education
CB: But legislation creating a program to evaluate teachers and educational officers is coming over the objections of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, which represents some 13,000 members.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday advanced a bill requiring the Hawaii Department of Education to establish a performance management system that includes an evaluation component, among other things.
"We recognize this is a somewhat contentious issue," Sen. Jill Tokuda, said after the 11-2 vote. She added that the proposed law represents a "larger issue" than just Race to the Top. (The law will pass, the $75M will be released, and a union-owned state judge will then overturn the law. Simple.)
The House version of the bill has been amended since its January introduction, but has remained mostly intact since it crossed over to the Senate in early March. The Senate version, which is waiting for a hearing to be scheduled in the House Finance Committee, has been tweaked less and contains fewer prescriptions on how the evaluation system should function.
Regardless of the final shape of this likely law, the legislative effort to mandate teacher evaluations is just another component of Gov. Neil Abercrombie's determination to develop the reviews through whatever means necessary. And with Race to the Top funds at stake, lawmakers and Board of Education members seem to share his motivation.
As explained: Faking it for the Feds, Abercrombie Prepares to Impose Another ‘Last, Best, and Final Offer’ on HSTA
read … Faking it for the Feds
Plan to Let Criminals Out of Prison Stripped from Bill after Ala Moana Work Release Arrests
SA: The Abercrombie administration was handed a setback Wednesday when a state Senate committee stripped provisions from a House-passed bill that would follow an ambitious initiative aimed at returning inmates on mainland prison facilities to the islands….
The House initiative was the result of a Justice Reinvestment proposal by the Council of State Government Justice Center, a New York nonprofit that helps states improve their correctional systems. Jodie Maesaka-Hirata, Hawaii’s first woman public safety director, has embraced the proposal to reduce recidivism, decrease the prison population and strengthen public safety.
The Senate Public Safety, Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee deleted the reforms contained in the House bill, leaving only a proposed increase in membership of the Hawaii Paroling Authority. If the action is approved by the full Senate, the reform proposals could rebound in House-Senate conferences next month.
The legislative action followed the arrest last week of four city park supervisors and eight inmates of the Oahu Community Correctional Center, accused of trying to sneak crystal methamphetamine, an “ice” pipe and tobacco onto the prison grounds. The inmates were participants in a supervised outside work program and had been allowed by the city supervisors, against rules, to swim and relax at Ala Moana Beach Park’s Magic Island.
The outside work line is an integral part of Maesaka-Hirata’s plan to help inmates prepare for their ultimate release. (How many other arrests could be made, how much more corruption is there?)
Q: City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro used to have your present job title, and he has been pretty critical of the Justice Reinvestment report. Where do you disagree with his assessment?
A: We have a lot of the same dot-patterns. Our biggest concern is, No. 1, public safety. No. 2 is that I think his contention to the legislative body and the community is (right), that we need to have the infrastructure set up. We need to have the positions ready for supervision. We need to have the programs valued to the community identified and ready to go for these people transitioning out. We need to look at more services. We agree on those type of things.
I think his biggest thing is having infrastructure, and right now we don’t have infrastructure. We are trying to establish that through this process. So his thing is take a step back, set it up and then let’s go, because he does support victim services, he does believe that people should be supervised transitioning out and getting support services. …
We need to have a prison built. We need to look at what capacity we have and make sure we do repair and maintenance, because for years and years we never received money for that. Our facilities are falling apart. Maui is falling apart so bad that it just needs to be torn down and needs to be replaced.
What is the best use of the facilities that we currently have? Are we maximizing its capability and capacity? For some of them it’s over and beyond. … It’s about looking at what we have. Can we save it? Can we utilize it?
read … Beaten by a single dog-n-pony show arrest
Mandatory Sick Leave: Another Made in San Francisco Pipedream
SA: While there have been cases of private-sector employees losing their jobs because of absenteeism due not only to sickness but from situations stemming from domestic violence, government intervention would be an extraordinary and wrong reaction.
Private business rightfully appeared in large numbers at the Legislature this week to protest legislation to mandate paid sick or safe days off, which would add to Hawaii’s reputation as onerous to businesses, an absurd message during this stage of the economy.
Businesses with fewer than 100 employees or those with collective bargaining agreements would be exempt from the proposal, which was approved Wednesday by the state Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee and now heads to the full Senate.
