Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017

The season for counting humpback whales is underway, with an official count by volunteers and Hawaiian Islands
Humpack Whale National Marine Sanctuary staff on Saturday at Punalu`u and Ka Lae, as well as other locations
around the state. Photo from NOAA

MORE THAN 527 PEOPLE GATHERED ON THE SHORES OF HAWAI`I TO COUNT WHALES on Saturday, as the first in a series of annual whale counts began with volunteers and the staff of the Hawaiian islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Punalu`u and Ka Lae were the two sites in Ka`u where people looked for humpback whales for a tally and to record their behaviors. While no humpbacks were seen at Kawena Point at the bottom of Chain of Craters Road, nor at Punalu`u,  as many as five were seen at Ka Lae during each 15 minute period between 8 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.  The next whale count will be the last Saturday in February, followed by the last Saturday in March.

A breaching humpback. Photo by Doug Perrine/NOAA

   Statewide, a total of 70 whale sightings were seen during the 10 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. time period, the most of any time period throughout the day’s count. Whale viewing conditions were nearly perfect statewide in the morning. Many observers saw green sea turtles, spinner dolphins and sea birds. A couple of observers saw flying fish and a Hawaiian Monk Seal.

     Preliminary data detailing whale sightings by site location are available at:
http://www.sanctuaryoceancount.org/resources/. Additional information is available on the sanctuary’s website at http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.
     The sanctuary, which is administered by a partnership of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the State of Hawai‘i through the Department of Land and Natural Resources, protects humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaiian waters where they migrate each winter to mate, calve and nurse their young.
      NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources. For more, see  Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and NOAA's other social media channels.

Humpbacks give birth each winter in Hawaiian waters. From the 

shore volunteers count adults and calves.

Photo from NOAA

     Read more about the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary at http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov; NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov, and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources at
http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/

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"TONIGHT'S STAY WAS A VICTORY but we'll keep fighting #Resist #MuslimBan," tweeted, Ka`u's U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono on Saturday. Hirono was referring to a federal judge putting a stay Saturday night on Pres. Donald Trump's attempt to turn away legal foreign visitors coming to the U.S. from a list of Muslim-majority countries.
      The American Civil Liberties Union sent attorneys to court after foreign visitors were detained at airports around the country this weekend, following Trump's Executive Order, temporarily banning people from Syria, Iran, Sudan, Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen.      

     The stay, however, affects only those few people who were en route to the U.S. when the travel ban was implemented. Various attorneys said they would go to court again on Monday to argue against the entire travel ban that is based on religion and country origin. 

Sen. Mazie Hirono's twitter feed features advice to those being
denied entry into the U.S.

     Trump said that extreme vetting measures will be developed before deciding who can come into the U.S. from the banned countries. He also said that priority should be given to "persecuted Christians." Hirono also tweeted about her own history as a immigrant: "Came to the U.S. in steerage. Now a U.S. Senator fighting for more families to have the opportunities I did."
     Protests in airports and other places around the U.S. and abroad broke out in opposition to Trump's immigration policies. A popular image shows the Statue of Liberty in tears.
   Hirono's twitter feed featured recommendations on rights of those denied entry into the U.S.

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OPPOSING PRES. DONALD TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS to revive the Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL Pipeline, Ka`u's Congresswoman, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, issued a statement Saturday, calling Trump's action "an attack on the rights of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and their neighboring communities, as well as all who live near the proposed path of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

     "Protecting our water and our environment are issues that should concern us all. Whether it's the threat to essential water sources by Keystone XL or Dakota Access Pipelines, the lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, or the potential threat posed to a major Hawaiʻi aquifer by the Red Hill fuel tanks, each underscores the vital importance of protecting our water resources.
     "The Keystone Pipeline poses a grave threat to our environment. It will transport 830,000 barrels of dirty tar sands oil every day, which emits four times the amount of carbon dioxide during processing versus regular oil and permanently pollutes the water used for extraction, resulting in dangerous, toxic sludge. Worse, the project will not create long-term jobs in the U.S., will not increase U.S. energy independence, nor will it reduce U.S. gas prices. The oil being transported by Keystone is not for American use - it will be exported to other countries. The American people will carry the risk, while multinational corporations benefit.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who visited Standing Rock in November, responded to
 Pres. Donald Trump's Executive Order to revive the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Photo from Tulsi Gabbard

