Hawaii's Kaniela Ing racks up another progressive endorsement

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday March 21, 2018 · 5:39 PM PDT

2018/03/21 · 17:39

Kaniela Ing endorsed by PCCC in the Hawaii CD1 Congressional race

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee endorsed Hawai’i CD1 congressional candidate Kaniela Ing. Ing was first elected to the Hawai’i State Legislature in 2012 at age 23. He walked his precinct three times to pull off this upset against an incumbent Republican sweeping the election with 61% his first time out.

Kaniela is a powerful voice for Medicare-for-All, tuition-free college and fighting the climate crisis. He says,

“People are being left behind, and need a representative who understands today’s struggle of paying for college, buying a home, and raising a family. For years, I’ve been working with PCCC at the state level to pass free community college, enact stricter gun control, and combat climate change in Hawaii. I’m excited to continue this partnership as we bring our progressive vision and new ideas to Congress.”

Stephanie Taylor, co-founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee said, “We’re endorsing Kaniela Ing because he’s an authentic, inspiring progressive who isn’t afraid to take on Republicans with a bold economic populist message.”

Ing’s achievement in sponsoring and passing same day voter registration in Hawai’i will, he hopes, inspire more young first time voters to turn out.

During the acrimonious hearings on marriage equality, Ing spoke movingly for equality, even though he had been raised in an anti-gay church. He spoke persuasively against the religious arguments of those who wanted to block marriage equality. You can see the way he speaks against bigotry with aloha and understanding.

YouTube Video

Previously Kaniela Ing had been endorsed by the Justice Democrats.

YouTube Video

Since Hawaii is a Democratic majority state, Ing’s challenge will be winning the primary. Once he wins that, he is almost certain to be elected. His opponent is former AG Douglas Chin who has good name recognition for joining the states’ lawsuit against Trump’s Muslim Ban (Neal Katya was hired to do the actual legal work). Chin recently re-registered as a Democrat which is happening a lot in Hawai’i. Even Charles Djou, a former Republican who held this CD1 position, has abandoned his R status as being toxic to his political ambitions.)

Ing’s opponent, Chin, does carry some baggage for increasing incarceration rates as Prosecutor in Honolulu and for being a paid lobbyist for Corrections Corporation of America (hmmm...kinda strange coincidence!) which may harm his chances and ensure Ing’s primary win. Corrections Corporation of America is very unpopular in Hawai’i as it runs the Arizona prison to which many of Hawaii’s prisoners are sent. There has been much outcry over the deaths and mistreatment of these Hawai’i prisoners by CCA.

Ing’s messages are inspiring and hopeful. Here he rallies young people to get involved:

YouTube Video

You can donate to Kaniela Ing’s campaign at KanielaIng.com

UPDATE: March 23, 2018. Democracy for America just endorsed Kaniela Ing.

Hawaii slave fisher case moves closer to ending human trafficking

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday January 25, 2018 · 4:51 PM PST

2018/01/25 · 16:51

Attorney Lance D. Collins (on right) in court on another case. — Crusading Attorney, Lance D. Collins, in another court case (on right)

Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources’ policy of granting commercial fishing licenses to ships filled with human trafficked fishermen who are under a deportation order saying they must be “Held on board”, makes the practice of slaver fishing possible.

Attorney Lance D. Collins and his client, Malama Chun have challenged this practice. DLNR denied Malama Chun standing and he sued in Circuit Court to overrule this decision. This is the press release announcing the victory:

Maui Judge Reverses Land Board on Foreign Fisherman Case
January 25, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wailuku, Maui – Maui Environmental Court Judge Joseph E. Cardoza ruled in favor of Native Hawaiian waterman Malama Chun and against the state Board of Land and Natural Resources regarding his petition challenging DLNR's Division of Aquatic Resources practice of issuing licenses to foreign fisherman who have been refused permission to land in Hawai'i by U.S. authorities and have been ordered deported.

The BLNR had denied the petition on the grounds that Chun lacked standing to file the petition. The Court reversed that decision, finding he had made a sufficient case to establish standing and remanded it back to the BLNR to decide the merits of Chun's petition.

State law restricts the issuance of commercial fishing licenses to persons “lawfully admitted to the United States” Foreign fishermen working in the longline fishing industry are refused permission to land in the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and are also ordered deported. However, using a loophole, they authorize the fisherman's boat captain to hold the fisherman's passport and the deportation order and allow the boat captain to determine when the deportation is to occur. To enforce the deportation order, the piers at which the fishing boats dock are heavily militarized and access is restricted.

Malama Chun said, “I would like to express my gratitude to the Environmental Court for upholding my civil rights. I hope the Land Board will do the same for these less fortunate fishermen on these boats”

Chun's attorney, Lance D. Collins, added: “The statute is clear. The practice is illegal. We look forward to a timely decision on the merits by the Land Board according to law.”

The Court had previously denied the Hawaii Longline Association's attempt to intervene in the case.

Ethics Complaint Alleges Private Prison Hid Lobbying Payments Made to Doug Chin.

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday January 06, 2018 · 3:09 PM PST

2018/01/06 · 15:09

On January 4, 2018, Karen Chun filed a complaint with the Hawaii State Ethics Board alleging that Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) aka Core Civic neglected on four occasions to report that they were paying Attorney General Doug Chin to lobby on their behalf. That complaint was later followed up by a more formal sworn complaint.

