Archive for category: Updates

WATCH: FACEBOOK LIVE TOWN HALL – COVID-19 & THE BAILOUT OF CORPORATIONS

We hosted a Facebook Live Town Hall today on the government’s response to COVID-19, how it’s been benefiting corporations and the rich, and what working people need to do to push back. You can watch the recording here in case you missed it.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Majority of hotels agree to “one time use” key system for quarantined visitors in Hawaii (KITV May 13 2020)

90% of the 89 hotels still open agree to give quarantined visitors a one-time use key in order to help enforce the quarantine rules.

Kaua’i County beaches to reopen Friday under specific guidelines (KITV, May 13, 2020)

2 week pilot program begins on Friday.  The main aspect of the rules allows parties of 10 or less on the each if they are in the same household.

Hawaii vacation rentals use loopholes to skirt quarantine (Star Advertiser, May 13, 2020)

At least 14% of visitors arriving during lockdown admitted they were using vacation rental units. This article talks about how vacation rentals and the difficulty of enforcing the laws governing their use are problem, especially since all vacation rental units are considered non-essential and shouldn’t be operating at all right now.

Congressman Calls For Testing Hawaii-Bound Travelers (Civil Beat, May 13, 2020)

Ed Case wants the FAA to change rules to allow testing of visitors and crews before boarding an airplane to Hawaii.  It calls for fever testing and “as available”, rapid on-site COVID testing.  The costs would be borne by airlines according to his letter to the FAA.

Trimmed Budget Ready For Final Senate Vote (Civil Beat, May 13, 2020)

The legislature seems set to cut a $1 billion hole in the state budget. The bulk of the revised budget cuts comes from leaving vacant positions open, excluding nearly half a billion in Gov. Ige’s supplemental budget request, and tapping into rainy day funds and federal funding. Worker furloughs or pay cuts are not proposed. See article for links to the bill language.

Pandemic Forces Honolulu Council To Slash Budget (Civil Beat, May 13, 2020)

The city cut $130 million from its proposed $3 billion budget. The bulk of the cuts are from TheBus and HandiVan, vacant positions and rail’s HART operating budget. Honolulu will get about $387 million in funds from the CARES Act to help offset costs, of which $100 million are dedicated to help small businesses and another 30% to first responders.

Culinary Union planning ‘transparency’ car caravan on Las Vegas Strip tomorrow (Las Vegas Sun, May 13, 2020)

Local 226, a UNITE HERE local in Las Vegas, holds a car caravan rally to demand public release of Las Vegas hotels’ reopening plan and also demands more safety measures to protect workers who go back to work.

MGM Resorts released a 19-page, 7-point plan that you can view here. It provides details on major issues like: screening, PPE, distancing, sanitation, HVAC control and incidence control.

Paul Manafort Just Got Out of Prison Years Early Because of Coronavirus (Vice, May 13, 2020)

Manafort was Trump’s campaign manager who was convicted of bank fraud and plead guilty to defrauding the US and witness tampering. He is now under house arrest.

Employers can let workers change health plans without waiting (Pacific Business news, May 13, 2020)

The Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday made it easier for employers to allow workers to make adjustments to their health insurance plans and flexible spending accounts in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Employers can let their workers drop out of their health insurance if they have another option, or sign up if they failed to earlier in the year.

Workers could also be allowed to add more family members to their plan or switch from one workplace plan to another.

The change doesn’t require employers to offer these options; they must opt in if they want to give their employees the added flexibility. The changes could make it easier for workers who are furloughed to drop benefits temporarily and resume them when they return to work. They may also be attractive to workers who decided against buying health insurance earlier in the year but feel different now that they are worried about their risk of catching the coronavirus.

COVID Cases Today

World: Cases: 4.3M (+100k).  Deaths: 297k(+6k).
USA: Cases: 1.39M (+20k).  Deaths: 84.1k (+1.8k).  Total Tested: 9.9M (+300k).
Hawaii: Cases:  638 (+3).  Deaths: 17 (+0).  Hospitalized: 81 (+0). Recovered: 563 (+0).

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

State Lawmakers reach tentative agreement on CARES Act spending bill (Hawaii News Now, May 11, 2020)

Hawaii lawmakers acted to distribute 862M in CARES Act money to the neighbor islands.  The bill gives $180 million dollars for the neighbor islands for coronavirus testing and contact tracing, and to pay for services such as police and firefighters. Another $100 million goes to the Hawaii Department of Defense while the largest amount ― about $550 million ― will go into the rainy day fund. Honolulu already got $250 million directly from the feds.

