3,200 Hawaii Illegals to be Given Work Permits
Hawaii Family Forum Releases Primary Voter Guide
Save Oahu Farmlands Alliance Announces Candidate Endorsements
Got Rules? Public Land Development Corp to Hold Hearings
Want a House? CNHA Handing Out $15,000 to 400 Families
Gas Company Requests Permit to Import LNG to Hawaii
Lingle Campaign Launches HDTV Channel
Hawaii Marriage Decision Underlines Importance of Studies
Last Minute Money Grab: As Voters got to Polls, HART Approves Two Big Change Orders
SA: The public has told us that they would like more seats on the trains and we've listened," Grabauskas said in a written statement. "The increased seating will be designed to enhance the riding experience and to increase passenger comfort."
He said the cost for the additional seats will be made up by savings incurred from recent cuts to HART's budget. (Biiig Change Order)
Last year a private consultant hired by the federal government to oversee Honolulu's rail transit project raised concerns that the lack of seating in rail cars might make commuters less willing to use the system.
That report by Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. pointed out that the two-car trains Ansaldo bid to produce would hold 318 passengers, but the city planned to provide seats for only 76. That meant up to 242 riders would be required to stand.
The HART board tentatively gave the nod Thursday to Grabauskas' plan to add 20 more flip-up seats to each two-car train, and also instructed him to gather more information on a plan to add fare gates at each of the 21 rail stations.
Grabauskas said he isn't sure yet how much the fare gates will cost. (Another Biiig Change Order.)
read … About your money being shoveled out the window while its still open
Democrats Burn $4.9M Fighting Amongst Themselves
CB: Candidates and independent expenditure committees spent nearly $800,000 on ad time in the last week leading up to Saturday's primary election, according to Civil Beat's most recent review of TV stations' political files. Those purchases brought the total pre-primary election ad spending up to about $5.5 million.
U.S. Senate candidate Mazie Hirono was this week's biggest spender. The Democrat spent close to $175,000 on 488 spots that have been airing this past week on all local broadcast stations.
Some of those spots feature one-minute-long commercials, while others screen standard 30-second ads. About 30 of the spots have aired during the Olympics. One of the one-minute spots was televised during primetime Olympics programming and cost about $7,000. As of this week, Hirono has spent more than $700,000 on ad time.
Civil Beat every week has been visiting Hawaii's three broadcast stations to get copies of their political ad contracts. These documents show which candidates and independent expenditure committees have bought ad time and for how much.
Broadcast stations are required to make their political files available to the public. Affiliates of the four major broadcast networks located in the top 50 markets now have to post those files online following a Federal Communications Commission ruling that went into effect last week.
But because Hawaii's TV market is No. 71, local broadcasters can wait until July 2014 to do so. For now, only contracts made with Oceanic Time Warner Cable are available online. …
Linda Lingle spent about $117,000 on 249 spots that have been airing this week on KHON, KGMB and various Oceanic Time Warner cable networks. Her Oceanic contract shows that she's maintaining her cable channel, which now costs $2,500 each week. The Republican has spent close to $600,000 total on ad time this election season.
read … The Public File: Pre-Primary Ads Cost Hawaii Campaigns $5.5 Million
Sabotage: With election days away, Old Boy Loyalists Go On Strike at Hawaii County clerk's office
HNN: Two of four full-time election staffers in the Hawaii County elections office went out on sick leave this week and a temporary employee resigned Wednesday, calling the office "dysfunctional," just a few days before Saturday's primary election.
Hawaii County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi told Hawaii News Now late Thursday, "We're fine, we're doing OK," in spite of the latest problems in the office, while other elections officials across the state worried the latest setbacks could bring voting troubles on election day, Aug. 11.
"It is my personal opinion that the operation of a successful primary election in Hawaii County is doubtful, if more election personnel fail to report to work," said Jeffrey Kuwada, the Maui County Clerk who has held the position since Oct. 2009 but was deputy clerk for five years before that….
"She told us the lack of staff will have no impact on the elections. We can only rely on what she tells us," Quidilla said.