     "The Dakota Access Pipeline construction beneath Lake Oahe is a grave threat to our precious water supplies. In November, I traveled to Standing Rock, joining thousands of veterans from all across the country, to stand peacefully in solidarity as water protectors with our Native American brothers and sisters.
     "I joined them because, while growing up in Hawai`i, I learned from a young age the importance of taking care of our home, our planet. We are all connected by a common thread, and an injustice to one is an injustice to all.
     "Just one spill from either of these pipelines could release tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil, contaminating water resources for millions of people. It could cause irreparable damage to our environment and harm the lives of Americans for generations. Water is life. We cannot survive without it.
     "We cannot remain silent while the precious water supply of millions of people is threatened by profiteering oil companies. We must speak up. Our voices must be heard!"

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VISITOR DESTINATIONS ARE BECOMING SO BUSY RECENTLY that at least one of the famous lookouts in Hawai`i is limiting the number of people who can visit. Beginning on Feb. 1, visitors wanting to view the famous sunrise from the summit of Haleakala on Maui will need to make sunrise viewing reservations ahead of time at recreation.gov. According to a press release from Haleakalā National Park, the online reservation system is being implemented to ensure visitor and employee safety, protect natural and cultural resources, and provide a quality visitor experience at the summit during sunrise hours (3am to 7am). The reservation system is in effect now. The cost is $1.50 per car. 

     The one-day sunrise reservation will not be sold at the park but is available online, up to 60 days ahead of the date of the sunrise visit. The reservation is only available via recreation.gov and cannot be transferred. To enter the Haleakalā National Park’s Summit District between 3am and 7am, the reservation holder must be present and show both the one-day sunrise reservation receipt (for that day) and a photo ID.

Sunrise is so popular that watching it will require reservations at Haleakala National Park on Maui. Photo from USGS

    Due to limited parking, visitors without a sunrise viewing reservation will have to wait until after 7a.m. to enter the park. There is no refund or exchange of the reservation due to inclement weather or change of plans. There is no change to the National Park Service’s current policy regarding Kanaka Maoli who wish to conduct traditional practices in the park. There is no change to the park’s current Commercial Use Authorization policy regarding sunrise tours.

     The permit system is considered temporary and is being implemented because its is not unusual to have over 300 vehicles on the summit, but parking space for only 150 vehicles in four parking lots.

     According to the press release, when vehicles outnumber parking spaces, visitors park on road shoulders or in the upbound lane of Crater Road. The cars block emergency vehicle access and damage park infrastructure, vegetation, and critical habitat for endangered species.  Crowds at sunrise viewpoints often number over 1,000, with accidents resulting from visitors moving off trail and climbing cliff sides in the dark.

     In summer 2016 the park gathered public input on options regarding sunrise visitor management. This interim reservation system was deemed the best short-term option. In 2017, the park will develop a long-term Sunrise Summit Visitor Management Plan (Environmental Assessment), and will again welcome public comments. For more information about the new sunrise reservation system, go to the park’s website at www.nps.gov or call 572-4400.
     According to the NPS News Release, Recreation.gov is easy to use and will ensure that reservation holders can access the summit and safely view the sunrise.

