As the county works to balance its
budget, it seemed reasonable to look at how much top elected
officials are spending on travel. So I requested records for
Prosecutor Justin Kollar, Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and all the
Councilmembers.
Let's start with Bernard. Since June
15, 2014, he has incurred costs of $8,637.21 for airfare, $382.20 on
car rentals and $2,683.49 for per diem. Another $1,070 was spent on
registration. Much of his travel has been inter-island, but he also
has gone to Washington D.C. for a conference of mayors, the
Philippines on a trade mission and London for a presentation on a
waste to energy plan. Grand total for eight months: $12,772.90.
My request for Council travel dated
only from Dec. 1, 2014, when they were sworn in. The expenditures
are as follows:
Mason Chock – Airfare, $207; car
rental/parking, $59. He attended a leadership forum and met with Rep.
Derek Kawakami. Grand total for three months: $266.
Gary Hooser – Airfare, $352.40; car
rental/parking, $105. He met with state legislators, and then met
with the chairs of various Senate committees. Grand total three
months: $457.40.
Ross Kagawa – Airfare, $1,933; per
diem, $1359.86; car rental/parking, $217.01. He went to London for a
meeting with British Airways; the National Assn. of Counties Board of
Directors meeting and a symposium on transportation and
infrastructure; a meeting with the consulate general of Japan; the
Honolulu City Council inauguration; a Hawaii State Assn. of Counties
executive meeting and legislative briefing; opening day at the
Legislature; a meeting with legislators and Office of Information
Practices; a meeting with legislators and the press; and a National
Assn. of Counties legislative conference. Grand total for three
months: $3,509.87
Arryl Kaneshiro – Airfare, $961.11;
per diem, $541.25; registration, $490. He went to the National Assn.
of Counties conference. Grand total for three months: $1,992.36.
KipuKai Kualii – Airfare, $1165.20;
per diem, $726.25; registration, $490. He went to the National Assn.
of Counties conference and opening day at the Legislature. Grand
total for three months: $2,381.45.
Mel Rapozo – Airfare, $749.10; per
diem, $2575.92; car rental/parking, $301.94. He went to the National
Assn. of Counties Board of Directors meeting and a symposium on
transportation and infrastructure; a meeting with the consulate
general of Japan; the Honolulu City Council inauguration; a Hawaii
State Assn. of Counties executive meeting and legislative briefing;
opening day at the Legislature; a meeting with legislators and Office
of Information Practices; a meeting with legislators and the press;
and a National Assn. of Counties legislative conference. Grand
total for three months: $3,626.96.
JoAnn Yukimura – Airfare, $1,043.29;
per diem, $461.44; car rental/parking, $329. She went to opening day
of the Lege, the governor's state of the state address and met with
Legislators about bills dealing with housing credits on Hawaiian
Homelands. Grand total for three months: $1,833.73.
Regarding that trip to London, I asked
Ross what it was about:
I
went on the trip with Mayor Carvalho to meet with representatives
from British Airways and Pelatron to meet and discuss a proposal to
solve our landfill problem regarding MRF and waste to energy. British
Airways will be producing jet fuel from the waste in London, which
currently sends their waste to Switzerland. Jet fuel is very similar
to diesel, is my understanding. It is a very new technology that uses
plasma arc to a higher level with practically no emissions and a much
smaller end product called slag, unlike the large amount of emissions
and ash that is the result of older technology like H-power.
They
also have newer science that cleans the gasses to a higher level that
produces more energy than current waste to energy plants produce. We
have approximately 6.5 years left at Kekaha landfill. This project
proposes to extend the life of Kekaha another 30 plus years. There
are 7 other proposals that I will be spending time on, we don't have
much of that left. The council, I'm certain will have full blown
presentations before making this very important decision. The county
did pay for the trip.
Former
county spokeswoman Beth Tokioka provided this statement about the
mayor's participation:
Mayor
left for London from Washington DC (after the close of his annual US
Conference of Mayor's meeting) on Thursday, January 22, and returned
to Kaua'i on Sunday, January 25.
Earlier
in January, the county concluded a request for information (RFI)
process, where we solicited information from companies who could
offer new technologies for solid waste disposal that would increase
diversion from the landfill and create more sustainable solutions for
waste management. Last year the County Engineer visited a waste
conversion facility in Tennessee as part of our efforts to research
alternative means of managing waste. Pelatron is one of the companies
that responded to the RFI, along with the Tennessee company and six
other respondents. We anticipate that other site visits will be made
as part of our due diligence in evaluating the information received
via the RFI.
Over
the years we have learned - through our own experiences and from
those recently on Maui and the Big Island - that innovative waste
conversion technologies are very complex and must be thoroughly
researched before any public funds are committed or contracts entered
into.
The
County is currently reviewing the RFI submittals and then will be
evaluating what next steps are to be taken.
