French government dissolved

PARIS (AP) — French President Francois Hollande dissolved the government on Monday after open feuding among his Cabinet over the country's stagnant economy.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls offered up his Socialist government's resignation after accusing France's outspoken economy minister of crossing a line with his blunt criticism of the government's policies. Hollande accepted the resignation and ordered Valls to form a new government by Tuesday.

France has had effectively no economic growth this year, unemployment is hovering around 10 percent and Hollande's approval ratings are sunk in the teens. The country is under pressure from the 28-nation European Union to get its finances in order, but Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg has questioned whether the austerity tack pressed by the EU will really kick start French growth.

Hollande's promises to cut taxes and make it easier for businesses to open and operate have stalled, in large part because of the divisions among his Socialist party.

rail transit bids exceeding budget

New construction bids show the costs to build Honolulu's rail transit system are rising sharply -- and local transit leaders remain uncertain whether they'll ultimately be able to deliver the project on budget.

This week, rail officials opened three bids to build the transit system's first nine stations. Each of those bids exceeded the project's budget for that work by more than $100 million.

The least expensive bid -- a $294.5 million proposal from Nan Inc. -- still exceeded what rail officials had budgeted by about 60 percent.

"Clearly our estimates right now are suspect," Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board Vice Chairman Don Horner said Thursday.

[surprise surprise surprise]

HMSA is pulling out of Hawaii Health Connector

Hawaii's largest health insurer is pulling out of the small-business side of the state's troubled health exchange, leaving the Hawaii Health Connector with only one insurance company for employers to select.

Michael Gold, president of Hawaii Medical Services Association, told The Associated Press that his staff is spending too much time and money dealing with the Connector's technical problems.

"It's an ongoing expense that everyone in the state is going to have to bear, and almost everyone in the state agrees it is not the best model for Hawaii," Gold said in an interview.

The decision affects more than 300 Hawaii businesses that buy plans for 664 subscribers and independents from HMSA through the exchange. HMSA will stop offering plans to small businesses beginning January 2015. The companies will be able to finish the terms of their enrollment over the next few months, and then they can either enroll in plans directly through HMSA or choose a different plan on the exchange, likely from the only other insurer, Kaiser Permanente, Gold said.

That represents about half the Hawaii businesses purchasing insurance plans through the Connector, state Sen. Rosalyn Baker said.

"They really are dissing small businesses, and I'm appalled by that," Baker said. "They don't think about the impact. They're so used to having their way."

Tom Matsuda, interim director of the Hawaii Health Connector, said he was disappointed that HMSA decided to pull out of the small business exchange after less than a year.

The small business exchange "provides the only opportunity for small businesses to get tax credits that reduce the cost of insurance for their employees by up to 50 percent," Matsuda said in an emailed statement. "I am especially concerned about small business owners who have already qualified for the tax credits by purchasing HMSA plans through the Connector.  We will do our best to help those employers."

Small businesses have to buy insurance plans through the Connector to qualify for those tax credits, said Lindsay Chambers, spokeswoman for Hawaii's Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito, in an email.

"We will continue to seek other ways to ensure that Hawaii's small businesses are able to obtain these tax credits in accordance with federal law," Chambers said.

Gold said very few employers qualify for the tax credits.

Matsuda will work with other insurers that may want to offer plans on the exchange, he said.

The Hawaii Health Connector has been plagued with problems from its inception. Its open-enrollment period was delayed because of technical problems. Then it enrolled just 10,800 people and earned just $40,350 in its first six months, far below the $320,000 it expected. It was awarded more than $200 million in federal grants, but it couldn't get by without a $1.5 million appropriation from the Legislature. Now, Connector officials are working on reducing expenses.

While the company is pulling out of the small business side, HMSA will continue to sell plans through the Connector on the individual side, where it has nearly 5,000 customers, Gold said.

Many employers already provide insurance to most employees because of the state's Prepaid Health Care Act, which mandates coverage for workers who clock more than 20 hours per week.

But HMSA staff logged 8,000 hours dealing with problems such as data from 133 patient accounts that disappeared when it was sent from the Connector to HMSA, Gold said.

"It's an astonishing number of hours we've spent on this," Gold said. "The system still is not really working correctly."

