July 11, 2012 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

KITV: White was U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono's former chief of staff from 2007 to 2009, and like Cayetano, Hirono unknowingly accepted illegal campaign donations totaling $164,265 during her unsuccessful bid for governor in 2002. Hirono's campaign committee turned over $95,073.58 to the Campaign Spending Commission, but closed the account before $69,191.42 in illegal contributions could be returned….

Cayetano said White is well aware of the similarities in illegal contributions given to his gubernatorial campaign and that of Hirono, who served as his lieutenant governor from 1994 to 2002.

"It's clear that (White) knew about it, but he didn't mention it because their campaign is designed solely at me," said Cayetano….

Watada said it's not up to candidates to decipher whether campaign donors are using real names. Many of the illegal contributions given to Cayetano, Hirono and other local politicians came from fictitious or fraudulent donors.

"We go after the donor who knows that they're giving access contributions, or contributions in the name of another person, and so that's who we fine," said Watada.

Watada confirmed a pay-to-play culture existed during Cayetano's reign as governor….

"I don't think you're going to find a ~~more~~ honest politician in this state," said Watada, who was appointed to the Campaign Spending Commission by Cayetano….

State Rep. Della Au Belatti, a former commissioner with the Campaign Spending Commission, said PRP is engaged in the same pay-to-play scheme that dominated Hawaii politics for the better part of a decade.

"Who are the donors behind PRP Hawaii," asked Au Belatti. "Are they receiving contracts? Have they received contracts, or do they hope to receive contracts from the rail contract? Now that's pay-to-play if the answer is 'yes' to any of those questions."….

White said Cayetano had an opportunity to reform Hawaii's campaign spending laws in 2002, but vetoed a bill that would have prevented campaign donors from receiving state or country contracts.

"He had a chance to reform the system and he didn't do it," said White.

In his 2002 message to lawmakers, Cayetano said he vetoed Senate Bill 2431 because it only covered the executive branch, and not the state legislature.

"To approve this bill would be to give the public the impression that meaningful campaign spending reform has occurred," Cayetano wrote.

Precisely as Predicted: Pay to Play: Will Cayetano Retaliate Against Hirono?

We had this story back in 2006: Pay to Play Fines Unpaid: Hirono for Governor Campaign Closes Owing State Elections Fund Over $98,000

CREW: Hirono Campaign Funds Enrich Husband's Lawfirm

BenSnookered: How Bob Watada selectively fought corruption (and now selectively remembers it)

Read … Pandora's Box Opened

Watada: Cayetano Part of Pay to Play Culture

CB: Watada unwittingly provided some new ammunition to those who say Cayetano fostered a "pay-to-play" culture as governor.

"Yes, there was definitely a culture you could call it in terms of, if you want to get contracts with the city or state, then you had to make contributions," Watada said, sitting next to a bristling Cayetano. "In general, this was happening. I started with the commission in 1996-7. Until I left in 2006, it was ongoing. This is exactly what we investigated."

Was Ben Cayetano part of the pay-to-play culture?

"Mr. Cayetano received contributions, his campaign received contributions which were over the limit. If that's what you're asking, yes."

Were contracts awarded to those companies after the fact?

"Well, yes. That was part of the system at the time. Maybe it's still ongoing. I don't think it's as much as it was. But at the time, as I said, you had to make contributions in order to get contracts. If you didn't make contributions, illegal or otherwise, you didn't get contracts."

Eventually, Cayetano jumped in and cut off his own star witness to clarify that decisions on who gets which contracts are "down at a level that we are not aware of."

"First of all, you've got to remember that this is a small town, a small big town," Cayetano said. "I think it's important that people understand that when the words 'no-bid' are tossed around, if people are ignorant about the process, then it can have insinuations and implications that are not correct."

VIDEO: Watada in 2002

ILind: Mayor Carlisle far behind fundraising pace of prior administration

SA: Cayetano's campaign takes in 'impressive' $900,000

read … Culture of Corruption

Don Horner, Nestor Garcia Conflicts of Interest Guided Ansaldo Contract Into Place

Shapiro: Garcia had another $30,000-a-year side job as a part-time safety officer for Dura Constructors.

Dura's principal is Tom Enomoto, who was listed as the "responsible managing employee" for Ansaldo Honolulu when the company was fighting last year to nail down a $1.4 billion contract to provide rail cars for the system.

