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Wednesday, June 19, 2013
June 19, 2013 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 4:49 PM :: 3670 Views

Republicans: Our Primary Will Remain 'Open' as Hawaii Democratic Party Sues for Closed Primary

Full Text: Hawaii Democrats' Lawsuit Demanding Closed Primary

Joe Trippi to Speak in Hawaii: "Better Schools Aren't a Partisan Issue"

Spying: Obama Loses 17% Among Youth

Hu Honua Biomass Construction Halted as Pipefitters, Boilermakers Fight for Control

Oahu Karst Cave Videos and Photos

NCTQ Report: UH Education Departments Among Nation's Worst

National Governors Assoc to Assist Hawaii Early Learning Program

HART West Oahu Community Meetings to Discuss Rail Station Design

Gays Behind Closed Primary Suit: Opposed by Virtually All elected Democrats

ILind: the party is suing, although virtually all elected Democrats oppose the move.

The idea of returning to a closed primary has been bandied about in party circles, and debated at party conventions, for at least the past decade. The debate has been intense and often personally and politically divisive, driving wedges between different factions of what has traditionally been a party loosely united under “a big tent.”

Office holders have opposed the idea, fearing a voter backlash, and arguing in favor of the “big tent” philosophy as a way to maintain the party’s political power.

In the past, the late Dan Inouye was able to bring the different party factions together just enough to negotiate through their differences and hold off the push to return to the closed party primary. His absence has allowed centrifugal forces to tear at the party’s semblance of cohesiveness.

And there’s the key problem the party faces. The party is now quite distinct from the group of elected officials who run under the party’s label. With virtually all elected Democrats coming out in opposition to the party’s lawsuit, the gulf between the party and its office holders has probably never been wider.

The same separation of interests is playing out in current efforts to impose party “discipline” by using internal party rules to punish Democratic legislators who fail to toe the party line. For example, Oahu County Dems will soon take up a complaint by gay activists against nine House members and two senators who sponsored a bill that would have let voters decide on a constitutional amendment to restrict marriage to between a man and a woman, a position strongly rejected in the party platform.

If the complaint is upheld, the party will have to consider what sanctions to impose on those who have strayed from the platform.

read ... Bow before your Gay Lords, Legislators

Five Days to Deadline, 200 Bills Await Abercrombie Signature

SA: About 200 bills remain pending before the governor.

Abercrombie vetoed 19 measures last year and 17 the year before. None was overridden.

Among the proposals still awaiting action are a pair of campaign spending disclosure bills unexpectedly killed, then revived in the final days of the 2013 legislative session. Lawmakers blamed poor communication that led to the premature demise of Senate Bill 31, imposing new reporting requirements on campaign super PACs, and House Bill 1147, requiring super PACs to disclose top donors in political advertisements....

Also pending before the administration are two medical marijuana bills...

Other measures pending before the governor include:

» SB 2, amending the offenses of first-degree terroristic threatening and first-degree robbery to include the use of simulated firearms.

» SB 192, making soliciting someone under the age of 18 for prostitution a Class C felony with a minimum fine of $2,000; adds other offenses and penalties for coercing or soliciting a minor for prostitution.

» SB 1214, making it illegal for any person, business or county police department to clamp a boot onto any vehicle — on any public or private road, street or highway.

» SB 1340, increases the age minors can stay in the foster system to 21.

» HB 430, removing limits on itemized deductions for charitable donations by wealthy donors.

» HB 1068, requiring certain employers to display a poster with information on human trafficking and the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline.

» HB 1187, which applies the Child Protective Act and state child abuse laws to minors who are victims of sex and labor trafficking.

read ... 200 Bills, Five Days

UH Ed School Pushes Back Against 'Worst-in-Nation' Rap

SA: Overall, the report said Hawaii's teacher training programs are more likely to admit lower-achieving students and fail to provide students high-quality, hands-on experience before they graduate, compared with programs nationwide.

