Hawaii State Flags to be Lowered for Charlie Kirk
Feds End Funding for Racially Discriminatory Programs at UH
Kauai: Failed Solar Battery System Causes ‘Minor Blasts’ – six homes evacuated
Feds Seek $848K Forfeiture in Honolulu Crypto Scam
Schatz: “It’s true that we put some sand in the gears on purpose”
Republican Legislators fly to Virginia to find Lawyer Threatening to sue Kamehameha Schools
Rail is a Disaster: Honolulu Council Wants More
SA: … Bill 60, which the Council recently adopted on the first of three readings, would authorize the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to conduct planning and preliminary engineering for the rail line to possibly branch for another 3.2 miles beyond its current terminus in Kakaako, to a spot near UH’s 2500 Campus Road address….
Council member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who co-sponsored Bill 60 with Council member Radiant Cordero, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser the legislation is meant to plan for rail to other parts of the island.
He also noted the City Charter defines HART’s responsibilities as planning for the “minimum operable segment approved by the City Council and any extensions to the minimum operable segment approved by the mayor and the City Council.”
“Currently, the ‘minimum operable segment’ is from East Kapolei to Ala Moana,” he said. “In effect, this means that HART cannot meaningfully engage in planning activities beyond Ala Moana.”
“This has practical effects on how we go about extending the system in the future,” he added. “For example, if a property comes up for sale in the next few years between Ala Moana and the University that might be needed for a future station, column landing, or electrical transformer box, HART couldn’t even consider purchasing the property or reserving an easement.”
“Or, if a landowner beyond the East Kapolei station wanted to even discuss opportunities beyond mere concepts for a future HART station to be integrated into their project, HART couldn’t,” he said. “If we lose opportunities like this, it will be much more difficult to go to UH Manoa or further into Kapolei in the future….
Kahikina admitted passage of Bill 60, as written, would allow HART to provide an extension that adheres to the locally preferred alternative. No costs, she noted, are known yet for this work.
“If Bill 60 is passed, and funding is available, HART would be able to proceed with the planning and preliminary engineering needed to determine estimated costs,” she said….
Bill 60: Text, Status
read … Honolulu City Council bill pushes for Skyline to reach UH Manoa | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Hawaii still paying millions for Superferry debt 16 years after closure
KHON: … The Hawaii Superferry has been out of commission for over 15 years, but its financial wake is still hitting the State…. The debt at the time of the Superferry’s closure was about $71 million. It is now down to just over $3.3 million with yearly payments….
The Grassroot Institute president points out that everyday residents and consumers are not totally off the hook, even though harbor users and businesses are the ones technically paying off the debt.
“Well, the truth is, whatever business pays, it passes on to the consumer. So ultimately, the consumer pays for it either directly as an added cost, or in terms of the services that it gets hit with,” he said. “To hear that today we’re still paying for it, it is a real sore spot, I think,” Akina said.
Akina added that other large projects risk sharing the same fate….
“It’s also true of the Rail, which is woefully behind schedule and way over budget. It will be true of the stadium project we are working on,” Akina said….
>>> Click here <<< to read the State Auditor’s report on the subject. The debt payments for the Superferry are set to continue through 2028 ….
read … Hawaii still paying millions for Superferry debt 16 years after closure
Wildfires Create Long-Term Academic Challenges For Students
CB: … The compound effects of missed class time are evident in Lahaina. Students’ test scores took a sharp dip in the school year after the disaster as kids transitioned between online classes, learning hubs and schools outside of West Maui. Only 29% of King Kamehameha III’s students tested proficient in math in spring 2024, for example, compared with 46% the year before.
Even at the three Lahaina public schools that remained standing after the fires, students weren’t able to return to the campuses until mid-October because of debris cleanup and environmental testing.
Students struggled to find motivation in school or attended class sporadically before the fires, according to Lahainaluna High School teacher Jarrett Chapin, and the disaster made matters worse. In the 2023-24 school year, 28% of Lahainaluna students were proficient in English, compared with nearly 50% the year before the fire. Only 5% of kids tested proficient in math. …
read … Wildfires Create Long-Term Academic Challenges For Students - Honolulu Civil Beat
Report Juices Ghetto Lottery payoff on Inmate Suicides
CB: … Six cases active in state court are connected to inmate suicides at state-run jails and prisons, and lawyers who represent families of deceased inmates say at least two additional lawsuits over suspected suicides are in the works.
