UH Report: 14,954 Homeless Seek Help – 24% from Mainland
Who Runs Hawaii Democratic Party—Mafia or Hare Krishna Cult?
Borreca: … In different ways, much of this weekend’s state Hawaii Democratic Party convention will be about the futures of U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. (IQ test: Do you know which is the cult and which is the mafia?)
Hawaii Democrats are meeting to ready themselves for the upcoming national convention, pick a new party chairperson and take care of other business — but the unstated agenda is the 2016 elections and precisely who is running the state’s majority party….
Leadership is a bit of a question because, while most local Democratic leaders are supporting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president, 70 percent of those who voted in the Hawaii party preference poll supported U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
And there is expected to be much pressure on Hawaii’s uncommitted superdelegates to also support Sanders.
Into this mix comes Gabbard, who has spent much of the presidential campaign season introducing Sanders at rallies across the country. She adds enough to the Sanders campaign that Gabbard is where the networks go for a Sanders sound bite, if the candidate is not available.
Gabbard will be speaking at this weekend’s convention as a Hawaii congresswoman, not a Sanders spokeswoman, but she said in an interview this week that she sees her mission as pushing forward Sanders’ issues of reforming U.S. foreign policy and increasing income equality and health care ….
read … Isle Democratic convention has strange brew of issues
Dumb and Dumber: Hanabusa vs Brickwood Galuteria for Congress?
Who Will Ride Rail? How Do We Know?
CB: …Parsons Brinckerhoff told us only 5.7 percent of all trips on Oahu are transit when the firm did its work years ago. They projected, with rail up and running, the percentage of transit riders would be 7.1 percent. The entire projected benefit for this project is found in this small increase in transit riders.
Low rail ridership is the most significant risk facing this project.
If the ridership is low, we have no alternative vehicles that can make use of this elevated bridge across our island because of the rails and the electrified rails. No rubber tire vehicle (police, civil defense, carpools, commercial vehicles that serve Waikiki, etc.) could use the guideway. It will just be mostly empty – all day long. Is this what we want for our $8 billion?
Let’s examine (for the first time) the Parsons rail ridership projections.
Parsons tells us it expects approximately 60 percent of rail riders will come from the bus. “Come from the bus” is a euphemism for “The city will re-route approximately 20 bus routes and force those riders to transfer to rail.” ….
Yesterday: Ethics: Hawaii DoT Capital Improvements Director in Bed with Parsons Brinckerhoff–Literally
read … Parsons Projections
Star-Adv: Homelessness is Ige’s Problem -- Leadership MIA
SA: …The administration of Linda Lingle moved funds to construct emergency and transitional shelter space, an effective first step.
The next governor, Neil Abercrombie, established a new coordinator’s post with high hopes of addressing the issue comprehensively, but little came of it.
Current Gov. David Ige has declared a state of emergency, which has been renewed repeatedly.
So why does it seem that barely a dent has been made in the problem?
The answer that leaps to mind is simple: Attempts to pull all resources into a coherent game plan have stalled due to a lack of leadership.
Pots of cash have been allocated, including $5 million for Aloha United Way and $12 million for a range of other social service agencies dealing with the problem. But strategizing on how to use the money effectively has lagged.
Changing federal policies for funding grants now require the drive and wide- ranging authority to push initiatives to completion. That role lies primarily with Ige….
The overlapping jurisdictions in this area especially — HCDA, state and city law enforcement — continue to complicate matters. Allowances for city sweeps on state property have increasingly enabled better coordination, but it remains a confounding challenge.
Also confounding: Alongside those truly struggling, are those who refuse to leave the streets for shelters, citing too many rules. That attitude gets no sympathy from law-abiding citizens. A plan is needed to address those who refuse all efforts of help. Clearly, to continue to allow parks and sidewalks to be called home is unacceptable.
At the heart of the problem is a complex mix of substance-abuse and other health concerns, poverty and a critical lack of affordable rentals. Hawaii’s homeless face one of the most difficult housing markets in the nation.
And now the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development is reorienting its grants program, which recently dealt a blow to eight programs providing shelter and help to homeless teens and adults dealing with HIV/AIDS and mental illness….
If there isn’t a relentless push from the top — principally the fifth-floor office of the governor — homelessness will continue to accelerate beyond the government’s ability to cope.
