{"id":7987,"date":"2021-04-21T21:03:04","date_gmt":"2021-04-21T21:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/?p=7987"},"modified":"2021-04-23T20:20:51","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T20:20:51","slug":"hawaiis-dysfunctional-legislature-doubles-public-tenants-rents-while-governor-forces-private-landlords-to-show-forbearance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/21\/hawaiis-dysfunctional-legislature-doubles-public-tenants-rents-while-governor-forces-private-landlords-to-show-forbearance\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawaii&#8217;s dysfunctional legislature doubles public\u00a0 tenants&#8217; rents while governor forces private landlords to show forbearance"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pl-7987\"  class=\"panel-layout\" ><div id=\"pg-7987-0\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-has-style\" ><div style=\"padding: 0px 0; \" data-overlay=\"true\" data-overlay-color=\"#000000\" class=\"panel-row-style panel-row-style-for-7987-0\" ><div id=\"pgc-7987-0-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-7987-0-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-headline panel-first-child\" data-index=\"0\" ><div style=\"text-align: left;\" data-title-color=\"#443f3f\" data-headings-color=\"#443f3f\" class=\"panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-7987-0-0-0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-headline so-widget-sow-headline-default-7e1a0304cfc3-7987\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><div class=\"sow-headline-container \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"sow-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPlayed like gullible children, Hawaii's dysfunctional legislature votes to double rents for state's tenants despite pandemic's economic chaos\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h6>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"decoration\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"decoration-inside\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"sow-sub-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLegislators appeared silly and confused as DOBOR's Underwood and Statts fabricated testimony \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-7987-0-0-1\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-last-child\" data-index=\"1\" ><div style=\"text-align: left;\" data-title-color=\"#443f3f\" data-headings-color=\"#443f3f\" class=\"panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-7987-0-0-1\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LAFrMsPhRBQ\" width=\"1000\" height=\"561\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">At first glance this looks like a normal committee meeting hearing in our Hawaii state legislature. But watch carefully. What you're witnessing is a committee chairperson manipulating the committee hearing process to attain his desired outcome for a bill.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hawaii&#039;s In Trouble: no money, tourists bring Covid variants, &amp; a horribly dysfunctional government\" width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WZyDNPu8XMc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">At first glance this looks like a normal committee meeting hearing in our Hawaii state legislature. But watch carefully. Here you see Meghan Statts, DoBOR representative, providing legislators with creative -- and dishonest -- versions of DoBOR's rationale for wanting SB795 passed. This is a measure that is patently illegal, will instantly double this demographic's rent (right in the middle of a pandemic) with the potential to create still more homelessness, and violates the State's constitution.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 24px;\">SB795 was the litmus test, the canary in the mine, for vetting the legislative process in Hawaii<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">The very last message to Hawaii Senators right before the vote on SB795 read as follows:\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 16px;\">Senators:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 16px;\">Passing SB795 will trigger the following:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 16px;\">Will near instantly double the rent for State of Hawaii Principal Habitation tenants RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC [and will create still more homelessness in our State]<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 16px;\">Will clearly violate HRS 200-10<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 16px;\">Will violate Hawaii's State Constitution: Article 3, Section 14<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 16px;\">As such, passing this bill will trigger a petition for an ACLU lawsuit against the State of Hawaii<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 16px;\">Katherine Lindell<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">The message was completely ignored by Hawaii's senators who went on, shortly thereafter, to vote on a near unanimous approval of the measure.\u00a0 Only one senator opposed, out of twenty-five.\u00a0 One, out of twenty-five.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Shortly thereafter, the Attorney General's office was contacted by a concerned individual in the affected demographic, and this was the AG's reply:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Dear [Concerned]:<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">The Department of Attorney General does not believe there are legal issues with this bill.\u00a0 The policy issues you raise are matters for the legislature and now the Governor.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Best regards<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">William J. Wynhoff<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Supervising Deputy \u2013 Land Transportation Division<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Department of the Attorney General<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">465 S. King Street, Suite 300<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Honolulu Hawaii 96813<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Phone:\u00a0 (808) 587-2995<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">When we received a copy of this response, we immediately wrote the following letter to Attorney General, Clare Connors:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Aloha AG Connors,<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">We were forwarded this message from [concerned resident] regarding the legal and constitutional issues surrounding SB795. I wonder if you could tell us specifically who made this determination, and what is the substantive and detailed supporting rationale for this determination. As a member of the public, we're entitled to this information and the expectation is that your office will be forthright in providing it in a timely fashion.