Full Text: UH 'Factfinders' Report on Wonder Blunder
Three Candidates File to Run in Honolulu Council Special Election
Lingle, Hirono Agree to Five TV Debates
Slater: Pro Rail Attorneys All Over the Place With Irrelevancies
Akaka's Granddaughter Demands Supreme Court Order New Election in Kona HD 6
HPD Sued Over 'Censorship' of Facebook Comments
Berg to Carlisle: Reopen Budget to Restore Bus Service
Federal Grant Supports Obamacare Insurance Exchange: Hawaii One of Top Four States
NYT: The Case for Natural Gas Exports
Chicago, Philadelphia and Hawaii Are Big Winners On Priceline.com's List Of Top 50 Destinations For Labor Day 2012
Hawaii GOP in the Black
CB: The Hawaii Republican Party is $66,000 in debt but has about $71,000 cash on hand, according to the party’s most recent FEC report covering the month of July.
The party may not have a lot to spend, but that's almost four times as much as it had on hand last year, when Civil Beat reported that the party was nearly $67,000 in the red.
In December 2011, the party reported that its debt had increased to almost $110,000.
“There’s still a long way to go,” said David Chang, chair of the Hawaii Republican Party. “We have a lot of work that we want to do but we’re on the right track.”
Chang credited “good leadership across the board” for the improvement in party finances.
read … Progress
Hirono to Reporter: You want my phone number so you can bug me 24 hours a day? I’m too busy Taking Care of Mom
CB: Hirono, who called a few minutes later, said she was "busting my okole every day. We are running a modern campaign. ... You want my phone number so you can bug me 24 hours a day? I think not."
Hirono told us that, in addition to the campaign and constituent work, she has an 88-year-old mother to take care of.
"This is quite a challenge," she said referring to her myriad responsibilities.
read … Take Care of Mom Please!
Gay Atheists: Hirono is 100% With Us
PR: HRC is proud to endorse Congresswoman Mazie Hirono for the U.S. Senate from Hawaii. Mazie, who has always scored a 100 percent on HRC’s Congressional Scorecard, is a champion of LGBT rights.
read … 100% Gay Atheist
Nago Admits Seizing Hawaii County Election Record Books
CB: On Monday, Kawauchi sent out an eight-page memorandum criticizing the state’s Office of Elections for taking her record books — which log events at each polling place — without her permission.
But Nago told commissioners that Kawauchi had taken the situation out of context.
“We never would’ve taken the record books without her knowledge,” he said. Nago and his staff acquired the books once Kawauchi indicated she had reviewed all of her paper records. “To this date she has not asked for them back.”
read … Nago’s latest Excuse
Political veterans line up to try out City Council seat
Oi: Carol Fukunaga, a reapportionment refugee who spent two decades in the state Senate before she was set against, then ousted by a fellow lawmaker, would just have to cross Punchbowl Street.
Erstwhile legislators like Dennis Nakasato and Sam Aiona, who both served in the last century, could get civic blood back in their veins.
A couple of state House members appear to want a change of venue, understandable because the Council deals with the fundamentals in the state’s dominant and revenue-heavy county.
Rep. Karl Rhoads, who won his post outright in the primary, was thinking of running, but would have had to resign from the office he just gained. That would have been a pesky technical difficulty, but he avoided that problem by staying with what he has.
Rep. John Mizuno, meanwhile, wants a twofer. He would like to be on the ballot twice, for re-election to his House seat and as a Council candidate. The state elections office, however, has said no to such greed.
From the lame-duck Peter Carlisle unemployment line comes two of the outgoing mayor’s administrators. Their campaigns could boast insider knowledge of City Hall operations, though there would be a new sheriff in town.
From the redemption file emerges Jon Yoshimura, a former councilman who ran his career into a parked car and was punished for lying about drinking before the hit-and-run accident. Through the generosity of political kinship, he found work in U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka’s Washington office, then moved into the private sector. Yoshimura, frankly acknowledging the shameful episode, formally declared his candidacy last week.