Eric Alborg, deputy director of the Connector, said it's unfortunate that HMSA is focusing on problems and drawing attention away from the fact that "they are denying their customers tax credits." But it is true that on both sides there was a lot of time spent on fixing issues with both systems, Alborg said.

HMSA reported year-to-date loss of $8.4 million Thursday. It blamed its $30 million first-quarter loss on the Affordable Care Act and said it made up some of that loss in the second quarter.

[meanwhile that same day]

Hawaii Medical Service Association, the state's dominant health insurer, reported a $21.8 million profit in the second quarter, compared with losing $2.3 million in the same period a year ago.

The health plan collected $730.4 million in premiums, up 8.3 percent from $674.2 million, and spent $652.3 million, a 2.9 percent increase from $634.2 million in the second quarter of 2013. Administrative expenses totaled $54.8 million, down 10.2 percent from the $61 million it spent a year earlier.

HMSA's $17 million operating gain was augmented by $4.8 million in investment income, resulting in earnings of $21.8 million. A year earlier, investment gains of $15.4 million reduced the insurer's $21 million operating loss to a $2.3 million deficit.

At the end of the second quarter, HMSA's membership grew to 730,745, up from 719,977, and its reserve stood at $391.7 million, or $536 per member per month.

In July, HMSA boosted rates by 8.9 percent for 110,000 consumers and 8,500 small businesses. HMSA had originally sought a rate hike of 13.1 percent, but that was lowered by the state Insurance Division, which regulates health plan rates.

"It's a struggle to live in Hawaii and make ends meet for businesses and individuals," Steve Van Ribbink, HMSA's chief financial officer, said in a statement. "When we set premiums, we put every effort into making sure we collect only what's necessary to cover the cost of making sure our members' health care needs are met."

Beyond the written statement, Van Ribbink was not available to answer questions about the quarterly earnings.

HMSA said the second-quarter gain helped the company recoup some of its losses in the first quarter, which totaled $30.1 million. It attributed much of the first-quarter loss to $46.1 million in fees related to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

While the ACA fees will be paid to the federal government in September, all insurers, including HMSA, were required to set money aside and record it in financial reports Jan. 1, Van Ribbink said.

"The gain we reported for the second quarter can be attributed in part to collecting ACA fees from our members in the second quarter and recognizing those fees as revenue without recording the related expense, since the related expense was previously recorded on Jan. 1," Van Ribbink said.

The not-for-profit mutual benefit society will pay $65.4 million in ACA fees this year, with the remaining Obamacare fees -- about $19.3 million -- to be expensed throughout the year.

Obama authorizes airstrikes in Iraq

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday that he's authorized "targeted airstrikes" in Iraq to protect American personnel and help Iraqi forces.

"We do whatever is necessary to protect our people," Obama said. "We support our allies when they're in danger."

A key concern for U.S. officials: dozens of American consular staff and military advisers working with the Iraqi military in Irbil, the largest city in Iraq's Kurdish region.

Obama said Thursday he'd directed the military to take targeted strikes against Islamist militants "should they move towards the city."

Rapid developments on the ground, where a humanitarian crisis is emerging with minority groups facing possible slaughter by Sunni Muslim extremists, have set the stage for an increasingly dire situation.

Thousands of families from the Yazidi minority are reportedly trapped in the mountains without food, water or medical care after fleeing the rampaging fighters of the Islamic State, also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS.

Throngs of refugees, many of them Iraqi Christians, are on the run -- their largest city, Qaraqosh, now occupied by fighters who gave them an ultimatum, "Convert to Islam or die."

Obama also said he'd authorized targeted airstrikes "if necessary" to help Iraqi forces protect civilians trapped on the mountain.

"When we face a situation like we do on that mountain with innocent people facing the prospect of violence on a horrific scale, when we have a mandate to help, in this case a request from the Iraqi government, and when we have the unique capabilities to help avert a massacre, then I believe the United States of America cannot turn a blind eye," Obama said. "We can act, carefully and responsibly to prevent a potential act of genocide."

The potential escalation of U.S. military involvement comes two years after Obama ended the Iraq war and brought home American forces.

Iselle and Julio

[8/10/14] Julio moves north

[8/9/14] The one-two hurricane punch that was supposed to hit Hawaii is looking more like a jab and a missed left hook.