The state has already paid out nearly $2 million to resolve similar lawsuits in recent years, and a scathing new report on mental health care in the Hawaiʻi correctional system suggests (was designed by shysters to make sure) the state is at risk for more losses.
That report by Jeffrey Metzner and Bhushan Agharkar, nationally known experts on correctional mental health care, underscores the failure of the Hawaiʻi system to care for mentally ill inmates and prevent suicides….
read … Surge In Inmate Suicides Take Toll On Hawaiʻi Taxpayers, Too - Honolulu Civil Beat
Hawaii considering anti-squatter law to protect homeowners, cut eviction times
HNN: “ … you can run into people who they they’re not gonna pay the rent, no matter what. And I think that the situation is one that our laws and our system does not address,” Choy said.
Attorneys say they’ve seen cases where tenants knowingly game the court system, forcing homeowners into a costly, lengthy process to take back their property.
“Landlord tenant code does offer protection to tenants that certain unscrupulous tenants can take advantage of that because once you get to court, the judge might require you to go to mediation," said attorney Andrew Stewart, whose client sued the Brewers in 2023 for not paying rent and had them evicted.
Advocates for anti-squatter laws say that while waiting for an eviction order, problem tenants often trash the home or attract criminal activity to the neighborhood, creating a public safety issue and nuisance.
To speed up the eviction process, state lawmakers introduced a bill last session that would allow law enforcement officers to remove unlawful occupants and make property damages caused -- a felony…. ”
read … Hawaii considering anti-squatter law to protect homeowners, cut eviction times
Bill 111: Maui Weighs Meaner Approach To Homelessness, Calls it ‘Kind’
CB: … Bill 111 would allow homeless tweekers to tweek all day every day until they overdose and die. It’s being pitched as ‘kind’ ….
Bill 111: Text, Status
read … Maui Weighs Kinder Approach To Homelessness Amid Encampment Crackdowns - Honolulu Civil Beat
E-bike bill veto leaves road safety gap, House Transportation panel chair says
MN: … House Transportation Committee Chair Darius Kila says he’s deeply disappointed with Gov. Josh Green’s veto of House Bill 958, which would have encouraged safe riding of electric bicycles on Hawaiʻi roadways.
“This bill was the result of extensive work by advocates and members of both the House and Senate, and we reached agreement on a final draft during the conference committee process,” Kila said in an email. “The intent of this bill was simple: to make our roadways safer for our keiki and residents, and to protect pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. It’s clear that current laws do not provide adequate protections or requirements. We cannot wait for another life to be lost before meaningful action is taken.”
In response to a Maui Now request for comment, Gov. Green said that, within a week, he will issue an executive order to codify some of the provisions proposed in House Bill 958….
read … E-bike bill veto leaves road safety gap, House Transportation panel chair says : Maui Now
Revamped OHA Civics Program to Train New Generation of Politicians
CB: … The Office of Hawaiian Affairs plans to restart a mock legislative program next summer for high school students that was once credited with launching political careers and a wave of Hawaiian activism before it fizzled out in the early 2000s.
In the 16 years it existed, the ʻAha ʻŌpio program drew more than 800 students from across the state and mainland to Oʻahu for an intense crash course in lawmaking and civics that brought guests like then-Gov. Linda Lingle and key legislators. The program generated real policy change; measures that eventually passed the Legislature on college financial aid and geothermal development originated at the ʻAha ʻŌpio.
The revamped program is set to launch next June with 50 rising high school seniors….
read … Future Hawaiian Leaders To Benefit From Revamped OHA Civics Program - Honolulu Civil Beat
'Complete lie': Longtime Hawaii hotel practice still irks many
SFG: … 'When they tell you that this fee pays for services, it's a total and complete lie' ….
read … 'Complete lie': Longtime Hawaii hotel practice still irks many
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