The review also found that Hawaii's elementary education programs aren't training teacher candidates to effectively teach reading and math. Aspiring teachers also are not being prepared to successfully teach the new, more rigorous Common Core State Standards, national benchmarks in language arts and mathematics being rolled out in most states. (Forty-five states, including Hawaii, have adopted the set of K-12 standards.)

New teachers are in high demand as the state Department of Education alone hires between 800 and 1,000 teachers each year.

Donald Young, dean of Manoa's College of Education, called the ratings disappointing and defended the college's teacher training programs as meeting or exceeding national accreditation standards....

The 800-member American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education — a national alliance of educator preparation programs, which includes UH-Manoa — criticized the report, calling it "misleading, unreliable and an effort to promote an ideological agenda rather than a genuine effort to inform the public and improve teacher preparation."

Lynne Hammonds, executive director of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, the licensing agency for teachers in the state, said the board focuses on program outcomes when approving teacher education programs.

Report: NCTQ Report: UH Education Departments Among Nation's Worst

read ... Isle teacher programs graded among worst

Making Waves: Kelii Akina and The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

CB: Akina, who was named president and CEO of the institute March 1, has already identified two policy areas as priorities: the cabotage laws that govern maritime rules in U.S. waters (the Jones Act) and the formation of a race-based government (the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission).

Akina and the Grassroot Institute — yes, it's singular; more on that later — want to amend or repeal the century-old Jones Act because they believe it limits competition and raises the price of consumer goods. They also want to prevent federal recognition of a Native Hawaiian governing entity that they argue would discriminate against non-Hawaiians.

Both issues are embraced by a large swath of the Hawaii political and business status quo, making change an uphill battle....

Akina, an expert in East-West philosophy, is an adjunct instructor at University of Hawaii Manoa and Hawaii Pacific University. His publications, like one on Confucian ethics for a global society, are for the academic-inclined.

But Akina has an interest in politics and government, too. Last year, he ran for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs at-large seat, losing to longtime Trustee Haunani Apoliona.

Akina, a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, is critical of OHA, whose mission is to help Native Hawaiians. His views are detailed in both his campaign platform and two Community Voice commentaries published by Civil Beat....

"Since the passing away of the Honorable Sen. Inouye, who did so much to build the framework for politics in Hawaii, there are new opportunities for leaders on all sides of party lines to come together around centers of concern," he said. "Grassroot wants to work in those centers of concern."

read ... Kelii Akina

Abercrombie Administration Spying on You?

DN: A Washington Post article (State photo-ID databases become troves for police, Washington Post, 6/16/2013) indicates that Hawaii stores 912,000 face images in total....

These are images of ordinary people, not criminals. FBI emails obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation demonstrate that Hawaii was building (and by now may have completed) a full-blown facial recognition system—with your face likely included.

A Memorandum of Understanding and the other EFF documents are appended to this post—eight documents in total. The MOU was signed (if I am deciphering the handwritten date properly) by state Attorney General David Louie on November 20, 2011. The software is provided free of charge by the FBI—see: FBI To Give Facial Recognition Software to Law-Enforcement Agencies (Slate, 8/23/2012)....

Who maintains face recognition databases? From the Washington Post story:

A single private contractor, MorphoTrust USA, which is based in a suburban Boston office park but is owned by French industrial conglomerate Safran, dominates the field of government facial-recognition technology systems. Its software operates in systems for the State Department, the FBI and the Defense Department. Most facial-recognition systems installed in driver’s-license registries use the company’s technology, it says.

[Washington Post, State photo-ID databases become troves for police, 6/16/2013]

MorphoTrust, which is the same company mentioned in the Boston bombing article above, is in Hawaii. They operate the TSA ID database here, a Google search discovered. Not that this proves that they have given image database access to state or federal agencies, but the technology is here....

For the record, here is the Hawaii MOU and emails from the EFF website. ...locate the emails yourself on the EFF website with this search

Meanwhile: Abercrombie Seeks $2,000 Donations In Re-Election Fundraiser

read ... Hawaii reported to keep 912,000 face images for digital recognition—by which state or federal agencies?

