Unions like labor nominee, tax collections, bankruptcies down, plastic bag bans at issue, lobbying laws leave folks guessing, more Hawaii news

Sen. Dan Inouye brings buses to Big Island (c) 2011 All Hawaii News

Hawaii programs that depend on hundreds of millions of congressional dollars are in jeopardy after U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye said yesterday he would ban "earmarks" for the next two years. Star-Advertiser.

Labor leaders from public and private sector unions jammed a hearing Tuesday morning for Dwight Takamine, 58, a former state legislator appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie as state labor director. KITV4.

The union that represents Hawaii's police officers has reached a self-triggered impasse with the county mayors and Governor Neil Abercrombie. KHON2.

State tax collections are down 2.8 percent through the first half of the fiscal year, according to the state Department of Taxation, but revenues would be up 6.3 percent if the delay in income tax refunds last year is factored out. Star-Advertiser.

A total of 245 bankruptcy cases were filed in Hawaii in January, down 11 percent from the 276 cases recorded for the same month last year, according to statistics from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaii.Pacific Business News

The largest photovoltaic system in the state, located in Kapa‘a, is ready to go. Garden Island.

A bill to limit the state's cost from solar energy tax credits has sent a chill through the state's solar energy industry. KITV4.

New laws cost taxpayers' money, and Hawaii Republican legislators want a clearer accounting of how much. Associated Press.

Hawaii's lobbying laws leave organizations guessing what expenditures they're required to report with the state ethics commission. Civil Beat.

There are dozens of animal protection laws going through the state capitol this session, some of which stem from our reports over the summer on puppy farms. Hawaii News Now.

State plans to fly unmanned aerial surveillance drones over Hawaii harbors are now “under review” by Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s administration, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation says. Hawaii Reporter.

It's a program that's estimated to cost nearly one billion dollars, with the goal of our state being much less dependent on imported oil. KHON2.

Students from Hualalai Academy, Holualoa Elementary and Parker School swelled the ranks of supporters as the County Council Environmental Management Committee voted 5-3 to move a plastic bag reduction bill forward. West Hawaii Today.

A new law banning checkout plastic bags went into effect three weeks ago, but many food service establishments are allegedly already complaining of food breaking through paper bags and possible contamination. Garden Island.

The annual push in the Legislature to restrict the use of fireworks in Hawaii is under way.Tribune-Herald.

State legislators are seeking to change who sits on the board governing the state's semiautonomous hospital system.West Hawaii Today.

Alapaki Nahale-a, Gov. Neil Abercrombie's nominee for Hawaiian Homes Commission chairman, says there needs to be strong emphasis on putting Hawaiians in homes, even if they do not have a deed saying they own the property. Star-Advertiser.

Governor Abercrombie's Social Media Director Speaks on Sustaining Your Network. Hawaii Public Radio.

Mayor Alan Arakawa has appointed Bill Medeiros to his executive staff, making him the third former Maui County Council member to get a post in the new administration. Maui News.

Sometime next year the Department of Transportation may take a snapshot of your car’s license plate as you travel down the H1 Freeway. KHON2.

A divided County Council on Tuesday advanced new rules for dividing the county into council districts, when the Committee on Governmental Relations voted 7-2 for a stricter redistricting plan. West Hawaii Today.

Inspectors from the state Department of Agriculture captured a live snake in Waipahu Sunday. Several citizens and the Honolulu Police Department were also involved in the capture. Hawaii News Now.

Grand Wailea owners scramble to settle debt. Maui News.

The Molokai Public Library will be closed from Feb. 14 to March 18 for re-carpeting. Molokai Dispatch.

Pearl Harbor welcomes new submarine, tax revenues down, obsolete state employees perform busy work, school fees to rise, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

The USS North Carolina became the third Virginia-class submarine to be homeported at Pearl Harbor yesterday as the U.S. builds up its fleet of the advanced attack submarines in the Pacific. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii now has three advanced attack subs stationed in the islands.KITV4.

An East-West Center program, “Legacies of the Pacific War,” which EWC co-sponsored in July with the USS Arizona Memorial Museum Association and the National Park Service World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, has been the subject of some critical attention because of one complaint that the program was anti-veteran. Hawaii Reporter.

Tax receipts flowing into the state's general fund have dropped by almost 6 percent during the first four months of the current fiscal year. KHON2.

State tax collections through October improved but were still about 6 percent lower than a year ago, according to the Department of Taxation Star-Advertiser.