Ansaldo seemed to have the inside track on the rail car contract from the start despite the deep financial troubles of its Italian parent Finmeccanica, a spotty performance record in other cities and its lack of necessary Hawaii licenses.

What Ansaldo did have was local political connections: In addition to Enomoto, Ansaldo listed Jeff Coelho, city managing director under former Mayor Mufi Hannemann, as a company executive and Carolyn Tanaka, Hannemann's spokeswoman when he ran for governor, as the company's spokeswoman.

As the Ansaldo contract came to a head before the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, HART board member Ivan Lui-Kwan disclosed to the Ethics Commission that Ansaldo had asked another partner at his law firm to be its legal counsel.

The Ansaldo contract was steered through the HART board by its finance chairman, Don Horner, then the CEO of First Hawaiian Bank, whose French parent company, BNP Paribas, has major financial ties to Finmeccanica….

First Hawaiian, which like other Hawaii banks stands to do lucrative business underwriting transit-oriented development, has since doubled down on its influence on HART by hiring the board chairwoman, Carrie Okinaga, for the bank's legal staff and quickly promoting her to general counsel.

read … Pandora's Box Opens

Bi-Polar: Sierra Club Endorses Rail, Caldwell, Denounces Mufi

The Hawaii Sierra Club is taking Mufi Hannemann to task over claims he’s made about his environmental record.

The group has gone so far as to launch a website to dispel what it refers to as myths: MufisRecord.org.

Hannemann sent out an email Monday to supporters touting his accomplishments. But the Sierra Club says it contained several fallacies.

Best Comment: “OK Sierra Club, are you bipolar or just drinking too much rail-aid? You still want to endorse Mufi Hannemann's $5.3 BILLION train project and his Managing Director Kirk Caldwell for Mayor? LOL.”

read … Bi-Polar

KITV Knocked off Cable, Watch Mayoral Debate on Internet

CB: Watch the Civil Beat/KITV Mayoral Debate (Live Stream)

KITV: NOTICE TO TIME WARNER CABLE SUBSCRIBERS

Drunk Running Sign Making Business out of Hawaii County Election Office Gets Job Back thanks to HGEA, Cronies

HTH: Nakamoto, along with warehouse manager Glen Shikuma and two other employees, were fired in January after County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi found private sign-making equipment and storage of alcohol at the elections warehouse and discovered that post-election drinking parties were being held on the premises. Shikuma’s case has been referred to arbitration, and the status of the other two employees was not known at press time Tuesday.

“Ms. Nakamoto has reluctantly accepted some disciplinary action and has been reinstated to her position,” said Randy Perriera, executive director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association. “Ms. Nakamoto very clearly believes she has not done anything wrong and has unfairly been characterized as a political pawn.” ….

Yagong, who is running against Kenoi, said the county HR department had asked to be recused from the Nakamoto case with HGEA in addition to Shikuma’s case with the United Public Workers Union. UPW agreed to send the case to a neutral third-party arbitrator; HGEA did not.

“It’s concerning to me that a department that has already said it has a conflict is forced to hear the case,” Yagong said. “If there’s a conflict, there’s a conflict.”

HR Director Ron Takahashi in an Oct. 5 Stephens Media article acknowledged a 20-year friendship with Shikuma and said they belong to the same small golfing club, which has up to 15 members. That led to a possible conflict of interest, so Takahashi bowed out.

In the early morning hours following the 2010 general election, Shikuma was arrested and charged with drunken driving just a block away from the Makaala Street warehouse location, according to Stephens Media published reports. He was later convicted and sentenced for the DUI violation.

It’s not known why the administration wanted to be recused from the Nakamoto case. Takahashi said he wasn’t at liberty to discuss the details.

read … HGEA Standing tall for One stop shopping

Laupahoehoe Charter School Opening With 190 Students

HTH: Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School is ready and raring to go for the new school year, beginning Aug. 1, says Director David Rizor. But, he added, enrollment at the school is currently below projections, with some parents apparently waiting to see whether the brand new conversion charter will be successful in its launch.

“We’re just at about 190 right now, and we’re hoping to see an increase in enrollment,” he said Monday. “We have such a dynamic staff coming in that we’re anxious to get more students. We have such a fantastic facility here, and we’re offering so many wonderful offerings, including agriculture, auto, all the hands-on things you can imagine. … We need to be bringing in more students so we can offer even more of those.”