Former Inouye chief of staff to be Honolulu rail 'Dealmaker'

CB: since "Uncle Dan" left us, it hasn't been clear who would drive the rail project to completion.

Now it is. The nonprofit pro-rail group Move Oahu Forward, whose job is to galvanize support for the 20-mile elevated rail line, has just named Inouye’s former chief of staff, Jennifer Sabas, as its new executive director. The group played a lead role in promoting rail during the 2012 mayoral election.

With Sabas at the helm, Move Oahu Forward will be well-positioned to shape the debate about the evolution of public transit, as well as its interaction with businesses near the planned rail line that is slated to run from Kapolei to Ala Moana Center. Sabas' role will allow her to act as rail’s dealmaker.

“In many ways Jennifer was the hand and the voice of the senator when he wasn’t there to fully push this project forward,” said Dan Grabauskas, executive director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART).

Panos: Five Facts about Kapolei

read ... Sabas

Tesoro Refinery a 'Trophy Asset'?

PBN: Nasseri told PBN that he believes Par Petroleum, which is new to the Hawaii market, is acquiring Tesoro Hawaii mainly because it is a “trophy asset.”

“It’s not the best investment for those who are in the refining business,” he said.

Nasseri says that generally, most refineries are doing well through the start of this decade, but the second half is expected to be not as good, which is why he thinks Tesoro wanted to sell during this up cycle.

“The refining business is expecting a tight market later this decade, mainly because of the push for renewables, tougher environmental guidelines and the availability of liquefied natural gas in the Mainland,” he said.

Kang Wu, a senior fellow at the East-West Center and an expert on energy and economic issues, says that the state is now back to square one. (Translation: These folks are not happy that Tesoro refinery will stay open.)

“Of course, it’s not a bad thing,” he told PBN. “With a two refinery situation, there will be lots of competition, which is fine, [but] the state will continue to have a bit of oversupply.”

Wu says that it will be tough for Par Petroleum to survive because of a declining demand for oil.

“Tesoro wanted to get out of Hawaii because they it was underperforming,” he said. “If [Par Petroleum] believes that the money earned in Hawaii is good enough, they will continue.”

Meantime, Al Chee, spokesman for Chevron, which owns the state’s other refinery, would not confirm or deny if it put in a bid for Tesoro.

“I’m not aware of anything, [but] that’s not to say we did or didn’t,” he told PBN. “But I’d be surprised if we did.”

read ... Energy expert surprised Chevron didn’t buy Tesoro’s Hawaii refinery

Hanabusa, Gabbard Vote for Late Term Abortion

CB: Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard voted against a bill that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks into a pregnancy...it passed anyway.

read ... Gosnell Bill

Obama's DoD Joins Push for Abercrombie's Pre-K

CB: Hawaii is home to one of the largest and most powerful military complexes in the world yet fails to produce a large cadre of local kids who are qualified to enter its ranks, according to experts who say declining military eligibility across the country is posing a threat to national security.

A report by Mission: Readiness, a national security organization aimed at better preparing kids for military careers, shows that more than a third — 38 percent — of local high schoolers who took the military entrance exam in 2010 failed, placing Hawaii in last place along with Mississippi. Nationally, about 23 percent of all military prospects that year failed the exam, which tests students on subjects such as math and reading.

But other, non-academic factors further hamper military eligibility here, too, including obesity and criminal records, according to those familiar with recruitment efforts in Hawaii.

Mission Readiness:  A Commitment to Pre-Kindergarten Is A Commitment to National Security

Politicized DoD: 49% Waste: Inspector General Slams Hawaii Navy Solar Projects

read ... Are Hawaii Kids Equipped for Careers in the Military?

Plenty of Swag for Hawaii In Defense Bills

CB: Last week, the House passed a bill with more than $400 million in military construction money. At the same time the Senate Armed Services Committee passed a bill for a similar amount, and it is headed to the full chamber. The House version, pushed by Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, includes $72 million in loans for building ships. And, there’s language calling on the Navy to fund a certain type of research that — wink, wink — just happens to be a specialty of engineering firms in Hawaii.