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BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU HAWAI`I HAS ISSUED A SCAM WARNING, involving emails. Gmail accounts are the target of a new, and highly effective scam, perpetrated by computer hackers intent on stealing information from computers belonging to their victims. The scam is circulating online disguised as an email from an existing contact, such as a friend or colleague, according to the warning statement from the Hawai’i Better Business Bureau.
     The scam works as follows. The dangerous email will appear in your inbox as an email from an existing contact. In the email users will find what seems to be a regular attachment, however, when clicked on a preview window will not open, but rather a new window, which appears to be a Google login page, will appear. Most users will assume that the computer failed to load the attachment, try to log in again, by typing the user’s password. That password is now picked up and recorded by the scammers. The scammers will now have full access to the account and begin the process over again sending out emails from the compromised account to the account’s existing contacts.
     The BBB says that the login in screen is difficult to identify as being fraudulent. Everything from the logo to the entry fields will appear normal. The only way to spot the fake login is in the browser address bar. The URL will be preceded by “data:text/html.”
     The scammers will not only be able to send out the fraudulent emails to the compromised account’s contacts they will also have access to everything in and attached to the Gmail account.

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     Although hard to detect, Gmail users can protect themselves by checking the address bar before entering any personal information. For an extra layer of protection, users can add two-step authentication to their accounts.
     There is no way to know for sure if an account has been compromised, according to the BBB, but Gmail users can check their login activity to see if anyone else has been logging into the account. If the account has been logged on to from unknown sources, the account has been hacked, and the password needs to be changed immediately. Users should also report any accounts they believe may have been compromised if they receive a suspicious email, the BBB recommends.

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KA`U TROJANS'  BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM took on Kamehameha School on Saturday at the new home gym. In JV competition, Ka`u scored 25, with Kyson Toriano making 11 points, Micah Koi 7, Nainoa Ke 6. However, Kamehameha scored 51 to take the win.

     In varsity competition Ka`u scored 36, with Andre Carvalho racking up 10, Joven Padrigo 8, Pete Dacalio 8 and Janslae Badua 5. Kamehameha won the game with 52 points.

AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR TRAINING will be held at Ocea view Community Center on Feb. 4 at 10:30 a.m. the Hilo Medical Center Foundation donated the defibrillator
     Automated External Defibrillator Training at OVCC - Feb. 4 at 10:30 a.m.

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Jan. 27, 2017

Yellowstone National Park is a sister park to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and is the site of Earth's largest concentration of
geysers, as well as steam vents, hot springs, and mudpots. These hydrothermal features attest to the region's volcanic history,
which spans over two million years. Old Faithful is visible in the upper right corner of this aerial view of the Park's Upper
Geyser Basin. The inset shows Heart Spring, also in Upper Geyser Basin, is a pool of near-boiling, blue water about
 10 feet across and 15 feet deep surrounded by mite sinter and orange-brown algae. Photo from National Park Service

TUTU & ME's parent organization, Partners in Development Foundation, is drawing testimony to be presented at the state House of Representatives on Monday afternoon. The organization, with local headquarters in Na`alehu, carries out early education programs for children and caregivers in Ka`u and beyond. A statement from the organization suggests that supporters sign the following testimony or submit their own to help with funding for next year:

     "I am submitting this testimony to express my very strong support for the funding of family child interaction learning programs.

     "These programs provide families with tremendous support and prepare our keiki to make the transition into the formal learning process. Research has shown that there is a tremendous long-term savings to society when a child receives proper educational preparation.
      Family child interaction learning programs works closely with parents to teach them how to be their child’s first and foremost educator. It is a mixed delivery system that also equips parents to be well informed and how to be an advocate for their child.

     "Funding for these programs will provide a needed service to many of our keiki who today must enter a system without the proper preparation."

Tutu & Me sponsors early education that involves grandparents,
parents, aunties, uncles and other primary caregivers.
Photo from Partners in Development

     Anyone wanting submit such testimony, which could help Tutu & Me remain funded, can send it by noon on Monday to Betty Clark at eclk@pidfordevelopment.org.
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"IN HIS FIRST WEEK AS PRESIDENT, "Donald Trump has already floated the idea of reopening CIA black sites, issued two deeply disturbing executive orders on immigration, and called for an investigation into imaginary 'voter fraud.' And it’s only going to get worse," writes Sen. Mazie Hirono. "But we can’t get discouraged. Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress would like nothing more than for us to retreat. But we can send a clear message that our fight has only begun," said Hirono in a statement released Friday.