Government Waste Watch: State Paying Staff to Retype Every Food Stamp Application. Civil Beat.

Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie told state Senate Democrats yesterday that he plans to release $23.7 million from the state's rainy day fund to help more than three-dozen social-service programs. Star-Advertiser.

Thousands of people are vying for a job in the administration of governor-elect Neil Abercrombie. KHON2.

Public school fees for student meals and after-school programs are on the rise in Hawaii. Associated Press.

Habitat home off the grid. Maui News.

An alcoholic beverage popular with college students is being scrutinized in Hawaii and outlawed in states across the country. Hawaii News Now.

A case involving police overtime abuse is headed to trial. KHON2.

HMSA lost $6 million in the third quarter while Kaiser Hawaii made $3 million - but both reported further increases in the cost of health care. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii County could add up to $56 million to its $291.4 million debt under a loan-authorization bill the County Council will likely pass during its meeting Wednesday in Keauhou. Tribune-Herald.

A moment of inattention has cost a Pearl City widower $3,700 in cash. Now, Rolando Diaz and the police are asking for the public’s help to identify the person who walked off with his money. KITV4.

Perhaps it comes down to how you define wildlife trafficking. For Snorkel Bob, aka Robert Wintner, wildlife is trafficked every time a tropical fish collector ships a fish from Hawaii and the resulting damage to Hawaii’s reefs and their habitués is squarely on the backs of the aquarium trade. Hawaii Independent.

The oldest agricultural organization in the United States has arrived on Kaua‘i. Garden Island.

A Hilton Hawaiian Village housekeeper said she has become the target of escalating harassment because she crossed the picket line during last month's five-day strike by the hotel's 1,500 Unite Here Local 5 members. Star-Advertiser.

Proposed increases in land rents for farmers who have tilled Kamilonui Valley's soil for decades have those farmers in an uproar. Associated Press.

With cattle grazing freely on ranches throughout the island, it's always possible for one to amble a little too far in the wrong direction and unwittingly escape. To help it return home, ranchers have an easy way to identify their own by using a brand. West Hawaii Today.

Akaka Bill faces crucial hearing today, HECO raising rates, UPW deal in the works, Hannemann delivers State of the City, Hilo crime wave and other top news

A new version of the native Hawaiian government reorganization bill is moving in the U.S. House, but Gov. Linda Lingle remains opposed to it—and that could doom it in the Senate.

The U.S. House could vote today on a new version of the Akaka bill, after Hawai'i's congressional delegation opted to move forward without the support of Gov. Linda Lingle.

United Public Workers Unit 1 has reached agreement with the four county governments on a new collective-bargaining contract that would run through June 30, 2011.

Gov. Linda Lingle will return to Hawaii today to find that the heat has been turned up on the state's simmering labor problems.

The Hawai‘i Council of Mayors on Monday announced that the four county governments have reached an agreement in principle with the United Public Workers for a new collective bargaining pact for this fiscal year and the next.

A voting controversy has prompted lawmakers to re-start a discussion over the American flag.

In delivering his sixth State of the City address, Mayor Mufi Hannemann outlined a vision for Honolulu that included his $5.5 billion rail transit project, transit-oriented development, thousands of new jobs, new construction and other initiatives to stimulate the economy.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann last night promised to deliver to the City Council a balanced operating budget, but offered few details about how he intends to address an estimated $140 million shortfall.

In a first for Mayor Mufi Hannemann he held his state of the city address outside and at night. It's just one sign of change to come.

Text: State Of The City Address 2010

The Hawaiian Electric Co. announced Monday it is increasing rates for all customers.

Business owners say the streets of downtown Hilo have taken a turn for the worse.

A new surgery center has nearly doubled the number of operating rooms in West Hawaii, but it isn't in competition with Kona Community Hospital, officials say.

A sighting of an approximately 12-foot-long tiger shark led Maui County officials to close waters off Hookipa Beach Park for about two hours on Monday.

The Kapaia swinging bridge over Hanama‘ulu Stream, one of four such pedestrian suspension bridges on the island, likely outlived its practical usefulness many years ago.

A bill that would keep state park revenues on the island where they are generated instead of spreading them across Hawai‘i is being touted by Kaua‘i legislators and the advisory group tasked with preserving and protecting Koke‘e State Park.

State reacts to Obama's speech, teachers' union seeks higher taxes, UPW pickets itself, eBay founder Omidyar addresses students, North Shore businesses riding a wave of prosperity, more news

There was lots of reaction to the President's speech from leaders of both parties, and grassroots supporters who gathered for the big show.

