Showing posts with label Sunshine Week. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunshine Week. Show all posts

Friday, March 15, 2024

House panel spikes publicly funded elections bill, cesspool owners could face pollution fees, mayors on Oahu and Kauai deliver 'state of' addresses, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

House Panel Spikes Bill To Publicly Fund Hawaii Elections. A bill supporters believed could bring transformational change to Hawaii elections was unanimously rejected Thursday by the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee. Civil Beat.

Why Hawaii’s Strong Sunshine Law Is Burning Some Public Officials. Government accountability advocates say that proposed changes are not needed because the nearly 50-year-old law is not that difficult to follow. Civil Beat.

Ing is given more time in campaign spending case. Former state House Rep. Kaniela Ing has until April 24 to prove that campaign spending documents he filed are accurate, allowing him to potentially avoid an additional $18,250 in fines — on top of the $22,000 in fines he’s already been assessed for the same documents. Star-Advertiser.

Counties Could Start Charging You Pollution Fees In 2025. Collected fees would go toward helping convert cesspools by Hawaii’s 2050 deadline. Cesspool owners could be charged a monthly rate equivalent to sewage rates starting in 2025, per a state bill that recently passed the halfway milestone in the Legislature. Civil Beat.

Hawaii residents oppose measure targeting cockfighting. A state proposal to impose greater criminal penalties relating to cockfighting drew outcry from residents Thursday. Tribune-Herald.

Lawmakers consider making the ‘shaka’ Hawaii’s official gesture. A pinky and thumb extended with the remaining fingers curled down: That’s the “shaka” in Hawaii. Associated Press.

Fire alarm systems still out of commission at 15 Hawaii schools
. A new inventory of fire alarms at all 258 of Hawaii’s regular public schools plus six public charter schools has found 15 schools’ fire alarm systems to be inoperable, and replacements for most will take three to 10 months, according to state Department of Education officials. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu


Honolulu mayor touts efforts on housing, public safety and homelessness. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi delivered his fourth State of the City address Thursday evening and focused on his administration’s stated priorities of housing, public safety and homelessness. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii News Now.  KHON2. KITV4.

Fentanyl overdoses are rising islandwide, but key hotspots offer insight into possible solutions. There’s an area in Downtown Honolulu where first responders are seeing the majority of Oahu’s drug overdoses. Honolulu’s fentanyl triangle is just one of at least a half dozen hotspots where a significant number of drug overdoses are occurring. Hawaii News Now.

He’s not Barack or ‘The Rock.’ He’s a Rock … but you can call him Bretman. At the State Capitol on Wednesday, lawmakers recognized an Ewa Beach native who has become one of the world’s most popular social media influencers. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Hawaii Island


Hawaiʻi Water Service Laterals To Be Inspected For Potential Lead.
Inspectors will soon be checking water service laterals for select Hawaiʻi island customers to comply with federal rules on lead and copper. Big Island Video News.

Maui

HI-EMA announces new housing eligibility policy for Lahaina fire-displaced residents. The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) has unveiled a new policy regarding the eligibility of housing services for individuals and families who were displaced by the August 2023 Lahaina fires. Maui Now.

After the fires, a Maui community tries a novel approach to keep homes in local hands. Community land trusts have emerged in a handful of other places recovering from disasters, like Houston and the Florida Keys after both places were hit by hurricanes.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Urgent repairs called for at Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor Ramp. The Maui County Council has unanimously adopted a resolution urging the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to repair the Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor Ramp. Maui Now.

Lahaina Cannery to reopen on Monday. Lahaina Cannery was renovated extensively in 2023, with new decor throughout the shopping complex and an updated food court area with new seating, foliage and an entertainment stage. Star-Advertiser.

Mokulele Airlines Seeks Federal Aid To Stabilize ‘Unprofitable’ Lanai Service. The company has no plans to cancel its Lanai service, but it needs taxpayer-funded support as a work-around to raising ticket prices. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Kawakami touts plans for increased disaster preparedness in State of the County speech. In his sixth State of the County address since taking office, County of Kaua‘i Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami laid out a sweeping plan for the island as he navigates a final term in office. Garden Island. Kauai Now.

Kaua‘i Resilience Center meeting tonight
– weeks after ‘Ele‘ele fire reminded island ‘paradise is a myth’. The recent destruction of an affordable housing project on the West Side of Kaua‘i is a stark reminder that disaster can strike at any time – even in paradise. Kauai Now.