     Hirono also took after Trump's executive order to ban people from coming to the U.S. from such countries as Syria, Libya and Iran. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement: "It's despicable that President Trump chose Holocaust Remembrance Day to issue yet another executive order that exploits fear of refugees and immigrants. This is wrong. I will continue to fight the President's extreme, knee jerk actions that divide our country."

     She and Hawai`i's other Senator, Brian Schatz, also objected to Trump's federal hiring freeze, with concern particularly for Pearl Harbor. Said a release from Hirono's office: "Sen. Mazie K. Hirono and a bipartisan group of seven Senators wrote to Secretary of Defense James Mattis to call for exempting Department of Navy shipyard civilian employees from the recent executive order signed by President Trump that freezes federal hiring. While the President's executive order states that it does not apply to military personnel or positions considered essential to meet national security responsibilities, the uncertainty has caused shipyards across the country to suspend hiring.

     "'We believe a hiring freeze may have a severe and adverse impact on the ability of the Navy and public shipyards to meet critical national security requirements and we urge you to immediately exempt all Department of Navy shipyard civilian employees," the Senators wrote. "The civilian men and women who support the Navy provide mission critical maintenance to ensure the Navy can meet security requirements around the world, and should thus be granted an exception."

     "We urge you to consider the impact of the Memorandum on the Navy, public shipyards and national security and issue clear guidance to immediately exempt all Navy shipyard civilians from the hiring freeze," the letter concludes.

     The letter was also signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Angus King (I-Maine), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawai`i).
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VETERANS FOR PEACE HAS ENDORSED Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's Stop Arming Terroist Act. Said Gabbard, "Those who have seen and experienced war first hand share a unique appreciation for the need for peace. From Iraq to Libya and now in Syria, the U.S. has and continues to wage wars of regime change, each resulting in unimaginable suffering, devastating loss of life, and the strengthening of terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Veterans for Peace supports Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's anti-regime
change proposal in Congress.

     "I am grateful to have the support of Veterans for Peace for the Stop Arming Terrorists Act, and for their work to prevent the United States from continuing to pursue counterproductive, interventionist wars."
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HAWAI`I IS TOP STATE FOR PURCHASING EMPLOYER-SPONSORED HEALTH INSURANCE, according to a survey of 11,000 employers. On Friday, the top five best and worst states for group health care costs were announced.

     Employer-sponsored health insurance is greatly affected by geographic region, industry, and employer size. While some cost trends have been fairly consistent since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act  was put in place, United Benefit Advisors  finds several surprises in their 2016 Health Plan Survey.

     Based on responses from more than 11,000 employers, UBA announced the top five best and worst states for group health care costs. The top five best (least expensive) states are: Hawai`i; Idaho; Utah; Arkansas and Mississippi.

     Hawai`i, a perennial low-cost leader, actually experienced a nearly seven percent decrease in its single coverage cost in 2016. New Mexico, a state that was a low-cost winner in 2015, saw a 22 percent increase in monthly premiums for singles and nearly a 30 percent increase in monthly family premiums, dropping them from the "best" list.
    The top five worst (most expensive) states are: Alaska; Wyoming; New York; Vermont; and New Jersey.
     Wyoming catapulted onto the list this year with monthly premiums for singles and families increasing from $534 and $1,326, respectively in 2015 to $662 and $1,453, respectively in 2016 (representing nearly a 24 percent increase in single coverage and nearly a 10 percent increase in family coverage).
    "Benchmarking by state, region, industry, and group size is critical," says Les McPhearson, CEO of UBA. "We see it time and time again, especially with new clients. An employer benchmarks their rates nationally and they seem at or below average, but once we look at their rates by plan type across multiple carriers and among their neighboring competitors or like-size groups, we find many employers leave a lot on the bargaining table."