read … Retreads
Regents Decide to Support Greenwood, Apple
SA: UNFULFILLED REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION
The University of Hawaii released a redacted report on the Stevie Wonder concert investigation. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser had made numerous requests for that report and other documents since July 10, when it was announced the concert was a scam. The following is a list of requests for which no materials have been released and the dates they were requested:
1. Copies of any contracts between UH and promoters and or producers of the Stevie Wonder concert. (July 10)
2. Copies of any agreements between UH and merchandisers for the Stevie Wonder concert. (July 10)
3. Copy of the wire transfer sent via Bank of America in Orlando, Fla., to an account regarding the Stevie Wonder concert. (July 11)
4. Any internal authorization necessary to facilitate the transfer. (July 11)
5. Copies of all emails, letters or other correspondence between Creative Artists Agency (and its representatives) and UH regarding the Stevie Wonder concert. (July 11)
6. Copies of all emails, letters or other correspondence between UH and BPE Productions (and its representatives) regarding the Stevie Wonder concert. (July 11)
7. Copies of all emails, letters or other correspondence between Board of Regents Chairman Eric Martinson, UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple and athletic director Jim Donovan regarding Creative Artists Agency, BPE Productions and the Stevie Wonder concert. (July 11)
8. UH contract with Cades Schutte for investigation of Stevie Wonder concert. (July 18)
9. Summary of all charges and amounts paid to Cades Schutte for the investigation. (July 18)
KITV: "The President and the Chair of the Board of Regents are furious. It will me a miracle if Jim and I still have a job by Friday," wrote Sheriff
HR: Secret Regents Meeting Lasts All Day; "Wonder Blunder" Report Released
SA: Sheriff feared for his job, Donovan's in concert mess
SA: UH's 'oops' doesn't begin to explain this putrid affair
Full Text: UH 'Factfinders' Report on Wonder Blunder
read … Nice Try, Rockne
Progressive Activists Prepare to Transform 2380 Hawaii Illegals into Lifelong Democrat Voters
SA: In Chicago, close to 10,000 young people brought to the United States as children thronged to a forum last week to learn how to apply to avoid deportation through "deferred action."
In Hawaii, the number of illegal immigrants eligible to apply immediately for the reprieve is far smaller — an estimated 2,380 people age 15 to 30 statewide, most of them from Asia. A workshop to help them explore their options is scheduled next week at First United Methodist Church in Honolulu.
"We have no idea how many people are going to show up," said John Egan, an immigration attorney who is volunteering to help at the event. "We're trying to be prepared to handle whoever does show up.
"The people who are potentially eligible for this opportunity need to know how to avail themselves of it," he said.
Immigration lawyers and community volunteers will be on hand at the workshop to answer questions and provide information about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The event is sponsored by Faith Action for Community Equity, Catholic Charities Hawaii and the Hawaii Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
read … Buying Votes from Foreigners
Gang of Big Island Old Boys Attacks Aina Koa Pono
CB: Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) is applying to raise Big Island electricity rates by 4.2 percent – shortly after its parent company announced impressive profits that were 70 percent higher than last year.
What’s wrong with this picture?
We – John E.K. Dill, Rockne Freitas, Richard Ha, Wallace Ishibashi, Ku‘ulei Kealoha Cooper, Noelani Kalipi, Ka‘iu Kimura, Robert Lindsey, H.M. “Monty” Richards, Marcia Sakai, Bill Walter – invite you to join our newly formed group, the Big Island Community Coalition. Our mission is “to work together as an island community for the greater good of Hawai‘i Island and its people.”
Our first priority: To make Big Island electricity rates the lowest in the state by emphasizing the use of our ample local resources.
One example is geothermal, which costs about half the price of oil. We also have solar, wind and hydroelectric. We have resources right here that can both lower our electricity costs and get us off of imported oils
Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi has sent a strong message that the County will not support new renewable energy projects – such as Aina Koa Pono, which would add surcharges to every electric customer’s bill – unless they result in cheaper energy. “Unless it has lower rates, we will not support it,” he said recently.
read … People Pushing Geothermal, Solar
SA: Satisfying Matson on Jones Act is Key to Bringing LNG to Hawaii
SA Editorial: U.S. Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska and Hawaii U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye are discussing the possibility of a partnership between Alaska and Hawaii. There could be benefits to the 50th state, but the 49th is motivated by its own interest.
In addition to providing a reliable buyer for LNG, for example, the trade alliance could provide an added push toward an exemption from the federal Jones Act, the law that governs interstate ship commerce. Such an exemption would make it cheaper for Alaska to do business, because the Jones Act requires interstate shipments to be carried aboard ships built in America, crewed by Americans and flying the U.S. flag — typically more expensive operations. (Matson issues.)
Schatz said that at the end of the year, the state is expecting completion of technical studies evaluating the prospects of LNG. This analysis will be delivered by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute of the University of Hawaii.
The importance of having a clear-eyed evaluation of the true considerations can't be overstated, because critical questions need to be answered. Here's one: What would be involved in reconverting LNG to gas for consumer use? LNG is kept extremely cold to remain in a liquid state for transport. Regassifying it on shore triggers more environmental and safety regulations, (Translation: we have to buy off the Sierra Club etal. This comes back to satisfying Matson with influence transmitted via the Alex Gerbode Foundation.) Schatz said, but it's unclear whether that process can be conducted safely from an ocean rig.