After Hawaii cleared Tropical Storm Iselle largely without deterring sunbathers and surfers, the state looked toward Hurricane Julio, which was expected to pass roughly 160 miles northeast of the islands at its closest point early Sunday.

While prospects for Julio could quickly change, the storms appear to have been more a scare for Hawaii than a significant threat.

[8/8/14] At the same time Iselle is wreaking havoc on the Hawaiian Islands, Hurricane Julio continues to churn in its wake, offering a real threat to deliver a rare double whammy of destruction on the state.

Julio strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane Thursday with 115 mph winds and traveling westerly at 16 mph more than 1,000 miles to the east of Hawaii.

It's moving in roughly the same path as Iselle, although the projected track would take it just north of the islands and arriving near Hawaii island Sunday and the rest of the chain Monday.

[8/8/14] HILO » The power supply and the geothermal plant in Puna proved to be among the first casualties of Iselle as it bore down on the Big Island Thursday night.

More than 18,000 people were without power, a Hawai‘i Electric Light Co. spokeswoman said.

After spending nearly all day as a Category 1 hurricane, Iselle weakened into a tropical storm, packing 70 mph winds, by 11 p.m., when its center was about 50 miles south of Hilo, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

No injuries were reported, but Iselle knocked out power, forced roads to close and sent more than 800 people and pets into evacuation centers to ride out the first hurricane to touch island shores since Iniki devastated Kauai in 1992.

Iselle, a Category 1 hurricane, triggered heavy rain, thundershowers, winds and high surf that forced repair crews to head out into the night Thursday to restore power from Puna through Hilo.

"So much wind, so much rain," Mayor Billy Kenoi said Thursday night at the Hawaii County Civil Defense headquarters in Hilo.

[8/7/14] After Hurricane Iselle surprised forecasters Wednesday by gaining strength, it may now become the first hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii since Iniki 22 years ago.

The storm was on a course to slam into Hawaii island Thursday and unleash sustained winds of 60 to 70 mph with gusts to 95 mph, forecasters said.

But projections show the storm should weaken as it moves west and south of Maui County Thursday night and Oahu and Kauai on Friday, packing 35- to 45-plus mph winds with locally higher gusts.

"The volcanoes of the Big Island will do a number on the system," said Mike Cantin, National Weather Service meteorologist. "So what it looks like on the other side — that's something we will be looking at closely."

All of the islands, he said, should prepare for 5 to 8 inches of rain and up to a foot of rain in some locations, especially in windward areas, with flash flooding a possibility.

"People need to understand this is a large system and the impacts will reach far from the center," he said.

Making matters worse, another storm, Julio, grew into a Category 1 hurricane late Tuesday and is following in the wake of Iselle a couple of days to the rear. But forecasters expect it to weaken and become a tropical storm when it nears Hawaii Sunday or later.

Obamacare: a tale of two Americas

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's health care law has become a tale of two Americas.

States that fully embraced the law's coverage expansion are experiencing a significant drop in the number of uninsured residents, according to a major new survey released Tuesday. States whose leaders still object to "Obamacare" are seeing much less change.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index found an overall drop of 4 percentage points in the share of uninsured residents for states accepting the law's core coverage provisions. Those are states that expanded their Medicaid programs and also built or took an active role managing new online insurance markets.

The drop was about half that level — 2.2 percentage points — in states that took neither of those steps, or just one of them.

"Those states that implement the law's major mechanisms are seeing a significantly greater decline in their uninsured rates," said Dan Witters, research director for the poll.

Medicaid expansion mainly helps low-income uninsured adults in states accepting it. Insurance exchanges operate in every state, offering taxpayer-subsidized private coverage to people who have no health plan on the job.

Leading the nation were two southern states where the law has found political support. Arkansas saw a drop of about 10 percentage points in its share of uninsured residents, from 22.5 percent in 2013, to 12.4 percent by the middle of this year. Kentucky experienced a drop of nearly 9 percentage points, from 20.4 percent of its residents uninsured in 2013, to 11.9 percent.

Israeli shelling of Gaza

[8/5/14] (CNN) -- Withdrawing its ground forces from Gaza Tuesday for a three-day cease-fire with Hamas, Israel announced that its central goal was achieved.