The National Defense Authorization Act is supposed to be a spending bill, but it includes plenty of pet projects that have nothing to do with money for the military, and that are only tangentially related to national defense.

Hawaii has a unique relationship with pork. As the other white meat of politics, pork is generally viewed negatively because it can be a source of particularly wasteful spending. But it has also long been an important nutrient for Hawaii's economy. So much so that when Sen. Daniel Inouye died, fears of a dramatic loss in federal funding for Hawaii were dubbed the "Inouye-cliff."

However, as David Carey, the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii's military affairs committee, noted during a lobbying trip to Washington last week, the islands are to some extent insulated by their importance to the military. Despite being in the minority in a House that is controlled by Republicans, Hawaii's special weight on the defense front allowed Hanabusa to get the House Armed Services Committee to insert funding that is important to the islands.

At a seminar on the future of the military last week Hanabusa, a Democrat, was notably buddy-buddy with Rep. Randy Forbes, the Republican chairman of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. Hanabusa noted that she represents Pearl Harbor, while Forbes, R-Va., represents Norfolk, where there is a major naval base. They’ve got a lot in common, she said. Forbes returned the love, describing Hanabusa, who is a member of the opposing party, as a smart and strategic thinker. 

(And now Hanabusa is going to disappear.  Who will replace her?  Would a left-wing whacko like Schatz/Hirono be able to cross the aisle like that?)

read ... Plenty of Swag for Hawaii In Defense Bills

Oahu Part of Okinawa exit Plan?

SA: The military is conducting studies of Oahu land that might be used to house thousands of Marines due to leave Japan

read ... Okinawa Exit Plan

Hawaii Co Council Raises Salaries While Increasing Bus Fares, Car Regist Fees

WHT: By bus or by car, your ride is soon going to cost you more.

The Hawaii County Council on Tuesday advanced bills doubling bus fares and car registration and vehicle weight taxes.

The votes came in the face of opposition from about a dozen people, several who said raising money from the poor is especially distasteful at the same meeting where the council was to vote on 4 percent raises for council staff.

“It just doesn’t sit right to think about the hardships some are going through while others are sitting pretty with raises,” said Tina Floyd of Pahoa.

HTH: Council debates staff raises

read ... Higher Taxes

LUC Asked to De-Zone Turtle Bay

SA: A community group opposing Turtle Bay Resort expansion plans has renewed a push to block the project by challenging the validity of a 27-year-old state approval for enlarging the resort on Oahu's North Shore.

The Defend Oahu Coalition filed a motion Tuesday with the state Land Use Commission asking the agency to consider revoking its 1986 approval for expanding the resort on a parcel that was previously farmland.

The group contends that 236 acres of the 880-acre property should revert to agricultural use because several representations, commitments and conditions the resort owner made or agreed to in the expansion approval have been unfulfilled.

Reality: Enviros win 90% in Hawaii Supreme Court

read ... No Surprise Here

Long-term Kakaako plans already displacing tenants

SA: Tenants of the block bounded by Auahi, Keawe, Pohukaina and South streets have begun receiving notices to start looking for new locations, consistent with the expirations of their leases with landowner Kame­ha­meha Schools.

A rendering in the executive summary of the schools' plan for so-called Block B shows a mix of structured parking and building roofs.

It was no surprise. Longtime tenants have known for "10 to 15 years," said Gail Weeks, general manager of Hawaiian Beauty Products Ltd. at 630 Auahi St.

read ... KSBE

Hawaii Teacher: My Descent Into Homelessness

CB: I became homeless this past year.

I didn’t do it to prove a political point, or to discover enlightenment — even though it turned out to be an enlightening and life-changing experience.

I wasn’t trying to learn empathy or to become a social activist.

