over $3M

[PaulW]

"If we already accured $3.2 million in the span of two weeks, we can't sustain that number beyond 60 days. We don't have that kind of budget."

Simple solution: clear the road now.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t large gatherings such as music concerts and political fund raisers required to hire off duty police officers as security? I’m not sure how public events in the public interest such as the Merrie Monarch Festival or the County Fair are defined. In those cases there are private entities involved as well, such as craft fairs or E K Fernandez rides for example, but police are on duty there as well.

All of those gatherings, whatever their purpose, require permits. The permit process defines the responsibilities of the permit holder and whether or not they must hire and pay for event security. The Mauna Kea protestors have no permits for anything. They do however have people and agencies providing them with the funding to maintain their camp.

Perhaps it’s time for the County to define what the protest is, because if it’s a privately funded campground by OHA and individual donations, even if the protest movement has no single discernible leadership (as suits their purpose), somebody is writing checks which keeps the whole operation up and running. Civil disobedience is when private citizens put themselves on the protest line and pay their own way. That’s not exactly what is happening on Mauna Kea.

The checks that pay for free food, water, gas for generators and other supplies should be a lot bigger. If the Mauna Kea protest is privately or publicly (OHA) funded, a lot more checks from those benefactors should be made out to “County of Hawaii” or “Department of Finance.”

[kalakoa]

large gatherings such as music concerts and political fund raisers required to hire off duty police officers as security? ... All of those gatherings, whatever their purpose, require permits.

Adequate security is a permit requirement, this gathering gets "free" security simply by being unpermitted.

Speaking of permits: the tents, food preparation, camping, etc., all require permits.

It's DHHL land, so State should simply "claw back" the operating costs from DHHL's budget allocation.

accured $3.2 million in the span of two weeks

While that two weeks may have included "above average" enforcement activities, it's safe to assume that the total for August will be at least $3.2M and probably closer to $5M.

An alternate route to the VIS is looking like a better deal all the time... yes, the protestors would try to interfere, but doing so would require them to divide their forces, and anyone blocking the construction wouldn't be able to claim they "own the road".

Mayor Kim is having another meeting tomorrow (Friday 8/23). Probably a waste of time -- but at least he's trying, which is more than Ige is doing.

[Peter Easterling]

What is being done to spend $3 or $4 million? Since the protest began and the kupuna were arrested, has there been any reason for the large contingent of police? I note their number has been reduced somewhat but kapu aloha is firmly in place. Let's see an open accounting for this absurdly high number.

[kalakoa]

Let's see an open accounting for this absurdly high number.

Who cares, we're getting reimbursed by State, right?

Update: appears Kim's meeting will, in fact, be a waste of time:

https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/201...n-leaders/

Friday’s meeting will be a repeat of one Kim held in late July ... Protest organizers were not at the meeting.

Not clear which "leaders" Kim is meeting with or whom they represent.

[Frank]

Peter Easterling...Let's see an open accounting for this absurdly high number.


agree fully with Peter...

[Frank]

kalakoa...Who cares, we're getting reimbursed by State, right?

fact remains, It's our hard earned money being spent...No difference whether spent by the State or County...an accounting is necessary

[kalakoa]

our hard earned money being spent...No difference whether spent by the State or County...

In that case, I would also like to understand how rail nearly doubled in price, because that's also spending our money.

(Punchline: there is no accountability.)

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

State or County...an accounting is necessary

Here's an experiment.

Make an error on your state tax form or excise tax paperwork. Accounting by you is necessary.

Now, question a possible error by the state on your tax return, or other problem. For instance, last year it took them four months to send my refund. Could they explain it? No. in 2008 when the state had no money as tax returns were less than projected due to the economic downturn, they took longer than four months to send my refund. When I later asked them about it, their reply? "No we didn't."

[Frank]

(Punchline: there is no accountability.)

bold by me

Any particular reason for this apathy?