For more information about the charter school, visit www.laupahoehoecharterschool.com.

read … Laupahoehoe

Scammers Con UH Admin out of $200K over Fake Stevie Wonder Concert

HNN: The University of Hawaii, apparently the victim of scammers, was forced to cancel a Stevie Wonder concert scheduled as a UH athletics fundraiser next month at Stan Sheriff Center.

UH athletic officials had hoped the concert would raise up to $250,000 for the athletic program, which is in the red, but now UH could lose a $200,000 deposit it paid for the event that fell through.

About 6,000 people bought seats since tickets went on sale to the public last Friday and UH expected a sellout of up to 11,000 concert goers.

But then Monday, UH got word from Wonder's agent, Creative Artists Agency of Los Angeles, that the singer was not available for the August 18 concert at UH Manoa, even though tickets had already gone on sale.

"The event was booked by an unauthorized third party without the knowledge or consent of Mr. Wonder's representatives.

ILind: End of story: The spokesmen for the officials were unavailable

SA: Ferd's Words- One wonders, will concert blunder be Donovan's last-

read … All About the Enlightened, Conscious and Progressive Elites Who Are Smarter than You Are

Maui Firefighters Smoking Meth on the Job?

MN: Dudoit's girlfriend, who was in his sleeping module, told police she and Dudoit had been "smoking methamphetamine together for some time," Jones said. She said the girlfriend also told police that a box containing drug paraphernalia was Dudoit's and that he would take it with him wherever he went.

Jones said Dudoit told police that he had been using methamphetamine for about five years and was selling the drug in different areas around Wailuku and Kahului as well as at the Kahului Fire Station….

Dudoit said "he distributed methamphetamine to other firemen at the Kahului Fire Station," Jones said.

"He didn't want to give up the names," she said. "He also related he has distributed methamphetamine to engine, hazmat and rescue crews."

Deputy Fire Chief Robert Shimada said police didn't provide the department with details about the investigation, although it was confirmed that Dudoit had been arrested at the fire station and was selling drugs at the station.

"I don't know who he was selling it to," Shimada said….

read … Tweekers

Guides talk of terrifying ordeal, tried to save teen lives

KITV: Along with the crashing waves came flowing tears as adventure guides Letisha Mims and Nolan Keola Reed visited the spot, where barely a week ago, a day of fun turned tragic.

read … Swept out to Sea

Akaka, Inouye, Hirono, Hanabusa Vote to make Cockfighting a Federal Crime

CB: U.S. Sens. Dan Inouye and Dan Akaka were both part of a strong Senate majority that voted recently to make attending a cockfight a federal crime.

The 88-11 vote, held June 20, would apply to all animal fights. It was greeted with excitement by animal rights organizations like the ASPCA….

The amended Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012 (known as the “Farm Bill”) has now been forwarded to the House of Representatives for consideration. When a standalone bill was introduced in that chamber last year, it attracted almost 200 cosponsors — including Colleen Hanabusa but not Mazie Hirono.

Cockfighting: How Abercrombie Escaped Jail and Got His Start in Politics

BIN: OPINION: Don’t Fight Cock Fighting

read … The Feds Are Coming

Carlisle Admin Takes Another Step Towards Sale of Public Housing

CB: …on Tuesday, the Mayor’s Office sent out an update about the sale, saying that the city would receive a $142 million payment from Honolulu Affordable Housing Partners. That agreement would also have the purchasers spend an additional $42 million to renovate the apartments, which are comprised of 1,257 units….

The properties will be leased for 65 years, according to the city. Negotiations are ongoing, and the Honolulu City Council must approve a final agreement….

read … Honolulu Affordable Housing Sold for $142M! … Well, Almost.

Smart Meters: So Much Data, but Who Can Analyze It?

NYT: Customers have complained about inaccurate readings, being promised savings that never materialize, possible health hazards and threats to their privacy….

read … Analyze This

Strict U.S. visa policies discriminate against Polish visitors to Hawaii

SA: …visa processes for Poles to visit Hawaii are so lengthy, so insultingly demeaning, Polish citizens simply drop the U.S. from their tourist trips.

As head of Hawaii's only Poland-focused tour agency (Hawaii Polonia Tours), I am discouraged at how little Hawaii participates in Poland's huge annual tourist movements.

Last year, 6.3 million Polish tourists travelled abroad. How many visited the U.S.? Fewer than 100,000! Hawaii? Only 5,000! To discourage that many visitors from Poland, one of the most pro-U.S. countries in the world, is an unwarranted slight that works against America's own interests….

read … Tourism