Chun alleges that CCA’s oversight in not reporting money paid for Chin’s lobbying was to prevent the public and the state senators from having full information on Chin’s lobbying activities during his vetting and confirmation process.

CCA operates the Saguaro private prison at a cost to Hawaii of $45 million in 2016.

AG Chin was confirmed in January of 2015. Four months after his confirmation, in April of 2015, CCA submitted amendments to their four filings for 2013 and 2014 add that they paid $68,748 Chin to lobby for them.

“Chin was appointed to Attorney General and confirmed in January 2015. His lobbying history was supposed to be public. It was hidden from the public during his entire vetting and confirmation process,” states Ms. Chun.

From 2008 to 2010, four Hawaii prisoners died after being involved in incidents occurring at Saguaro. There have been constant complaints of poor oversight and Saguaro has been the subject of investigations by journalists.

Doug Chin has defended the Department of Safety in blocking journalists from obtaining information on deaths and injuries of prisoners in CCA’s custody. Mother Jones details their unsuccessful attempts to pry information out of the State.

A day after Chun initially emailed her complaint to the ethics complaint, Chin stated he will announce Sunday whether he would be stepping down from his position as Attorney General.

Facts of the complaint:

CCA filed their Lobbying disclosure for May 1 – Dec 31, 2013 without mention of any money paid to Doug Chin. Originally filed – 1/31/2014

They then filed the Jan 1 – Feb 28, 2014 lobbying disclosure – again without mention of money paid to Doug Chin. Originally filed – 3/27/2014.

Once again the filed for the period of Mar 1 – Apr 30, 2014 somehow forgetting to include money paid to Doug Chin. Originally filed – 5/30/2014.

And for the fourth time the Lobbying Period – May 1 – Dec 31, 2014 report omitted money paid to Doug Chin. Originally filed – 1/12/2014.

Chin was appointed and confirmed to Attorney General in January 2015.

On April 6th, three months after Chin’s confirmation, CCA came back and amended all four disclosures to reveal that they had paid over $68,000 to Doug Chin for lobbying on behalf of the private prison corporation.

Amended (to include Chin $27,500) – 4/8/2015Amended (to include Chin $2,500) – 4/8/2015
Amended (to include Chin $7,500) – 4/8/2015
Amended again (to include Sabas $31,248, Chin $31,248) – 4/8/2015

Phone numbers for all Republican House Members - call today re Tax Bill

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday December 02, 2017 · 3:28 PM PST

2017/12/02 · 15:28

The Senate and House have passed different versions of the tax bill so either the House will have to pass the Senate bill as is or it will go to conference committee to be merged and voted on by the House and then the Senate. Either way, the first hurdle will be a vote in the House.

We have to keep fighting!

Call the Republican House members and tell them: “Don’t blow up the debt. Vote no on the Tax Bill.”

The Tax Bill will add $1Trillion to the debt. The CBC says $1.5trillion. By the Republican’s magical trickle-down thinking it will increase the economy’s growth by eight-tenths of a percent (0.8%). (Like we believe we’ll see any of that!) This will offset maybe a third of this debt — nowhere near the whole debt increase, leaving $trillion by the CBC estimate.

Republicans freak out over increasing the debt and yet all but Sen Bob Corker in the senate voted to blowup the debt. Hopefully our calls will remind the House Republicans of there fanaticism about not increasing the debt.

Here are the members of the Libertarian-leaning Freedom Caucus who you would suppose would vote no but didn’t. They will respond to the debt argument but not the Medicare cuts. We might have the most luck with them.

Amash, Justin (202) 225-3831
Barton, Joe (202) 225-2002
Biggs, Andy (202) 225-2635
Blum, Rod (202) 225-2911
Brat, Dave (202) 225-2815
Bridenstine, Jim (202) 225-2211
Brooks, Mo (202) 225-4801
Buck, Ken (202) 225-4676
Davidson, Warren (202) 225-6205
DeSantis, Ron (202) 225-2706
DesJarlais, Scott (202) 225-6831
Duncan, Jeff (202) 225-5301
Franks, Trent (202) 225-4576
Garrett, Thomas (202) 225-4711
Gohmert, Louie (202) 225-3035
Gosar, Paul A. (202) 225-2315
Griffith, Morgan (202) 225-3861
Harris, Andy (202) 225-5311
Hice, Jody (202) 225-4101
Jordan, Jim (202) 225-2676
Labrador, Raul R. (202) 225-6611
Meadows, Mark (202) 225-6401
Mooney, Alex (202) 225-2711
Palmer, Gary (202) 225-4921
Pearce, Steve (202) 225-2365
Perry, Scott (202) 225-5836
Posey, Bill (202) 225-3671
Sanford, Mark (202) 225-3176
Schweikert, David (202) 225-2190
Weber, Randy (202) 225-2831
Yoho, Ted (202) 225-5744

These members voted NO on the House tax bill. Call them and thank them for their no vote and remind them the Senate bill still blows up the debt.

Leonard Lance (202) 225-5361
Tom McClintock (202) 225-2511
Dana Rohrabacher (202) 225-2415
Darrell Issa (202) 225-3906
Walter B. Jones (202) 225-3415
Frank A. LoBiondo (202) 225-6572
Rodney Frelinghuysen (202) 225-5034
Lee Zeldin (202) 225-3826
Peter T. King (202) 225-7896
Dan Donovan (202) 225-3371
John J. Faso (202) 225-5614
Elise Stefanik (202) 225-4611

These are the rest of the Republican House members who voted yes on the tax bill last time. Remember they are Republicans so they respond to the Debt argument. Some may respond to the don’t take cancer treatment out of Medicare argument.