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Sunshine Week: Big Island press club announces annual lava tube, torch of light awards

John Cole
Sunshine Week government secrecy Cartoon: John Cole
State Office of Information Practices awarded Lava Tube dishonor;
Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest earns meritorious Torch of Light award

The Big Island Press Club awards its annual meritorious Torch of Light Award to Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest and the Lava Tube dishonor award to the state Office of Information Practices (OIP). The Torch of Light award is given to an individual or entity who brightens the public’s right to know, while the Lava Tube dishonor is given for a lack of communication and keeping the public in the dark.

Lava Tube Dishonor

The Lava Tube is awarded to the state Office of Information Practices (OIP) for the average length of time it takes to issue a decision on a public complaint about access to government information, according to reports published by The Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest (CBLC) in February 2017 and again in February 2018. The study found despite OIP having more attorneys and staff per capita than any other state with a similar office, “OIP has the longest delays for public access disputes among its peer agencies with available information.” The most recent study found that only three of the 46 decisions issued by OIP between 2015-2017 were done so in less than two years. The study also found that similar offices in other states typically rendered decisions within three to six months, with some states able to do so in even less time.

OIP quickly responded to CBLC’s latest report by stating most matters it handles doesn’t require a written opinion and in 2017 resolved most the same day through its Attorney of the Day service. It also stated, “CBLC’s motives are suspect,” and asked rhetorically, “Without OIP to provide (Attorney of the Day) service, would there be more clients for a ‘public interest’ law firm to choose from?” That’s basically a suggestion that a nonprofit law organization that takes cases strictly on a pro bono basis is seeking to poach clients from OIP.

Senate Bill 3092, which would give OIP a hard deadline of six months to render big decisions, was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 13, but no hearings have been scheduled since.

Since its founding, the Big Island Press Club has protested any absence of transparency or accountability within the halls of state and county government in Hawaii. This Lava Tube award is especially unfortunate, as OIP is the state agency tasked with ensuring state and county government organizations in Hawaii abide by two state laws--the Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA), which is the state’s open-records law, and the Sunshine Law, which is the state’s open-meetings law. BIPC’s officers agree with the statement in CBLC’s most recent report: “Forcing the public to wait two years or more for resolution of public access disputes at OIP is unacceptable.”

Torch of Light

BIPC has selected Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest for its Torch of Light award for the research between 2015-17 that brought the time lag between complaints and the time it takes OIP to issue decisions on weighty public access issues.

The CBLC, according to its website, is an independent, nonprofit organization which offers “free legal advice, and representation on a select basis, to members of the media and the public who need help with issues involving government transparency.”  It seeks to forge “solutions that promote transparency in government to better serve the people of Hawaii” and, as in the case of OIP, “investigating questionable government activity, advocating for corrective action, and, if needed, enforcing corrective measures in the courts.”

Funded by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, Civil Beat Law Center is a different entity than the news website Honolulu Civil Beat.

The Big Island Press Club, the state's oldest press club, founded in 1967-- has awarded the Lava Tube and the Torch of Light annually since 1997 on Freedom of Information Day, March 16. This day also marks the birthday of our nation’s fourth president, James Madison. Born in 1751, Madison was the principal architect of the U.S. Constitution, and one of the three authors of the Federalist Papers; he is recognized by historians as one of America’s earliest and foremost advocates for open, accountable governance.

Previous Lava Tube Dishonorees
2016 Former Mayor Billy Kenoi
2015 State Land Board Chairwoman Suzanne Case
2014 Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago
2013 Democratic Party House District 5 Council
2012 State Sen. Clayton Hee
2011 Governor Neil Abercrombie
2010 Hawaii County Council
2009 Noelani Whittington, County Department of Public Works
2008 Mayor Harry Kim and Hawaii County Council
2007 State Board of Education
2006 Honolulu, Kauai, and Hawaii County Councils
2005 District Judge Matthew S.K. Pyun
2004 State Land Board Chairman Peter Young
2003 State Sen. Cal Kawamoto
2002 University of Hawaii Board of Regents
2001 University of Hawaii Board of Regents
2000 State Rep. Eric Hamakawa and Hawaii County Councilman James Arakaki
1999 Hawaii County Council
1998 Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano
1997 Hawaii County Councilman Elroy Osorio