"Mission accomplished," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Twitter. "We have dismantled the underground terror network built by Hamas to infiltrate and attack Israel." The military said 32 tunnels were destroyed in the four-week conflict.

The declaration came amid suspicions on both sides over whether the 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire will hold.

Nearly 1,900 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. It's unclear how many were militants. The United Nations estimates that about 70% of the dead were civilians. But the IDF says about 900 militants were killed. It did not provide a breakdown of the victims by age or gender.

Israeli officials have said 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians in Israel have died.

Israel is implementing the Egyptian-brokered truce, which took effect Tuesday morning, while maintaining "defensive positions" outside Gaza, the IDF said.

[8/4/14] Washington (AFP) - The United States lashed out at the "disgraceful" shelling of a United Nations school packed with refugees in Gaza on Sunday, demanding Israel do more to avoid civilian casualties.

In one of the most strongly-worded statements yet from Washington since the conflict began nearly a month ago, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States was "appalled" by the attack on the school in Rafah.

At least 10 people were killed in the shelling, the third time in 10 days that a UN school has been hit in fighting amid growing international outrage over the civilian death toll in the nearly month-old conflict.

Thousands of Palestinians had sought refuge at the school from fierce fighting between Israeli forces and the Palestinian enclave's Islamist rulers Hamas.

"The United States is appalled by today’s disgraceful shelling outside an UNRWA school in Rafah sheltering some 3,000 displaced persons, in which at least 10 more Palestinian civilians were tragically killed," Psaki said in a statement.

"We once again stress that Israel must do more to meet its own standards and avoid civilian casualties."

[7/20/14] GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - At least 40 Palestinians were killed on Sunday by Israeli shelling in a Gaza neighborhood, where bodies were strewn in the street and thousands fled toward a hospital packed with wounded, witnesses and health officials said.

The mass casualties in the Shejaia district in northeast Gaza were the heaviest since Israel launched its offensive on the Palestinian territory on July 8 after cross-border rocket strikes by militants intensified.

Anguished cries of "Did you see Ahmed?" "Did you see my wife?" echoed through the courtyard of Gaza's Shifa hospital, where panicked residents of Shejaia gathered in family groups, while inside bodies and wounded lay on blood-stained floors.

Video given to Reuters by a local showed at least a dozen mangled corpses, including three children, lying in the rubble-filled streets.

At the hospital, about 3 km (2 miles away), elderly men said the Israeli attack was the fiercest they had seen since the 1967 Middle East war, when Israel captured Gaza.

"Forty martyrs have been counted so far ... medics are searching for possibly more casualties," Naser Tattar, Shifa hospital's director, told Reuters. He said some 400 people were wounded in the Israeli attack.

Thousands fled Shejaia, some by foot and others piling into the backs of trucks and sitting on the hoods of cars filled with families trying to get away.

Asked about the attack, an Israeli military spokeswoman said: "Two days ago, residents of Shejaia received recorded messages to evacuate the area in order to protect their lives."

There were no signs of a diplomatic breakthrough toward a ceasefire, and militants kept up their rocket fire on Israel. Sirens sounded in southern Israeli towns and in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. There were no reports of casualties.

Hamas, the dominant armed group in the Gaza Strip, had urged people across the territory not to heed the Israeli warnings and abandon their homes.

As the tank shells began to land, Shejaia residents called radio stations pleading for evacuation. An air strike on the Shejaia home of Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, killed his son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, hospital officials said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned "the new massacre committed by the Israeli government in Shejaia", a spokesman for the Western-backed leader said.

Israel, which has accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields by launching rockets from residential areas, sent ground forces into the Gaza Strip on Thursday after 10 days of air, naval and artillery barrages failed to stop the salvoes.

The military said it beefed up its presence on Sunday, with a focus on destroying missile stockpiles and a vast tunnel system Hamas built along the frontier that crosses into Israel.

Gaza's Health Ministry officials said at least 370 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been killed in the 13-day conflict and about 2,600 have been wounded. On Israel's side, two civilians were killed by cross-border fire and five soldiers died as fighting occurred at close quarters.