Abraham, Ralph (202) 225-8490
Aderholt, Robert (202) 225-4876
Allen, Rick (202) 225-2823
Amodei, Mark (202) 225-6155
Arrington, Jodey (202) 225-4005
Babin, Brian (202) 225-1555
Bacon, Don (202) 225-4155
Banks, Jim (202) 225-4436
Barletta, Lou (202) 225-6511
Barr, Andy (202) 225-4706
Bergman, Jack (202) 225-4735
Bilirakis, Gus M. (202) 225-5755
Bishop, Mike (202) 225-4872
Bishop, Rob (202) 225-0453
Black, Diane (202) 225-4231
Blackburn, Marsha (202) 225-2811
Bost, Mike (202) 225-5661
Brady, Kevin (202) 225-4901
Brooks, Susan W. (202) 225-2276
Buchanan, Vern (202) 225-5015
Bucshon, Larry (202) 225-4636
Budd, Ted (202) 225-4531
Burgess, Michael (202) 225-7772
Byrne, Bradley (202) 225-4931
Calvert, Ken (202) 225-1986
Carter, Buddy (202) 225-5831
Carter, John (202) 225-3864
Chabot, Steve (202) 225-2216
Cheney, Liz (202) 225-2311
Coffman, Mike (202) 225-7882
Cole, Tom (202) 225-6165
Collins, Chris (202) 225-5265
Collins, Doug (202) 225-9893
Comer, James (202) 225-3115
Comstock, Barbara (202) 225-5136
Conaway, K. Michael (202) 225-3605
Cook, Paul (202) 225-5861
Costello, Ryan (202) 225-4315
Cramer, Kevin (202) 225-2611
Crawford, Rick (202) 225-4076
Culberson, John (202) 225-2571
Curbelo, Carlos (202) 225-2778
Curtis, John R. (202) 225-7751
Davis, Rodney (202) 225-2371
Denham, Jeff (202) 225-4540
Dent, Charles W. (202) 225-6411
Diaz-Balart, Mario (202) 225-4211
Duffy, Sean P. (202) 225-3365
Duncan Jr., John J. (202) 225-5435
Dunn, Neal (202) 225-5235
Emmer, Tom (202) 225-2331
Estes, Ron (202) 225-6216
Farenthold, Blake (202) 225-7742
Ferguson, A. Drew (202) 225-5901
Fitzpatrick, Brian (202) 225-4276
Fleischmann, Chuck (202) 225-3271
Flores, Bill (202) 225-6105
Fortenberry, Jeff (202) 225-4806
Foxx, Virginia (202) 225-2071
Gaetz, Matt (202) 225-4136
Gallagher, Mike (202) 225-5665
Gianforte, Greg (202) 225-3211
Gibbs, Bob (202) 225-6265
Goodlatte, Bob (202) 225-5431
Gowdy, Trey (202) 225-6030
Granger, Kay (202) 225-5071
Graves, Garret (202) 225-3901
Graves, Sam (202) 225-7041
Graves, Tom (202) 225-5211
Grothman, Glenn (202) 225-2476
Guthrie, S. Brett (202) 225-3501
Handel, Karen C. (202) 225-4501
Harper, Gregg (202) 225-5031
Hartzler, Vicky (202) 225-2876
Hensarling, Jeb (202) 225-3484
Herrera Beutler, Jaime (202) 225-3536
Higgins, Clay (202) 225-2031
Hill, French (202) 225-2506
Holding, George (202) 225-3032
Hollingsworth, Trey (202) 225-5315
Hudson, Richard (202) 225-3715
Huizenga, Bill (202) 225-4401
Hultgren, Randy (202) 225-2976
Hunter, Duncan D. (202) 225-5672
Hurd, Will (202) 225-4511
Jenkins, Evan (202) 225-3452
Jenkins, Lynn (202) 225-6601
Johnson, Bill (202) 225-5705
Johnson, Mike (202) 225-2777
Johnson, Sam (202) 225-4201
Joyce, David (202) 225-5731
Katko, John (202) 225-3701
Kelly, Mike (202) 225-5406
Kelly, Trent (202) 225-4306
King, Steve (202) 225-4426
Kinzinger, Adam (202) 225-3635
Knight, Steve (202) 225-1956
Kustoff, David (202) 225-4714
LaHood,Darin (202) 225-6201
LaMalfa, Doug (202) 225-3076
Lamborn, Doug (202) 225-4422
Latta, Robert E. (202) 225-6405
Lewis, Jason (202) 225-2271
Long, Billy (202) 225-6536
Loudermilk, Barry (202) 225-2931
Love, Mia (202) 225-3011
Lucas, Frank (202) 225-5565
Luetkemeyer, Blaine (202) 225-2956
MacArthur, Tom (202) 225-4765
Marchant, Kenny (202) 225-6605
Marino, Tom (202) 225-3731
Marshall, Roger (202) 225-2715
Massie, Thomas (202) 225-3465
Mast, Brian (202) 225-3026
McCarthy, Kevin (202) 225-2915
McCaul, Michael T. (202) 225-2401
McHenry, Patrick T. (202) 225-2576
McKinley, David (202) 225-4172
McMorris Rodgers, Cathy (202) 225-2006
McSally, Martha (202) 225-2542
Meehan, Pat (202) 225-2011
Messer, Luke (202) 225-3021
Mitchell, Paul (202) 225-2106
Moolenaar, John (202) 225-3561
Mullin, Markwayne (202) 225-2701
Murphy, Tim - Vacancy (202) 225-2301
Newhouse, Dan (202) 225-5816
Noem, Kristi (202) 225-2801
Norman, Ralph (202) 225-5501
Nunes, Devin (202) 225-2523
Olson, Pete (202) 225-5951
Palazzo, Steven (202) 225-5772
Paulsen, Erik (202) 225-2871
Pittenger, Robert (202) 225-1976
Poe, Ted (202) 225-6565
Poliquin, Bruce (202) 225-6306
Radewagen, Amata (202) 225-8577
Ratcliffe, John (202) 225-6673
Reed, Tom (202) 225-3161
Reichert, David G. (202) 225-7761
Renacci, Jim (202) 225-3876
Rice, Tom (202) 225-9895
Roby, Martha (202) 225-2901
Roe, Phil (202) 225-6356
Rogers, Harold (202) 225-4601
Rogers, Mike (202) 225-3261
Rohrabacher, Dana (202) 225-2415
Rokita, Todd (202) 225-5037
Rooney, Francis (202) 225-2536
Rooney, Tom (202) 225-5792
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana (202) 225-3931
Roskam, Peter J. (202) 225-4561
Ross, Dennis (202) 225-1252
Rothfus, Keith (202) 225-2065
Rouzer, David (202) 225-2731
Royce, Ed (202) 225-4111
Russell, Steve (202) 225-2132
Rutherford, John (202) 225-2501
Ryan, Paul D. (202) 225-3031
Scalise, Steve (202) 225-3015
Scott, Austin (202) 225-6531
Sensenbrenner, F. James (202) 225-5101
Sessions, Pete (202) 225-2231
Shimkus, John (202) 225-5271
Shuster, Bill (202) 225-2431
Simpson, Mike (202) 225-5531
Smith, Adrian (202) 225-6435
Smith, Chris (202) 225-3765
Smith, Jason (202) 225-4404
Smith, Lamar (202) 225-4236
Smucker, Lloyd (202) 225-2411
Stewart, Chris (202) 225-9730
Stivers, Steve (202) 225-2015
Taylor, Scott (202) 225-4215
Tenney, Claudia (202) 225-3665
Thompson, Glenn W. (202) 225-5121
Thornberry, Mac (202) 225-3706
Tiberi, Pat (202) 225-5355
Tipton, Scott (202) 225-4761
Trott, Dave (202) 225-8171
Turner, Michael (202) 225-6465
Upton, Fred (202) 225-3761
Valadao, David (202) 225-4695
Wagner, Ann (202) 225-1621
Walberg, Tim (202) 225-6276
Walden, Greg (202) 225-6730
Walker, Mark (202) 225-3065
Walorski, Jackie (202) 225-3915
Walters, Mimi (202) 225-5611
Webster, Daniel (202) 225-1002
Wenstrup, Brad (202) 225-3164
Westerman, Bruce (202) 225-3772
Williams, Roger (202) 225-9896
Wilson, Joe (202) 225-2452
Wittman, Robert J. (202) 225-4261
Womack, Steve (202) 225-4301
Woodall, Robert (202) 225-4272
Yoder, Kevin (202) 225-2865
Young, David (202) 225-5476