Previous Torch of Light Honorees
2016 West Hawaii Today reporter Nancy Cook Lauer
2015 State Sen. Lorraine Inouye
2014 USGS HVO Scientists
2013 Mayor Billy Kenoi
2012 County Councilwoman and state Rep. Helene Hale (posthumously)
2011 State Judicial Selection Commission
2010 Hawaii County Civil Defense and other departments
2009 Legislature, Gov. Linda Lingle
2008 Les Kondo, Office of Information Practices
2007 West Hawaii Today
2006 Lillian Koller, State Department of Human Services
2005 Retired Circuit Judge Paul de Silva
2004 UH Manoa Journalism Professor Beverly Keever
2003 U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink (posthumously)
2002 Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim
2001 Hawaii County Clerk Al Konishi
2000 Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano
1999 Jerry Rothstein and Judith Graham
1998 Environment Hawaii and Common Cause
1997 Society of Professional Journalists, Hawaii Chapter

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Sunshine Week: Ige administration keeps false missile alert records close to vest, House passes budget, Honolulu council's leadership drama, endangered species at Coco Palms, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

missile alarm corrections made
Gov. Ige, R, and officials hold press conference on false missile alert fixes, file photo
Hawaii Refuses To Release Internal Records On Missile Alert. The governor’s office has declined to provide phone logs, text messages, instant messages and calendars related to the Jan. 13 false alarm. Associated Press

Hawaii Senate Wants To Restrict State Government’s Hiring Power. Department heads have lined up in opposition to a bill that would end their ability to fill hundreds of temporary positions. Civil Beat.

Hawaii households will see a total reduction of more than $710 million in federal individual income tax for tax year 2018, according to a report released by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism on Monday. Pacific Business News.

Lawmakers in the state House have given their okay on the budget for the next fiscal year. The $28 billion package would fund everything from schools to healthcare to airport improvements. KHON2.

The House of Representatives unanimously approved the State budget yesterday, which appropriates funds for operating government and capital improvement projects for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Garden Island.

Plan aims to guide battle against destructive albizia tree. To minimize the risk, the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, which was created by the state Legislature in 2003, has a strategic plan that addresses the problem for the first time on a statewide scale. Star-Advertiser.

Three bills introduced earlier this year to improve road safety have quietly died without discussion after failing to pass committee. Tribune-Herald.

John Radcliffe’s Last Fight Is For His Own Right To Die. The longtime lobbyist for tobacco, liquor and gambling interests and prescription drug companies says this time he’s “on the side of angels.” Civil Beat.

Unpermitted vacation rentals have been blamed for everything from sky-high housing prices to overcrowded hiking trails. But what is really going on with Hawaii’s short-term rental market? How many properties are permitted for vacation rentals? And how many are actually being used that way? Hawaii Public Radio.

Bill Advances to Require Showings of Open Captioned/Audio Encoded Movies for Deaf and Blind. There are more than 12-hundred bills still alive at the State Legislature, half-way through the session. Hawaii Public Radio.

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa racked up another union endorsement Monday, winning the backing of the Hawaii Building and Construction Trades Council in her bid to become governor. Star-Advertiser.

Decades-old sexual misconduct allegations against Inouye have resurfaced. What now? Hawaii News Now.

The state Department of Health is repealing a law that's been limiting restaurants and some farmers for 30 years. The department says it's getting rid of the rule that bans restaurants from buying produce from aquaponics farms. Hawaii News Now.

Students Find Their Voice In Preparing For Wednesday Walkouts. Hawaii youths will join others around the country to honor the Florida shooting victims and demand changes in gun laws. Civil Beat.

The first two Hawaiian monk seal pups of 2018 have arrived — one on Lanai and the second on Hawaii Island. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Mayor dreads Council leadership shuffle. Mayor Kirk Caldwell warned Monday that a new Honolulu City Council leadership team needs to be careful how it handles his plan to use bonds to help fund the city’s troubled, $9 billion rail project. Star-Advertiser.

Council postpones budget briefing amid leadership drama. Hawaii News Now.

City council briefing canceled with leadership change expected next week. There were no talks on the mayor's proposed city budget Monday. KHON2.

City plan would force some of the 'hardest to house' to get help. The city may soon do more to force chronically homeless people with severe mental illnesses to get treatment. Hawaii News Now.

The army 25th infantry division announced a change to one of its training exercises in response to an incident last week, when an air-drop bundle missed its mark and landed in Waimanalo Elementary and Intermediate School. KITV.

Navy’s Red Hill Analysis Concerns Environmental Regulators. The Navy is working on a 20-year-plan to reduce the risk of leaks and fuel contamination from giant fuel tanks on Oahu. Associated Press.

A landmark property will soon feature Downtown Honolulu's largest solar installation. Hawaii Pacific University is expanding the photovoltaic system that crews are installing on the rooftops of the Aloha Tower Marketplace. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu’s third dispensary is preparing to enter the fledgling medical marijuana market, following a blessing today of its Kapahulu location. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu taxpayers shelling out big bucks for every hiker rescue. KITV.

