GOP Chair Nominates Leadership Team
Med-Quest Enrollment Cancelled After Multiple Marketing Mix-ups
Council Resolution 13-74: Ease Gun Registration Lines
DoJ Recognizes Hawaii Crime Victim Compensation Director
Politico: Multiple Scandals Envelop Obama Administration
Double-dipping pervasive in Hawaii’s public sector and it Starts at the Top
KHON: House Speaker Joe Souki has been a state representative since 1982. And he’s retired. But there was no party, no lei, no koa bowl, because he didn’t actually leave the job.
“Is that right? Is double dipping ok?” KHON2 asked Rep. Souki.
“Well I maxed out, I can’t earn any more retirement,” Souki said, “So I’m merely collecting what I have contributed.
Even if they have a break from service or change jobs, elected officials don’t have to hand their pensions back when they come back, some with more than one retirement check.
“You’re saying double dip as if it’s a bad thing,” Gov. Neil Abercrombie responded when we asked him about the trend. “The fact that the cost of living being what it is, that people go back to work after they’ve retired from one profession, I don’t think is unusual anymore, especially with people living longer.”
“Me, I’m a good example,” the governor added. “When I retired from the Congress and retired from public service in Hawaii, I ran for office again, I collect a salary for that.”
Hundreds more retirees are also taking in two checks. But it’s not as open and easy as it is for elected officials. These folks work on temporary 89-day-or-less contracts.
It took an open records filing with the state for KHON2 to get their list, and here’s what we found: 100 retirees back on board, cashing pension checks in the tens of thousands plus salaries as much as $111,000.
They get fired every 90th day, and go back to work right away, over and over. For John Peiper, a Department of Hawaiian Homelands investigator, it’s been going on for 19 years....
“The 89-day process is abused,” said Randy Perreira, executive director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, “and in too many instances you have people who are being allowed to double dip, who come in and take jobs that otherwise might be given to civil servants that want to advance, or even people outside who want to come into government employment.”
“It’s really the responsibility of the human resources managers in both the state and the counties to make sure the process is not abused. It falls on them and it just goes to good management practice,” Perreira said. “The question is whether or not you develop rules that would limit the length of time they would come back in a post-retirement mode and stay in government and actually collect both sides.”
“There has to be a transition,” Perreira said. “It cannot be these people staying in these jobs 17, 19 years, that’s absurd.”
read ... HGEA Against Double-Dipping
After HMSA Loses Customers, State delays enrollment for low-income health plans
HNN: The state Department of Human Services has postponed open enrollment for 250,000 low-income people in the QUEST medical coverage program for a second time, a move that will cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.
"We just want to be recognized by all the plans, and the state as well, that what we do is treat a unique population," said Dr. Vija Seghal, a pediatrician and chief quality officer at Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. "And we may need to be risk-adjusted for the social determinants: the high poverty, the low education, the high crime."
DHS said there has been "confusion" over which QUEST plans will be accepted by Waianae's only hospital. But this is all happening after sources said thousands of Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center patients left HMSA for other health plans because the two sides couldn't agree on a contract that expires July 1. A DHS spokeswoman could not provide an estimate Monday of the number of QUEST patients who'd left HMSA so far this month.
The Waianae facility had renegotiated contracts with three other medical plans but hasn't been able to reach an agreement with HMSA since February of last year , because the hospital officials said HMSA didn't want to share savings with Waianae, if certain medical care goals were met.
"If providers are able to make a difference in the process or the outcome of care, then the saving from the system will be returned to the providers," said the hospital's Chief Financial Officer, James Chen.
HMSA also did not want to help pay for electronic records improvements at Waianae or open its financial books so the hospital could see how much savings occurred, hospital officials said.
Waianae sent flyers to its 7,500 HMSA-covered QUEST patients saying their HMSA contracts would expire July 1, and as a result, thousands of people began signing up for other plans to get health coverage for visits there.
SA: Errors scrub sign-up for insurance
Related: Med-Quest Enrollment Cancelled After Multiple Marketing Mix-ups
read ... Trying to Save HMSA
Legislative session: Act 221 Scammers Cry a River
Fidell: We've lost Act 221 to build a tech industry, and we seem to be losing vitality in building clean energy. (Yippeee!)
Years ago the Legislature gave the Manoa Innovation Center to the state High Technology Development Corp. on a lease that expires in 2015. The HTDC asked for an extension, but UH President M.R.C. Greenwood refused. (Bless her!)
Rep. Isaac Choy introduced a bill to extend the lease for another 25 years. First the 25 years was cut to 10, then the bill died anyway. (Good!)
Without an extension, HTDC and its 40 tech startups will have to find somewhere else. (Prison perhaps?)
Seeing the storm clouds on the horizon, the administration put $54 million in the budget to rebuild a portion of Puck's Alley for a modified reiteration of the Manoa Innovation Center. The Legislature deleted it. (Good!)
