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(Quick note to Anne Lopez, Hawaii’s latest version of Attorney General: Hi Anne, Please don’t worry yourself over this. Defrauding the public in Hawaii has long ago become normalized.) Privatizing publicly-owned land for the convenience of Hawaii's bureaucracy is a LIE . . . Privatizing publicly-owned properties for the convenience of Hawaii's bureaucracy is a heinous crime against the people of Hawaii: It is a blatant violation of the Public Trust Doctrine established in federal and state case law. It is a blatant violation of the intent and purpose outlined in the Hobron family trust It is a blatant violation of the intent of the Kaiser Indenture and Deed and as such is a slap in the face to our ancestors who built the foundations for public trust in Hawaii. It is a blatant admission by the state of Hawaii — and a warning to Hawaii's public — that the state's bureaucracy is wholly incapable of and unwilling to manage publicly held assets of any kind. A "public/private partnership" is a subterfuge that is nothing more than the "sale" of publicly-owned land to a private entity for a 99 year period. Since profit is always the primary motive, willful abuse of the public's right to have their lands managed in a way that would maintain equitable access is assured. Lawmakers like Sharon Moriwaki have consistently demonstrated a deliberate and suspicious unwillingness to explore other ways of managing publicly-owned properties such as hybrid inclusion of strategically-placed competent private services that would help manage public properties like the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. Governor Green, Sharon Moriwaki and a number of other lawmakers now occupying seats in our legislature have been unwilling to form a task force comprised of individuals who truly do know the harbors environment in Hawaii, focusing instead on the convenience of handing over publicly-owned assets to pandering private corporations like Howard Hughes corporation and Hilton Hawaiian Corporation. Current DOBOR Administrator, Megan Statts, has continuously lied to this legislature about the rationale and nature of this "public/private" subterfuge and should be removed from her position for having perjured herself to our lawmakers —and the public — on multiple previous occasions about this subject. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZyDNPu8XMc) The staff at Hawaii Ocean News STRONGLY opposes SB 364, the legislature's latest attempt to privatize a publicly-owned harbor facility. We encourage Hawaii residents to stand up and fight this kind of willful abuse of the public's right to have their lands managed in a way that would maintain equitable access. Hawaii Ocean News opposes any poorly-thought-through attempt by our state government to privatize ANY publicly-owned harbor facility in the State of Hawaii. There are viable management alternatives.Hawaii’s “Public/Private Partnerships” are a LIE
Privatizing publicly-owned assets for the convenience of Hawaii's bureaucracy is a heinous crime against the people of Hawaii
Hawaii's LAZY state bureaucrats unwilling to explore management options that would honor legally-established commitments to publicly-owned assets
Hawaii Ocean News is proud to re-release to Hawaii’s post-pandemic community: “Stealing Aloha”, a documentary. With the release of the Covid-19 vaccine, we may be entering a post-pandemic era. … Recent OmniTrack Survey Results Say It All In a recent survey of Hawaii residents by OmniTrack, nearly 70% — nearly 70% — of our residents made it clear that… Irresponsible government . . . irresponsible development; 30 new high-rises in the past seven years, and now the City Council and Mayor Caldwell are about to bless a 400’… – commentary – Currently 9,667 Hawaii residents have been infected, with 83 fatalities . . . the Covid-19 pandemic is serious – this is not the time for make… Lawmakers decision to readmit tourists may be ill timed and dangerous As a result of the enormous economic damage done to the state’s economy because of the pandemic, administrators are… Rereading DoBOR’s “Modernizing Ocean Recreation Management in Hawai`I, Strategic Action Plan”, we couldn’t help but notice that Ed Underwood found it necessary to publish his own performance assessment. “When I… “We’re in bad shape . . . “ Frankly worded messages recently sent by legislators to their constituents are saying things like: “WE’RE IN BAD SHAPE . . . At… -opinion- The pandemic of 2020 has turned out to be the Big Reveal. While one part of our government here in Hawaii has been working to contain the effects… (Correction in this article: our comment “Despite the suspension of Hawaii Administrative Rules . . .” was not accurate. Many of the State’s Hawaii Revised Statutes and Hawaii Administrative Rules… According to an article published by scientists on March 16, 2020, the actual number of Covid-19 cases in Hawaii may be up to ten times higher than what is being… The following is a response to Senator Sharon Moriwaki’s latest email broadcast: On 4/20/2020 9:45 PM, Sharon Moriwaki wrote: The “silver lining” of the COVID19 pandemic: making us take pause… The Hawaii that we are accustomed to, dominated by tourism and endless development schemes, has been turned off by COVID19. Local surfers, fishermen, and many others seem