Pearl City is the fourth-happiest city in the U.S., according to a WalletHub study released Monday in honor of the upcoming International Day of Happiness on March 20. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Kim says no plans to raid money going to open space preservation. The county budget might be tight in other areas, but there’s still plenty of money to buy and maintain land for open space preservation. West Hawaii Today

The commission charged with prioritizing public land purchases is asking questions about the mayor's plans for the future. Big Island Video News.

Big Island Mayor Can’t Seem To Stop Raising Taxes. It’s a pattern with Harry Kim: He speaks out against tax increases, then turns around and tries to impose them. Civil Beat.

A Senate committee Monday advanced a grass-roots bill that would appropriate about $2.5 million to establish a pilot program to add staff to the state’s beleaguered East Hawaii child welfare system and limit the number of children assigned to each social worker there. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Electric Light Co. is seeking a long-term water lease for its two small hydro power plants on the Wailuku River. Tribune-Herald.

A Waimea woman’s appeal of a small subdivision uphill from her property has been denied by the Board of Appeals. West Hawaii Today.

State takes action after manta ray found gouged off Hawaii island. KHON2.

Maui

The Kusunoki family on Maui became the 35th family to be placed in an affordable home by Na Hale O Maui community land trust. Maui Now.

Resurfacing of Hololani Street and Lower Kula Road will start today and could cause delays for motorists Upcountry. Maui News.

A section of the Pipiwai Trail in the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park will be closed today and Tuesday to allow staff to remove hazardous invasive trees along the trail, park officials announced. Maui News.

Kauai

Coco Palms and endangered species. Koloa ducks and moorhens have waddled into the spotlight in the saga surrounding the development of Coco Palms, the historic hotel destroyed in the 1992 Hurricane Iniki. Garden Island.

Term limit amendment to be voted on. A resolution charter amendment, if passed, would give Kauai voters the opportunity to vote on ending term limits for County Council members, who are currently limited to four, two-year terms. Garden Island.

The public is invited to attend the State of the County address by Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. on Thursday. Garden Island.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Commentary: In recognition of Sunshine Week. When the government won't talk to you, the documents will. Eventually.



 
 “We are always secretive. It’s part of being a legislator.”

Those unapologetic words this week from Hawaii House Speaker Joe Souki show the Aloha State still has a long road ahead in making government more transparent. The quote, reported by both the Star-Advertiser and Civil Beat, couldn't have been timelier, coming in the middle of Sunshine Week.

Launched in 2005, Sunshine Week has grown into an "enduring annual initiative to promote open government and push back against excessive official secrecy," according to its website. It's sponsored by the American Society of News Editors and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, with support from John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Gridiron Club and Foundation.

Considering everything happening on the federal level, it's easy to see why Sunshine Week is more important than ever. But access to government doesn't stop in Washington, D.C.

Not just the media, but everyday citizens have a right to ask for, and receive, government documents. They have a right to ask -- no, demand -- that their government work in the open, in the sunlight of public scrutiny. They have a right to know how taxpayer money is spent.

Yet, more and more, government is drawing a screen over that important access. Government, at the state, national and local level, seeks to provide the public only the information, or in some cases, misinformation, that it wants the public to know about.

Our leaders  need to be reminded that sunshine is the best disinfectant, that citizens are more likely to understand and trust the workings of government if they can see it at work and that there is no embarrassment exemption in the Freedom of Information Act.

I have encountered resistance at the county, state and federal level as a reporter for a small daily newspaper, way out in the middle of the Pacific. Here's my story.

It took five years for the federal Transportation Security Administration to respond to my FOIA request for a list of items confiscated during a 12-month period at our five major airports. By the time I received them, they were literally old news.

On Oct. 17, 2013, I requested copies of tsunami inundation maps created for the state Emergency Management Agency by the state university. Yep. Still waiting. The state claims the maps will "confuse" the public if they're released. My appeal is being considered by the overworked and under-staffed Office of Information Practices.

In another case, it took five years of regular requests for records of our county mayor's taxpayer-paid purchasing card. Once someone apparently outside official channels finally provided me a document, I discovered the card was used for such personal expenses as hostess bars, where young attractive hostesses sit on your lap in exchange for overpriced drinks.