As for Justin's travel, he spent $1,725.40 on airfare in the first six months of 2014, and $2,493.78 on air travel for second half of 2014 and first two months of 2015,
for a total of $4,219.18. Car rental for that same 14-month
period totaled $413, and per diem of $797.38.
His travel was all inter-island, attending an access to justice conference, trainings on elderly abuse and impaired driving, the opening of the Legislature, testifying on a domestic violence bill, a law forum hearing, meetings with the Hawaii Prosecuting Attorneys Association and a session at the Hawaii Supreme Court. Grand total for 14 months: $5,429.56
His travel was all inter-island, attending an access to justice conference, trainings on elderly abuse and impaired driving, the opening of the Legislature, testifying on a domestic violence bill, a law forum hearing, meetings with the Hawaii Prosecuting Attorneys Association and a session at the Hawaii Supreme Court. Grand total for 14 months: $5,429.56
Posts
11 comments:
Travel to research "waste to energy" is a total waste. To London? Kauai is going to set up a jet fuel plant? You gotta be kidding! We can't even agree on a dairy or even if the bike path is a good idea. Fistees galore on all sides of every issue. Ask the waste to energy supporters to give examples of where this technology makes economic sense--where it actually provides a ROI. Check out Luke's report: http://kawaehawaii.blogspot.com/.../waste-to-energy-vs... This industry is packed with salesmen. No need to travel to them. Show any interest and they will come to you with lots of promises but no proof.
As I understand it, much like 9:37, there are no operating waste plasma facilities. And our county is in no position to be the first. In fact I read on thid very blog that even if conventionally burned for energy, our county does not have enough waste to fuel a plant of meaningful substance. Remember when H Power considered importing waste because it needed more combustibles? It was impractical, as it turns out.
The Japanese deal with ash and slag by mixing it with cement and making sidewalk concrete and cobble stones. Not a bad idea.
but a trip to England is big fun
Mayor Bernard just like his mentor mayor Kusaka loves travelling around the world with our monies. We have not seen any trade missions come into reality. What a waste of our hard-earned taxes to pay for these so called public servants. Expect more in the next three years of our mayor globe-trotting. What does he care anyway? He will not be seeking reelection after this term. Can't wait for a fresh start in county government in 2018, but who is qualified? Nobody. We see Kusaka, Baptiste in Bernard. Same feathers.
Mel Rapozo would have been the best best for mayor in 2018, but lately he has become the mayor's rubber-stamp. Well, Mel's brother is the mayor's liquor control head - - see the connection? Just like Jay who is now working for the county with $96,000 plus yearly salary.
I thought from your intro the travel expenditures were going to be huge. They were not. It all seems reasonable. Even the trip to the UK was minimal compared to paying a consultant to tell us the same information (every consultant seems to come in at $50k).
Overall, I'm happy with these numbers, especially considering we're on an island, so any travel outside the county requires a plane flight and rental car, even to our capital. I don't see anything that even hints at abuse or waste.
The squandering is not the manini travel expenses.
The real cost are things like hiring Jay at close to a hundred per year so he can pick up the bigger retirement.
Or another example of how the County works...it starts at the top. One lonely little fireplace creates an original Bill that would outlaw pelehus etc...the introducer Da Hoos, says "oh I am just kidding, I really meant the bill to say one fireplace", But his Bill gets dozens of people to the County chambers,,endless testimony hours and hours of County work and Citizen frustration,,.....the fireplace example is indicative of many of the County processes. Misguided and inept.
If Mel wants to be Mayor, he must show leadership...not the smarmy one-up-manship, that is necessary when dealing with JoAnn and Da Hoos...but real meaningful leadership...cutting the budget, letting the department heads know that there is no money..get the people to do their jobs...the Council controls the purse strings and makes the law....C'mon Mel, right now Ross, Kipikai and Arryl are being better leaders than you. And Arryl, CONGRATULATIONS- Stick to your guns and VOTE on all County issues. Da Hoos and JoAnn have had their noses so far up certain wealthy behinds, for so many years, it is amazing that their countenances have not become-big round full moon pimply cheeks, an osmosis kind of thing. All of the Council members have inclinations, insinuations and lurking influences of the past, present and future.
Mt. Yukimura will grow and grow....A mountain of trash by he sea.
It seems to me that the Council expenses are in alignment with their fiduciary responsibilities.
I too expected it to be way more.
Talking about the budget. Was there really a crisis or was it manufactured? For all that it was supposed to be, $8+ mil., including layoffs, reduced services, citizen surveys, etc. The solution, acccording to the GI, boiled down to 8th grade math.
The budget was another FURLOUGH scam!!!!!!!
It's surprising that no one said anything. But in all the time da jerk was at the legislature n claimed 1 trip and still used the county letter head on all his door knocking. A bunch of you bloggers questioned his ethical behavior n now none of you jumped on it on this post. Freaking amazing! For me, it's all good. I'm still part of the silent majority that was 60 votes short of getting him out. Ah! That's life, we must go on. Joan, thanks.
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