House Bill 341 was introduced in last year’s legislative session but has since added the “safe leave” as a new category…
Connecticut law is confined to service workers in businesses with 50 or more employees. “Sick and safe” leave has been adopted in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Seattle. That’s it, and Hawaii should not be compelled to jump into what may be the very early stages of a controversial movement at a time when many businesses are struggling to make ends meet.
read … Another Progressive Nightmare
Property Management Firms Behind Non-Resident Vacation Rental Owners
CB: There's something awry in some new pieces of legislation that may well become law in July of this year. Because I've found no articles about this issue in the local print newspapers and because this legislation if passed has potential to hurt not only the non-resident property owners, but everyone who visits or lives in Hawaii, I would like to share critical details about this issue with your readers.
The legislation in question consists of four bills, three of which would require all non-resident (i.e. non-voting) owners to place their property under the complete management of a Real Estate Licensed Property Manager, who typically charges up to half or more of all the rental income as their fee. Today it is legal under Hawaii Real Estate code (HRS467) for an owner, regardless of residency, to manage their rental property directly, with the help of a local contact.
Critics say the bills would greatly increase their management costs while supporters argue that millions of dollars in revenue are leaving the state.
In reviewing all of the testimonies as well as the overall 2012 Legislative Agenda, what is clear is that at least some of the backers are the large Property Management firms.
read … Media Conspiracy of Silence
Inouye Behind Firing of Haleakala Hearing Officer
CB: The board ruled that Steven Jacobson had inappropriate discussions with outside parties to the case — ostensibly, Sen. Daniel Inouye's office and the University of Hawaii's Institute of Astronomy, among others. The board ordered him immediately discharged from the case.
"I know neither side liked my decision very much, so it doesn't surprise me," Jacobson told Civil Beat. He declined to talk about any discussions with Inouye's staff or others, saying he couldn't comment beyond what was in his case file.
The decision references communications that Jacobson had with the Department of Health, the chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and "other people," but doesn't get into specifics.
In a document filed earlier this month, Jacobson complained about pressure from Inouye's office that he rule in favor of the telescope observatory, which has sparked opposition by Native Hawaiian groups in particular, who argue that it will disrupt an important cultural site.
"I was not asked to recommend a particular result, although the result Senator Inouye’s office wanted from the Board was clear," wrote Jacobson. "I did not see any evidence that anyone else (i.e., anyone in State Government), wanted any particular result, and the Board’s Chair, in particular, made clear that all he wanted to know was when this matter could be put on the Board’s calendar."…
Peter Boylan, Inouye's deputy chief of staff for government and external affairs, did not directly respond to the concerns raised about communications with Inouye, but did say by email Friday morning that the senator supported the project, the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope, and hoped that it would soon more forward.
read … Only Inouye Shows Leadership on Telescope
Bag Ban Littered With Confusing Exemptions
Gabbard: Just to be clear, the provisions in this legislation would not impose a tax. Instead, there would be a fee on every disposable plastic and paper bag given to customers by retailers. It gives people a choice. If you don’t want to pay the fee, you could bring your own reusable bags. Or even take your grocery cart out to your car, and load up your cooler and/or boxes.
Exemptions would be:
· Bags used to package loose items, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, candies or small hardware items (nuts, screws, nails) (He didn’t mention small baggies of drugs.)
· Bags used to contain or wrap frozen foods, meat or fish, flowers or potted plants or other items to contain dampness
· Bags used to protect or transport prepared foods or bakery goods
· Bags provided by pharmacists to contain prescription medicine
· Newspaper bags for home newspaper delivery to protect against rain
· Door-hanger bags (politicians take care of their own)
· Laundry or dry-cleaning bags
· Bags sold in packages
· Bags to contain live animals, such as fish or insects sold at pet stores
· Bags to hold pesticides, drain cleaners or other caustic chemicals
read … Litter
Who Speaks for the Abercrombie Administration?
CB: Where does the administration of Gov. Neil Abercrombie stand on waiving this fundamental law in order to expedite state construction projects?
On both sides of the issue, apparently — or neither….
it's almost as if the administration doesn't want to be seen as having anything to do with a bill that would give it remarkable power.
read … Who Speaks for the Abercrombie Administration?