Our mayor was ultimately indicted by a grand jury for what turned out to be a continuing practice of using the card for private expenses -- a surfboard, a bicycle and lots of hefty bar tabs. He was cleared of theft charges by a jury after he proved he repaid the expenses, so there was no intent to steal. Funny thing though, many of the repayments came just after FOIA requests were submitted.

A study of more than 300 of those who seek (or provide) public records, released March 12 by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, found half of those surveyed said access to public records has deteriorated over the past four years, and nearly nine of 10 predicted access will continue to get worse under our new president, according to “Forecasting Freedom of Information," by David Cuillier of the University of Arizona School of Journalism and Eric Newton, of Arizona State University, as consulting editor.

After encountering so many roadblocks trying to get my questions answered, I've adopted a new mantra: "When the government won't talk to you, the documents will."

I'm adding this caveat: "Eventually."

Friday, March 16, 2012

Spotlight on Sunshine Week: Gov. Neil Abercrombie 'wins' Lava Tube award


(News release) The Big Island Press Club this week gave Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie the dubious honor of naming him the recipient of the club's 15th annual Lava Tube award for a number of his actions last year. Like the lava tube itself, the award recognizes the year’s most notable offense for keeping the public in the dark.
The Press Club also honors the best efforts to promote openness in Hawaii with the Torch of Light award, which is also presented annually since 1997. The Torch of Light was awarded this year to the Judicial Selection Commission for releasing the names of Abercrombie's judicial nominees when he refused. An Honorable Mention went to the Star-Advertiser for its efforts, including litigation, to obtain release of the names.
It takes only one "indictment" for an elected or appointed official, commission or board to be dishonored with the Lava Tube, but, in Abercrombie's case, BIPC settled on two:
  •  Abercrombie refused to name his list of nominees to fill a state Supreme Court vacancy, forcing the Star-Advertiser to sue, saying the secrecy violated the state's Uniform Information Practices Act. The state Supreme Court agreed. When the Office of Information Practices -- the state's watchdog agency charged with overseeing open records and public meeting laws -- opined in the Star-Advertiser's favor, Abercrombie replaced the agency's acting director.
  •  The governor created, in secret, an emergency declaration suspending for five years dozens of regulations protecting shoreline access, historic preservation, air and water quality and other environmental and land use laws in order to begin removing military ordnance with no notice to the public.
The Lava Tube award is announced each year on March 16, Freedom of Information Day, honoring the birthday of James Madison. Born in 1751, Madison was author of the U.S. constitution and the foremost advocate for openness.
"Freedom of Information Day is a great reminder that the public's right to know is just that, a right. It should not and will not be compromised," said BIPC President Yisa Var. "The Big Island Press Club is happy to use these awards as a way to bring into the foreground those governing bodies that have done the best and the worst at upholding this freedom."
Established in 1967, BIPC is Hawaii's oldest continuously active press club. Learn more at http://bipc.wordpress.com/.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Spotlight on Sunshine Week: A down-and-dirty how-to on top sites for recent actions of the Hawaii Legislature from Honolulu blogger Ian Lind

Courtesy national Sunshine Week


It's national Sunshine Week, and it's a good time to check out what the Hawaii Legislature is up to.

Honolulu blogger Ian Lind has come up with some suggestions and shortcuts as the Legislature passes its midway mark on its legislative session.

Among them: 

    • A digest of bills that survived first crossover

    • Detailed budget worksheets

    • Provisos tucked away in the executive budget.

    • Applications for Grants-in-aid submitted by nonprofit groups looking for state funding.

Sure, you could Google them, but Lind adds a few hints along the way at his blog.

Lind, a former newspaper reporter, has also served in the government, political and nonprofit sectors ranging from Neil Abercrombie to Common Cause, and was one of the first in Hawaii to establish himself as a political blogger.

You can always find him on our bloglist to the right, or subscribe on his site.



Monday, March 12, 2012

Honolulu streetwalkers not policed Saturdays, bag fee to benefit watersheds, low turnout expected in state GOP caucus, islands mark 2011 tsunami, Molokai poll shows opposition to tourist boats, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Waikiki at night (c) 2012 All Hawaii News


They're promising Hawaii voters strong leadership in Washington, but most of Hawaii's leading candidates for federal office are waiting for their opponents to make public their tax returns before they'll do so themselves. Civil Beat.

David Chang, Hawaii’s Republican Party chairman, is estimating that 5,000 to 10,000 voters will turn out for caucuses Tuesday that will determine the candidate who will get 17 of the state’s 20 delegates to the GOP National Convention in Tampa, Fla., this summer. Star-Advertiser.

