More Tax Hikes Coming
Hawaii Congressional Delegation--How they Voted January 13, 2024
Lisa Ginoza and Vladimir Devens Sworn In as Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Associate Justices
"Non-criminal form of corruption”
Shapiro: … Writing in December’s Hawaii Bar Journal about the massive local corruption exposed by federal law enforcers, University of Hawaii emeritus law professor Randall Roth derided the persistent inaction of state and county authorities as “willful blindness.”
He called it a “non-criminal form of corruption” in which local officials afraid of stepping on the wrong toes practiced “intentional ignorance” and “deliberately chose to go along to get along.”…
OUR LEGISLATURE IS NOTORIOUSLY top-heavy, with most power in the hands of leadership and committee chairs, who can capriciously make or break legislation with little transparency or accountability….
Too many rank-and-file legislators exhibit the willful blindness Roth describes, afraid to offend leadership and risk losing the little power and third-tier titles that trickle down to them.
Last session, the result was death by committee chairs of popular government reform measures such as publicly funded elections and legislative term limits. Individual members had no say — or accountability.
The session ended in chaos with the passage of a budget that a few committee chairs had pulled out of their backsides and most members hadn’t seen….
LINK: Public Corruption In The Land Of Aloha
read … David Shapiro: Don’t let Hawaii lawmakers off with intentional ignorance
Will ‘green’ energy bankrupt Hawaiian Electric?
Borreca: … Hawaiian Electric (HECO) earlier this month saw the state buffeted by a few days of torrential rains and strong winds so severe that it could not make enough power — causing the public utility to ration the power, causing rolling blackouts. Public schools were closed on Maui and Honolulu television stations stationed reporters giving the news from a pitch-black Waikiki.
For the power company this could be troubling because its very future is already the subject of national publicity.
After August’s fatal Maui wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and accusations that sparks from downed Hawaiian Electric lines may have contributed to the blaze, the energy company should be worried….
Hawaiian Electric (HECO) earlier this month saw the state buffeted by a few days of torrential rains and strong winds so severe that it could not make enough power — causing the public utility to ration the power, causing rolling blackouts. Public schools were closed on Maui and Honolulu television stations stationed reporters giving the news from a pitch-black Waikiki.
For the power company this could be troubling because its very future is already the subject of national publicity.
After August’s fatal Maui wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and accusations that sparks from downed Hawaiian Electric lines may have contributed to the blaze, the energy company should be worried….
HECO’s Kelly views this as a “transition period” as the power company moves away from fixed generated sources of power to solar and wind, but the costs keep increasing. Putting power lines underground is very expensive. Oahu’s Windward side has no power plant so power lines must go over the Koolau Mountains. Microgrids are very expensive and all those new battery farms must be topped up every day….
read … Will complex power equations add up to ‘green’ energy?
Energy policy makers should get outages first
SA: … I propose an innovative solution for when it rains or the trade winds calm and there is need to ration power: Shift the burden to those responsible by first cutting power to the Hawaii State Capitol and to Public Utilities Commission offices, and then as required to the rest of the state buildings, before implementing draconian rolling blackouts on innocent power consumers who now pay more for less….
read … Energy policy makers should get outages first
Miske Trial: Jury selection should be complete on Tuesday
ILind: … By the end of the week, with five days of jury selection completed, 44 jurors had survived the individual voir dire, according to court minutes for the day. That’s sufficient to have a 12 member jury with six alternates after both prosecution and defense attorneys exercise off of their allotted “peremptory challenges,” where they can dismiss a juror without having to state a reason….
Spoiler: The Miske trial will start with opening statements on Monday, January 22….
HNN: Jury pool whittled down ahead of bribery trial for ex-prosecuting attorney , campaign donors
read … Jury selection should be complete on Tuesday | i L i n d
DLNR fines 2 homeowners on Oahu $1M each for shoreline violations
HNN: … The state Land and Natural Resources Department has fined two homeowners on Oahu’s North Shore nearly $1 million each for shoreline violations.
Both live off Ke Nui Road near Sunset Beach in Pupukea.
The state says William and Melinda Kernot installed unauthorized erosion control measures, including sand burritos, and continued to perform work after DLNR ordered them repeatedly to stop.
Down the road, Rodney Youman was fined for creating an unauthorized seawall, placing sandbags without permission, and also ignoring repeated orders to stop….
read … DLNR fines 2 homeowners on Oahu $1M each for shoreline violations
Alameda officially launches campaign to oust Roth
HTH: …Alameda, 54, spent 15 years at the state Department of Health as a mental health specialist and later as an administrator. He also served as the executive of the county Office of Aging under Mayors Billy Kenoi and Harry Kim.
In 2019, Alameda became the CEO of Bay Clinic Health Center and helped manage its merger with the West Hawaii Community Health Center during the pandemic to form the new Hawaii Island Community Health Center, or HICHC.
HICHC is the largest nonprofit health care provider in the county, for which Alameda also worked as the vice president for business development.
Most recently, Alameda was head of the Hawaii Island Fentanyl Task Force, which is when he ultimately decided to run for office….
read … Alameda officially launches campaign to oust Roth
Lahaina Fire News:
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