President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union Address to both houses of Congress was met with support from Hawai‘i’s Democratic federal representatives.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association is proposing to increase taxes on upper-income residents to eliminate Furlough Fridays and provide support for public education.

A state Senate committee on Monday will hear two bills that seek to reduce or eliminate public school teacher furloughs, one that would take money from the state's hurricane relief fund and another that would increase the general excise tax by 1 percentage point.

Chief Justice Ronald Moon said that if the judiciary's budget is cut again, there could be "increased concerns regarding public safety and delayed access to justice."

Claiming their labor union has abandoned them by refusing to pursue an alleged contract violation, Hilo correctional officers took the unusual step of picketing the United Public Workers' Hilo office Tuesday.

This week the Alexander Baldwin board of directors is expected to meet and consider the question: Does it make sense to continue growing sugar on Maui?


An unusual season of giant waves on the North Shore has resulted in a healthy — if not epic — boost for businesses from Sunset Beach to Haleiwa.

Founder of eBay Pierre Omidyar drew quite a crowd at the Shidler School of Business at University of Hawaii on Wednesday.

W.H. Shipman Ltd. is going to court to close an adult store that has opened across the street from Keaau Middle School.

Water rates could begin rising for both residential and agricultural users as early as July 1, thanks to a study that shows the Hawaii County Department of Water Supply is collecting only about 90 percent of its costs.

Maui County just barely entertained 2 million visitors in 2009, which was a drop of 8.8 percent from 2008.

Akaka reforms stalled, elder pedestrians at risk, Aiona snubbed by unions, more Hawaii news

A raft of reforms that U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, has been working on for months is now tied up by one of the Senate's most ardent fiscal hawks.

Hundreds of state employees will start losing their jobs tomorrow beginning with nonunion, exempt workers, but the exact number — and who — is still being worked out, the head of Hawai'i's human resources department said yesterday.

No one has responded to Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona's calls for meetings between the Hawaii teachers union and public school officials to halt the ongoing teacher furloughs.

For years, Hawaii environmentalists have been complaining that the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, which the New York Times editorial page has described as “notorious among environmental groups as a chronic enabler of reckless commercial fishing,” was illegally lobbying Hawaiian politicians to push its anti-conservation agenda and prevent the creation of any marine reserves in Hawaii

Hawaii is the most dangerous state for pedestrians ages 65 and older, according to a report by the coalition group Transportation for America.

About 24,000 Jehovah's Witnesses from around the world are expected to spend about $100 million in the state when they meet at the Hawaii Convention Center on the next two weekends, said David Uchiyama of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

The rainy season is forcing more and more homeless people to set up camp at the city's bus stops, but attempts to make it illegal to sleep at bus shelters have been unsuccessful.

KITV has learned the state health department has gone undercover to determine if pharmacies and doctors are giving the H1N1 vaccine to people with the highest risk of contracting swine flu.

A storm is sitting north of the state with heavy rain and thunderstorms likely through Friday. Flash flooding is also possible with drier conditions due back next week.

Surf along north facing shores will be 10 to 15 feet through Thursday morning, decreasing to 8 to 12 feet Thursday afternoon. Surf along east facing shores will be 10 to 14 feet through Thursday.

Two more lanes will be added to Highway 130 as part of a $14 million state plan to improve motorists' safety and reduce traffic congestion in lower Puna.

Alaska Airlines announced this week that it would offer four flights a week from San Jose, Calif., into Kona beginning March 12, making the California city the seventh from which airline passengers can embark on direct flights to Kona.

Heads up, the state Department of Education is telling the public, the much-anticipated environmental impact statement for the proposed Kihei high school is on its way.

A public information meeting regarding the proposed construction of a roadway segment that would connect the two Koloa bypass roads is scheduled for Thursday, a county press release states.

The newest building at Hawai'i Preparatory Academy (HPA) in Waimea, the Energy Lab, is being considered one of the latest and most environmentally comprehensive structures in the country, according to its application as a "living building."

Drier but more turbulent, thanks to El Nino, state plans for furlough Fridays, other top news

Thanks to El Nino conditions, islanders can expect drier-than-normal conditions during Hawaii's upcoming wet season but more tropical storm activity in the Central Pacific -- with the possibility of hurricanes in the next 40 days, climate experts say.

With our state still very much into hurricane season, experts at the National Weather Service are advising residents to be prepared in the event a storm affects our islands.