The four GOP presidential candidates are campaigning in the Deep South, but some of their members are here in Hawaii hoping to win over prospective voters.KHON2.

As Hawaii experiences decreasing rainfall and increasing demand for water from urbanization, Gov. Neil Abercrombie's administration has proposed doubling protected watershed areas, including the state natural area reserve at Mount Kaala. Star-Advertiser.

Tackling Hawaii's massive unfunded liability for future public pensions is going to be painful for the state, counties — and taxpayers, pension officials say. Civil Beat.

The state Senate is looking at ways to ease traffic problems by improving highway and road designs. Associated Press.

A law enacted Friday postpones a scheduled unemployment insurance rate hike that will save business owners across the state about $107 million. Associated Press.

Republican State Sen. Sam Slom today delivered his analysis of the Legislature’s accomplishments this year, expressing doubts about the effectiveness, legality and price tags of bills backed by the Democratic majority. Hawaii Reporter.

Hawaii has 10 main islands — not eight — in 10 commemorative Hawaii quarters that Wai­alae Iki coin collector Joe Au-Franz has found so far. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

A Civil Beat investigation of 12 months' worth of prostitution arrests shows that there is virtually no enforcement of prostitution laws on weekends. Civil Beat.

The 2012 NFL Pro Bowl played at Aloha Stadium on Jan. 29 generated an economic impact of $25.3 million, according to an estimate released Friday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Pacific Business News.

It's been one year since the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan and even though the majority of the damage was suffered thousand of miles away, Hawaii's harbors were deeply impacted by the devastation. KITV4.

Hawaii

Fastest wireless speeds hard to come by on Big Isle. Tribune-Herald.

No Rush Limbaugh program advertisers were angered or inconvenienced this week when Hilo-based KPUA-AM 670 chose to drop the show after 16 years, according to the station’s owner. That’s because there weren’t any, he said. Tribune-Herald.

The first warning a tsunami was headed to Hawaii came late March 10, 2011. West Hawaii Today.

It took seven days after the March 11, 2011, tsunami for the Kona Inn Restaurant to regain power. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Deliberations will continue this week on the inaugural Maui Island Plan. Maui Now.

Planning Director Will Spence said Friday that his efforts to simplify the Maui Island Plan have been misunderstood by critics as an attempt to gut the document. Maui News.

A year ago, Bart Chow looked at the ocean from his in-laws' Molokai beach home and saw the ocean retreat from the shoreline. Maui News.

Much has been learned from last year's tsunami and now government agencies and residents should be better equipped to cope with another tsunami strike, county and emergency officials said last week. Maui News.

Kauai

Resort developer plans 400 new housing units for Princeville. Garden Island.

Kaua‘i joined Japan and locations around the world on Sunday for moments of silence, prayer and reflection about the enormous loss from the magnitude-9.0 earthquake that struck a year ago in Japan. Garden Island.

Molokai

A vast majority – 85 percent – of people in a Molokai survey voted “no,” to dockings by American Safari Cruises and other tourist vessels, 11 percent voted “yes” and 4 percent voted “yes, with controls.” Molokai Dispatch.


Sunday, March 11, 2012

Sunshine Week: Because you have a right to know

Sunshine Week courtesy cartoon
Is your tap water safe to drink? Do your elected officials pay the same property taxes that you do?

Do your tax dollars go for needed municipal benefits, or is the money spent on bloated government salaries and pricy junkets? Is your congressional representative responding to the electorate or is he or she acting at the behest of special interests?

You have a right to know.

"Wherever the people are well informed they can be trusted with their own government," said Thomas Jefferson. "Whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights."

That is the premise behind open government and freedom of information, and it's celebrated annually during national Sunshine Week. This year, it starts today, March 11.

Open government and freedom of information is not just for the press. Every citizen has the right to question the government, attend meetings and request records.

Two Honolulu events will mark the week for Hawaii.


"Sunshine and the Social Web: Citizen Power through New Media Tools," a panel discussion sponsored by Media Council Hawaii and Common Cause Hawaii, will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at The GreenHouse, 685 Auahi Street, Honolulu.

It features a panel discussion with:
•    Hawaii State Senator Les Ihara, Jr.
•    Ikaika Hussey, Publisher of The Hawaii Independent
•    Patti Epler, Deputy Editor at Civil Beat
•    Larry Geller, Blogger at Disappeared News
•    Kory Payne, Partner at Hawaii Policy Portal

Media mergers have limited the number of professional journalists working in Hawaii today. Coverage of public offices and issues has suffered while citizen interest remains. Can social media and citizen journalism fill the content void and ensure we have the information needed for a healthy democracy?  How can citizens use technology to promote government transparency and public engagement?  Panelists will help answer these questions and others on government transparency. RSVP by emailing info@mediacouncil.org or call 275-6275.