Nobody can dispute the fact that Hawaii needs more and better energy choices than it now has, and LNG very well could fill an important niche, but getting more information is crucial. Moving ahead to explore that is the right instinct, as long as the state moves onto tested ground. (Tested? LNG has been around for decades, meanwhile wind scammers are replacing a bunch of burned lead batteries at Kahuku. Nobody asked for THAT to be ‘tested’.)
(Solution they are pushing for: Avoid full-on JA reform with a ship bill under which Matson owns foreign-built LNG tankers. Of course Alaska wants more, as do some in Hawaii.)
KTUU: Begich to Host Hearing on Natural Gas
read … Let natural gas make its case
Star-Adv: Rail Will Broaden state's recovery efforts
SA: Visitor arrivals are expected to increase by 8.6 percent this year, much higher than the earlier forecast of 6.5 percent, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
However, the overall economy is expected to increase this year by only 2 percent.
As a result, Hawaii's number of "leisure and hospitality" jobs increased by 5 percent during this year's first half compared with the same period a year earlier, but job numbers dropped by 9 percent in the information sector, 2 percent in construction and 0.3 percent in government, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics….
A major reason for the lack of a spillover of tourism may be that it is not the 800-pound gorilla it was not too long ago. While tourism consisted of 25 percent of the economy during the mid-1990s, it has shrunk to 15 percent, according to Eugene Tian, acting state economist.
That was made worse by the 2008 demise of Aloha Airlines and ATA Airlines, said local economist Paul Brewbaker….
Construction of the rail project on Oahu could be a major part of the boost, Brewbaker said, especially to "the extent to which the project can actually mobilize private development associated with the train. The train has the potential magnet for private development."
read … Dream On!
HHSC Launches New Electronic Records System
BINC: Around 100 medical, hospital, and information technology professionals will spend a month at Kona Community Hospital starting next Monday to field test the new system.
Hawaii Health Systems Corporation has 14 hospitals and long term care facilities throughout the state. On Hawaii Island, that includes Kona Community Hospital, and Kohala Hospital, Hilo Medical Center and Ka’u Hospital, plus the long term care facility Hale Ho’ola Hamakua, and the Veterans Home in Hilo. HHSC is the fourth largest public health system in the country.
HHSC has been working with Siemens Medical Solution USA since last September to design, build, and test the new medical records system. The goal is to make sure a patient can easily be served by any HHSC facility in the state. Doctors will have the most up-to-date information when they see a patient—even if they’ve come from another island. And even if they arrive at night, when the normal hospital records departments are closed.
The cost of the system is $74.3 million, spread over five years. But Dennis Macklin, director of information technology at Kona Community Hospital, says there will be benefits and efficiencies in nearly every department throughout the system. Macklin says the most significant benefit will be improved patient outcomes.
The systems are not identical to but modeled after the systems currently in use by the Veterans Administration Hospitals and Kaiser Permanente.
read … State Hospitals Starting New Electronic Records System, Here First
Kalaeloa Planning Hearings Scheduled
SA: … commentators have suggested recently that the Hawaii Community Development Authority is flouting state and county land use controls in "a backdoor approach" to developing land.
At its Sept. 11 meeting, the authority will conduct a public hearing to establish new zoning rules for all development within the Kalaeloa Community Development District. The new rules will establish a natural zone, rural/open space zone, three urban zones, and a special zone for military use within the 3,700-acre Kalaeloa District. This hearing will begin at 9 a.m. at the Department of Hawaiian Homelands Hale Ponoi Conference Room, 91-5420 Kapolei Parkway.
HCDA staff conduct a monthly community briefing for stakeholders. The next briefing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the HCDA office, 461 Cooke St.
read … HCDA not exempt from land-use controls or sunshine laws
Handyman hopes to go from homeless to Congress
HNN: A lot of politicians like to tout their work for the homeless but now Hawaii has the first ever major political party candidate for Congress who is actually homeless.
"My head goes here, my legs go there and it's doable. My drawers for my clothes are all stacked up in there," said Kawika Crowley, who showed us around his 1995 Plymouth Voyager with 133,000 miles.
That van is his transportation, campaign headquarters and home, but it's breaking down so he's saving his rent money now to buy a new van later.
"When you're homeless it's not cologne anymore it's back to Aqua Velva," laughed Crowley.
He is a handyman and painter and makes about $15,000 a year. He's not on welfare but says he did collect government assistance for a few years in the 80's when he was raising his three kids as a single parent.
"I'm not shame. We all go through hard times. I'm biting the bullet now, you're biting the bullet, we all bite bullets. It's just part of life," said Crowley, (R) Congressional Candidate District 2, who received nearly 10,000 votes to win the Republican primary with 45 percent of the vote.
He says if politicians lived as simply as him there wouldn't be greed or corruption and they certainly would be able to pass a budget.