   

     After being hit the hardest in recent years, UBA finds small employer costs are lower than average overall, but family plans among these groups saw big rate hikes in 2016, making it harder for small businesses to be family-friendly employers.

     According to the survey, retail and construction employees are the cheapest to cover and employees in these sectors pick up more of the premium, so employers bear even less of the already low costs. Government employees get the richest and priciest plans, but are slowly being asked to pay more of the cost (albeit still far less than what other private sector employees pay).
    "Benchmarking at this level offers tremendous benefits that result in approximately 44 percent savings," says McPhearson. "Plus, being able to assure employees that they are getting a much better plan than their local competitors benefits UBA Partners from an attraction and retention standpoint."

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HAWAI`I ISLAND'S 2017 VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH is almost over, and the Volcano Watch series about U.S. Geological Survey volcano observatories and their connections to Hawai`i is also coming to an end. This week, Volcano Watch visits the observatory that monitors a volcano that produced some of the largest eruptions known on Earth—Yellowstone:

Castle Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. USGS Photo

     Unlike the other four USGS volcano observatories—Hawaiian, Cascades Alaska and California—the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory is a "virtual" observatory, meaning that there is no physical building. The observatory presence is mostly online, and the only full-time staff member is the YVO Scientist-in-Charge, who draws on scientists at other USGS observatories and from other institutions to support monitoring and research activities.
     YVO was founded in 2001 to strengthen the monitoring of volcanic and earthquake activity in the Yellowstone National Park region (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/).
     Initially developed as a cooperative effort of the USGS, National Park Service, and University of Utah, YVO was expanded in 2013 into a consortium of eight organizations: the original three partners, plus universities and state geological surveys in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, and UNAVCO (a non-profit university-governed consortium specializing in the study of ground deformation). This collaborative approach to volcano observation ensures better study and monitoring of active geologic processes and hazards.
     The YVO consortium shares the burden of establishing and maintaining equipment in the Yellowstone region. For example, the University of Utah operates the Yellowstone seismic network, UNAVCO works with GPS and other deformation data, and the USGS uses temperature and stream gages to track changes in hydrothermal activity throughout the National Park.
     As with Hawaiian volcanoes, GPS and satellite radar data indicate deformation of the Yellowstone caldera, and ground-based seismic stations monitor the occurrence of thousands of earthquakes in any given year. Over the past several decades, the caldera has been observed to rise and fall by several centimeters (inches) per year, often accompanied by intense seismicity.

Grand Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. USGS Photo

     A recent spectacular period of deformation occurred in 2013–2014, when the Norris Geyser Basin area of Yellowstone National Park, on the northwest edge of the caldera, began to uplift suddenly by several centimeters (inches) per year. The uplift lasted until March 30, 2014, when a magnitude-4.8 earthquake occurred—the largest earthquake in the region since 1980!
     Immediately thereafter, the region began subsiding. Scientists believe that the uplift was caused by fluid accumulation—probably water or gas—beneath the Norris area. The earthquake represented the breaking of a seal or valve on the hydrothermal system, which allowed the accumulated fluid to drain away and the ground to subside.
     It's worth noting that the same region began uplifting again in early 2016, although the rate was slightly less than that in 2014. In the last few months, the rate of uplift has slowed considerably. No strong earthquakes have occurred in the region thus far.
     Although Yellowstone is clearly the focus of YVO's monitoring and research efforts, the observatory is also responsible for tracking volcanic activity in the Intermountain West, including Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Each of these states is home to volcanoes that have erupted within the past few thousand years. For example, Arizona's Sunset Crater erupted in 1085 A.D., and the McCartys lava flow in New Mexico's Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field erupted about 3,000 years ago.

