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Tuesday, May 6, 2014
May 6, 2014 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 5:44 PM :: 4396 Views

Hawaii AG Stops Pretending to Defend Nuclear Family

Airports Division Target of Federal Sex Harassment Lawsuit

SBH Conference: Working for a Better Hawaii Business Climate

Hawaii State Task Force Recommends Jones Act Exemption

Saiki to UH Hilo Chancellor: Uphold Students’ First Amendment Rights

Janice Pechauer Memorial Services

Waihee: Rice Decision May Save Hawaiians from my Roll

CB: Norma Wong, a consultant for the commission who handled Hawaiian issues under former Gov. John Waihee, (Fab Four: Wong, Waihee, Dwyer, and $$$.) said the group plans to finish certifying its list by the end of June. That would pave the way for the group to elect delegates in September, hold a constitutional convention in October or November, and send the governing document back for approval by January....

Board members have the power to slow down the process if they choose, but Garret Kamemoto, spokesman for OHA, said there are currently no proposals on OHA’s agenda to change the schedule....

Hawaiian Affairs Committee Chairwoman Maile Shimabukuro said that she was surprised and pleased with the number of people who signed up, (How many 10,000?  The rest signed Kau Inoa and earlier rolls and had their names stuffed on to this list without consent.) given all the criticism of the process that she has heard from constituents in her district. Many people doubt whether a nation-building process orchestrated by the state could truly result in an independent Hawaiian nation.

Kealii Makekau, a Native Hawaiian resident of Honolulu who is running for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, attended Monday’s briefing and said afterward that he thinks state lawmakers are giving the indigenous community false hope.

“This is a continuation of the Akaka Bill,” he said. Many Native Hawaiians disapprove of that route because they want more independence from the federal government....

Still, (Waihee) and other commissioners and lawmakers acknowledged the organization may be vulnerable to legal challenges. The commission has been criticized as embodying racial discrimination by requiring each member of the roll to have Native Hawaiian ancestry.

The Supreme Court ruled in Cayetano v. Rice that the state couldn’t limit elections for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a state entity, to only people of Native Hawaiian descent. Commissioners are hoping that because Act 182 says Native Hawaiians may independently organize a convention, it won’t be subject to the same limitation.

read ... Race to Save Hawaiians from Waihee?

Failed Abercrombie less attentive, less skilled--Almost Botched Turtle Bay

Borreca: Lawmakers, however, are privately saying Abercrombie has been less than attentive and skilled at the game in a year when he should be working for a hallmark session....

Another House member said Abercrombie was rarely seen during this legislative session....

After two years of highlighting early childhood education, Abercrombie has failed to get the defining portions of his programs passed.

Legislators say the administration refused to accept that there will not be a broad approval of a preschool plan until the voters decide on a constitutional amendment allowing public funds to go for private preschools....

As the session opened, Abercrombie was relying — in both his policy and political plans — on a surging economy.

That was not a prudent bet. The Council on Revenues sliced the economic growth rates so much that by midsession, Abercrombie and the Legislature were dismantling a budget that had been touted by Abercrombie as the engine of Hawaii's economic rebound.

...Even before the dampened economic expectations, House and Senate leaders were pouring cold water on Abercrombie's idea of a bubbling economy....

...Ige blocked Abercrombie by just existing....

It was Ige who put together the novel Turtle Bay payment plan that involved refinancing existing state debt on the Hawai‘i Convention Center to find the needed money.

Ige noted that his plan "creates an opportunity for the state to avoid any additional appropriation, taxes or fees."

A senator said, "Abercrombie almost botched it by not having the funding lined up."...

read ... Abercrombie less of a force in latest legislative session

Legislature Fiddles While HHSC Burns

MN: ...the Legislature could not reach consensus on giving HHSC hospitals the right to seek out private partners. A bill that would have limited partners to nonprofit health organizations already doing business in the state failed in the waning hours of the session.

Lo and other health care professionals had not wanted partners limited to companies already doing business in Hawaii. Last year, MMMC had preliminary discussions with Banner Health, a nonprofit based in Phoenix.

Without the Legislature's OK, HHSC hospitals cannot partner with a private company.

Frankly, the Hawaii-only option may not have been ideal but it might not have been a bad place to start. If HHSC hospitals begin cutting services or get entangled in labor disputes over layoffs, they are going to be less attractive to potential business partners.

read ... Nero Fiddles

GOP Caucuses Score Victories at Legislature

CB: ...Slom was pleased that colleagues worked closely with him on some matters, however. He credits Economic Development Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz for allowing the minority leader to chair some committee hearings, and he sought Slom's views on bills. When it came to getting funding for capitol improvement projects in his district, which runs from Hawaii Kai to Waialae-Kahala, area representatives sought his collaboration.

And, in what Slom calls "the sincerest form of flattery," some of the ideas in his bills made it into Democratic bills, including punishing people who create or disseminate "revenge porn," and limiting the use of aerial drones....