The Big Island county clerk is supervised by the Hawaii County Council Chair and can be hired and fired by a vote of the county council. The state does not have the power to step in and take over county elections operations.
read … Old Boy Retaliation Undermines Election
Unions Failing Against Cayetano, Say
Borreca: If Cayetano wins, it will be because he formed Hawaii's most unlikely coalition of Republicans, ranging from the tea party to the Ripon Society, to Filipino-Americans showing ethnic pride, and traditional Democrats who admire and always have supported the Hawaii leader….
In this campaign, the 72-year-old former two-term governor found his voice at the end of a televised debate when he rewrote his closing summation to explain he was running not against a misguided rail system, but to restore the political power of the people.
"Big business, big labor and a select few have been running things in this town for a very long time.
"They have their finger in nearly everything that affects our lives — and our children's future," Cayetano said.
Cayetano's promise to fight taps into Hawaii's spirit of the 1954 Democrats who overthrew the plantation Republican oligarchy and Cayetano's own "trust your gut" thinking of standing up for the little guy. (Sheesh. Just a couple of days ago Shapiro said Cayetano was Eisenhower. Make up your minds already!)
In a Cayetano radio commercial earlier this week, he singled out the state's labor establishment.
After saying that the Carpenters Union spent more than $1 million "spreading lies and false accusations," the radio spot says that while "unions play an important role in our community and economy, when they go unchecked, become dangerous to the democratic process."
If Cayetano wins Saturday, it is a big defeat, not just for his opponents, but for the array of political and economic powers behind rail. The power of Hawaii's iconic senior U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and his own control of the state's Democratic Party along with the economic powers of the state's big banks, utility companies and developers would all be taken down a notch by an outright Cayetano victory in the primary….
Hawaii's unions are not just lined up against Cayetano; they are also again challenging the long-time state Speaker of the House Calvin Say. The unions are trying to elect enough Democrats in the primary to block Say's attempts at organizing the state House with supporters who will re-elect him speaker.
It may be too nuanced a deal for the average voter, but the big public unions would like to expand their bargaining power by controlling the state Legislature….
Ignore this until Sunday, then lets talk: Memo to Mitsunaga: If it’s a fact you’re squeaky clean…do you really need the services of Michael Green?
read … Revolution of 2012?
Hawaii Senate Primary: Which poll to believe?
WaPo: Here’s the rundown:
- * An internal Hirono poll conducted by Benenson Strategy Group (which also polls for President Obama) this week showed her leading by 17 points in the primary.
- * An independent poll for the state’s Civil Beat Web site showed Case ahead by a nose, 47 percent to 46 percent. The poll was done by the Merriman River Group, which has also polled for Case.
- * A Honolulu Star-Advertiser poll, conducted by Ward Research in mid-July, showed Hirono ahead 55 percent to 37 percent — similar to her polling.
- * But a poll around the same time conducted for Lingle’s campaign, by Voter/Consumer Research, showed a tight race in the Democratic primary, with Hirono up 1 percent.
So in sum, Hirono’s pollster and Ward Research show her up big, while Civil Beat (using a pollster who has worked for Case) and Lingle’s pollster show the race neck-and-neck.
AP: Hawaii Senate race shaping up to be competitive
NJ: Previewing Hawaii's 2nd District Dem Primary
Related: Pollster, pundit Dan Tuttle
read … Will Ward Research Be Credible After Saturday Night?
What's At Stake In Hawaii's Primary Election
CB: At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the — well, the eighth month — many questions about Hawaii politics and government might just be answered.
That's when the last printout from the state Office of Elections is expected. Though results won't be finalized until the wee hours of Sunday, chances are that a good number of races will be settled.
What will we know?
The future of Honolulu rail, for one — will Ben win it all?
The power of establishment Democrats, for another — will Mazie pull out a win?
The mystery of all those different public opinion polls — who was right, who was close, who was not?
SA: List of Star-Adv Endorsements in Contested Primaries
read … What's At Stake In Hawaii's Primary Election
Walk-In Voting Down, Mail Voting Up From 2010
CB: Before too long, the concept of "Election Day" might be obsolete.
More than 126,000 Hawaii voters have already cast their ballot through Thursday, moving the state close to the primary election absentee voter record set two years ago.