to be enjoying… The world has paused . . . The world has paused, and the business-as-usual has taken a time out in the Aloha State. The tourists are gone and we are… SCR68 and SR35 would instantly, should they become law, pose an immediate and extreme danger to the safety and wellbeing of both, electric vehicle riders and motorists alike. Few… It became evident, during a legislature Finance committee hearing, on Monday, Februrary 24, that HB2422, a proposed law that would require an audit of DLNR and DoBOR performance, was nothing… Years of complaints — past audits that did not target trouble spots This may be the best evidence for kharma, ever. After years of complaints by Hawaii resident boaters and… There are now no fewer than five pieces of legislation making there way through Hawaii’s legislature that seek to bypass public consent en route to privatizing submerged and dry public… A lawsuit, filed yesterday, challenges the Department of Land and Natural Resources and its Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation to provide evidence that they had authority, under statute, to… Paywalling public parking for beach goers The most recent attempt by Ed Underwood’s DoBOR to usurp still more public access to public lands came under close scrutiny, this time by… The DLNR’s Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DoBOR) has, of late, found itself deluged with UIPA/Sunshine Law demands for public access to documentation. This increased interest in DoBOR due… Hawaii Ocean News is proud to release: “Stealing Aloha”, a documentary. History is repeating itself. In 1893, Hawaii saw the overthrow of its monarchy by colluding business interests and government… Opinion Kirk Caldwell is the mayor of Honolulu and spends a considerable amount of his time easily suckling at the teats of the rich who come to his city… Registered Nurse Organizing Demonstrations Against State’s inept Handling of Hawaii’s Public Harbor Crisis Kate Thompson is a Registered Nurse and Licensed Boat Captain. She retired from the State of Hawaii… After two years of communicating with, or attempting to communicate with key figures in the Governor’s office, attorney general’s office, legislature, DLNR, and DoBOR bureaucracies, we’ve reached the inescapable conclusion… As you’ll see in the video below, rising sea levels are threatening Hawaii’s coastline homes and businesses, right now; but if you’re thinking that our leaders are on it …. Okay, I admit it . . . I’m a weather-report junkie. I guess that comes with the territory; I’m an avid water sports person and weather reports are important, especially… – the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily shared by all of the staff members at Hawaii Ocean News – … – opinion – As a courtesy to visiting Transpac sailors we provide below a list of emergency contact numbers in the event that you become traumatized by your harbor… – opinion – Months later . . . As you may remember from headlines a couple of months ago, the derelict 85’ 149 passenger Navatec II, recently renamed the… Sally Ingstrom takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the fate that awaits all TransPac-50 participants As of this writing the 100th competitor has just signed up for the TransPac 2019… “Harbor rats” . . . “Freeloaders” . . . “Drug Addicts” . . . “Derelicts;” the community at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor has been the favorite whipping boy… Note to reader: there will be a “visioning” meeting that will be held on Monday, July 1, 2019 for the purpose of discussing the future of the Ala Wai Small… opinion Ah, those heady Nature Conservancy days when Suzanne Case was at the helm. They got some pretty good mediocre stuff done back in those days, and if you’ll… Below are some of the legal concerns regarding the Chapter 13-234 rules proposal. The DLNR’s Board will conduct its final deliberation on this rules package this coming Friday, June 14,… Opinion A growing number of news articles from around the web, and our own research, leave little room for doubt, at this stage, that Hawaii DoBOR’s Ed Underwood should… An open letter to Hawaii Governor David Y. Ige (This testimony has been published and meant to be a permanent record for public review, on the Hawaii Ocean News website)… In the quiet darkness of a recent early Saturday morning, City of Honolulu crews installed sophisticated HPD security cameras on the Diamond Head side of the State’s Ala Wai Small… Recreational boaters will pay for any incident involving commercial vessels that have been allowed to participate in the public harbor system, with money being provided by the Boating Special Fund. … On full display, in front of hotel guests at the Prince Waikiki, are the simultaneously sinking carcasses of Navatek II, the abandoned, sunken tourist ship, now moved onto a nearby… Environmentalist, Suzanne Case, who also happens to be the Chairperson for the DLNR, is being asked by some of Hawaii’s harbor residents, and nearby high-end tourist destination representatives, to resolve… The staff of Hawaii Ocean News (HON) is very proud to announce a new milestone in viewership. While interest in our blog has steadily been increasing over the past year,… Hawaii Ocean News has begun a new video series with an inaugural video entitled “S O S”. This is a video about the realities of our Public Harbor