Slom also voted in favor of a sizable majority of the bills introduced by Democrats; they included legislation that he co-sponsored, such as a measure requiring the reporting of cost details on capital improvement project proposals.

On the House side, Johanson said there was a "broad degree of support for a majority of bills, irrespective of party. ... Sometimes there are philosophical differences, but there is a lot we can agree on."

Johanson said it was important to place the passage of bills into the proper context. Democrats control all the committee chairs, he explained, which gives them enormous leverage in determining which bills are heard, let alone passed. Johanson also pointed out that there are many Democrats who only succeed in getting one or two of their own bills passed.

For his part, the minority leader introduced bipartisan legislation on how members of the Hawaii Labor Relations Board are selected. The bill, which was co-sponsored by Majority Leader Scott Saiki and Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke among others, now awaits action by the governor.

Other Republicans also co-sponsored successful legislation, and Cynthia Thielen was the featured guest at the bill signing last week for industrial hemp legislation. Even though it was a Senate bill, Johanson said Thielen's "almost one-woman advocacy is a testament to what successful advocacy can look like."

There were also some close-but-not-quite moments for Republicans.

A bill introduced by Fukumoto and backed by Johanson, Saiki, Luke and other reps made it all the way until the end of conference committee before perishing on the final, chaotic day. House Bill 2371 would have changed the amount of refundable food, excise tax and income tax credits for low-income household renters and it would have created a new low-income tax credit and earned-income tax credit.

"Tax relief for the most vulnerable is something that had broad support," said Johanson, noting that Partners in Care, Faith Action for Community Equity and the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice also supported HB 2371.

Like Slom with Dela Cruz, Johanson expressed gratitude to Luke for allowing him to play a constructive role in crafting the state budget. That work, Johanson said, involved facilitating greater transparency and accountability in financial requests.

read ... GOP Caucuses at Hawaii Legislature

Prayer Smackdown: US Supreme Court Crushes Hawaii Attorney General and Atheists

KITV: "I think the Supreme Court decision already illuminates what the House of Representatives already does. We are very glad with the decision. It is absolutely in line with what we do," said Rep. John Mizuno.

But it has been an issue in the senate which riled the lone Republican who, after learning that leadership decided to do away with the invocation, (after biased Attorney general Louie claimed he could not defend it) made a point to mention God in some way, every day....

The issue came to a head at Honolulu Hale four years ago. Mitch Kahle and Holly Huber of the group Hawaii Citizens  for  the Separation of Church and State complained about the mostly christian prayers said before Honolulu City Council meetings.

Under threat of a lawsuit, the invocation then became known as the "Message of Aloha."

Council Chair Ernie Martin said current policy prohibits messages that address a specific deity or faith.

But he said council may modify that policy in light of the Supreme Court decision.

Background: US Supreme Court strongly affirms that Americans are free to pray

Read ... Nobody Needs to Listen to Atheist Threats

Millions of Consumer Dollars at Stake as Star-Adv Pushes Biodegradable Bag Ban

SA: ...Honolulu City Councilman Breene Harimoto is seeking a needed refinement to the ordinance the Council passed back in 2012. Bill 38, introduced last week, would eliminate the exemption for "biodegradable" plastic bags....

According to the bill's statement of purpose, "recent studies indicate all types of plastic bags, regardless of the feedstock from which they are derived, may adversely affect the environment," decomposing into fragments of plastic that may harm insects, fish and animals that consume them. 

(They are blowing smoke.  It is only by banning all types of plastic bags that enviros and supermarkets can team up to turn a free service provided to shoppers into a paid product purchased by shoppers.  The enviros and supermarkets split the profit and the consumer loses.)

read ... Don't delay ban on plastic bags

Kauai's Strange Milieu Cannon Fodder for Mainland Anti-GMO Movement

KE: When the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Food Safety opened up shop in Honolulu, its new director, Ashley Lukens, claimed: “The [anti-GMO] movement here is vibrant. It’s been able to achieve some victories here that elsewhere are impossible.”

With both the Kauai and Hawaii Island ordinances being challenged in court, and Monsanto vowing to wage a fight against the Maui ballot initiative, it's unclear whether any political changes will be achieved. Just as it's unclear exactly what CFS considers a victory, or how it defines vibrant, considering the movement has failed to gain traction on Oahu, the major population center.

But there is no doubt it has been able to do things here that would be impossible elsewhere, as it galvanized disaffected kama'aina youth looking for a scapegoat and newcomers desperate to belong....

It is easy, in this strange milieu of deputized Hawaiians, self-declared Hawaiians, locals, local haole and actual kanaka, to galvanize, polarize and otherwise manipulate a community into political actions. It's continuing now, with the push to get that clearly illegal charter amendment on the ballot.

All of which allows Center for Food Safety to proclaim its victories. But as I noted, we don't yet know how CFS, with its very specific, big money-financed agenda, defines victory.

read ... Musings: To the Victor

Hawaii’s Use of Renewable Energy is 6%

IM: Hawai`i’s use of renewable energy is about 17% for electricity production, far less than 1% for ground transportation and scarcely above 0% for air transportation.