If you’d like to call Sen. Bob Corker (R) and thank him for his no vote, his number is (202) 224-3344.

Hawai'i: 500 protesters diss Trump with humor

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday November 04, 2017 · 10:56 AM PDT

2017/11/04 · 10:56

Sierra Club Hawaii Executive Director Marti Townsend greets Trump in Oahu with Climate Justice For the Pacific banner

Five hundred anti-Trump protesters greeted Trump on his visit to Hawaii. Billed as “No Aloha For Trump”, two rallies were scheduled entitled “Hawai’i vs Trump” and “This Nightmare Must End.”

500 protesters greet Trump with insults and humor on Nov 3, 2017

State Representative, Kaniela Ing, who is running for Congresswoman Hanabusa’s position has made Climate Change one of his top three issues and participated with a sign saying “Aloha Means Goodbye.” You may remember this young progressive fighting for LGBT right to marry - an uphill battle in a state dominated by very conservative Mormons and Christians.

Humor was the watchword of the day. In this crowd shot, you can see the sign, “We shall Over Comb.” The crowd shouted “Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Donald Trump must go.” Signs of “Hawaii: 3, Trump: 0” referring to Hawaii’s court wins on the Muslim Ban were prevalent.

A sad commentary on the state of the GOP in Hawai’i was that only five pro-Trump supporters showed up.

How a lobbyist for Corrections Corporation of America became the Left’s darling

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday September 13, 2017 · 4:24 PM PDT

2017/09/13 · 16:24

Douglas Chin, Hawaii State Attorney General — Douglas Chin - Not the progressive you think he is

Hawai'i Attorney General, Douglas Chin, has been lauded for challenging Trump's Travel Ban although the reality is that Neal Katyal, has been hired to litigate the case.

Hawai'i Gov David Ige appointed Chin who serves at the governor's pleasure. Which might explain how a notorious lobbyist for Corrections Corporation of America and buddy of the Republican District Attorney and Mayor of Honolulu, Peter Carlisle, has seemingly taken a left turn. Gov. Ige told him to.