Boiling Spring in Yellowstone National Park.
USGS Photo

    Comparatively little is known about some of the southwestern U.S. volcanoes, and monitoring infrastructure is limited, so YVO supports efforts to better understand this volcanism and its potential hazards. Current and former HVO scientists have been active in interpreting the geologic history of the region, including the basaltic lava flows of New Mexico and the cinder cones of Arizona and Colorado—volcanic areas that bear a striking resemblance to Hawaiian volcanoes.
     Volcano Awareness Month programs are being offered at Hilo's Lyman Museum on Jan. 30 and Feb. 2, and in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Jan. 31. Details are posted on HVO's website (https://hvo.wr.usgs.gov).
     For information about volcanic activity throughout the United States, please visit the USGS Volcano Hazards Program website (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov).
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HO`OMALU KA`U, The Ka`u Heritage Center, will hold a Giant Rummage Sale fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Na`alehu Hongwanji from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For sale will be tools, household goods, car parts, artwork, jewelry, collectibles, clothes toys, books, utensils, glass, and more. Funds raised will be used for programs in Ka`u. Call 929-8526, or email hoomalukau@gmail.com to donate any items, or with questions about the fundraiser or about Ho`omalu Ka`u.

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017

The lava stream pouring out of an episolde 61g lava tube on Thursday into the Pacific Ocean, triggers pulsating explosions
that throw bits of lava onto the top of the sea cliff at Kamokuna ocean entry. Photo by USGS

 Sen. Josh Green proposes that homelessness be defined as a medical
condition and subject to a doctor's prescription for housing.
Photo from Homeless in Paradise, produced
by Hawai`i News Now 

HOMELESSNESS IS A MEDICAL CONDITION AND DOCTORS SHOULD TREAT IT, contends west Ka’u state Sen. Josh Green. The emergency room doctor and state Senator introduced a bill during the opening week of the Hawai`i Legislature to classify chronic homelessness as a medical condition and require insurance companies to cover treatment.

     The Associated Press carried a story this week on Green's point of view, which has been published nationwide and internationally. Green told the AP that he sees homeless patients "suffering from diabetes, mental health problems and an array of medical issues that are more difficult to manage when people are homeless or do not have permanent housing."
     Green reasons that homelessness is a disease, and needs a prescription from doctors for the cure - Housing. “It is paradigm shift for sure, but the single best thing we can do today is to allow physicians and health care providers in general to write prescriptions for housing,” Green told AP reporter Cathy Bussewitz. "But if a doctor wrote a prescription for six months of housing, where would the patient fill the prescription?" asks the Associated Press. "That’s where Green wants Medicaid to step in," reports Bussewitz. Hawai`i's $2 billion annual Medicaid budget would help pay for the housing. He told AP that money dedicated to housing could actually help cut back on overall Medicaid expenses by reducing visits by homeless persons to emergency rooms.
     "A recent University of Hawai`i survey found health care costs for chronically homeless people dropped 43 percent when they had decent housing for an uninterrupted six-month period," AP reports.

 Dr. Josh Green (left) is West Ka`u's state Senator and has proposed that homelessness
 be considered a health issue, treatable by a doctor through providing housing.
Shown here with West Ka`u member of the state House of Representatives
Richard Creaga, also a physician. Photo from Big island Video News