Thus within Hawai`i, we use renewable energy for about 6% of our total energy demand.

read ... Hawai`i’s Use of Renewable Energy is 6%

Abercrombie Two More $5000/head California Fundraisers

PR: Gov. Neil Abercrombie has fundraisers on Tuesday at the Fairmont Hotel and at Pier 7 The Embarcadero in San Francisco.

The price for the morning event at the Fairmont is $5,000 or $1,000. The suggested donation at the noon event at Pier 7 is $5,000.

read ... For Sale in California

Anti-Gay Marriage Stance Still In Most GOP Platforms, But Not in Hawaii

CB: Note that Hawaii is one of those states that make no mention of opposition to same-sex marriage. Read here the Hawaii GOP’s party platform.

read ... In Most GOP Platforms, But Not in Hawaii

Regents vote to evict Faculty from Housing

SA: An estimated 160 University of Hawaii faculty members will likely vacate university housing on Oahu in coming months under a revised policy that enforces time limits on rental leases for the first time in nearly two decades....

SA: Abercrombie claims he plans to help UH sort of

read ... Regents vote to evict Faculty from Housing

State Opens Prison Gates, Lets Hundreds of Prisoners Loose Daily

KHON: On any given day, hundreds of Hawaii’s prisoners are out and about, released during the day on work furlough, then back behinds bars again each night.

But it’s hard to know who they are, unless you know exactly who you’re looking for.

“If there’s a specific inmate you’re interested in, we have a special notification called the Vine system where they can actually go, sign up through the Internet and get notification when people start re-entering into society,” said Max Otani, deputy director of corrections at the Dept. of Public Safety.

But the system operates on a one-by-one case. The state does not release an entire list of prisoners on work furlough.

read ...  Why the public is kept mostly in dark on loose prisoners

Criminal Complains about Prison Resolution

BIN: This past Thursday, (May 1, 2014) the Senate of the State of Hawai`i passed SCR 120 SD2, “Requesting the Department of Public Safety to enter a public-private partnership for new correctional facilities.” Introduced by Senators Will Espero, Rosalyn Baker, Brickwood Galuteria and Sam Slom, this resolution is the first attempt to invite the so-called “Prison-Industrial Complex” to Hawai`i. The resolution earlier passed the House with only three dissenting votes.  (Must be a good idea if the criminals don't like it.)

read ... A letter by two-time convicted felon Ralph P Dedman

Customers could be next in Honolulu gambling indictment

KHON: Hundreds of criminal charges were filed after a huge crackdown on sweepstakes machines, and authorities warn customers could be next.

Last Thursday, a grand jury returned a 414-count indictment against nine people — three establishment owners and six employees. The list of criminal charges includes promoting gambling and money laundering.

Several were arrested Friday and two more, Quentin Canencia and Desiree Haina, were booked late Monday afternoon. The last two people, Mike Miller and Mike Madali, are on the mainland and will be arrested when they return to Hawaii, according to Kaneshiro.

Monday afternoon, the city prosecutor and Honolulu Police Dept. spoke for the first time about the sweepstakes machines indictment. They say their investigation is not over.

“This is the evidence that we have analyzed so far. We have more evidence that we have to go through,” said Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro.

read ... Customers Next?

City investigates possible sick leave abuse by road test examiners

HNN: The city is investigating possible sick leave abuse by some driver license examiners. A staffing shortage is causing many people to camp out overnight for a chance to take the road test.

Hours before the doors opened, people waited outside the driver license office in Kalihi. Hawaii News Now learned that the first person who showed up at noon on Sunday was paid $150 to hold the spot for someone else. For Salt Lake resident Ramiro Rivera, this was his second time in line for a walk-in road test.

"I've been trying to fall asleep on the concrete but it's really, really uncomfortable," said Rivera. "Honestly, if I can't sleep then that's kind of a dangerous situation to be in."

Over in Wahiawa, a few people lined up in the darkness. Others left after spotting a sign that said there would likely be only two walk-in slots open on Monday morning....

By the time the offices opened, people were anxious to find out exactly how many walk-ins would be accepted. The number varies by day depending on the road test examiners that come to work.

"I'm having a problem right now with several of my examiners out on long-term medical leave and several on short-term medical leave and that gives us staff shortage," explained Sheri Kajiwara, director of the Department of Customer Services.

There are 22 full-time examiners, but Kajiwara said on average only about 70% show up, prompting questions about sick leave abuse. The workers have 21 sick days a year.

"People tend to call in sick the day before, day after long weekends. Fridays, Mondays, we're noticing we're short on staff," she said.

The Department of Customer Services just got the green light to fill six examiner positions that were vacant due to budget cuts. The candidates still need to pass the necessary clearances, but Kajiwara hopes that they can start by May 15. Officials also want to reassign paperwork to other employees to free up time for more road tests, but there are union restrictions from the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

read ... City investigates possible sick leave abuse by road test examiners

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