"What we need now in Washington is not experience. What we need now is common sense," said Crowley.
He always has a cigar and for the past six years he's been a lobbyist fighting for smokers and bar owners trying to get the smoking ban snuffed.
It does beg the question if he is the best candidate Republicans could have found?
"I think in any case many people can say any candidate would be better than the person we put up but where the chips fell Kawika is the one who won and worked the hardest to win that seat," said David Chang, Hawaii Republican Party Chair. "We accept people from all walks of life and encourage them to go for their dream of running for office."
read … Kawika Crowley
NYT: Ellison Renovating Manele Bay Resort
NYT: For all the mystery surrounding Mr. Ellison, the change of the feudal guard seems to offer the prospect of a new start for the island. Mr. Murdock, who did not return a request for comment, was demonized for reasons big and small. His worst offense might have been closing the community pool (yes, he owned that, too) as a cost-saving measure.
One of Mr. Ellison’s first acts was to reopen the pool. And the placards supporting the windmills that Mr. Murdock had placed in front of his company headquarters have vanished.
“Ellison will have a much better chance of success because he is coming in new and doesn’t have a built-in antagonistic base that is fighting him,” said Alan M. Arakawa, the mayor of Maui County, which includes Lanai. “He’s making good first impressions. He is working with the community, rather than going in there and slashing and burning.”
Mr. Ellison’s associates describe him as drawn by the romantic mystery of a secluded island and said it was unlikely that he would embark on any project that might alter its character. His assistants have told people here that he intends to do a major renovation on the two resorts, suggesting that he sees the island’s future in tourism, and described this as “a passion purchase.”
The other day, workers could be seen at the Four Seasons at Manele Bay, the oceanfront hotel and golf course where Bill and Melinda Gates was married, installing dozens of new planters and plantings.
read … Ellison Invests in Manele Bay Resort
Kamehameha Schools to close, demolish Keauhou Beach Resort on Hawaii’s Big Island
PBN: The closure will eliminate 112 jobs.
Kamehameha Schools CEO Dee Jay Mailer and Kyle Chock, president and CEO of the trust’s for-profit subsidiary KBH Inc., met with hotel management and the majority of hotel workers Wednesday to inform them of the decision. The hotel’s union, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, had already been informed of the decision, Kamehameha Schools said.
“This hotel has been a place of rest and play for so many people in its past 40 years — myself included,” Mailer said in a statement, “Despite the good work of many committed and talented people, financial losses at the hotel over the last six years have been substantial.”
Mailer said it would have taken “tens of millions in further investment that would be very difficult to recover” to bring the hotel up to standards to compete in the Kailua-Kona market.
“Kamehameha Schools’ intention has, for many years, been to re-establish Hawaiian culture and learning as the major attributes of our lands at Kahaluu and Keauhou makai,” Mailer said. “We have been working closely with Outrigger’s management team to integrate the Keauhou Beach Hotel’s activities with our cultural vision while attempting to bring the hotel back to profitability. Unfortunately, profitability has not been easy.”
After the hotel is demolished, the company will return the hotel property to Kamehameha Schools, which plans to continue work on restoring some of the ancient Hawaiian cultural sites on the property and ultimately use the property for outdoor learning programs.
read … Beginning of a trend?
State Leased Land to Illegal Alien Fraudster Suspected in Rape
HNN: Last month, police and federal authorities arrested Ah Sam at his Waimanalo property as part of an investigation into allegations he sexually assaulted a local teen.
Ah Sam's attorneys confirmed the police investigation in filings in federal court.
The criminal investigation is just one of several legal actions Ah Sam now faces.
Ah Sam has been held at Federal Detention Center since July 5 on a immigration fraud charge.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Ah Sam, an Australian citizen, has been in the country illegally for several years and lied about his immigration status when he was detained by Honolulu Police.
Hawaii News Now has learned that Ah Sam has also attracted the attention of the Internal Revenue Service.
Last year, the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status of his charitable organization -- God's Love Mission Inc. -- for failing to file public financial disclosures such as these for the past several years.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is also looking to revoke the state lease on his 15-acre Waimanalo property for failure to pay lease rents.
read … About Who Gets Land
State to regain the Natatorium from city control
SA: Then-Mayor Jeremy Harris supported full restoration and the City Council earmarked $11 million for that purpose in 1998. About $4 million was spent on restoration of the facade. But efforts to restore the pool were stymied by a lawsuit filed by the Kaimana Beach Coalition.
One of Mufi Hannemann's first acts as mayor in January 2005 was to halt repairs on the Natatorium, an issue he campaigned on.
The task force created by Hannemann led to the recommendation to demolish the structure in favor of a new beach….
Abercrombie wants a volleyball stadium for the site, which was built in 1927….
read … Natatorium
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