Lack of clear plan to replace tourism leaves Hawaii’s economic future in doubt (Star Advertiser, May 11, 2020)

The most important point being made in these conversations about diversifying and altering Hawaii’s tourism economy is that studies have shown Hawaii is not getting the same amount of returns on tourism as it used to. Adjusted for inflation, it took 10.4 million visitors in 2019 to reach $17.75 billion in spending, which was lower than the $18.3 billion (2019 dollars) that 6.5 million visitors brought to Hawaii in 1989. Perhaps setting the minimum wage at living wage levels would help limit tourist numbers, prevent environmental degradation, increase wealth of local working families, and improve residents’ quality of life.

Hawaii COVID-19 incident commander says ‘rioting’ a possibility if economy falters (Star Advertiser, May 11, 2020)

Quote from Major General Kenneth Hara: “If we let the economy go the way it’s going, I feel there will be significant civil unrest that could lead to civil disobedience and, worst case, civil disturbance and rioting.”

Hawaii to receive more than $5M for emergency rent payments, food assistance (Pacific Business Journal, 5/11/2020)

The funding will be dispersed to the counties for purposes such as rental and food assistance, grants and loans to small businesses, providing financial support to nonprofits that fall under essential services, and workforce development and training for displaced workers, among other uses.  Honolulu: $3,081,677.  Hawaii County: $975,815.   Maui County: $698,280.   Kauai County: $261,137.

DHHL announces new rental relief program for those affected by COVID-19 (KITV, May 11, 2020)

Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who are on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) applicant waiting list can now participate in the organization’s new program providing rental relief DHHL, potential applicants can contacts DHHL’s partner organization Aloha United Way for more information.

McConnell brushes off Pelosi as she finalizes relief package (Politico, May 11, 2020)

The US House is drafting another stimulus package bill, but it is already being dismissed by the Republican US Senate as a “messaging document.” It appears there is no sense of urgency to get another bill passed and a bill likely won’t be passed until some time in June.

COVID Cases Today

World: Cases: 4.1M (+100k).  Deaths: 286k(+3.3k).
USA: Cases: 1.34M (+10k).  Deaths: 80.3k (+800).  Total Tested: 9.38M (+380k).
Hawaii: Cases:  634 (+2).  Deaths: 17 (+0).  Hospitalized: 81 (+0). Recovered: 561 (+0).

News Highlights

COVID Cases Today
World: Cases: 4.0M (+70k).  Deaths: 279(+5k)
USA: Cases: 1.3M (+20k).  Deaths: 78.7k (+1.6k).  Total Tested: 8.7M (+300k)
Hawaii: Cases:  631 (+2).  Deaths: 17 (+0).  Hospitalized: 81 (+o). Recovered: 551

Fresh coronavirus outbreaks in Germany and South Korea show the risks in easing up restrictions – Associated Press. 

U.S. Leisure and Hospitality Industry Lost 8.2 Million Jobs in 2 Months – Skift. 

– Excerpt: “The April job loss in leisure and hospitality was more than three times greater than the second-most-impacted sector, education and health services, which saw a decline of 2.54 million jobs.”

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell criticizes state’s failure to expand COVID-19 testing – Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 

‘I Have To Accept Reality’: First-Timers Line Up For Foodbank Help – Honolulu Civil Beat. 

– People in Hawaii have been lining up at food distribution events hours before they even start because of the number of people in line.

Housing Is A Human Right – opinion piece by Tina Grandinetti, Sonny Ganaden, Adele Balderston, and Hunter Heaivilin, published in Honolulu Civil Beat. 

– Even with a temporary moratorium on evictions for not paying rent or mortgage, people will still struggle to pay those bills as we move into a recession, and they risk losing their housing if more comprehensive action is not taken to help them.

– Urges the governor to extend the eviction moratorium, fully relieve rent and mortgage payment obligations for those that cannot afford them, create state funds for rent and mortgage relief that landlords and mortgage companies can apply for when their tenants and mortgagees cannot pay, and other ideas.

Legislative Deal In The Works Would Use Untapped Funds To Dodge Budget Cuts – Honolulu Civil Beat.