Losers: Hirono, Hanabusa vote against House Budget
CB: “This budget does not reflect the values of Hawaii,” Hirono said in a statement. “This budget does not protect our kupuna or our keiki. It doesn’t put people back to work and hurts our middle class families yet gives the wealthiest among us a nearly $400,000 tax break.”
“I could not support the Ryan Budget because it sends the message that we care more about corporations, millionaires and billionaires than we do about the families and individuals who make up the strong core of our nation,” Hanabusa said.
Ignore this: Barney Frank on Maui: Hirono Raises Funds with Man Who Caused Housing Collapse
Barney Frank Helps Boyfriend to Fannie Mae Job
Just to be clear, this is a different Barney Frank boyfriend than the one who was operating the gay prostitution ring out of Frank's Capitol Hill Townhouse.
While he's here, maybe he could do a commercial for the Bank of Abercrombie.
read … Hirono Calls Ryan Budget ‘Misguided’
Josh Green Lines Pockets as State Health Connector Nears Approval
CB: Today, Capitol Watch reports that Sen. Josh Green held his second fundraiser during session.
Just yesterday, we reported that Reps. Pono Chong and Denny Coffman also held fundraisers this week.
Others who have held fundraisers during the Legislative session include: Sens. Clarence Nishihara, Ron Kouchi, Donovan Dela Cruz, Michelle Kidani and Malama Solomon; and House Speaker Calvin Say and Reps. Mark Hashem and Joe Souki….
In 2011, Green’s campaign donators included HMSA, UHPA, Outrigger, UHA, Pfizer, Liberty Dialysis, DaVita, Tim Johns, Bruce Anderson, Chuck Sted, Virginia Pressler, John Radcliffe and Red Morris and Charlie Toguchi.
CB: Sen. Kahele Holds Fundraiser During Ledge
read … Just as the State Health Connector is Being Approved
Wooley, Hooser Bob and Weave as Dirty Dozen Near Approval
SA: At a House Hawaiian Affairs informational briefing with key administrators Thursday, state Rep. Jessica Wooley (D, Laie-Kahaluu) observed, "Everybody in this room probably supports the idea of streamlining, perhaps creating jobs and making sure that important projects for airports are done in a timely and safe way, but at the same time what we're talking about is full-scale exemptions of laws that have been on the books for three decades."
Gary Hooser, director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control, said his department can already make exemptions on a case-by-case basis, and there isn't a backlog to stop it from happening quickly.
The exemption proposals assume that similar projects have similar impacts. However, Hooser notes that even standard projects like installing a culvert in a right-of-way can have a different environmental impact depending on where it's located and what's downstream.
"These measures have the potential to cause unnecessary damage," Hooser told committee members.
State Attorney General David Louie said even if the environmental study exemptions are passed, the state Constitution and common law would continue to protect natural and cultural resources even if no environmental impact study is conducted. (But we must keep HRS343 for PRIVATE projects,. Get it?)
But some lawmakers and state officials still worry the proposed exemptions aren't specific or narrow enough. "I have concerns about the potential results if these things go through, because once you exempt certain kinds of projects, we don't necessarily have control over what's chosen and what's done," Wooley said.
read … Stories and Excuses
SB2927 Will Help Line Up TOD Developers for Rail
PBN: Two other TOD-related bills, House Bill 357 and HB 2756, are not going anywhere this session.
Hawaii developers said SB 2927 would give them enough incentive to build a variety of transit-oriented development. Mainland developers that have done TOD also said the legislation would encourage them to build here. And both local and out-of-state developers agreed that this bill would save them money by allowing them to do things such as reduce the number of parking spaces for their TOD projects, build housing projects with more units and eliminate some of the fees typically associated with development in Hawaii
SA: Jobless rate hits 3-year low as labor recovery inches forward
read … Rail Support impossible without SB2927
The Navy will withdraw from service three ships at Pearl Harbor in the next two years
SA: The Navy plans to decommission three Pearl Harbor ships in fiscal 2013 — a move that would drop the surface fleet to eight, affect ship repair jobs and take millions from Hawaii's economy.
"It's not good news that we're losing ships," said Iain Wood, president of the Ship Repair Association of Hawaii and chief operations officer with Pacific Shipyards International, which does contract work for the Navy at Pearl Harbor Shipyard's Drydock 4. "It's going to be less work. There's no two ways around it."
read … No Cuts Here, eh?