Hurricane Neki continues to strengthen this morning as it churns toward the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The Office of the U.S. Trustee is challenging the average $2,527.38 hourly rate being charged by a consultant for Hawaiian Telcom's bankruptcy case.

Need a marriage license? Unemployment insurance? A camping permit? A copy of your birth certificate? Plan ahead, because these state services will no longer be available on many Fridays.

The state on Tuesday released the schedule of furlough days departments will begin taking.

Public schools can restore some of the classroom instruction time that could be lost during furlough days for teachers, through a complicated exception process to the state Board of Education.

A plan to farm-raise ahi in giant "Oceanspheres" received a positive recommendation from the state, despite some skepticism over how it would work.

Hawaii County's lack of program goals, internal controls and effective communication have prevented efficient use of more than $50 million in highway-maintenance money, a recent county audit has found.

The Hawaii Supreme Court has affirmed that Maui County Council Member Sol Kahoohalahala is a resident of Lahaina -- not Lanai, the district he represents.

It’s always about the money.

'Barbarian' princess stirs controversy, energy projects emerge, and other top Hawaii news

The 29th annual Hawaii International Film Festival launched yesterday at the Sheraton Waikiki's RumFire with a spirited news conference that included Q'orianka Kilcher, star of the much-debated "Barbarian Princess," a feature film premiering to a sold-out Hawaii Theatre tonight.

The premiere Friday night is sold out. But the Hawaii International Film Festival has added another showing of the Princess Kailuani Movie, Barbarian Princess.

Sempra Generation of San Diego announced Friday that it is taking over the wind generation project at Ulupalakua originally proposed by Shell Wind but in abeyance for several years.

More than 30,000 doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine have been shipped to Hawaii, but only the most at-risk people will be eligible for the drug, health officials say.

Fire and police officials are investigating an early-morning fire Wednesday that gutted a senior center building under construction at the Hale Mahaolu Ehiku complex in Kihei, causing an estimated $1.5 million in damage.

A new contract with the state's largest public workers union will bring "substantial" savings, but not enough to prevent the first round of layoffs for about 750 state workers, Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday.

The labor savings from collective bargaining will not be enough to close the state's budget deficit, Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday, adding that the state would not immediately resort to a second round of layoffs to help make up the difference.

While saying she was pleased that the Hawaii Government Employees Association reached a tentative agreement Wednesday with the state and the four counties, Mayor Charmaine Tavares warned that the county faces a steep challenge next fiscal year.

The University of Hawaii hopes to see utility savings by closing buildings during the winter and spring breaks if Hawaii Government Employees Association members approve a new two-year contract.

The joint venture between go! and Mokulele airlines began Thursday with a few glitches

The lines for free meals around Hilo just keep getting longer.

The rules are different here, several members of the Hawaii County Board of Ethics said Wednesday as they considered Mayor Billy Kenoi's proposal to tighten the ethics code.

For the second time in as many months, the county Board of Ethics has found that Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole broke the county's ethics law.

The agreement between the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative and Pacific West Energy to potentially bring a 20-megawatt biomass-to-energy project to Kaua‘i is a “major” advancement and “something we’ve been working on for years,” but “several steps” still remain, KIUC President and CEO Randall Hee said Thursday.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Hawai'i has put the Hawaii County Council on notice that police helicopter flyovers for marijuana eradication are believed to be in violation of the Hawaii Constitution, the state's medical marijuana law, and the county's Lowest Law Enforcement Priority of Cannabis Ordinance.

Local advocacy groups are awaiting a response from the Federal Communications Commission on a challenge filed last week to stop a shared services agreement involving three local television stations

Bird kill, bag ban, flu death, tax break and other news

A dog attack on a seabird colony in Kihei prompted state wildlife officials to remind pet owners to keep their animals leashed.

After a two-week delay to huddle with the county attorney and revise the wording to ease enforcement, the Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday morning passed an ordinance that will outlaw single-use plastic checkout bags from the island’s retail establishments despite objections from some members of the business community.

The state Health Department yesterday said an 11th Hawai'i resident has died with a confirmed case of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu.

The day after the state received its first batch of H1N1 flu vaccine, a Hawaii County Council committee Tuesday advanced a resolution opposing mandatory vaccination of the populace.

The four county mayors shot back yesterday at Gov. Linda Lingle's complaints that they are getting in the way of an agreement between the state and the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

Property taxes for owner-occupants in O'ahu likely will be lower than other property owners under a bill that was approved 4-0 by a Honolulu City Council committee yesterday.

Hard choices are ahead for Hawaii Community College.