Elections officials for the four counties reported they'd received at least 104,000 ballots in the mail through Thursday and another 22,000 eager citizens have taken advantage of walk-in voting this year. Put together, those early voter numbers easily are already closing in on the 129,980 absentee voters from the 2010 primary even with two days left for mail to arrive. (Thursday was the last day for walk-in voting.)
A trend emerged across the islands after all the votes were counted Thursday afternoon — walk-in numbers were actually down nearly a third from 2010, but the mail-in numbers were up by more than enough to make up the difference.
"I suspect that there's a transferring over onto the mail as a result of the permanent absentee program," Honolulu Elections Administrator Glen Takahashi told Civil Beat. "Two years ago was the first time we introduced those applications, and now more people are catching on."
Related: Vote By Mail: “Tool of choice for voter fraud”
read … Permanent Absentee
Big Brother in the Passenger Seat?
CB: A device that tracks your every move — at least, when you're in a car. To some, it's like Big Brother sitting in the passenger seat.
Lee Tian, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a California organization that seeks to protect consumer rights in the digital age, said that pay-as-you-drive insurance devices raise a host of questions about privacy and consumer rights.
“The more data it collects, the more privacy issues it creates,” Tian said.
According to the company’s website, the device collects information on “a number of driving variables, including aggressive driving, time of day, excessive speeding, and hard braking.”
Similar devices in California track mileage, potentially motivating consumers to drive less. Tian said that the Hawaii device collects even more information, increasing the potential for abuse.
According to Tian, one way that pay-as-you-drive devices can threaten consumers' privacy is by tracking their locations.
California regulations prohibit the use of location data for pay-as-you-drive products with few exceptions.
But Ito said Hawaii's insurance division doesn't have any extra regulations limiting the kind of information products like the Akamai Rater can collect.
Linh DePledge, vice president & chief marketing officer at DTRIC, confirmed that the device has a "location GPS tracker," but said that the information is not used in determining insurance rates.
Related: DCCA: Let your auto insurer spy on you and save money
read … Big Brother in the Passenger Seat?
Late Money Flows to Caldwell in Honolulu Mayoral Race
CB: Caldwell late contributions report states he pulled in about $47,000 in the weeks leading up to Saturday’s election.
He was followed in fundraising by former Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano, who received nearly $22,000 in contributions during the same stretch.
Incumbent Mayor Peter Carlisle lagged, grabbing only $12,650 in donations.
This still leaves Cayetano in the fundraising lead with a total haul of about $972,000, including loans and other contributions.
Caldwell is in second with $921,500. That figures includes a $50,000 loan he gave to his campaign.
Carlisle again is in third, with $674,000 in total receipts.
SA: Mayoral candidates make their final campaign push
read … Late Money Flows to Caldwell in Honolulu Mayoral Race
Log Cabin Republicans to Endorse Djou
CB: The Log Cabin Republicans are set to endorse Charles Djou in his bid for Congress, the group’s executive director R. Clarke Cooper told DC808. That’s no surprise: Cooper called a Djou endorsement a “no brainer” earlier this year.
Here’s what Cooper had to say when we ran into him at the launch party for BuzzFeed’s Washington, D.C., bureau on Wednesday night: ”Charles Djou we’ll be endorsing again, though we haven’t formally announced it,”….
read … Djou
Legislators on the Move - Cynthia Thielen and Charles Djou
Representative Cynthia Thielen speaks with Charles Djou on:
1. Afghanistan
2. Congress and its polarization
3. Is it important to have a bi-partisan congressional delegation from Hawaii?
4. What are the concerns about the national debt?
Contact: repthielen@capitol.hawaii.gov or charles@djou.com
watch … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFPeD6yOI9Q
Statewide pilot project explores how to rate quality of preschools
SA: The preschool rating pilot, whose price tag for fiscal year 2012 is $560,876, is part of a broader state push to increase access to quality early-education programs to more children.
Hawaii is one of 11 states with no state-funded preschool program. Advocates say that's a problem because studies have shown that children who get quality early childhood care are more likely to do well in school and succeed later on.
Earlier this year the state created a state Office of Early Learning, whose major goal is phasing in a statewide preschool network and ensuring the children who would have been served by junior kindergarten will continue to be served after 2014.