Fans of Douglas Chin most likely don't know his history - particularly since his Wikipedia entry has been scrubbed of inconvenient facts like:

Private Prisons - Hawai'i Outsources Prisoners

In 2011, 54 percent of Hawai'i prisoners were housed on the mainland with CCA. Vice wrote an article on the dangerous CCA conditions and death of a mentally disabled Hawai'i prisoner. This was only one example of the problems with CCA which has kept the issue of outsourcing Hawai'i prisoners a hot topic.

And Douglas Chin is on the wrong side of it.

Why does Hawai'i incarcerate a higher percentage of their prisoners in private CCA prisons far away on the mainland? One possibility is the skilled lobbying effort of Douglas Chin working on behalf of CCA.

In 2010 the Hawai'i State Auditor attacked Hawaii's crooked deal with CCA

CCA lobbies for keeping marijuana illegal and for other measures that increase their profits by increasing the number of incarcerated people through their membership in ALEC. In Hawai'i that lobbying effort has been spectacularly successful, in part thanks to Douglas Chin. According to the Office of Hawaiian affairs, "Since 1977, the number of people incarcerated in Hawai‘i has increased more than 900 percent"

OHA goes on to say that Native Hawaiians are disproportionately impacted by this increased incarceration.

Hawai'i can thank Douglas Chin not only for his successful lobbying for more CCA housed prisoners but for his role as AG resulting in so many of the lawsuits by those prisoners against CCA going nowhere and his cooperation in approving $34,000,000 in payments to CCA despite the illegal way their contract came about.

Criminalizing Homelessness

Hawaii has the highest per capita homeless rate in the nation. AG Chin has advocated for a bill that will further increase homelessness by criminalizing trespassing on State land. Homelessness in Hawaii is already rising at the fastest rate in the nation.

Opposing Hawaiian Homestead Funding

In exchange for taking the native Hawaiian land, the U.S. Congress created the Hawaiian Homestead law in 1921 which provided for kanaka maoli (native Hawaiians) to have land on which to build homes. The Hawaii state constitution requires the legislature to fund the administration of this program.

Hawaiians brought suit because administration was not being adequately funded resulting in long wait lists and inadequate oversight of the program. AG Douglas Chin has continued state opposition to the lawsuit asking for the legislature to appropriate adequate funds.

Supports "Slaver" Fishing

Hawaii law restricts the issuance of commercial fishing licenses to persons “lawfully admitted to the United States”. Fishing trawlers recruit foreign fishermen to fish in Hawaii waters but these men are not allowed to enter the state because they have no visa. There is a trick to allowing them to fish which is they are put under a deportation order and turned over to the captain to be "detained on board".

They become virtual slaves to the captain, unable to leave the boat, their passports and papers confiscated. If they become ill, they are just dumped on some island to fend for themselves.

Obviously if a fisherman is under a deportation order to be “detained on board” the slaver ship, they do not meet the requirement for obtaining a Hawai’i fishing license.

After attempting to get AG Chin to rule that these trafficked fishermen should not be issued state licenses with no result, a Hawaiian fisherman filed suit. The case is still in the legal system.

Supported Widespread Agricultural Burning on Maui

Chin supported one of Hawaii's largest corporations to continue burning their sugarcane approximately 200 days per year despite health effects on residents. Missionary company, Alexander & Baldwin (A&B) joined with Chin to fight the lawsuit filed by Maui residents. Chin supported A&B in burning their entire 35,000 acre plantation despite a Stanford University study which showed that biomass burning contributes significantly to climate change.

Cutting Bus Routes

Honolulu City and County has the third worst traffic in the nation. While Chin was deputy to Mayor Peter Carlisle, he cut bus routes to "save money".

Supported Aquarium Collecting

Hawaii reef fish are being devastated by coral bleaching, sea temperature rise, over-use by the tourist industry, and the coup de grâce, aquarium collecting which takes over five million reef fish every year.

AG Chin has continued to fight against those who wanted curbs on aquarium fishing and just recently lost the case against it.

Summary

Lest you think that Chin is not a smart lawyer because he's lost these cases, that is not true. He has just been defending business interests who have violated the law and quite rightly the courts have smacked him down. Don't let his one good act (suing over the Muslim Ban) mislead you into thinking he is not the ultimate corporate tool. He is no progressive. Not even close.

Hawai'i Pesticide Ordinances In 9th Circuit Court

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday June 25, 2016 · 11:35 AM PDT

2016/06/25 · 11:35

Shame on you suing Kaua'i county for the right to spray poisons next to our schools, homes & Hospitals banner

The implications of the court's ruling or rulings in this case will be vast.—Courthouse News

The Ninth Circuit Court Judges came to Hawai’i to hear four appeals to rulings that held that county ordinances and a citizens’ initiative were pre-empted by state and federal law. The proceedings were live-streamed as residents traveled from neighbor islands and packed the court to overflowing.

If the Ninth District rules with the pesticide companies, these cases could torpedo GMO and pesticide ordinances in West Coast communities like those in Oregon.

This video shows the problems and passions ignited because Hawai’i is being used as pesticide experimenting grounds by the chemical/GMO companies, Syngenta, Monsanto, Dow, Pioneer and Bayer.

YouTube Video

First up was Syngenta’s lawsuit to prevent Kaua’i from creating no-spray buffer zones around schools and hospitals — a position that has been internationally reviled. In this case, like all four cases, the administration was glaringly absent and defense of this particular ordinance was argued by Paul Achitoff, of EarthJustice on behalf of Kamika Ho'opono, Surfrider Foundation and the Pesticide Action Network of North America.