It was simply because, as a teacher with student loans, a bad turn of events sent my finances wildly out of control.

read ... Hawaii Teacher: My Descent Into Homelessness

Hawaii Public Utilities Commission: Big Issues Mark 100th Birthday

CB: The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission is many things: underfunded, understaffed, ineffectual, indecisive and absolutely essential.

The commission marks its 100th anniversary this year at one of the most critical times in its existence.

The nation’s highest electric rates are forcing some people to cook on kiawe and burn candles at night. Soaring costs are also deepening social divisions; people who can afford to get off the grid do, sticking those less fortunate with the tab.

Hawaii’s near-total reliance on oil to fuel its power plants further complicates the picture, particularly since there’s no clear path forward. We have legislative mandates like achieving 40 percent renewable generation by 2030, but we don’t know what will get us there. Liquefied natural gas? An undersea cable? Geothermal? All or none of the above?

MN: MECO announces its plan for refunds

read ... Hawaii Public Utilities Commission: Big Issues Mark 100th Birthday

Coffield Tried to Weaken Solicitation of Minors Law

SA: If SB 192 is signed into law, though, it remains to be seen if applying it will run into problems, as raised by some during the legislative session.

"Short of demanding to see the identification of the prostitute, there is no way for a customer to determine if the prostitute is a minor," Hawaii Chief Public Defender Timothy Ho had testified.

And Kris Coffield of IMUAlliance had urged unsuccessfully that legislators alter the bill to make it clear that the person charged with soliciting a minor "intentionally, knowingly or recklessly" offered or agreed to pay the minor for engaging in sexual conduct.

Cases will tell if defendants are able to achieve acquittals because of what Coffield said could be "the so-called ‘mistake of age' defense."

(Coffield endorsed by Hon Adv for BoE, 2006: The alleged guy with the alleged airbrushed wings, alleged liquor thief, the alleged Kris Coffield, allegedly.)

read ... Prostitution law would aid minors

OCCC guard dies alone at post after delay in getting him help

HNN: The last time he was seen at about 8 p.m., he was alert and behaving normally, a source said.

The prison called city paramedics at 8:42 p.m., a city EMS spokeswoman said.

Problem is, the man was locked in OCCC's control center by himself.

While there is often a second guard there during day shifts, on the less-busy night shift, prisons managers routinely schedule a lone sergeant at that post, prisons officials said.

The watch commander could not locate the key to get into that secured area, so they had to break a lock and break down a door to gain access to him, prisons officials said.

Otani said an investigation is under way and he did not know how long of a delay there was before getting the man to medical treatment.  The guard died at a nearby hospital....

This is the second OCCC employee to die on the job recently. A 45-year-old social worker collapsed and died after suffering an apparent cardiac problem at about 11:25 a.m. May 31.

read ... OCCC guard dies alone at post after delay in getting him help

Study: The More States Ban Discrimination Against Gays, The More Discrimination they Face

PBN:  20 states and more than 150 localities prohibit housing discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.

The study, however, found that gays and lesbians were treated slightly worse in these states than they were in states without legislative protections.

read ... More 'Protection' = More Problems

Government to Regulate Food Scraps Next

EPA: Big food waste composting facilities are not available on Oahu yet, but you can get started with backyard composting right away. If we donate food that we don't need and compost food scraps and green waste, we can move toward zero waste and flight global climate change.

EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge program is working to prevent food waste in Hawaii, and we are proud to be recognizing the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kapiolani Community College, and Hawaii Pacific University as the newest participants in the agency’s Food Recovery Challenge program. They join over 90 other colleges and universities nationwide in pledging to reduce wasted food.

Other key Hawaii Food Recovery Non-profit Partners include: Rewarding Internship for Sustainable Employment (RISE), which provides paid internships to implement of sustainability projects across the state; Aloha Harvest, which gathers quality, donated food and delivers it free of charge to social service agencies feeding the hungry of Hawaii; and The Green House, which runs programs to support sustainable living, gardening, and recycling.

read ... Op-ed: Working Together for a Zero Waste Future in Hawaii

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