System… There was a quiet undertone of near-panic in the legislature chambers at 11 A.M. on Wednesday, April 24th, 2019. There was, underway, an uncomfortable attempt to push HB1032 through committee… DLNR/DoBOR’s latest version of the proposal to raise fees in Hawaii’s public harbors, Statewide, is seeking something close to a 1000% increase in electrical flat-rate fees for harbor tenants who… Hawaii Boat Owners United (HBOU) has a brand new website and invites all members of the boating community to come visit, share, talk story, and help inform our legislators to… What do you give the man who has everything? Give up? A public harbor, of course! In a bizarre twist at the State Capitol, last Friday, April 26th, the legislature,… The House/Senate Committees, trying to figure out the DLNR/DoBOR inspired SB1257 legislation that sought exponential increases to harbor fees, finally gave up after four attempts and deferred the bill on… (Editor’s Note: this article, along with the latest petition and Galt’s in-depth analysis of the privatization plan, was sent to all of the legislators noted below.) PUBLIC TESTIMONY Katherine Lindell… (Editor’s Note: this article, along with the latest petition was sent to all of the legislators noted below.) Two crucial bills, SB1257 and HB1032, are now set for hearings… THE STAFF AT HAWAII OCEAN NEWS UNANIMOUSLY OPPOSES THE PASSING OF S.B. 1257 Regarding S.B1257 (Relating to Use Permits for Small Boat Harbor Facilities) To Our Legislature Conferees: Rep. Ryan…Urgent Re-Post: Stealing Aloha . . . Hawaii Under Siege, The Documentary
Hawaii: the verdict is in, residents say tourists NOT welcome
30 new high-rise buildings in the past seven years . . . Honolulu . . . ENOUGH! Brookfield proposal will be straw that breaks our back
With 9,667 infected Hawaii residents and 83 fatalities, Honolulu’s Emergency Order No. 2020-25 misses all the marks
Hawaii residents suffering from past/present leadership failures, and it’s just turned dangerous
Hawaii’s DLNR/DOBOR may be intentionally mismanaging the state’s public harbor system
Hawaii’s in trouble: pandemic leaves behind huge revenue shortfalls, state’s finances a mess
Case’s DLNR, Underwood’s DoBOR unapologetic about it’s breach of governor’s pandemic law
DoBOR policies encouraging the spread of Covid-19 in our community
Covid-19 cases in Hawaii may be closer to 6,000 according to scientists
An open letter to Hawaii Legislators
Hawaii: the pandemic has instantly remapped our future
Hawaii: pulling back the curtain on incompetence
Substandard bike lane infrastructure threatens public safety in Hawaii as legislature set to pass laws forcing cyclists into the street
Underwood’s DoBOR Attempts to Manipulate Legislators in Audit Subterfuge
DoBOR is Now in the Hawaii State Legislature’s Crosshairs
State government’s assault on public lands: 5 bills in the legislature now seek to bypass public consent in bid to privatize public lands
Lawsuit claims that recent mooring fee increases not authorized by statute . . .
Stealing from the public . . . and why Hawaii’s controllers keep trying
Hawaii’s DoBOR, Facing Increasing Scrutiny, Bails on RFP for Ala Wai Properties
Stealing Aloha . . . Hawaii Under Siege: The Documentary
Honolulu’s Mayor, Kirk Caldwell, Placidly Suckles at the Teats of the Wealthy
Registered Nurse Organizing Demonstrations Against State’s Inept Handling of Hawaii’s Public Harbor Crisis
Conversations with Hawaii’s rule makers: disconnected, arrogant, and unresponsive
Are Hawaii Leaders Serious about Climate Change?
Ala Wai Harbor Residents Plant Trees as Hawaii Summers Get Hotter
The Hawaiians on Mauna Kea Are Right . . . and The Folly of Building $1.4 Billion Dollar Telescopes on Sacred Mountains
A List of Emergency Contacts for All Transpac Mariners
“Gateway to Waikiki” Now a Homeless Shelter
TransPac 2019 Crews in for Big Surprise When They Get Here
Demonizing Communities for Fun and Profit
An Open Letter to Senator Sharon Moriwaki: Hawaii No Longer Has Time for Subterfuge
Why Fake Environmentalism Poses a Danger to the Public; Hawaii’s Deadly Serious Environmental Issues Are Worse Than Ever
Final BLNR Hearing Regarding 13-234 Gives Boaters Last Chance to Have Their Voices Heard
Hawaii DoBOR’s Ed Underwood Appears Dangerously Incompetent
If Hawaii Governor David Ige Signs This Bill, Expect New Era of Privatization of Public Lands & Assets
New Security Cams Watching Activity on Diamond Head Side of Ala Wai Harbor
Recreational Boaters to Pay for Commercial Wreck Clean-ups with Hefty Fee Increases
Hawaii Drowning in Incompetence
Welcome to the ‘Gateway to Waikiki’!
New Milestone For Hawaii Ocean News – Views Top Out at 1,400 Per Day
“S O S” – The New Four-Minute Tell-All Video About Our Public Harbor System
Stealing Islands from Hawaii and Why the Lanai Manele Bay Heist Was a Setup
Hawaii’s DoBOR Apparently Seeks to Skim Profits in Electrical Billing Scheme – Latest Public Harbor Fee Increase Proposal
Finally: Hawaii Boat Owners Uniting, Working Together to Improve Boating for Everyone
Public Outcry Stops DLNR/DoBOR Public Lands Privatization Bid . . . For Now
Legislators See Through DoBOR’s Fee Increase Ruse, Defer SB1257 indefinitely
Hawaii Ocean News Submits Public Testimony on Bills That Would Privatize Public Assets
Activists Hand-Deliver Appeal to Legislators
WE OPPOSE S.B. 1257 – Hawaii Ocean News S.B.1257 Testimony