“In an age of merging media and evolving technology, how can we best equip the public to take an active role in the legislative process, and ensure that policy-making is done in transparency? By hosting informative discussion sessions to address and explore these issues, our groups are working in concert to empower everyday citizens -- encouraging them to stay engaged in the legislative process, think critically about the policy-decisions being made, and hold those in power accountable,” Carmille Lim, League of Women Voters of Hawaii board member, said in a statement.

"Democracy Under the Influence: Sunshine Workshop," sponsored by Common Cause Hawaii, Kanu Hawaii and League of Women Voters of Hawaii, starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14 at the YWCA Laniakea Room 307, 1040 Richards Street, Honolulu.

"In honor of Sunshine Week, this month’s meetup is a “Sunshine Workshop” to shine the light on campaign and lobbying data," said Love. "In this discussion, we’ll share findings on the biggest campaign donors and lobbying spenders, explore patterns between campaign contributions and legislation, and show you how to conduct your own online research to discover the links between money and policy." RSVP by emailing democracyundertheinfluence@gmail.com or call 275-6275.

Are you a 'Ray of Sunshine'?

The popular Sunshine Week Ray of Sunshine game is back with all-new questions for 2012.

Take the quiz and wear the victory badge on your own site and Facebook page.


Monday, March 16, 2009

Hawaii isn't all about sunshine

Hawaii isn’t the best or the worst, but is smack in the middle of a recent report rating states on the openness of government documents.

The Sunshine Week 2009 Survey of State Government Information ranked Hawaii 26th in the list of 50 states, based on online access to a range of government reports. Hawaii provided 11 of the 20 reports studied. Texas ranked first, providing all 20 of the reports. Mississippi ranked last, providing only four.

The state was ranked high for posting details such as statewide school test data, political campaign contributions and expenses, disciplinary actions against physicians, audit reports, teacher certifications, fictitious business name registrations, database of expenditures, consumer complaints, personal financial disclosure reports and school inspection and safety records.

But Hawaii lost points for not providing disciplinary actions against attorneys, environmental citations and violations, nursing home inspection reports, bridge inspection and safety reports, child care center inspection reports, hospital inspection reports, school bus inspections, gas pump overcharge records and death certificates.

Researchers noted that The state Ethics Commission Web site posts multiyear disclosure PDF files for state representatives, senators, the governor and lieutenant governor, members of the Board of Education, trustees and administrators of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, department heads and their deputies, and judiciary administrators, but the courts do not post disclosures for judges.

"Digital technologies can be a great catalyst for democracy, but the state of access today is quite uneven," Charles N. Davis, executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition, said in a statement. "The future of Freedom of Information is online access, and states have a long way to go to fulfill the promise of electronic self-governance."

Among the major findings:
The information least likely to be found online were death certificates, found on the Web sites of only five states, and gas pump overcharge records, available online in eight. Also infrequently posted online were schools' building inspections and/or safety ratings, which are posted by only nine states, and school bus inspection reports, which only 13 states posted online.

Information most frequently found online were statewide school test scores and DOT projects/contracts, online in 50 and 48 states, respectively. Close behind was campaign data, reported in 47 of the 50 states; disciplinary actions against medical physicians, 47 states; and financial audits, 44 states.

Death certificates are apparently a revenue source for many states, as they charge relatives and "legitimately" interested parties for copies of the records, or farm out the work to a third-party service such as VitalChek. Some states provide historical access online to older death certificates, mostly prior to 1960, although there generally is a fee for hard copies.

The results were released Sunday at the start of Sunshine Week 2009, which runs March 15-21. The study was developed by Sunshine Week, the American Society of Newspaper Editors' Freedom of Information Committee, the National Freedom of Information Coalition, and the Society of Professional Journalists' FOI Committee.

"This study shows that, while a lot of government information is available online, many states lag in providing important information that people care about," David Cuillier, Freedom of Information Committee chairman for the Society of Professional Journalists, said in a statement. "People should be able to find inspection records for their schools online. And the government shouldn't be charging people for death certificates and other records."

The state government surveys were conducted by newspaper and broadcast journalists, journalism students, state press associations, and reporters and editors from The Associated Press. Several participants went the extra cyber-mile and helped complete surveys outside their own states.