The Hawaii County Council Finance Committee on Tuesday unanimously created a new program manager position to control underage drinking, even though it's unclear how the position will be paid for once its funding grant runs out in two years.

The tax man cometh, unemployment up again, ethics coming to Hawaii County government

After living 18 days on a remote island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Kekuewa Kikiloi is reveling in the "incredible" experience and still nursing sore feet from the rugged volcanic terrain.

Hawaii businesses to be hit with soaring unemployment tax

Hawaii's unemployment rate crept up to 7.2 percent in August, as the state's economic downturn sliced into jobs and more residents joined the ranks of the unemployed.

The University of Hawai'i said its best and final contract offer to union employees includes a 5 percent salary reduction, a payroll lag of five days at the end of this fiscal year in June and a reduction in the state's contribution to health insurance from 60 percent of premium costs to less than 50 percent.

Union leaders are urging about 3,200 University of Hawaii professors and instructors to reject the administration's latest pay cut offer.

It is too early to predict whether the furlough of all state deputy public defenders three days per month will cause a backlog of court cases, said state Public Defender Jack Tonaki.

Almost a year after promising ethics reforms if he won the top county job, Mayor Billy Kenoi this week proposed a series of changes to curtail county workers' most blatant conflicts of interest.

The Hawaii County Council this week started testing a new security procedure aimed at keeping the peace between lawmakers and the public they're paid to serve.

Hawaii County's coffers are running lower than usual because so many Big Island landowners didn't pay property tax bills due Aug. 20.

Automated trash pickup on its way to Kauai

Unions hopeful for economic recovery, ag industry and private schools strapped

Agri- cultural industry executives worry that Hawaii businesses will wither on the vine and incoming food will rot on the docks if the state goes through with massive layoffs of agriculture inspectors.

The state's private schools this year have had to increase financial aid to prevent an exodus of families that can no longer afford tuition.

Public and trade unions in Hawaii celebrated Labor Day as they have for decades at the annual Unity picnic in Waikiki.

Hawaii union workers spent the day with their families in Waikiki on Monday at the Second Annual Labor Day Unity Picnic.

The leader of the Hawaii Laborers Union said he is beginning to see signs of recovery in the construction industry.

State officials are holding two series of meetings about fishing regulations.

On Oct. 11, at the canonization of Father Damien in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Benedict XVI will give Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva a small box containing the right heel of Hawai'i's first saint.

Opponents of a development that would urbanize more than 1,000 acres of prime agricultural land in Ewa have won a preliminary battle at the State Land Use Commission.

One visitor in Hawaii is nearing the end of his mission to try 50 jobs each in a different state in 50 weeks.

Long accustomed to water catchment, dirt roads and other infrastructure deficiencies, lower Puna residents will soon have the island's newest and biggest fire station.

The county Board of Ethics’ ongoing discussion of Kaua‘i County Charter Section 20.02D has led to the resignation of one county volunteer last month, setting up the possibility of a precedent that could reach far and wide and change the way local government operates.

Lingle goes public with budget woes: news reports, transcript and video links

The worst may not be over for Hawaii state workers. Governor Linda Lingle, in a videocast streamed live on the internet, delivered more grim news Thursday afternoon. She says a second round of layoffs is likely.

Gov. Linda Lingle is planning another round of state worker layoffs, plus cuts to social service programs that will result in "a fundamental restructuring of state government."

Gov. Linda Lingle cautioned yesterday that a second round of layoffs because of the budget deficit would require a fundamental restructuring of state government, but she would not discuss the number of state workers who could lose their jobs or other specifics.

Transcript

Video

The state Board of Education last night failed to approve a proposal that would have reduced the public library system's budget by $5.7 million.

State legislators have ordered Ted Liu, the embattled director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, to provide a written accounting of his decision to lay off nearly all workers in the Hawaii Film Office, which has brought about $1 billion to the state since 2001.

A spike in enrollment, long-range planning and purging of low-demand courses have allowed the University of Hawaii at Hilo to avoid -- at least so far -- some of the draconian cuts happening at UH-Manoa.

The state's war on invasive species may have to take a backseat to saving the struggling agriculture industry, as state officials scramble for funding in a down economy

The Bookmobile resumed service Tuesday after mechanical problems were addressed. But, because of budget cuts, service to West Maui was eliminated.

To demonstrate just how easy using wind as a clean, renewable energy source is, Smith, along with business partner Dane Eirhart, came up with an idea which they’ve been proudly parading around town in recent days.