So now there's no extension of the lease, no money for another MIC and no operating funds for the HTDC to give the startups another home. This could be a mortal blow for MIC and HTDC. (B-bye)
The HI Growth Initiative has been the great hope of the tech industry. It provided $20 million for startup incentives, a modest request these days, but the Legislature cut that down to $6 million.... ($6M too much)
...the Legislature did resurrect R&D credits, but this favors defense contractors, not tech startups. And they passed a film credits bill favoring filmmakers, not tech startups.... (Oh well, can't win 'em all.)
PV credits were again the biggest energy bill of the session. The bill would have revised some tough rules by the Tax Office and phased the credits down to soften the statutory sunset. None of that passed. The Tax Office rules will stay in place, the credits will not be extended and the graduated phase-down won't happen, either.... (Woo hoo!)
A bill to require more money from the Barrel Tax to go to clean energy, as originally intended, also died.... (Sorry suckers--not!)
The Legislature did pass a bill permitting landlords to install PV for the benefit of their tenants without being regulated as public utilities.... (Oh well, can't win 'em all.)
There was also a bill that would have required independent power producers to disclose their internal data to the PUC. What looked like greater transparency would have resulted in higher prices and fewer producers. exposing our scams and possible federal prosecution.) The good bad news is that this one died.
Big Wind and the undersea cable are in irons, (yippie!) and liquefied natural gas, biofuel, geothermal and ocean energy are moving at a snail's pace. Have we forgotten them? (Forgotten what?)
read ... Tax Credit Scammers Cry a River
House Coalition: Middle Class Tax Relief on Agenda for Next Session
CB: Serious discussions about broad-based tax relief first began in the House where lawmakers recognized the need to help alleviate the incredibly high cost of living that burdens middle class families. Although not realized this session, we remain fully committed to continuing these discussions next legislative session....
This session, the needs of our people prevailed over the needs of political parties. At a time when increasing polarization in Washington, D.C. has created an atmosphere that produces little help for everyday people, we in the House have tried to chart an encouraging new path and set a new tone by working across the aisle in a meaningful way.
There is still much work to be done in the years ahead. And on some issues, differences of opinion will always remain. But this session has proved that there is often more potential for collaboration than many might assume. The House of Representatives’ bipartisan coalition has succeeded in looking for common cause and achieving common ground....
Authors: Rep. Aaron Ling Johanson is House Minority Leader and Rep. Scott K. Saiki is House Majority Leader.
read ... Historic Hawaii House Coalition Delivers Promising Results
Star-Adv: Water Fee is Last Straw
SA: Honolulu water ratepayers' response to a doubling of the billing fee is suffering from what could be described as Last Straw Syndrome. Costs are going up on everything, including the water rates. The boost is meant to cover long-overdue maintenance of the city's water system, and everyone gets that they have to pay up for something like that.
But moving to a monthly billing system means they also are paying the $7.02 billing fee every month instead of every other month, and that's just the last straw.
The change to monthly billing from the previous two-month cycle was approved about 18 months ago as one of the lesser elements in a broad plan for rate increases. As such, it flew under the radar of most members of the public, which was unfortunate. People hate unpleasant surprises, especially in the wallet.
read ... Last Straw
Teacher Questions Common Core
CB: Imagine if, when medical students went to medical school, their professors, instead of teaching about organs and chemicals, told them that there is no “right way” to perform medicine. Instead, each student would be taught a form of individualized, un-peer-reviewed research and told that they would be responsible for discovering what methods of treating their patients worked in their own practice.
Would we call that an individualized, patient-centered, data-driven practice? That is exactly what is happening in education....
Somewhere in the midst of all this, the education system is supposed to find alignment because we have Common Core Standards. The idea that Common Core can single-handedly unify our painfully disparate patchwork of classroom instruction is misguided. We have to create a more comprehensive and unified body of knowledge within educator training programs. We cannot win the war against ignorance with no organization and only an order to “win every battle” using whatever tactics we individually figure out.
Naysayers to this idea will say that I am advocating a universally scripted curriculum. I am not. I am advocating studying and training teachers, as we do doctors and lawyers, on what has been proven to work, and to have them act on that body of knowledge. We can give teachers options and allow them to augment strategies, but right now, teachers don't even have a blueprint from which to work.
read ... Shouldn't Teachers Be As Valuable As Rock Stars?
Leilehua teacher accused of Meth Importation placed on house arrest
KHON: Fontes is a special education teacher at Leilehua and is currently on unpaid leave....
According to court documents, a FedEx parcel containing 313 grams of crystal meth was intercepted earlier this month. Agents also discovered more drugs in the bedroom of her Wahiawa home.
Nevertheless, dozens of people showed up at court to show their support for Fontes.
“She has a very large family, there are a number of people in Wahiawa who are committed to helping her, her church came forward, they’re her sponsors. It was wonderful, it was wonderful to see that kind of outpouring,” says Breiner.
Fontes will be released to the custody of church member Lisa Peterson.
SA: Teacher in meth case was drug confiscation chief
read ... Another Day in the DoE
Complete Streets Honolulu: Completely Free of Cars
DN: I visited the Complete Streets demonstration this afternoon. Cooke Street was closed off from traffic and host to several installations along its length starting from Ala Moana Blvd
From the Complete Streets ordinance:
Under this policy, the city hereby expresses its commitment to encourge (sic) the development of transportation facilities or projects that are planned, designed, operated, and maintained to provide safe mobility for all users.