Change state Constitution if you want to rein in debt
Borreca: The big problem is not the Legislature, but the state Constitution.
The state Constitution allows for a state civil service system and it says there shall be a retirement system.
“Membership in any employee’s retirement system … shall be a contractual relationship, the accrued benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired,” says the Constitution.
Again to put this in English, it means once they get it, you can’t mess with it.
If public employees, when they retire, get free medical insurance for the rest of their lives, then the Legislature can’t change the rules now. It isn’t a state law, it is in the Constitution, and if you want to change it, you have to change the Constitution.
That is one of the reasons public unions reach for their political action committees and wads of cash whenever someone says, “Let’s have another Constitutional Convention.”
read … Change state Constitution if you want to rein in debt
Star-Adv Desperately Looks for Justification of $100K Gift to Atheist
PR: The Court takes judicial notice pursuant to Fed. R. Evid. 201(b)(1) and (c)(1) of the nature of the proceedings that occur in the Senate Chambers while the Senate is in session and finds that it is a non-public forum. That fact, however, does not mean that Kahle had no free speech rights when he attended the session. The Ninth Circuit has recognized that:
In a nonpublic forum, our scrutiny is less exacting: “In addition to time, place, and manner regulations, the State may reserve the forum for its intended purposes, communicative or otherwise, as long as the regulation on speech is reasonable and not an effort to suppress expression merely because public officials oppose the speakers’s view.” [Perry Educ. Ass’n v. Perry Local Educators’ Ass’n, 460 U.S. 37,] 46, 103 S. Ct. 948 [(1983)]. Such sparing treatment stems from the oft-recognized principle that the “First Amendment does not guarantee access to property simply because it is owned or controlled by the government.” Id. (quoting [United States Postal Serv. v. Council of] Greenburgh [Civic Ass’ns], 453 U.S. [114,] 129, 101 S. Ct. 2676 [(1981)]); see also Int’l Soc’y for Krishna Consciousness, Inc. v. Lee, 505 U.S. 672, 678, 112 S. Ct. 2701, 120 L. Ed. 2d 541 (1992); United States v. Kokinda, 497 U.S. 720, 725, 110 S. Ct. 3115, 111 L. Ed. 2d 571 (1990) (plurality op.).
Under this analysis, the primary issues relevant to Kahle’s free speech claims are: whether Kahle was ejected from the Senate Chambers pursuant to a complete, content-neutral ban on public speech during the Senate session; and whether that ban was reasonable.
read … Looking for a Justification
Split in trade groups lobbying for Hawaii’s solar/PV industry
PBN: On Oahu alone, the PV industry brought in revenue estimated at $619 million in 2011, according to data from the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting.
“The issues facing the industry are far more important than what they [HSEA] think of me and what I think of them,” Duda told PBN.
The board members of the newly configured HSEA say Duda failed to communicate with other board members and that he advocated on behalf of the HSEA with his company in mind. Duda is a principal of Honolulu-based RevoluSun, one of the state’s largest PV companies.
In his defense, he told PBN that he “bent over backwards to give separation from RevoluSun and the HSEA.”
“I just don’t know where that comes from,” he said of the criticism. (Here’s Where it came from:
As far as the communication issue goes, Duda declined to comment. (LOL!)
read … Bye-bye Duda
Hawaii one of Only 8 States to Raise Cigarette Taxes
However, between 2010 and 2011, eight states (Connecticut, Hawaii, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont and Washington) boosted cigarette taxes, compared to 15 states that had done so in 2009, the report noted.
Overall, the national average cigarette excise tax in the United States has risen -- from $1.34 per pack of 20 cigarettes in 2009 to $1.46 per pack in 2011. At the end of 2011, taxes ranged from a high of $4.35 per pack in New York to a low of 17 cents per pack in Missouri.
read … While Cutting Back Anti-Tobacco Funds
Waste to Energy Proposals Sought in Maui, Hawaii
WMW: Alan Arakawa, mayor of Maui, Hawaii has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a waste conversion project at the Central Maui Landfill in Pu`unene.
According to the County, Maui is seeking qualified respondents with experience in the development and operation of a facility to convert municipal solid waste to a renewable fuel or energy….