2014 Hawaii Elections

[11/4/14] Democrats win in Hawaii

Ige defeats Aiona and Hannemann for governor

Mark Takai defeats Charles Djou 52% to 48% for Congress

Schatz takes the Senate race over Cavasso

Maui GMO ban barely passes

Takashi Ohno over Max Fowler for State House District 27

Hey, here's a Republican who won.  Gene Ward over Chris Stump for State House District 17 - Kalama Valley, Queens Gate, Hawaii Kai.  Another one Aaron Ling Johanson over Lei Sharsh, State House District 31 - Fort Shafter, Moanalua Gardens, Aliamanu.  One more.  Beth Fukumoto Chang over Marilyn Lee, District 36 - Mililani, Mililani Mauka, Waipio Acres.  OK, it wasn't quite a clean sweep.  Andria Tupola over Karen Leinani Awana, District 43 - Kalaeloa, Ko Olina, Maili.  Lauren Cheape Matsumoto (former Miss Hawaii) over Michael Yadao Magaoay, District 45 - Mililani, Schofield, Kunia.  Cynthia Thielen over Holly Broman, District 50 (Kailua, Kaneohe).

OHA.  Waihee, Rowena Akana, Lei Ahu Isa,

Constitutional amendments  (I voted yes on all of them).

The one on early childhood education (preschools) didn't pass.  There were commercials against it saying it would take away money from the public schools.  I guess the public school teachers union was against it.

[8/10/14] Ige trounces Abercrombie, Schatz and Hanabusa still too close to call

I have little idea who to vote for.  Let the fun begin.

Clayton Hee vs. Shan Tsutsui for Lt. Governor
Hee characterizes radio ad as a smear campaign
Star-Advertiser endorses Tsutsui

Stiff competition
Star-Advertiser endorsements

[8/7/14] Better mail in my ballot

I'm going to vote Democratic in the primary because that's where the large majority of the main candidates are.

I'm going to base my decision on the Star Advertiser.  Hey, that's what I'm paying them for..

Governor: Abercrombie vs. Ige

Abercrombie is not getting enough credit for the progress that has been made, and it's on the strength of that effort -- and the promise of further advances -- that the Honolulu Star-Advertiser endorses him for the Democratic nomination to a second term.

Abercrombie is locked in a tough contest with Ige, outgoing chairman of the Senate's Ways and Means Committee. Ige is genial and refreshingly devoid of the theatrics the governor often brings to his encounters.

Ige, who still works as a private-sector engineer, has vowed to bring a tech-savvy business perspective often lacking in government.

So Abercrombie is a loudmouth who gets things done.  Sometimes you need somebody loud.  Ige is genial  and intelligent.  I like that combination.  Ige (though conceding the Abercrombie will probably get more things done, like it or not).

Lieutenant Governor: Tsutsui vs. Hee.

Among the field of five candidates vying for the Democratic nomination, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser endorses incumbent Lt. Gov. Shan S. Tsutsui. The 42-year-old Maui native represents the future of his party and of Hawaii, as a new generation rightly takes the lead and as neighbor islands add population at a faster rate than Oahu.

The former state Senate president, who previously served as vice chairman of the Ways and Means committee, is known as an inclusive collaborator who brings a fresh perspective to state government's Oahu-centric power circles. 

The incumbent's most serious challenger is Clayton Hee, 61, an effective state senator who vows to be a galvanizing lieutenant governor.

Hee has a long record of laudable public service, including as an advocate for Native Hawaiians, a key player in the approval of same-sex marriage, the driver of Hawaii's ban on shark-finning and a catalyst for the conservation of priceless North Shore land. However, he also can be a polarizing figure and ruthless power broker, a reputation gained over the decades he's been elected to serve in the state House, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and state Senate.

Ruthless power broker?  What does that mean?  According to wikipedia: A power broker is a person who can influence people to vote towards a particular client in exchange for political or financial benefits.

Oh, a politician.  Tsutsui it is.

U.S. Senate: Schatz vs. Hanabusa

In what has to be one of the most momentous primary elections in recent Hawaii history, voters are confronted with a difficult choice between two eminently qualified candidates for a U.S. Senate seat.

Although both clearly possess the intellect and political savvy to serve the state well, the Star-Advertiser endorses Brian Schatz, who has held the seat since his appointment in 2012, for the Democratic nomination. In that short time, the 41-year-old former lieutenant governor and state lawmaker has demonstrated a commitment to his party's ideals and an ability to connect with D.C. power-brokers who can advance a progressive agenda on the state's behalf.