May 26, 2016: UH Report: 14,954 Homeless Seek Help – 24% from Mainland
read … Leadership MIA in homeless fight
Legislature’s Multi-Million-Dollar Grant Program Remains ‘Mysterious’
CB: Rep. Ty Cullen handled grants-in-aid requests on the House side, and Sens. Jill Tokuda and Donovan Dela Cruz split the duty on the Senate side. Cullen and Tokuda could not be reached for comment….
Lobbyists, nonprofit presidents and even legislators say they remain dissatisfied with the process, which they have called “mysterious” and “political.”
Lawmakers often fight to secure grants for their district, and tout the earmarked money they secure — particularly in an election year like this one when the entire House is up for re-election and half the Senate….
Tokuda added two questions last year that applicants had to answer when applying for the grants. One was a sustainability question, the other was a requirement that the groups show proof that they are registered to do business in Hawaii….
Below is a list of grants-in-aid that were approved for fiscal 2017. View the applications of all the groups that applied and details of each request here.
read … Mysterious
To Stop NextEra Iwase Has to Stall PUC for only 7 More Days
KHON: Although NextEra can exit the Hawaiian Electric deal after June 3, Iwase says commissioners are not bound by any deadline….
Optimist: Hawaii deal offers first chance to crow about exporting LNG
read … No Next Era
Lawsuit: Another Hawaii Tech Company Accused of Fraud
PBN: Merdian, an investment firm specializing in small companies, owns 13 percent of Cyanotech, which produces nutrition and health products from microalgae. The firm has taken a shareholder derivative action filed in federal court on Tuesday.
Merdian accuses Chairman Michael Davis of “intentional misconduct, fraud and knowing violation of law,” according to court documents.
“The people running the company are acting against the interest of the shareholders,” Scott Shuda, managing director of Merdian, said to Pacific Business News in a phone call.
read … Fraud
High costs hold back home-building activity
PBN: What’s the biggest challenge facing the building industry today? Our industry faces many challenges: Material and labor costs have risen every year, over-regulation and lawsuits by anti-development groups have caused longer time lines for housing projects, which compounds the effect of higher costs for housing, material, and labor. For the building industry in Hawaii, our biggest challenge is to increase the supply of housing at all price points. In November, our “Houseless in Honolulu” summit focused on how the lack of housing inventory impacts our communities. University faculty and staff, health care professionals and teachers are being priced out of our housing market primarily due to the lack of supply of housing at all price points.
read … High costs hold back home-building activity
DoE News: Head Lice Allowed, SPED Student Bruised by Principal
Ige Discusses Various Mass Psychoses at Kauai Meeting
Police stepping up drugged driving enforcement ahead of marijuana dispensaries
HNN: …AAA said drugged driving has increased since recreational marijuana became legal in four states and the District of Columbia. Hawaii is also one of 24 states and D.C. where medical marijuana is also legal.
While there is a blood alcohol limit to determine whether you are drunk under the law, it's very different with pot.
"It's easy to measure marijuana in the system. It's not so easy to use that measurement to prove impaired driving and get a conviction in court," said Arkie Koehl, a member of the policy committee of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
However, Hawaii has police officers statewide who are trained as drug recognition experts, or DRE's, who have already gotten convictions for driving under the influence of drugs.
"These officers are not only trained to detect regular impaired driving from alcohol, but from other things, like prescription medication or illegal medication," said Honolulu Police Maj. Darren Izumo.
"These officers can be summoned and take offenders through a special field test far more complex and more difficult than a standard field sobriety test used in drunk driving," said Koehl….
read … Police stepping up drugged driving enforcement
HuffPo: Gay Buddafield Cult Moves to Hawaii
HP: …Because his role as therapist provided unique access to the mysterious leader, Coquet learned things few did. According to Coquet, cult leader Andreas claimed a “persecution complex” as a result of being molested as a young boy. Members later learned that, despite his sex regulations, Andreas was manipulating male Buddhafielders into sleeping with him. Advised never to say no to their teacher, disciples — gay and straight — would receive spiritual awakenings during “cleansings” and then convince themselves to give their bodies to Andreas. They were effectively being raped, but it carried the guise of consent. …
(You are now thinking impermissible thoughts. Remember: You are only allowed to believe that gays are born that way. Obey—or you will be required to report for diversity training again.)
read … Victim of Homosexual Child Molester Becomes Gay
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