October 7, 2025 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

October 7, 2025 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 5:22 PM :: 190 Views

Democrats Rushing Selection of Senator Aquino Replacement

Supreme Flip Flop: McKenna and Eddins Apologize, Withdraw Corrupt Kealoha Opinion

Methamphetamines News: ‘Lahaina Stong’ Whines about National Democrats Opposing Bill 9

CB: … For months, a Washington, D.C.-based group called Progress Action has been spending thousands of dollars to inundate Maui residents with radio and online advertisements warning that Mayor Richard Bissen’s plan to phase out about half the island’s short-term rentals would be “a failure and a mistake.”

“Maui is rebuilding. Visitors help pay for that,” a male voice says in one of the commercials. “So why push a bill that costs jobs and doesn’t solve the crisis?”

The ads have run repeatedly on local radio stations and across streaming platforms, capturing the attention of community members and prompting ~~local nonprofits~~ (Meth-connected Lahaina Strong) to dig for more information on who is behind Progress Action’s campaign and where the money is coming from.

Suggested Lahaina Strong Ad: “Maui is tweeking. The homeless steal to pay for the meth we sell them,” a male voice says in one of the commercials. “So why not push a bill that steals TVRs and gives our tweekers a place to crash?”

The group’s president is listed in one of the ad’s purchasing agreements as Martin Hamburger, a Washington, D.C.-based consultant with a long history in Hawaiʻi politics. He previously worked for Pacific Resource Partnership, which is bankrolled by the politically influential Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters. Progress Action’s treasurer is Janica Kyriacopoulos, founder of an accounting firm that has served numerous Democratic campaigns and committees….

Pacific Resource Partnership is “not at all” affiliated with Progress Action, according to spokesman Andrew Pereira. “I know there is a big fight on Maui about Bill 9, but no, we haven’t heard of this group before,” he said. Pereira added that PRP has supported increased restrictions on vacation rentals.

(CLUE: This explains U’u Hodgins’ position. She is a wholly-owned property of PRP. This implies that Bill 9 will pass 5-4.)

In an advertisement agreement form with the local radio station KPOA, a buyer from a Georgia-based political media buying firm representing Progress Action lists the organization’s official address as a private mailbox at a UPS store in Washington, D.C. The buyer, Jeff Scattergood, did not return calls or emails seeking comment….

(CLUE: Jeff Scattergood is a Partner in ‘Canal Partners Media’ a national Democrat ad-agency. He’s been working for national Democrats for 25 years.)

The commercials have been playing regularly for months, and in September Lahaina Strong — a ~~community~~ (meth-connected) group that has long advocated for the passage of Bill 9 — began to publicly question Progress Action. In one video posted to Instagram, Lahaina Strong creative director De Andre Makakoa asks viewers to consider why a mainland group representing “big money outside influences” might be so invested in a local housing policy debate.

(REALLY OBVIOUS QUESTION: Is 20 lbs of meth a month a “big money outside influence?”)

“They’re trying to pose as our local voices and influence our community to think that this is a community versus community debate and to pit us against each other,” he said. “The reality is that it is us versus them, just like it always has been. But we see through it, Maui.”

MORE REALITY THAN CIVIL BEAT CAN HANDLE:

read … Dark Money Group Blankets Maui In Ads To Influence Vacation Rental Bill - Honolulu Civil Beat

PUC Suspends Energy Equity Proceeding Because Nobody is Left Who Knows How to do it

IM: … At the insistence of the Legislature, the Commission opened an energy equity proceeding in December 2022. Commission attorney Mike Wallerstein was assigned the docket. Wallerstein amassed over nine years of experience with the Commission when he left a few months ago to become a Supervising Hearings Officer at the Hawaii Department of Health.

The Commission came to the conclusion that the lacked the ability to engage with non-insiders, the Commission recently contracted with Guild Consulting LLC to engage with the public. Although specifics had been placed in the 2024 request for proposal for a consultant, and Guild had been selected, the process bogged down because the Commission could not determine what they wanted Guild to do. Unofficially, the process is not moving forward.

With Wallerstein’s departure, Commission attorney Alika Luague was assigned to take over the energy equity proceeding.

The energy equity proceeding is on unofficial hold as the Commission created a spin-off docket focusing on “Analyze Current Electric Utility Disconnection Practices to Consider Whether Disconnection Policy Revisions Are Appropriate,” docket number 2025-0284. Attorney Luague was assigned this docket.

The 2025 Legislature piled new issues onto the Commission`s plate. The Commission has several complex proceedings underway. Commission Chair Leo Asuncion has just over 8 months left to his term. It is unclear if the energy equity proceeding to increase community involvement in Commission actions is dead….

read … Energy Equity Proceeding Is Unofficially Suspended | Ililani Media

Pacific climate hysteria hub shutters

HPR: … After waiting months for federal funding to materialize, the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center had to officially close its doors last week.

PI-CASC opened in 2012 as a partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and the University of Guam with federal support from the U.S. Geological Survey, which is within the Department of the Interior.

The Pacific climate hub is one of nine regional centers across the country.

In February, PI-CASC applied for a $10 million federal award in order to fund the next five years of its operations.

It had successfully re-upped its funding before, but this time, the Department of the Interior did not move the process forward. Funding for the center lapsed on Oct. 1….

read … Pacific climate hub shutters due to lapse in federal funding | Hawai'i Public Radio

One Year to close Holomua Road after multiple Paia arsons—but Maui Officials still too cowardly to expel fire-starting bums from camp

HNN: … We have a building permit requirement, SMA and SHPD requirements to get those three gates in,” Uu Hodgins said.

She hopes to have the gates in place in less than a year.

She envisions siren-activated gates so they can be opened as soon as the sirens sound.

Once installed, the homeless community along Holomua Road will have to leave or get locked in at night.

A gentleman, who did not want to be identified, lives in his vehicle along the road.

He said they are being wrongly blamed for the fires.

“Most of the trouble happening here with like the cars and burning and things, burning cars, none of those people live here. I guarantee it. I can back it up. It’s true. So, it gives a bad name to the people living here and then it’s unfortunate because it’s probably one of the reasons that they’re putting the gate,” he said.

(IQ Test: Do you believe this?)

(Tougher IQ Test: Is this statement relevant?)

Uu Hodgins said her intention is not to displace anyone, but to protect her constituents, especially since investigators believe an arsonist caused last month’s Holomua fire, and so far, there have been no arrests.

“We’ve had 20 something fires on Holomua Road this year. So, they’re very nervous, especially post Lahaina fire. Any imminent threat to their safety and their property is terrifying,” she said.

The county also said it is moving forward with its plan to allow homeless people to sleep in their cars overnight in a county parking lot….

read … Plans underway to close Holomua Road after Paia arson

Pandering Relentlessly, Maui council pretends to look at ways to conserve water amid drought

KHON: … The county said there were roughly 70 permit applications for new pools in West Maui as of last month.

Homes destroyed by the fire that had a pool before would be exempt from the rule….

(IDEA: Drill a well. Duh.)

read … Maui council looks at ways to conserve water amid drought

Online travel agency could owe state $20 million in GET

ASD: … Lawsuit by Booking.com against the Hawai‘i Department of Taxation going to state Supreme Court ….

read … Online travel agency could owe state $20 million in GET

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