Hanabusa, 63, in 2006 became the first woman to be elected president of the state Senate, where she represented Waianae's 21st District from 1998 to 2010. Throughout the campaign she has touted her legislative leadership record among her chief credentials for advancing to the U.S. Senate.

Hanabusa blindly supports the protection of Social Security and Medicare for Seniors (Kapuna).  But no mention on whether the country afford it as is.  This is pandering for votes.

Meanwhile, a group of US senators and representatives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent socialist from Vermont, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Mark Begich )D-AK) and Sen. Bryan Shatz (D-HI), is calling for eliminating the cap on income subject to Social Security taxation, so that all Americans, including millionaires and billionaires, pay the full FICA tax on their income, a move which would effectively end any talk of the Social Security program “running out of money.”  

Is Hanabusa protecting the millionaires and billionaires from paying more Social Security tax?  (Actually, no.)

Video of debate on Social Security.  Hanabusa against chained CPI (which was part of Obama's budget).  Otherwise, I dunno.  It sounds like Schatz is saying he is more for Social Security than Hanabusa?

I'll go with Schatz.  For reasons increasingly unclear..

1st Congressional District: Takai vs. Donna Mercado Kim

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser endorses state Rep. Mark Takai's bid for the Democratic nomination in this important national race.

Takai, a 20-year lawmaker, lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii National Guard and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, has a strong grasp of the national issues that are most vital to Hawaii residents and a keen understanding of the relationship-building necessary to match the state's needs with the federal resources available to fill them. One example is the six-year effort he coordinated to net more than $40 million in federal impact aid for the Hawaii Department of Education — money that made a real difference in the lives of public schoolchildren throughout the state.

We believe that Takai's amiable but persistent style would serve Hawaii well in this divisive environment. He has not been the type to wield a cudgel, and no Democrat will have a cudgel to wield if he or she gets to Washington. Takai's experience as a dogged consensus builder would be useful as he strives to build necessary relationships across the aisle.

Mark Takai was a champion swimmer.

No mention of Donna Mercado Kim in the story.  Despite the race being a dead heat.

Let's see what I can dig up.  I guess she likes Ritchie Valens.  Kim said the nation's budget, ObamaCare, and foreign policy top her list of issues. She said her Kalihi-Palama upbringing gave her a fighting spirit to get things done.

Fighting spirit is good.  But I like consensus builder.  Takai.

Charles Djou is the Republican candidate.

In the Republican primary, former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou, 43, a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, merits the Star-Advertisers's endorsement. Djou, also a former state lawmaker and Honolulu City Councilman, held the 1st Congressional seat in 2010-2011 and emphasizes economic issues in his campaign. He insists that after 60 years of one-party rule in Hawaii, Oahu residents besieged by the high cost of living are ready for a change. The U.S. House is expected to remain under GOP control, meaning that if Djou prevails in the general election, he would be part of the majority caucus — a potential plus for Hawaii and its junior delegation of Democrats.

I kind of like Djou but I'm voting Democratis in the primary.

[10/13/14: Takai vs. Djou debate, PBS debate]

City Council District 6: Carol Fukunaga vs. Joli Tokusato

In District 6, Carol Fukunaga won a special election in 2012 to fill the last two years of now-U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's seat. Those two years have been momentous ones for the district, which stretches from Makiki to Aiea and includes Chinatown-Downtown and Kakaako, ground zero for homelessness and urban development.

Fukunaga's process-oriented approach to solving problems reflects her long experience as a state legislator. Of the four candidates for this seat, Fukunaga, 66, possesses a unique combination of political experience and policy knowledge that makes her the best qualified for the city's most complex problems. She supports rail and the potential benefits of transit-oriented development for this district's older residential communities, as well as the Complete Streets approach.

Joli Tokusato has a strong grass roots campaign (since I've been visited a couple of times) and is running seemingly because Fukunaga voted against the Hotel Workers.

From Tokusato's flyers:

While Carol Fukunaga tried to lower the minimum wage for thousands of hospitality workers in Hawaii, Joli defended her co-workers.  After Carol Fukunaga voted to give condo and hotel developers millions in tax breaks that takes money from local services, Joli decided to run for City Countel.