Junior kindergarten, which was created in 2006, is for children born too late in the year to qualify for kindergarten.
The program will be eliminated beginning with the 2014-15 school year, when students will have to be at least 5 years old on July 31 to enter kindergarten. Some 6,000 students annually attend junior kindergarten, the Department of Education says.
Terry Lock, who heads the Office of Early Learning, said the cost of the quality rating system when fully implemented is still not clear. It would require staffing, including people who could monitor programs and provide support and coaching.
She said the program will likely require state support.
Deborah Zysman, executive director of Good Beginnings Alliance, an advocacy organization, said the proposed quality rating system could help parents make more informed decisions about which preschool program is right for their child.
"At the bare minimum," she said, "we want safety and wellness for our kids. The next step is looking at quality."
read … Statewide pilot project explores how to rate quality of preschools
Hawaii and China to Sign Energy Investment Agreement
BIVN: “Secretary General Xu Hubin of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) will also sign the MOU” state officials said in a media release, “memorializing the partnership between the State of Hawai’i and CCPIT to start a clean energy investment and deployment program in Hawai’i. The program will allow CCPIT to refer interested Chinese clean energy investors and developers to the Hawai’i State Energy Office in the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) to facilitate the matchmaking process with clean energy project partners in Hawai’i in need of capital or development partners.”
read … Clean Energy
Pacom Supports Partnership, Stability Through Health Engagements
DoD: CAMP SMITH, Hawaii, Aug. 10, 2012 – U.S. Pacific Command is helping to build stability and security in the Asia-Pacific one inoculation, one cataract surgery and one first-responder training class at a time.
read … PACOM
Illegal Alien Caught, Released in Hawaii on Trial in NY Hammer Attack
WFP: A Winnipeg man is sitting in a New York jail cell, accused of a mysterious attack on a Spanish tourist while living under a bogus identity he secretly stole years ago from a friend.
The tourist was beaten with a hammer as he sat on a park bench near city hall, eating lunch with his girlfriend. Hugo Alejandre, 31, was visiting the city from Barcelona. He suffered a fractured skull and other serious head injuries. The story made front-page news in several New York papers and led to an attempted murder charge being laid….
"Doug was always an unstable character, very erratic," Yoos said Thursday. "Most of his friends thought he had some psychological problems, that he probably had some mental illness."….
At an arraignment last week, lawyer Alyssa Gamliel said the man identified in court records as Yoos was unemployed and had lived in New York for two years. A neighbour at his Brooklyn address told the New York Post he had lent the man a hammer a few months before.
Gamliel said her client had only one prior brush with the law, in Hawaii in 2008. Honolulu court records show an April 2008 jaywalking case against a man who gave Yoos's name and birth date; he gave police an address in Haiku, Hawaii. He was fined an as-yet-unpaid $100, court records show.
Nothing to see here: 3,200 Hawaii Illegals to be Given Work Permits
PRP: Hiring illegal aliens cheats Hawaii workers and hurts state
read … Lunatic and Illegal, lots of ‘oppression cred’ there, eh?
Occupy Morons Allowed to Sit in HPD HQ for 24 Hrs, File Charges Against Officer
SA: A handful of Occupy Honolulu protesters set up camp overnight at Honolulu Police Department headquarters Wednesday, asserting that city workers improperly seized their items.
They left Thursday morning and no one was arrested.
The protest was peaceful. Just after the police headquarters opened at 7:45 a.m. Thursday, a single protester sat with a sign in front of the metal detector at the entrance to the main police station.
Another protester waved to motorists passing by on South Beretania Street at a tent erected on the sidewalk in front of the police station.
A protester claimed he was assaulted by a police officer who pushed him aside at the entrance at about 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Andrew W. Smith, 28, said he was seated in the walkway to a metal detector when an officer shoved him while walking by, causing him to hit his head on the metal detector.
Smith said another officer urged the first officer to go inside the building. Police called an ambulance, and medical personnel examined Smith, who was unhurt.
Police opened a third-degree assault case against the officer.
Christopher Smith, 40, is also a member of the Makiki Neighborhood Board….
read … About how Occupy has superior rights to other persons
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