Vogue: Tulsi Gabbard Urged to Run for Governor
Tax fraud, obstruction of justice no obstacle to Honolulu cop’s pension
Hawaii: An Energy and Economic Analysis
Act 137: Abercrombie Creates New HGEA Bargaining Unit
Jones Act: Horizon, USCG Agree to Use of Foreign Shipyards for LNG Conversion
Hawaii Family Forum: Gay Marriage Decision ‘Disappointing’
Full Text US Supreme Court Gay Marriage Decisions
Reaction to Gay Marriage Decision
Tulsi Gabbard: “Ultimately, government should have no place in the most personal aspects of our lives. Until that day comes, all people must be treated equally under the law,” she said. “The Supreme Court’s ruling is welcome.”
Hirono: “The marriage equality movement has come a long way, both in Hawaii and across the country,” she said. “There are still many instances in our society where discrimination occurs – from our immigration system to workplaces across the country to states that still ban gay marriage. I will continue to join efforts to end these injustices and fight for equal treatment of all people under the law.”
Hanabusa: “Today, we have established that our nation will not deny marriage rights and benefits based solely on whom one chooses to marry. DOMA has fallen, and with it, the federal government’s mistaken notion that some marriages are better than others; that two men or two women cannot love each other as deeply and as meaningfully as an opposite-sex couple. No couple needs a court to tell them that their feelings have always been real and their commitment has always been true, but today we stand as a nation and say that we are with you. At the federal level, equality is no longer a dream."
Schatz: "Today’s decision means that LGBT individuals across the country are given the same rights under federal law as every married couple, and equal treatment under the law. Because of this decision, the federal government can no longer tell men and women who they can or cannot marry, and same-sex married couples can now enjoy the same federal benefits as the rest of us."
Star-Adv: `Great day for civil rights'
Slom proves he's bipartisan by being quarrelsome to all
Shapiro: Slom, Hawaii's highest-ranking elected Republican, snubbed former Gov. Linda Lingle and the party leadership in last year's U.S. Senate race by backing fringe candidate John Carroll over Lingle in the GOP primary.
Carroll, who got little traction as a conservative alternative to Lingle, showed his conservative mettle by throwing his general election support to liberal Democrat Mazie Hirono, leaving Slom with egg all over his face.
When Democratic state Senate President Donna Mercado Kim was criticized for meddling in her son's application to the University of Hawaii law school, GOP state Chairman David Chang called for an ethics investigation.
It was a pretty standard call to accountability by an opposition party, but Slom backed Kim and huffily scolded Chang for not deferring to him.
He again poked GOP leadership with a keynote speech to the Hawaii Republican Assembly, a conservative offshoot group that's been sniping at party leaders.
Slom last week raged at his party's right, ranting against the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for inviting Democratic consultant Joe Trippi to speak at its annual dinner next month honoring the late conservative icon Milton Friedman.
Trippi agrees with Friedman's views on school choice, and his speech is titled "Better Schools Aren't a Partisan Issue."
Small Business News, June, 2013: Vicky Cayetano to Speak at SBH Sunrise June 27
read ... Slom proves he's bipartisan by being quarrelsome to all
26,000 Receive Estimated Water Bills -- Could Take Months to correct
KITV: Battery-operated devices located underground allow meter readers to read the signal remotely. But failing batteries forced the agency to turn to a mass replacement program earlier this year.
In May, roughly 26,000 customers received estimated bills. That’s 16 percent of the customers. One Kailua family was shocked when it received a bill for almost $2,000 . Its previous bills fluctuated wildly and it seemed a mystery to users as to exactly why....
Lau acknowledged in some cases there are customers who received estimated bills erroneously -- in some cases up to five months....Lau says it could take a couple of billing cycles before the adjustments are made.
If you have a problem with your water bill you should contact the Board of Water Supply. But be warned, the daily call volume is in the thousands. You can also email your concerns.
Related: 51,000 Water Dept Customers May Have Been Overcharged
read ... Billing problem forces review of thousands of Oahu water bills
PUC Special Fund Keeps Hawaii's Electric Bills High
CB: The PUC gets its money from a special fund that lawmakers created a century ago, and it has only grown more special since then.
Public utilities pay half of 1 percent of their gross annual profits into the fund.
That may not sound like a lot, but these fees add up fast when one of the companies paying them is Hawaiian Electric, a multi-billion dollar monopoly that channels the costs on to consumers.
The PUC ended its 2012 fiscal year with $19.3 million in revenues (92 percent of which came from HECO).
