Inside Honolulu: September 30
There’s always something interesting going on at Honolulu Hale.
Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.
5:27 p.m. Topless Case Dismissed
The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii has confirmed that city prosecutors have dropped the case against Jamie and Tess Meier, who were cited for failing to obtain a permit before staging a topless gender-equality protest in Waikiki last month.
The ACLU told Civil Beat that the case showed that the Honolulu Police Department needs to better train its officers on First Amendment rights.
9:06 a.m. Not One, But Two China Visa Resos
This is curious. Visitors from China are apparently having such a hard time obtaining visas that two different Honolulu City Council members introduced resolutions on the same day urging the United States government to fix the situation.
The first, technically, is , introduced by Tom Berg Thursday. The next is , introduced by Stanley Chang, also Thursday.
Some of their colleagues were diplomatic and signed onto both 鈥 Tulsi Gabbard, Ikaika Anderson and Nestor Garcia. Chair Ernie Martin only signed Chang’s version. And, perhaps most tellingly, Chang and Berg did not sign onto each other’s resolutions.
Berg’s version is straightforward in its goal: to improve Hawaii tourism. He notes that the Hawaii Tourism Authority “reports approximately double the visitor arrivals from the Republic of Korea since its admission to the Visa Waiver Program.”
Chang’s resolution is about twice as long as Berg’s and includes a history of China-Hawaii relations. Here’s an example:
WHEREAS, the progeny of these humble but determined Chinese immigrants rose quickly through the ranks of Hawaii鈥檚 educational, political, and business communities, and would leave lasting impacts on Hawaii and even the world鈥攖he most famous of whom is referred to as 鈥淭he Forerunner of the Revolution,鈥 Dr. Sun Yat-sen;
Chang’s version also includes far more data on visas and the economic impacts of visa restrictions.
This isn’t the first time the two Council members have tussled over an issue related to China. Back in February, Berg railed against introduced by Chang criticizing conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for mocking the Chinese language and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
On , Chang touted his participation in the Organization of Chinese Americans and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
8:38 a.m. Full Council Agenda
It’s not online yet, but here’s a sneak peak at the agenda for the next full meeting of the Honolulu City Council on Oct. 5:
Where’s Carlisle?
At 8 a.m., Mayor Peter Carlisle was set to deliver remarks at the Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Centers Strengthening Families Affected by Incarceration Summit at the Manoa Grand Ballroom in the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.
Read Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu
September 29: Rail Safety and Security; Berg “Took a Beating” for Tax Increase Reso; Ansaldo Parent Company Hires Bank To Sell Ansaldo; Anderson Wants Waianae Plan Advanced; Natatorium Repairs Planned; Planning Department: SCP and PIM Separate Issues; Sidewalk Possessions Bill Introduced; HUD Still Waiting For Answers; Rail Opponents Respond On Operating Costs; Two Town Halls, Two Different Crowds; APEC Paddy Wagons; Honolulu Mustaches Snubbed; Today’s Meetings; Where’s Carlisle?
September 28: Court Room to Council Chambers; Solid Waste Not Public Works?; Outstanding Sewers; Tulsi Keeps Work, Campaign Separate; Berg’s $250 Million Touchdown; Rail Lawsuit Response Filed; Today’s Meetings; Balancing Security and Rights; Where’s Carlisle?
September 27: Carlisle: Gun Range Plans “Premature”; New Mobility Data From Texas Transportation Institute; One Step Forward for Kalaeloa Gun Range; No Time Limit For Berg; APEC Surveillance Camera Plan Advances; HUD Still Concerned; Recent APEC Protests; Ikaika On Cousin Cord; Residents Prepare for Rail Disruptions; Today’s Meetings; Where’s Carlisle?
September 26: Thursday’s Committee Meetings; Large Rail Landowner List Updated; New Planning Commissioners Named; Free UH Football Tickets; The Virtues Of Managed Lanes; HART Says FTA, Not IMG, Spurred Financial Adjustment; Rail Archaeology Meeting Tonight; HPD Preparing For “War”?; Where’s Carlisle?
September 23: Carlisle’s Public Sked; Council Reapportionment Public Hearings Set; Archaeological Meeting Now On Web; Wednesday Meetings; Postcard From HART; Safety At What Price?; Fact Check Scorecard; City Listens To “Shoddy” Report; Where’s Carlisle?