What this is about: Kaka'ako Transit Oriented Development: Sky is the limit
read ... Complete Streets Honolulu: the reality
High Gasoline Prices Killed Caldwell's Gas Tax
KITV: ...explains Kalapa. "I think all of our driving (in Hawaii) is basically necessity driven, rather than discretionary driven."
The steady, almost predictable use of gas in Hawaii may also explain the backlash faced by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell when he proposed increasing the city's fuel tax by a nickel to pay for road repairs. The proposal was quickly killed by the City Council, which defeated the measure before it could pass first reading. So it appears while Oahu residents may be willing to change their driving habits because of the economy, or a sharp increase in prices, asking them to pay more at the pump because of a new tax is a hard sell.
"I think that's why reaction was, 'It's dead on arrival,' when it hit the council because the constituency is not going to stand for another nickel on top of the $4.38 or whatever they're paying this week," said Kalapa.
(If policymakers could get gas prices down, they could raise gas taxes. Hmmmm....)
read ... Consumers Up Against the Wall
Where's The Pork? Honolulu City Council Dishes Out The Earmarks
CB: Millions of dollars in taxpayer funds are being funneled to nonprofits and other special interest groups with little public vetting or oversight through a series of earmarks placed in Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s budget by Honolulu City Council members.
This money, which could amount to as much as $8 million depending on how you classify the appropriations, is in addition to $5.5 million that was set aside as part of a voter-approved Grants-in-Aid program that was created for the specific purpose of funding nonprofits....
The earmarks Harimoto referred to are in the $2 billion operating budget. Among them are $1.5 million Councilwoman Kymberly Pine inserted for the Leeward Coast Community Benefits Program and $3.4 million Council Chair Ernie Martin tacked on for several different programs, including those that focused on high-risk and socially disadvantaged youth.
read ... Earmarks
Hawaii County Council Awards itself $900K Reelect Me Fund, Considers Tax Hike
HTH: Despite a tight economic year that could require tax hikes to pay for basic services, the Hawaii County Council’s budget includes an extra $900,000 so each council member can have $100,000 to spread around his or her district.
The proposed council budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, at $4.3 million, is 37.2 percent higher than this year.
It’s part of Mayor Billy Kenoi’s proposed $394.3 million budget that’s $27 million, or 7.4 percent, higher than this year’s budget. The council on Monday swatted away amendments from South Kona/Ka‘u Councilwoman Brenda Ford before advancing the budget to its final hearing May 30. Ford was the lone dissenter on the 8-1 vote.
The council will hold a public hearing at 5 p.m. today on the proposed increases in property taxes. The meeting will be held in Hilo council chambers, with videoconferencing at the West Hawaii Civic Center, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates Community Center and the Pahoa and Waimea council offices. The council will vote on the tax increase on May 30.
The so-called “district contingency relief funds” account for the biggest chunk of the council’s budget increase. But the budget for travel for conferences also has jumped, from $12,600 to $33,000.
read ... I'm Taxing You so you will Reelect Me
Opponents file last-minute notice against TMT
HTH: While the hui members represented themselves throughout the quasi-judicial process of the contested case hearing, they have retained the services of Honolulu attorney Richard Naiwieha Wurdeman to see them through the appeal process.
Among the appellants in the case is the nonprofit organization Kahea: The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance, Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, Clarence Kukauakahi Ching, the Flores-Case Ohana, Deborah J. Ward, and Paul K. Neves.
Reality: Thirty Meter Telescope Selects Mauna Kea -- Let the looting begin
read ... $50M Rent
Department of Retaliation: Hawaii County Contractor Claims Defamation, Flickinger Apologized
WHT: “He wants his name cleared and it’s just that simple,” Hong said Monday. The lawsuit seeks an unspecified monetary amount for general and special damages from the county and Lee “including but not limited to past and future lost wages, mental and emotional distress, anguish and humiliation.” The suit also seeks punitive damages from Lee, alleging “the defendants’ actions were willful, wanton, reckless or done with conscious indifference to the consequences.”
Lee is being sued both in his official capacity and as an individual.
The opinion piece written by then-Editor Reed Flickinger questioned the execution of the contract, claiming improper dumping of waste materials by Kamaaina Pumping at the county’s Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment plant. Sources within Public Works said invoices weren’t filed and the drywells were not inspected, before or after work was performed. At least one source implicated Nakasone, stating “there is no control.”
West Hawaii Today ran a “setting the record straight” piece on May 13, 2012, exactly a year after the original editorial. In it, Flickinger wrote that the Kona newspaper “subsequently learned the contractor in question had specific permission to deposit dried materials on county property and the county had instructed the contractor to that effect. … County documents show … prioritized lists of specific sites to be cleaned and detailed invoices were submitted … before payments were approved.
“We learned that investigation by the county absolved Nakasone; it found no wrongdoing on his part.”
In the later piece, Flickinger apologized to Nakasone and the paper’s readers for “creating a wrong impression of Nakasone’s role.”
Neither Flickinger nor West Hawaii Today is named as a defendant in the suit.
read ... Lucky Flickinger!
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