In 2011, the commission collected $17.2 million in total revenue. And in 2010, it scored $21.8 million.
If the commission were able to use all of this money, it could afford to hire the quality of experts that it needs to more effectively battle HECO's high-paid team of lawyers and specialists in rate hearings, and we all might benefit from lower electric bills.
But here is where the "special" part begins. The special fund was set up to collect all of the money, but then the legislature takes nearly all of it and places it into the general fund for completely unrelated programs. Legislators then decide how much they want to return to the special fund.
read ... A Very Special Fund Keeps Hawaii's Electric Bills High
KOS: Will ILWU Endorse Hanabusa?
KOS: (by anti-cane burning activist Karen Chun) ...it will be interesting to see if a certain Maui ILWU business manager's personal war on the environment will influence ILWU's endorsement decision toward her or whether common sense will prevail and ILWU will endorse pro-labor, Brian Schatz as the other unions have. (Sure, the ILWU now takes orders from anti-cane burning hypesters, LOL!)
Hanabusa has probably gone as far as she can with an anti-labor record in a pro-labor state. There’s even speculation in Hawai`i that she may have killed her political career by leaving her safe House seat to go after the incumbent senator. If Hanabusa's next fundraising total is as lackluster as her previous and Schatz's totals continue to soar, she may decide to drop her Senate attempt and keep her House seat....
read ... End of the trail for anti-labor Democrat in pro-labor Hawai'i?
Exodus of Rep. Gabbard's Senior Staff May Cloud Political Star's Rise
CB: Amy Asselbaye, Gabbard's chief of staff, is leaving, and Gabbard's deputy chief of staff Jennifer Goedke has already left the office in June.
After inquires from Civil Beat, Gabbard issued a statement saying that Asselbaye had helped her pass her first piece of legislation, the Helping Heroes Fly Act as well as standing up on sexual assault in the military and eliminating the VA backlog.
Asselbaye said in a joint statement that Gabbard has "already proven herself to be an effective leader."
Deputy chief of staff Goedke left the office earlier this month, according to people close to Gabbard's office, whom Civil Beat granted anonymity to in order to allow them to avoid damaging relations with Gabbard's office....
But the departures, as described by sources, may be the first clouds over Gabbard's remarkably sunny ascent. Just one year ago, she was a new member of the Honolulu City Council.
read ... Exodus
Another $2,000-A-Head Fundraiser For Abercrombie
CB: This one, to be held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, also requests contributions in the amount of $2,000....
While the governor is yet to draw a challenger in 2014, some folks are whispering that he may face a labor- or enviro-backed opponent in the Democratic primary.
read ... Another $2,000-A-Head Fundraiser For Abercrombie
GMOs: Luddites Attack on Two Fronts
Reclaiming sidewalks a priority
SA: The city is preparing to take an important step in regaining control of the public spaces and pedestrian routes when the implementation of a new law barring sidewalk storage of "nuisance" gear begins July 1.
The new set of rules Honolulu officials have been hammering out arise from the passage of Bill 7, an act that replaces the city's existing Stored Property Ordinance.
A new regulatory approach was necessary because that ordinance gave 24-hour notice to those cited for storing property, such as tents and other personal effects, on sidewalks.
The old law was ineffectual at keeping sidewalks clear because some would simply substitute other tents or equipment during those 24 hours. In effect, eliminating the notice period is no different from enforcement of parking restrictions on city streets, in which vehicles can — without notice — be towed away and a fine imposed to reclaim them.
read ... Priority
City to scrap towing firm contract
SA: Less than a year into a new system, the city intends to terminate its contract with an exclusive vendor for police-initiated motor vehicle tows on Oahu, acknowledging that changes have to be made before a new one is awarded.
City officials Tuesday said the five-year deal with Leeward Auto Wreckers — which in November took over towing responsibilities for the entire island and was found to be overcharging motorists during the first few months — will be discontinued by mutual agreement once a new contract is awarded.
Despite the overcharging problems Leeward Auto initially encountered, the company has resolved them, is not in default of the contract and will not be prevented from bidding when new specifications are issued in about three weeks, city officials said....
The planned contract termination follows concerns raised last year by other towing companies that the terms of the new contract, including a $60,000 monthly premium and a cap on mileage and hookup charges, would not be sustainable financially for Leeward Auto.
"We knew this would not end well for the city or the contractor," said Paul Perry, owner of All Island Automotive Towing, which teamed with several other companies to submit one of the unsuccessful bids for the contract in November....
read ... Scrap
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