September 22: EOD, What’s the Deal?; Tuesday’s Committee Meetings; On Deadline Day, Sumitomo Still “Under Consideration”; The Great Waialae Bike Test; Fact Checking Rail Operations Costs; Not So Special; Where’s Carlisle?
September 21: Anatomy of Wastewater: The Book; Thumbs Up For City’s Budget; Businessweek: Honolulu No. 3; Congestion Deception Editorial Rebutted; Where’s Carlisle?
September 20: General Plan Comment Period Extended; More Bad News For Finmeccanica; Salaries, Salaries and More Salaries; State Excluding Military, After All; Horner Leaving First Hawaiian; Where’s Carlisle?
September 19: Rail Town Hall Meetings; Mayor’s Twitter Account Compromised; Federal Money For Electric Buses; Honolulu and the Military; Where’s Carlisle?
September 16: The “Creepy Crawlies”; Bill Survives, Barely; Ryan, Lee Back Tour Bus Ban; Carlisle Back To D.C.; More About the “Housing Preservation Initiative”; Law Enforcement Memorial and Today’s Honorees; Queens Plan, Too; Laie Marriott Approved; Other Resos On Horizon; Laie Testimony Begins; Sign Regulations Deferred; City Getting Out Of Landlord Business; The Three Other Finalists; Nine Other Applicants; Bunda Confirmed Unanimously; Testimony For Bunda; No Tours On Sundays; Council to “Play It By Ear” On Sign Regulations Bill; Today’s Meetings; Where’s Carlisle?
September 15: Ikaika Fundraiser Tonight, More Soon; Rail Opponents On the Radio; Finmeccanica Exec Offers Resignation; Horner’s Ansaldo Conflict?; Correction: $300K/Year; Honolulu’s $1.5 Million Lobbyist; Population and Ridership; HART Board on Friday; Where’s Carlisle?
September 14: Sister City Summit: A Summary; No News From Ethics Meeting; $1 Million for Psych Hospital; Tulsi Passes the Basket; Live-Tweeting Sister Cities Summit; Rail Soil Sampling Next Week; BRT v. Rail; Police On Protests; Sister City Activities; Where’s Carlisle?
September 13: Details On The Plan; ‘Modified Existing Plan’ It Is; Bombardier’s Response; Bombardier Lawsuit Denied; Berg: Reverse Ansaldo Contract; Sister Cities Program; Going After Castro; Godbey’s Disclosures; Wrong Again On Jobs; Real Property Tax Commission Meets Today; Friday’s Council Agenda; Where’s Carlisle?
September 12: City Asks for Early Decision on Rail Lawsuit; Ethics Commission Today; Where’s Carlisle?
September 9: Carlisle’s Public Sked; Remembrance Walk; Congestion Deception; ‘Outrage’ on Mayor’s Homeless Comments; Successful Sewage Trucking; Where’s Carlisle?
September 8: What We Learned; Honolulu’s Lousy Traffic; Undercover in Washington; Eagles Have Landed; Corp Counsel on Procurement; Horner Impressed; Stanley Chang Testifies; Aloha From Italy; Sale Or No Sale, Finmeccanica Is Obliged; Joint and Several Liability; Finmeccanica: Failure ‘Impossible’; The Questions; The Players; Ansaldo On The Big Screen; Where’s Carlisle?
September 7: Four Council District Plans; The Resignation Letter; Jamila Resigns From Planning Commission; Thoughts on Washington Trip; Not Following Rules; Where’s Carlisle?
September 6: Thursday Night In Waianae; Council Public Hearing Notice; Mayor On Homelessness; Jobs Claim Half True; Where’s Carlisle?
September 2: Peter, Toru, Carrie All Washington-Bound; Carlisle’s Public Sked; HART at First Hawaiian; Carlisle at Civil Beat; Ansaldo: We Complied With Licensing Requirement; Long Weekend; Civil Beat’s ‘Hatchet Job’; Where’s Carlisle?
September 1: PIG Picks Bunda; Carlisle’s Rail Pep Talk; Semi-Autonomous, But Connected; All Sewage Ideas Welcome; Defining ‘Undercover’; Today’s Meetings; Where’s Carlisle?