"At an average inflow of 450 tons per day at the Central Maui Landfill, there is a potential to develop an estimated 10 MW to 15 MW of renewable energy with no County capital outlay," he added.
read … 15MW for Free
Maui Resident Appointed to National Taxpayer Advocacy Panel
MN: South Maui resident Susan Bentley has been selected by the Treasury Department to serve on the national Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP).
“I feel fortunate to represent Hawaii’s taxpayers on this panel,” said Susan Bentley. “I look forward to reaching out to individuals as well as local groups and organizations to hear input about systemic issues with our tax system that I can take back to the panel for analysis and to recommended solutions to the IRS.”
TAP is a federal oversight committee of volunteers formed in 2002 to listen to taxpayers, identify taxpayers’ issues, and make recommendations for improving IRS service and customer satisfaction
read … TAP
Hawaii becomes 20th state to certify Americans Elect on November general election ballot
AP: Hawaii is the 20th state to certify Americans Elect, which is trying to secure ballot access in all 50 states.
The group announced Wednesday it collected more than 1,400 signatures in Hawaii, surpassing the state's requirement of 691 signatures.
read … About a desperate and futile effort to split the anti-Obama vote
Hawaii leads nation in electric vehicle charging stations
PBN: More than 200 new electric vehicle charging stations have been installed at more than 80 public locations in Hawaii, putting the state in the lead for the number of public charging stations, the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism said Thursday.
Hawaii will now have one charging station for every 5,500 residents, the highest ratio in the nation. Oregon is second with one per 10,000 residents.
read … Tax Credits
Profitable Non-Profits Drive Expanding Definition of Autism
AP: The rate of U.S. cases of autism and related disorders rose to about 1 in 88 children. The previous estimate was 1 in 110.
The new figure is from the latest in a series of studies that have been steadily increasing the government's autism estimate. This new number means autism is nearly twice as common as officials said it was only five years ago, and likely affects roughly 1 million U.S. children and teens….
Autism is diagnosed by making judgments about a child's behavior; there are no blood or biologic tests. For decades, the diagnosis was given only to kids with severe language and social impairments and unusual, repetitious behaviors. The definition of autism has gradually expanded, and "autism" is now shorthand for a group of milder, related conditions, including Asperger's syndrome. Meanwhile, there's been an explosion in autism-related treatment and services for children.
As in the past, advocacy groups seized on the new numbers as further evidence that autism research and services should get greater emphasis. The new figures indicate "a public health emergency that demands immediate attention," said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for the advocacy group Autism Speaks.
read … Profitable Non-profits
Hamakua Resident Roseanne Barr Publishes Address of George Zimmerman’s Parents
TSG: Star tweeted home address of George Zimmerman's parents
BTW: Rosanne’s address in Hamakua takes about 5 seconds to find via Google search. She owns multiple homes – but only one can be shielded from asset forfeiture after the civil litigation is settled.
LA Times: Trayvon Martin: Spike Lee settles with family forced to flee home
read … About somebody who wouldn’t last 5 seconds in the ghetto
Zoo Suspects Crazy Bums Freed Tawny Frogmouth
HNN: zoo employees suspect mentally ill homeless people who live near the zoo could have done the crime, sneaking into the zoo after hours or hiding at the zoo until nightfall.
The zoo is now beefing up security overnight by adding a second guard to the overnight shift.
"We need to try and deter any further copycats or even the same person perpetrating similar crimes," Higashino said.
Previously the zoo didn't have security checkpoints near the birds, fearful that guards' flashlights would scare them.
"Once they roost at night, you don't really want to disturb them otherwise they may get excited, fly up, break their necks or get scalped," Higashino said.
As a result of Monday's incident, the zoo has added a couple of overnight guard security checkpoints at the perimeter of the bird exhibits so the area will be checked with regularity, Higashino added.
The missing birds are worth about $1,200. It will cost between $15,000 to $24,000 to replace the damaged screens on the bird cages, Higashino said.
The missing birds are a buff-headed ground dove, a red Eclectus parrot and a gray tawny frogmouth. The dove and the parrot have been seen on zoo grounds in the last two days, but the frogmouth has not been spotted since Monday night's incident.
Anyone who has seen the birds is asked to call the Honolulu Zoo at (808) 971-7174
read … Crazy Bums