Carol Fukunaga proposed a law to lower the minimum wage for thousands of hotel workers on Oahu.

Carol Fukunaga voted to cut property tax increases on big hotels but end senior citizen's property tax exemption.

From Fukunaga's flyer: Aikea's advertising is out to win votes by smearing my record.  Such tactics call into question the integrity of the organization that distributes it - and Joli Tokusato, the candidate who relies on deception, not accomplishments, to run for office.

Akea Smear Number 1

Aikea misled voters by claiming Carol Fukunaga and the City lowered property taxes for hotels.

[my response: they didn't say that property taxes were lowered for hotel, they said she voted to cut property taxes on hotels]

Simple Truth: Carol and the City raised, not lowered, property taxes for hotels.  The resolution passed unanimously with all nine members voting in favor.

So if it was unanimous, then Fukunaga couldn't have voted to cut property taxes.  Maybe she was arguing for it, but in the ended didn't vote for it (?)

Actually the negative flyers are from Aikea, not from Tokusato.

Aikea Smear Number 2

Aikea tries to mislead voters by saying Carol Fukunaga and the City ended the senior citizen's property tax exemption.

[Actually they didn't say that.  They said she voted to end senior citizens' property tax exemption, not that it was ended.]

What does Aikea say in response to the response?  

Carol Fukunaga has claimed that she did not vote to raise property taxes on elderly homeowners.  Unfortunately, this is just not true.  Let us explain how this tax increase on low-income elderly homeowners works:

Currently, for every house that is occupied by the owner as their principal residence, there is a home exemption for property tax of up to the first $80,000 of value of the house.  That means the taxes are only charged on the value above $80,000.  At age 65, that exemption goes up to $120,000.  

It used to be that the for low-income residents who applied, the exemption would increase again to $140,000 at age 75, $160,000 at age 80, $180,000 at age 85 and $200,000 from age 90 on.

In 2013, the Honolulu City Council passed Bill 40 (which became Ordinance 13-32).  Council voted to end all of the exemptions over the $120,000, except for people who applied for them prior to September 30, 2013.  Even for those people, the exemption will end within 5 years unless they were age 90 or above.  Carol Fukunaga voted three times to pass this bill through.

[Actually I don't see that Fukunaga claimed that she did not vote to raise property taxes.  Only that it wasn't raised.]

Aikea Smear Number 3

Aikea misleads voters by saying Carol Fukunaga supported lowering the minimum wage for hotel workers.

Simple Truth: The minimum wage is a state law and was never an issue before the City Council.

I thought I saw something on Tokusato's website on the minimum wage issue.  Something like allowing tips to count toward their wages.  But don't see it there now.

So apparently the facts are that Fukunaga voted to raise property taxes for hotels.

But voted to end property tax exemptions for the elderly.  Which didn't pass.

Why would somebody vote to end the exemptions?  Well not all elderly are poor.  Some have a lot of money, so why exempt them?

Much ado about nothing.

It seems that Tokusato is fixating on property taxes and the minimum wage, but that's Aikea.  Her actual campaign seems more far-reaching.  I don't see either property taxes or minimum wages as issues mentioned on Tokusato's website.

I don't find Fukunaga's defense pretty weak.  But I'll go with Fukunaga because I don't like negative campaigning.  And apparently nothing that Aikea is decrying Fukunaga for, actually came to pass.

State Representative, Dist 27

Takashi Ohno (D) vs. Max Fowler (R).  Don't know much about Max.  But Takashi seems very active.  And very friendly as he hits the pavement himself.  Seems to be well-meaning, sincere, and a hard worker.  I'll vote for him again.

That leaves OHA.

Don't see the StarAdvertiser endorsement.  Here's a the primary election guide.  OHA starts on page 37.

I don't know.  Peter Alo sounds good as a singer-songwriter and body boarder at age 75.  Lei Ahu Isa is an experienced name, but I don't know how much she knows about OHA.  Maybe I should let the Hawaiians vote for their own affairs.  Rowena Akana sounds familiar.  Mililani Trask sounds like she knows what she's doing.  John Waihee, Jr. too.  Harvey McInerny is the head coach of track and field at Kamehameha.  Lorraine Shin-Penn is B.J. Penn's mother.

OK, I'll go for Alo.  Trask.  Isa.  Akana.