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Thank you for your earliest reply.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Best,<\/span><\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Katherine Lindell, Editor<\/span><\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">Hawaii Ocean News<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Our Attorney General, Clare Connors, has so far chosen to not respond to our query. We are not surprised by this. Shutting the public out of the process, keeping them in the dark as to what is going on behind the scenes, is normalized behavior in Hawaii's government today.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 class=\"sow-headline\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">The wink-nod politics of Hawaii's State Legislature, AG's office, and the DLNR is not honest government of, by, and for the people of Hawaii.<\/span><\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><span style=\"font-size: 24px; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva;\">The moral, legal and constitutional issues surrounding proposed legislation are of little concern to these legislators<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Apparently, Hawaii's State Constitution means very little to Sens. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=moriwaki\">Moriwaki<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=delacruz\">Dela Cruz<\/a>, and the other legislators on our list below; or maybe they've got private wink-nod under-the-table agendas of there own?\u00a0 <em>(Please feel free to contact any of these legislators, below, and ask them questions of your own. Just click on their link for contact info):<\/em><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=tarnas\">David A. Tarnas <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=Branco\">Patrick Pihana Branco <\/a><i>(Branco seemed paralyzed with confusion about this bill as he had no comments or questions in two separate committees and two separate hearings on this measure, despite all of the articulate and detailed opposition testimony)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=Ganaden\">Sonny Ganaden<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=kong\">Sam Satoru Kong<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=morikawa\">Dee Morikawa<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=inouye\">Lorraine R. Inouye <\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<i>(Inouye had no comments or questions in two separate committees and two separate hearings on this measure, despite all of the articulate, detailed opposition testimony.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=keithagaran\">Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran<\/a>\u00a0 <i>(Keith-Agaran had no comments or questions in two separate committees and two separate hearings on this measure, despite all of the articulate, detailed opposition testimony.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=misalucha\">Bennette E. Misalucha<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=fevella\">Kurt Fevella<\/a>\u00a0 <i>(Fevella's strategy seems to be \"keep a low profile\" as he had no comments or questions in two separate committees and two separate hearings on this measure despite all of the articulate and detailed opposition testimony)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=delacruz\">Donovan M. Dela Cruz <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=english\">J. Kalani English<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=moriwaki\">Sharon Y. Moriwaki<\/a> <i>(There is a lot to suggest that Moriwaki might actually have a wink-nod financial interest in pushing this kind of legislation --\u00a0 certainly there is historical precedent for her persistence in wanting to privatize the public's small boat recreational harbors, statewide.)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=kanuha\">Dru Mamo Kanuha<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=kidani\">Michelle N. Kidani<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=shimabukuro\">Maile S.L. Shimabukuro<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=taniguchi\">Brian T. Taniguchi<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=wakai\">Glenn Wakai<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=luke\">Sylvia Luke <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=cullen\">Ty J.K. Cullen <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=Eli\">Stacelynn K.M. Eli<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=holt\">Daniel Holt<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=Ilagan\">Greggor Ilagan<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=Marten\">Lisa Marten<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=nishimoto\">Scott Y. Nishimoto<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=Sayama\">Jackson D. Sayama<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.hawaii.gov\/memberpage.aspx?member=yamashita\">Kyle T. Yamashita<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\">These above legislators deliberately ignored public testimony and many seemed to be unprepared to hear this measure; they clearly hadn't done their research on the background material that informs this bill or, alternatively, are just coasting to their next election event where they will again have a chance to tell their constituents about how\u00a0 much they're doing for the people of Hawaii.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Trebuchet MS, Geneva; font-size: 20px;\"><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At first glance this looks like a normal committee meeting hearing in our Hawaii state legislature. But watch carefully. What you&#8217;re witnessing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irresponsible-hawaii-lawmaking"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hawaiioceannews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/SB795-LEG-Stills-and-Ed-and-Meg-Suzanne-2-.png?fit=958%2C812&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7987"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7987\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8032,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7987\/revisions\/8032"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiioceannews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}