Second was Achitoff again defending the Big Island ordinance prohibiting GMO planting. He argued that there was no objection when years ago the state banned GMO taro and coffee.

The introduction of GMO papaya contaminated much of Big Island papaya and farmers saw a decline in the price they could get as a result. This was the impetus behind the ordinance banning other GMO plantings.

Third up was the Maui County ordinance banning GMOs until the companies could prove their operations were safe. EarthJustice attorney Summer Kupao-Odu was appealing the lower court’s denial of intervention on behalf of her clients, MOM Hui, Molokai Mahi Ai, Jerry Ross and the Center for Food Safety.

Molokai (part of Maui county) as well as Maui island have large amounts of chemical company experimental fields, many of them close to schools and homes.

The lower court ruled against Kupoa-Odu saying that the SHAKA movement attorney, Bernie Bays was already defending the citizens’ initiative.

Why is this critical? SHAKA, the organization which got the initiative passed, for some reason, passed over Maui’s experienced and brilliant environmental attorneys, Lance D. Collins and Isaac Hall, and picked instead Bays, a construction attorney with zero environmental law experience who is clearly blowing it. Western U.S. communities are in deep trouble if this case is decided against Maui County. All GMO restrictions are in trouble. The issue of Federal preemption can invalidate all the western states’ GMO ordinances.

The Court continued hearing arguments on the Maui initiative as the fourth case.

It is unknown when the Court will render its decision.

According to Court News:

The Ninth Circuit is the biggest federal appeals court in the country, covering Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The implications of the court's ruling or rulings in this case will be vast.

400 Maui activists say no to TPP. Talks end without agreement

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday August 01, 2015 · 11:53 AM PDT

2015/08/01 · 11:53

no image description available — On Maui 400 Stop the TPP on Land and Sea protestors sound the kahea (call) with conch shells

On July 29th with the secret Trans Pacific Partnership Treaty (TPP) negotiators and ministers sequestered in the plush Mariot resort at Ka'anapali Beach on Maui, 400 conch shell blowing TPP protestors showed up to say "no" to the TPP.

Photo of 400 conch shell blowing Maui residents protesting the Trans Pacific Partnership at Ka'anapali Beach outside the secret TPP negotiations held at the Westin.

On Maui 400 Stop the TPP on Land and Sea protestors sound the kahea (call) with conch shells

Event organizer Trinette Furtado said that in blowing the pū (conch shell),

"we are putting out a mighty kahea (call), past the shorelines of Maui, to connect with others standing up for their 'āina (land) and people."

The event which lasted most of the day began with a Hawaiian pule (prayer) by Lorilani Keohokalole-Torio and chants preceding a press conference, during which the former Japanese agricultural minister, Masahiko Yamada, spoke through an interpreter and talked about how he had been fighting the TPP for five years. Yamada ended with an impassioned sentence about the TPP and shot his arm and fist towards the sky. The crowd, without waiting for his translation was inspired by his tone to shout and raise their arms with him.

Marti Townsend, the Hawai'i Sierra Club Executive Director spoke about the negative environmental consequences of the investor-state tribunals and said,

"Signing a deal that would restrict governments from taking action on climate change, gut environmental protections, and increase poverty all at the same time is an injustice that will haunt generations to come."

Long time Native Hawaiian activist (extending back to the 70s when Hawaiians were fighting to stop the military destruction of Kaho'olawe island) Walter Ritte said,

"This is nothing new we’re talking about today. It’s nothing new for us Hawaiians. We don’t need another layer of colonialism and bureaucracy. We had the sugar and pineapple barons, now we have the chemical-GMO barons and the tourist industry. We don’t need anymore. It’s pilau, pilau, pilau (rotten)."

Native Hawaiian Trinette Furtado similarly called the TPP,

"an affront to the sovereignty of all of us as individuals, and also an affront to Hawaiian sovereignty."

Unite Here Local 5 has been active in Hawai'i social justice issues and participated in the planning for this event. Although not speaking at the press conference, Unite Here representative Cade Watanabe added,

"Workers around the world are hurting. We need agreements that lift living standards for all, not drive them down so that big business can make another buck."

Lorilani Keohokalole-Torio spoke from her indigenous ancestral connection to Hawai‘i,

"Behind me stands my ancestors and my ‘ohana (family). We are not aligned with people coming in and restructuring how we live. It hurts my na‘au, my gut. We are fed up, we are educated, we are empowered, and we are aligned to help this place, mother earth, regain the strength that she wants back."

After the press conference there were 2 hours of pū blowing practice in preparation for an attempt to break the Guinness World Record in beach conch shell blowing. (There was method behind this noisy practice on the beach fronting the Westin hotel)

At approximately 5:30pm the 400 pū blowers were wrangled into a long line. And blew the pū five times rather than the traditional four. The final blow was directed to the TPP ministers in a meeting at the Westin hotel. Pū blowing was directed by another long time Hawaiian activist, Earl DeLeon. Call and response chants in Hawaiian followed.

On Friday it appears that the TPP negotiators failed to reach a complete agreement primarily over agricultural issues.

Ironically one of the sticking points was the U.S. subsidy and price supports for sugar plantations - a controversial subject on Maui where HC&S burns 37,000 acres of cane fields 6 days per week and up to 10 months per year. Stop Cane Burning with over a thousand members just filed suit against the burning. In an example of the differing social justice organizing joining together, some of the key organizers of this event also belong to the cane burning opposition.