       Connie Mitchell, executive director of the state's biggest homeless services organization, the Institute for Human Services, told the AP that “Housing is health care, because it does afford a person a much greater chance of sustaining their health." She questioned the idea, however, that all homeless people are in need of a prescription. "There's a lot of people that become homeless. Just because they become homeless doesn't mean it entitles them to write a prescription for a unit," Mitchell told the AP writer.
    The AP story also points out that "Hawai`i had the highest rate of homelessness of all U.S. states in 2015, with 53 homeless people for every 10,000 residents, according to The National Alliance to End Homelessness." The reporter writes that homelessness experts said they are unaware of any other U.S. state's attempt to classify homelessness as a medical condition. "But more than a dozen states — including California, Louisiana, New York and Texas — have found alternative ways to use Medicaid money for social services to help people stay in housing, like employment services or counseling, according to the Corporation for Supportive Housing, a New York-based group."
     The AP quotes Barbara DiPietro, senior director of policy at the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. She referred to federal Medicaid money saying, “To date, no one is able to pay for rent using Medicaid. That’s the line in the sand.”
     Green told AP that some homeless patients visit ERs dozens of times each year." Referring to Queens Health System, which billed $80 million for treating homeless in 2014 and $89 million in 2015, Green told AP: “I’ve heard it described as you go to Queens as a two-day vacation. It’s going to cost probably $2,000 to $3,000 per day, so Queens is going to eat that cost, just for basic shelter.”
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KA`U'S CONGRESSWOMAN TULSI GABBARD, BACK FROM MEETING SYRIA'S PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD, released a video about her unannounced trip to Damascus, Aleppo and Beruit. The film shows her visit to shelters and clinics, injured children and adults and the rubble of bombed out buildings. Her video features her Stop Arming Terrorist Act, which seeks to prevent the U.S. from funding interventionist regime change wars and weaponry that can end up in the hands of terrorists. It also shows her meeting with religious leaders, talking about peace.
      Gabbard was interviewed by MSNBC's Greta Van Susturen Thursday and answered the question on why she went to Syria: "I've been very worried and carried with a heavy heart what has been happening there, the suffering of the Syrian people and I wanted to go there for myself to see if I could in some small way convey the love, the care and the aloha of the people of Hawai`i, the people of our country to the Syrian people."
     About her meeting with Assad, she said, "If we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, if we truly care about ending their suffering, we've got to be able to be willing to meet with whoever we need to if there is a possibility and a chance that they can help us take steps forward toward peace."
     She said that visiting the shelters in Aleppo, revealed children full of hope despite having lost everything.
     A number of Democrats and Republicans serving in Congress questioned the appropriateness of her meeting with Assad, whom they called a war criminal.
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MONEY SPENT ON THE 2016 ELECTIONS IN HAWA`I is detailed in the state’s latest campaign spending report showing that those who spend the most do not always win. Last year, 20 percent of all winning candidates statewide were outspent by their closest spending opponents.

    Harry Kim stands out. He was elected Mayor of Hawai’i County after spending the least among the major candidates, and also drawing the most votes.

Harry Kim won the mayor's post, spending the least amount of money.
Photo by Ron Johnson

     The report released by the state Campaign Spending Commission, shows that Kim spent $13,805 and received 20,636 votes, which represents 67 cents per vote. By contrast, the runner up Wally Lau spent $200,068 and  9,965 votes, meaning he spent $20.08 per vote. It was the greatest spending disparity in all contests last year.
     The report also shows that third-placed candidate, Pete Hoffman spent $29,377 and garnered 4,235 votes or $6.94 per vote, while fourth-placed candidate Marlene Hapai spent 41,464 and received 2508 votes, or $16.53 per vote. The remaining nine candidates all spent less than $5,000 and received less than $5,000 and received less than $1,000 votes.
     As a group, the 13 candidates for mayor received $282, 731 and spent $293,459.
     In the race for Prosecuting Attorney, incumbent Mitch Roth won after spending $42,284 and garnering 24,341 votes, or $1.75 per vote. His challenger, Michael Kagami, spent $30,678 and received 11,057 votes, or $2.77 per vote.
     The 20 candidates who ran for nine county council seats received a total of $353,310 and spent $281,137. Among the big spenders were Susan Lee Loy ($58,660) and Moana Hokoana-Kelii (40,031), both in District 3. Loy won district 3 with votes that cost her $13.33 each, while Hokoana-Kelii’s votes cost her $13.30 each. Herbert Richards spent $33,111 to win the District 9 race, with 2,198 votes. Those were the most expensive in the County Council race, costing him $15.06 per vote. None of the remaining 17 candidates spent more than $25,000 each.

