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Monday, October 3, 2011
October 3, 2011 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 3:13 PM :: 12097 Views

Got $1.25M? Jeremy Harris’ 16 acre Estate For Sale

Lalamilo: Another Hawaii Wind Energy Junkyard

Why Stop at $500K? DoTAX Quietly Multiplies Hawaii Solar Tax Credit

“Tiny” Rate Due to Broad Base of Hawaii’s “Sales Tax”

Malama Solomon’s Lawsuit Shapes Future of Jerry Chang, Mark Nakashima

Nakashima, who is finishing his second term, said he already has discussed the issue with Chang, who began serving in 1989.

"Rep. Chang and I had a discussion early on, kind of in passing, in regard to our feeling that we didn't want to run against each other," Nakashima said, "For myself, I still want to continue serving in the Legislature, so we'll be looking at what options I have to continue doing that."

That option could come in the form of a Senate seat….

Now is the time when candidates normally would begin getting the campaigns in order to begin fundraising. A lawsuit delaying the finalization of the political districts means that some prospective candidates will have to wait to see what the districts ultimately will look like and where they need to focus their campaigns.

That the delay might prevent some people from running altogether is a possibility, said Dante Carpenter, state Democratic Party chairman.

Related: Military to be Disenfranchised so Meth dealer’s friend can keep Senate Seat?

read … Gimme a district or I’ll sue

Schools to launch push against bullying

The state will unveil a new campaign to fight bullying and cyberbullying in schools Tuesday that will include more training for educators, better efforts to identify and help kids who are bullied, and increased outreach to stop bullying before it starts.

The work, in the wake of a new state law that requires the Department of Education to regulate student compliance with its own rules on bullying and harassment, comes as the federal government is urging states to do more to tackle school bullying and cyberbullying.

“We’re all fully committed to curb bullying at every school via a coordinated and unified campaign,” said Board of Education member Keith Amemiya, vice chairman of the Student Achievement Committee and the body’s point man on the issue of bullying. “It’s clear bullying is an issue in Hawaii and across the country.”…

Sroka’s message was that “school safety needs you” and that intervening to help a student who is being bullied could save a life.

His mantra is “The power of one.”

Not part of this program: The transsexual agenda for Hawaii schools

read … Bullying

SA: Sometimes, it costs too much green to go green

The move from oil to plant-based biofuel may be politically correct but proved less than automatic when Hawaiian Electric Co. sought to meet the state's goal of generating 40 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

The Public Utilities Commission rejected HECO's plan to buy 16 million gallons of biofuel produced on Hawaii island by Aina Koa Pono, which would have harvested existing wild plants and trees on 13,000 acres of land in the Kau district as fodder for its biofuel plant.

It all came down to money: Replacing petroleum-based fuel with biofuel would result in utility customers on the island paying at least $100 million more over the 20-year life of the proposed contract.

Related: $170/barrel? PUC Rejects AKP Biofuel Contract

read … Costs too much

$25M solar project planned by A&B for 2012

Kaua‘i’s largest solar farm should be ready to harvest clean energy in 2012 if the county Planning Commission approves the Alexander & Baldwin project proposal as expected.

A&B’s estimated $25 million photovoltaic energy facility would be built on 20 acres of A&B-owned, industrial-zoned land adjacent to Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative’s Port Allen power plant and a wastewater treatment plant.

The land company anticipates two-thirds of the project’s costs will be reimbursed through state and federal subsidies, such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which is set to expire at the end of next (this) year.

“A lot of this is driven by tax credits and tax incentives,” said Christopher Benjamin, president of A&B Land Group, which is comprised of A&B Properties and A&B’s Agribusiness operations. It’s called Bonus Depreciation in which the taxpayer may write off accelerated depreciation in advance.

The Power Purchase Agreement with KIUC is before the Public Utility Commission for approval, a process that is expected to take three to six months. The PUC’s primary concern is the rate, according to A&B.

CB: Hawaii’s Clean Energy Policy is the Nation's Most Aggressive

Related: Why Stop at $500K? DoTAX Quietly Multiplies Hawaii Solar Tax Credit, A&B: “Entitled land in a great place with high barriers to entry is good”

read … It’s A&B, no protests here

Public Lands Development Corp Cancels Meeting after Violation

The Public Land Development Corporation violated a recent order by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to post agendas of meetings to the state calendar.

As a result, the recently formed private development arm of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, has canceled its meeting that had been set for Wednesday.

This makes two out of three meetings that the board has canceled because it failed to adequately inform the public.

read … Sunshine?

Hawaii County Redistricting meetings seek public's input

The Redistricting Commission, appointed by Mayor Billy Kenoi and confirmed by the County Council, is charged with incorporating the Big Island's 24.5 percent 10-year population growth into County Council districts as equally as possible. Maps must be finalized by Dec. 1.

Meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Kamana Senior Center, 6 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Pahoa Neighborhood Facility, 6 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Naalehu Community Center, 9 a.m. Oct. 15 at the county building in Hilo, 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Keaau Community Center, 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at the West Hawaii Civic Center and 6 p.m. Oct. 20 at Yano Hall.

read … Redistricting

CB: 'Bummer of a Summer' for Hawaii's Visitor Industry

In August, visitor spending was up 2.3 percent over August 2010 — good news for local business, jobs and government.

Indeed, for the year to date, spending is up 14.1 percent to $8.25 billion.

But the August numbers also came with bad news — namely, that visitor arrivals dropped 4.2 percent. They fell in June and July, too, and grew a mere .06 percent in May.

While arrivals are still up overall this year, it was a bummer of a summer.

There's also been a rash of bad tourism news, much of it in just the past few weeks: visitors falling off trollies, hand grenades discovered on beaches, baggage screeners fired for not screening

read … Bummer

Styrofoam: Civil Beat IDs Targets in War on Restaurant Industry

In fact, one company even sees some of its foam exported. Pacific Allied Products of Kapolei manufactures foam containers that fishing companies use to keep fish cold when shipping to the mainland.

But Pacific Allied Products is just a tiny fish next to big mainland producers.

“We’re very, very small,” CEO Bernie Coleman said. He estimated that his company makes about 200,000 containers each year. “Some places make 200,000 in a week.”

Another manufacturer on Oahu, K. Yamada Distributors sells plastic foam food trays and containers. Some of those come from Hawaii Foam Products, a sister company.

Foam trays holding meat sold at the Waipio Costco come from K. Yamada Distributors, said assistant Costco warehouse manager Gayle Kawamura.

But these small manufacturers aren’t the main show when it comes to foam food containers. That distinction belongs to big companies such as Dart and Pactiv (the company that makes Hefty products). More on them later.

REALITY: Study: Styrofoam Better for Environment than Tree Killing Paper Products

read … War

Freeway Service Patrol Expands

Transportation officials said FSP drivers have assisted over 20,000 motorists since the program began. The service has been available from Kunia to Kalihi. On Monday morning, the patrols will include the university area.

The new service trucks will have flashing light bars and arrow boards for safety, jacks, air compressors, jumper cables, gas and water.

"Every minute that is saved clearing a blockage is five minutes less time that the rest of us have to sit in traffic in the resulting traffic backup. So it really does pay off," said Abraham Wong, division administrator of the Federal Highway Administration….

Motorists are asked to 841-HELP (841-4357) for assistance, Monday through Friday, except holidays.

read … Traffic Jam Reduction

SA: Find funding for snake inspections

Nudged by Pacific regional members of Congress, the Obama administration has provided federal funds for a program that had relied on the much-maligned earmark to prevent the spread of invasive brown tree snakes from Guam to Hawaii. The change of venue, made necessary by the congressional ban on earmarks early this year, should move the issue from silly politics to an understanding of nature and the danger of a species moving from its native environment into another.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye has reliably earmarked several million dollars a year for a program aimed at shielding Hawaii from the brown tree snake

read … Snakes on a Plane

L.A. sheriffs say there may be more victims of singer Rodriguez—in Hawaii

Based on their investigation, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Victims Bureau believe there may be more victims, including in Hawaii, authorities said today.

Rodriguez, 66, was arrested Tuesday and booked at the Carson, Calif., police station for allegedly committing sex crimes against two girls, who were both under age 14 at the time. The two-count felony complaint against Rodriguez said one sex crime occurred with an underage girl between Nov. 6, 1997, and Nov. 5, 1999. The second occurred with another girl between May 6, 1996, and May 5, 1998, according to the complaint. Rodriguez posted bail and was released on Saturday.

The women are family friends with the Hawaiian entertainer. One of the victims told Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives the abuse occurred in Carson, Calif. The girls were 5 and 8 years old at the time, Carson police said.

Carson police said the allegations of sexual abuse were not revealed until earlier this year when one of the woman's father asked her to deliver a package to the Rodriguez's home in Hawaii. The victim then told her father of the abuse by Rodriguez.

(He got busted in California. In Hawaii this would all be covered up. In fact it already HAS been covered up Hawaii-style.)

Rodriguez was convicted of attempted sexual assault 17 years ago in Hawaii County. He pleaded no contest to attempted sexual assault in the second degree in 1994 and was sentenced to one year in jail, 500 hours of community service and mandatory participation in a sex-offender treatment program.

As part of his 1994 deferred acceptance plea, which would erase the conviction from his record if he stayed out of trouble for 10 years, he was ordered to avoid employment where he would be with children under 14 without the supervision of an approved adult. He also was prohibited from making contact with any minor child without the permission of his probation officer, according to Hawaii court records.

(Deferred acceptance for a child molester. Only in Hawaii.)

read … LA Sheriffs


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