Hawai'i is seeing social justice, labor, indigenous, environmental and human rights movements realizing that joining together in support makes for a louder, stronger voice.

Those who joined to support Wednesday's action included: Kāko'o Haleakalā, AiKea, Sierra Club, UNITE HERE! Local 5, KAHEA: Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action (H.A.P.A), Babes Against Biotech, Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, Kai Palaoa, Hawaii Center for Food Safety, Hawai’i SEED, Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery, ‘Ohana O Kaua’i, Occupy Wall Street Maui, Public Citizen, Flush the TPP, Friends of the Earth, Shaka Movement, Popular Resistance, MoveOn, CREDO, SumOfUs, and many more. AFL-CIO put out a call to members to join the action.

This event was organized in only five days due to the secretive nature of the TPP negotiations. More photos at the event website TPPmaui.com

PS: Many thanks to the Hawai'i ACLU for intervening with the State of Hawai'i so that the 400 didn't end up arrested.

Maui to tell TPP negotiators "a'ole TPP!"

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday July 25, 2015 · 6:14 PM PDT

2015/07/25 · 18:14

TPP secret negotiations are going on right now at the plush Westin Maui Resort & Spa at Ka'anapali on Maui.

Activists on Maui are preparing to greet the TPP nation ministers with an attempt to break the Guinness World Record in beach pū (conch) blowing outside their hotel. A tiny group of Maui residents are putting together this national event with backing and help from Kāko'o Haleakalā, AiKea, Hawaii Sierra Club, Hawai‘i SEED Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action H.A.P.A, UNITE HERE Local 5, Public Citizen, Friends of the Earth, Flush the TPP, Popular Resistance, MoveOn, CREDO, SumOfUs, Babes Against Biotech, Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery, `Ohana o Kauai, Occupy Wall Street Maui and many more.

In the last four days since discovering that the TPP negotiators were holding meetings on the secretive treaty on Maui, they've gotten permission from Guiness World Records to try for a world record, created a website, TPPmaui.com, put out PSAs and press releases and coordinated with the national groups.

Maui's noisy anti-TPP event takes advantage of Hawai'i laws which say that the beach is public property.

SumOfUs has contributed towards T-shirts for participants to highlight the opposition to the TPP.

Event organizers say:

I ka wā ma mua, ka wā ma hope (“the future is in the past”) - In understanding the past, we look to the future: we rally together in prelude to Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, Restoration Day, when after being temporarily seized by the British Navy, sovereignty was restored and Kamehameha III proclaimed before a large crowd, ua mau ke ea o ka ‘āina i ka pono ("The life of the land is perpetuated by doing the right thing")

Maui Reaches Breaking Point

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday June 16, 2015 · 10:31 AM PDT

2015/06/16 · 10:31

Welcome to paradise. Now let's destroy it. Maui residents have apparently reached their breaking point on exploitation by corporations.

On Sunday, residents sick (literally) of the missionary company Alexander & Baldwin burning sugarcane 250 days per year hired an attorney and began fund-raising to pay for litigation seeking an end to burning.

Alexander & Baldwin's HC&S division burns 35,000 acres of sugarcane every two years. The Department of Health (DoH) (which angry residents call the Dept of UNhealth) issues a yearly burn permit that leaves regulation in the hands of the plantation.

This practice results in some creative reporting on the part of HC&S.

For instance, on May 26, 2015 the weather report forecasted an inversion layer which would pin the smoke at ground level and trap it for a significant time.

Residents called DoH warning that burning should be cancelled for the following day. HC&S's burn permit requires that they check meteorological conditions and refrain from burning during inversion layers.

DoH did nothing. HC&S burned anyway. The result was heavy, lingering smoke over Kihei, choking the elementary school. One student was hospitalized and treated for 3 days for breathing problems, 2 others (not confirmed) were also reported to have been hospitalized. Some parents brought their children to school and turned around and brought them home.

HC&S spokesperson Hilary Bingham left voicemail saying there was no smoke, "only odor" which resulted in this photo making the rounds on Facebook.

May 27th, 2015 sugarcane smoke on Maui that HC&S said didn't exist and was only odor.

In 2013 the nonprofit Maui Tomorrow Foundation created the CleanAirMaui app that enables residents and visitors to report smoke at ground level. Prior to that, HC&S and DoH had been claiming that there were no complaints about smoke.

In the last year, 1757 complaints were made. You can view photos and descriptions at CleanAirForKeiki.org/showcomplaints.php

This could be partially due to the DoH staffer on Maui who is in charge of (not) calling no-burn days greeting complaints with, "If you make this complaint, you will put 800 people out of work."

Residents pointed out that his words constituted a real conflict of interest and asked whether he was working for the state or for the plantation.

HC&S pulls out this "800 jobs" argument every time someone tries to regulate their pollution. When the EPA strengthened coal-fired boiler pollution standards, HC&S persuaded then House representative, Colleen Hanabusa, to vote against the law.

However HC&S has never backed up that 800 number nor disclosed how many of these are their foreign field workers. Residents guess (without any real data) that the majority of these 800 jobs are from workers imported from other countries and crowded together in Haliimaile plantation houses.

One would think that growing and burning sugarcane would have a net zero effect on climate change. After all, the cane sequesters CO2 while growing and the fire just releases that back into the atmosphere. Turns out, though, the soot generated in the smoke has a big impact so agricultural burning has a net damaging effect on climate change.