"This is the first comprehensive survey of its kind," said ASNE FOI Committee Co-chair Andrew Alexander. "It tells us that many states understand that digitizing public records is key to open government in the 21st century. But it also tells us that, with a few exceptions, states have a long way to go before they become truly transparent.

"We know that providing public records in digital form is the right thing to do for citizens. But it's also the smart thing to do," added Alexander, who is ombudsman for The Washington Post. "With state budgets under considerable stress, providing public records in digitized form is less costly because it doesn't require a human to process each request for information."

Another crumbling infrastructure

By Edwin Bender

Our democracy's infrastructure is crumbling, just as our roads, water systems and sewers are deteriorating across the country — and we have a unique opportunity now to fix them all properly.

I'll leave the roads and such to the engineers. The infrastructure of our democracy, though, is something I know a thing or two about. You see, more than 16 years ago, I and a few other hearty souls across the country began compiling state-level campaign-finance data and making it available to the public.

We created databases by performing thousands of search-and-replace functions on 700-page Word documents that had been input at state agencies. And, even more time-consuming, we input donor information from innumerable paper reports that candidates had filed at their state disclosure agencies. And we made all this available to reporters via floppy disc and fax.

Then along came the Internet, and we happily upgraded our delivery system. But to this day, we still have to type in data by hand, because many candidates still file paper forms with state disclosure agencies. Can you believe it? In this day and age! What a waste of time.

The lack of uniform disclosure for the 50 states is a failure by design. Fragmented campaign-finance reporting means it's more difficult for people to follow the actions of their elected representatives — otherwise known as holding them accountable. Many candidates don't want you getting too familiar with their donor base. And lobbyists certainly don’t want you looking over their shoulders, especially when their actions might cost you money as a taxpayer.

We disagree with that. We think democracy works best when all aspects of campaigns are held up to the light of day. At the nonprofit, nonpartisan National Institute on Money in State Politics, we’ve compiled campaign-finance data from all 50 states dating back to the 2000 elections, as well as donor information for state party committees and ballot measures.

And we’ve compiled a list of lobbyists registered in the states for 2006 and 2007. We update all our data continuously. In fact, we’re on a first-name basis with staff in all 50 state disclosure offices, who for the most part are public servants eager to do good work. They love seeing their work contributed to the data tools and analyses we offer at www.FollowTheMoney.org. To them, we tip our hats.

To the candidates who seem to think that funding public disclosure and ethics agencies is optional, we offer a Bronx salute. You don't have to look far to find examples of a disclosure agency fining a state political party or candidate for bundling or other breach of the public's trust, and you'll likely see the agency's budget on the cutting block next legislative session (Washington state and Alaska offer some sad examples.)

Since lawmakers themselves aren't eager to move disclosure into the 21st century, a host of nonprofit organizations are doing the work for citizens and displaying the results for free access. For our part, we built a tool called Lobbyist Link that lets you see which companies hired lobbyists and in which states, and where those companies also made political donations. (For instance, type "Merck" into our search window and you’ll see plenty of coordinated lobbying and donations in the states that considered the HPV vaccine for schools.)

Our L-CAT feature reveals who gave to specific state legislative committee members, and how much. For example, (big surprise) it turns out that insurance companies are major donors to members of the 2008 Illinois Senate Insurance Committee.

There is tremendous work being done by nonprofit organizations for Sunshine Week to create an index of all public information held by government agencies, at all levels. Project Vote Smart compiles biographical information about lawmakers, their speeches and voting records for the public, and makes it all available at their site, www.VoteSmart.org. The Center for Responsive Politics tracks donations to presidential and congressional candidates as well as national party committees at www.OpenSecrets.org. Many others are looking at government subsidies and contracts, earmarks and corporate influence.

Unfortunately, we nonprofits are doing what we as taxpayers are already paying government agencies to do. (And we do realize those agencies often are between a rock and a hard place because of their budgets.)

So, now, when this country is set to invest billions of dollars on infrastructure projects meant to stimulate a horribly mismanaged economy, isn't it time we also invest in bringing the infrastructure of our democracy up to the 21st century? We aren’t talking rocket science. We’re talking standards that are common in the business world, where accurate, lightning-fast transactions are the norm.

President Obama has committed himself to transparency and accountability: He was co-sponsor of a 2006 federal law that created USASpending.org, which provides detailed federal spending lists, and the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008 that addressed problems at USASpending.org.

That's a start. And it only makes sense. If we’re going to promote democracy around the world, shouldn’t we also promote its health at home?

Bender is executive director of the National Institute on Money in State Politics, Helena, MT