Maile David spent $1.87 per vote.
Photo by Ann Bosted

     Competing for the District 6 seat in order to represent Ka’u was incumbent Maile David who spent $4,404 to get 2,356 votes, which won her the seat for $1.87 per vote. Her challenger, Raina Whiting, spent $5,267 for 1,299 votes at a cost of $4.06 each.
     Among the 118 candidates for the state House of Representatives, the candidate who spent the most per vote was Democrat Diedre Tegarden, in Deistrict 11. She spent $103,273 and received 1,219 votes, costing a whopping $84.72. She lost the race to the incumbent, Mark Ing, who spent $45,042 for 5,835 votes, or $7.72 per vote. Overall, the biggest spender was Sylvia Luke, the incumbent in District 25, who spent $118,361 to win with 3,582 votes, or $33.04 per vote.
     Ka`u state Rep. Richard Creagan spent $7,520 and won with 6,176 votes at a cost of $1.22 per vote. His opponent of record, Michael Last from the Libertarian Party spent no money and garnered 1,766 votes in District 5. Creagan is one of only six House candidates to receive over 6,000 votes, which puts him in the top five percentile among the 118 candidates for seats in the House.
     The state Senate race fielded 37 candidates competing for the 14 contested seats. Sen. Josh Green, who represents western Ka’u was not up for re-election. Sen. Russell Ruderman, the incumbent for eastern Ka’u, spent $73,901 to get 11,664 votes, or $6.34 per vote, and won the seat. His first opponent, Greggor Ilagan, spent $48,474 to win 3,580 votes at a cost of $13.54 each. Ruderman’s second opponent, Libertarian Frederick Fogel, spent $25 and won 2,488 votes, or one penny per vote.
     Among other items, the Campaign Spending Commissions allows the public to see not only the total amount of monies raised and spent by office and cost per vote, but also the top 10 lists of receipts, contributions received and loans expenditures.
     For more details on campaign spending in the 2016 election, please go to
http://ags.hawaii.gov/campaign/statistics/campaign-finance-statistics/2016-election/

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NEW VACATION RENTALS' PARKING REQUIREMENTS are being considered by the County Council. A proposal initiated by the Council would require one parking space for each bedroom plus an additional parking space for the each dwelling or lodging unit occupied for less than 180 days at a time. The County Council referred Bill 256 to the planning Director and Windward and Leeward Planning Commissions for comments and recommendations, according to the agenda for the Windward Planning Commission for Wednesday, Feb. 1.

     The county Planning Department responded: "While it is important that adequate off-street parking is provided for short-term home rentals so that guests do not regularly park along public roads, the Planning Director believes Bill No. 256 is too restrictive by not considering that many homeowners rent their entire home to one family rather than renting each room individually. The bill would unfairly impact homeowners that rent their entire house to one family at a time. For example, Bill No. 256 would require four off-street parking spaces if a typical three-bedroom home were rented on a short-term basis to one family. Since most visitors that rent an entire house typically have one or at the most two vehicles, we fail to see why four parking spaces would be needed.
     "It is important to note that if adopted, the parking requirements in Bill No. 256 would be the strictest in the State for vacation rentals and short-term home rentals. This may have the effect of reducing the number visitors to our island if these short-term rental homes and vacation rentals cannot provide sufficient parking to meet this new requirement."
     The Planning Department recommends one parking place for each room individually rented plus one for the vacation rental itself.
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HO`OMALU KA`U, The Ka`u Heritage Center, will hold a Giant Rummage Sale fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Na`alehu Hongwanji from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For sale will be tools, household goods, car parts, artwork, jewelry, collectibles, clothes toys, books, utensils, glass, and more. Funds raised will be used for programs in Ka`u. Call 929-8526, or email hoomalukau@gmail.com to donate any items, or with questions about the fundraiser or about Ho`omalu Ka`u.