Residents have created the StopCaneBurning.org website and a facebook page. In three days, they've collected $5,885 for their legal fight.

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday May 05, 2015 · 8:09 PM PDT

2015/05/05 · 20:09

Kaua'i Councilmember (and former Hawai'i state Environmental Quality Chair) Gary Hooser traveled to Switzerland to speak at the Syngenta shareholders meeting.

He said:

I'm from the island of Kaua'i in the middle of the Pacific ocean...I'm here today to add information that perhaps is not contained within your annual report and I appreciate your patience with me allowing me to share the message from my community in Kaua'i.
I'm also here today to present a petition a petition from thousands of residents of our small island. There's only 60-65 thousand people live where I live and we are very, very concerned about our community and the impacts that Syngenta has in our small community.

And that petition is very simple. It asks Syngenta to honor the laws of our community. Withdraw your lawsuit from the courts of Hawai'i. And to give us the same respect as the same protection as you give the people of Switzerland.

Right now Syngenta sprays enormous amounts of Atrazine in the fields around homes, schools and hospitals where we live. Atrazine is not allowed to be sprayed in your country.

Syngenta sprays enormous amounts of Paraquat which is banned here and in 36 countries around the world. And you do it daily in our community. There are four additional highly restricted that are sprayed daily around schools, hospitals and homes where I live.

Imagine if you had to drive and live in a community surrounded by GE test fields. And every day, every day you know that they are spraying toxic chemicals in the areas around where you live.

Imagine if the schools in your community had children getting sick like they do in my community and going to the hospital in ambulances and throwing up while Syngenta is spraying fields right next door.

Imagine if the doctors in your community like the doctors in my community are concerned about birth defects and believe that there are 10 times the national rate of birth defects in the small hospital where I live.

At this point the recording is cut off as the videographer is forcibly removed from the room. Hooser ended with a plea that Syngenta drop its lawsuit against Kaua'i county, disclose what they are spraying and observe buffer zones around homes, schools and hospitals.

The trip to Switzerland was at the invitation of the Swiss nonprofit MultiWatch and was supported by the Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action. MultiWatch presented the head of the Basel government and Syngenta executives with a petition signed by 6,000 people on Kauai island’s behalf.

In 2013 the Kaua'i county council passed an ordinance which required commercial agricultural entities to disclose the pesticides applied and establish buffer zones around sensitive areas like nursing homes, schools and hospitals.

Shame on you, Syngenta, suing Kaua'i county for the right to spray poisons next to our schools, homes & hospitals.

Syngenta sued to overturn the ordinance giving rise to numerous banners with the mocking message, "Shame on you, Syngenta, suing Kaua'i county for the right to spray poisons next to our schools, homes & hospitals."

After Syngenta, DuPont Pioneer, BASF and Dow AgroSciences, challenged the ordinance, U.S. District Court Judge Barry Kurren invalidated it saying that state laws pre-empted the need for a county law. That ruling is being appealed in the 9th Circuit Court.

According to Kauai's Garden Isle Newpaper, Hooser said "People were flabbergasted" in Switzerland when they heard what Syngenta was doing. Syngenta tried to justify their actions but Hooser called their defense "baloney" and said that 66,000 pounds of Atrazine in Hawai'i last year.

Hooser is not particularly hopeful that the giant chemical company will stop experimentation on Kaua'i. Syngenta itself said, " “The island offers unrivaled climatic and agronomic conditions for crop research, which has benefited millions of growers around the world."

Seems like Hawaii's beautiful climate is a double edged sword.

Karen from Maui

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday April 04, 2015 · 8:44 PM PDT

2015/04/04 · 20:44

After a week of peaceful "protectors" blocking access to construction crews on Mauna Kea (Big Island, Hawai'i) arrests began on Thursday. The TMT Corporation plans to build a 34,000 square feet and 18 stories tall telescope that will add to the existing 13 telescopes. In both videos below, one can see that the officers are reluctant to oppose the protectors and many share their beliefs that the mountain is being desecrated.

This battle has been raging for forty years. More in depth discussion can be found here and on a site devoted to protecting Mauna Kea

Lanakila Mangauil asked the officials to look into their hearts and join with the protectors. In the following video he talks about how the construction was scheduled to start during Makahiki, a time of peace when cultural practitioners would be unable to block access. Serendipitously Poliʻahu (goddess of snow) dumped so much snow on Mauna Kea that construction was delayed until after the closing of Makahiki.

The only anger was expressed as officers handcuffed 70 year old Moani Akaka - a former Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee. Kupuna (elders) are used to be treated with respect and she appeared shocked to be handcuffed. Akaka has long opposed building yet another telescope on Mauna Kea saying, "We feel that enough is enough. We want no further development of telescopes on Mauna Kea."

Protectors are concerned about polluted wastewater from the installations, environmental damage (which has already occurred) and interference with Hawaiian cultural observances. According to Cory Harden, "Astronomy can occur in many places, but many Hawaiian traditions carried out on Mauna Kea cannot be carried out anywhere else in the world"

The University of Hawaii has 13 observatories on the peak which is "ceded land" (land stolen from the Hawaiian monarchy during the illegal overthrow) UH pays only a token dollar per year rent.

Those opposing construction of yet another mammoth telescope on the mountain say, "Go bulldoze your own temple." A particularly apropos simile on the Christian's Good Friday.

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