The Legitimate Government in Hawaii Series: Konohiki Tom Lenchanko Opposition to U.S. Military, etc.

 The Legitimate Government in Hawaii Series:  Konohiki Tom Lenchanko Opposition to U.S. Military, etc.

                                                                Posted by Amelia Gora (2023)

The following is posted for our legal records:

Re: Use the same standard for all budget items as the First Responders Technology Campus

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Thomas Lenchanko <tlenchanko1@hawaii.rr.com>	Fri, Jun 9, 2023 at 5:51 AM
To: "Sen. Donovan M. Dela Cruz" <delacruz2@capitol.hawaii.gov>, David Cho <d.cho@capitol.hawaii.gov> Cc: "Rep. Amy A. Perruso" <repperruso@capitol.hawaii.gov>, Tina Grandinetti <t.grandinetti@capitol.hawaii.gov>, perruso1 - Thora-Jean <perruso1@capitol.hawaii.gov>, HCCW Wahiawa <hccwahiawa@gmail.com>, noelani deVincent <noelani.devincent@gmail.com>, winona saranillio aguero <nona_win@yahoo.com>, Yvonne Leimomi Gasper <ygasper@aol.com>, krystal lee tabangcura <kahea725@gmail.com>, Ioane <ioane.mahiai@gmail.com>, Kahealani Acosta <kaacosta@hawaii.edu>, Dan Nakasone <ad-venture@hawaii.rr.com>, TrusteeHuluLindsey@oha.org, trusteetrask@oha.org, trusteeWaihee@oha.org, TrusteeAhuna@oha.org, TrusteeAkaka@oha.org, TrusteeAkina@oha.org, TrusteeAlapa@oha.org, TrusteeGaluteria@oha.org, TrusteeSouza@oha.org, Kai Markell <kaim@oha.org>, Kamakana Ferreira <kamakanaf@oha.org>, Sylvia Hussey <sylviah@oha.org>, Lori Walker <loriw@oha.org>, Sean Laakea Rabes <laakear@oha.org>, Matthew Kahoopii <matthewkahoopii@gmail.com>, Billy Young <kamakeey071968@gmail.com>, Amy Gora <goraamy69@gmail.com>, Nicholas Ball <nickydball@gmail.com>, Alii <meakauarockdahale@yahoo.com>
aloha no na kau A Paule ke kuamoo o na kupuna ma Regarding: OBJECTION to the injury to our traditional cultural property kalana lihue wahiawa halemano waianae uka… 36,000 acres puuhonua kukaniloko; remiss and affront to our national treasure kaananiau oahunui, kapuahuawa, halahape, kanewai, halemano, oio, oahunui, halawa, kulihemo, kuua, hawea, kapukaki, pakaka…; alodium crown and government land and the status of its heirs successors and descendants; law of the land, Article VI of the United States Constitution and our Internationally Protected Property under Kamehameha III / United States Treaty 1849-1850 Zachary Taylor…;  Kingdom of Hawaii a sovereign, independent nation-state in neutrality… pili i kuapuiwi Thomas Joseph Lenchanko Aha Ula Kukaniloko kahuakaiola ko laila waha olelo ahu kukaniloko Koa Mana mea ola kanaka mauli hoalii iku pau Kingdom of Hawaii, Internationally Protected Person, Hawaiian National and Private Citizen On Jun 8, 2023, at 5:01 PM, Sen. Donovan M. Dela Cruz <delacruz2@capitol.hawaii.gov> wrote: It is intriguing that the First Responders Technology Campus (FRTC) is currently facing significant scrutiny and criticism from the media, a few House members, and a board member of the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC). This scrutiny is especially noteworthy considering that the FRTC is designed to benefit the safety, security, and well-being of the entire state's population, including first responders and local resources. The project is currently under close examination, and its importance was recently highlighted in the Hawaii News Now's First Alert Hurricane Season 2023 program.  While there were 48 budget items negotiated, agreed upon, and included in the HB300 budget since the bill was initially introduced, it is concerning that only the First Responders Technology Campus is being singled out for a line-item veto. This selective focus by the media casts a shadow over my support for the FRTC, even though the Governor's Messages specifically called for its inclusion at a reduced amount. Also, the budget requests from the Department of Defense and the Department of Law Enforcement emphasized the need for funds to be allocated to the FRTC in the budget bill.  Over the past decade, my office has conducted comprehensive research to understand the resource requirements and risks faced by our first responders, who play a vital role in serving and protecting Hawaii. However, many individuals are quick to criticize the project's price tag without a clear understanding of the costs involved in adequately equipping these departments and agencies. Moreover, they fail to recognize the potential costs in terms of liability and loss of life if we neglect to address the deteriorating facilities and infrastructure that our first responders currently work in. It is important to note that informed legislators and reporters cannot dispute the fact that our State, County, and Federal first responders, defense personnel, and information technology professionals are currently forced to work, train, and operate in faulty, dilapidated, and subpar facilities. For instance, consider the condition of the State Data Center, where the servers and equipment housing the State's digital infrastructure are at risk of being submerged, with exposed cabling throughout the facility.  It should be clarified that Vassilis Syrmos, an HTDC board member and vice president for research and innovation at the University of Hawaiʻi, has never officially expressed opposition to the FRTC or called for its removal from the HTDC portfolio. Any claims suggesting otherwise are simply fabrications unless there is an official record of opposition from him. In fact, the University should be encouraged to assist in solving our state's problems and challenges, which includes supporting the development of innovations and technologies that effectively address Hawaii's unique vulnerabilities and threats, including those faced by state and county first responder departments and agencies.  Rather than working towards solving our state's problems and developing plans to proactively address these challenges, opponents of the FRTC seem more interested in being the first to criticize our facilities and systems in the event of a catastrophic event. It is worth noting that the media's inaccurate reports claiming that the legislature did not support SB1469, the FRTC bill, are simply untrue. A visit to the legislature's website and examination of the bill's status would reveal that it received unanimous support from the Senate in all committees and floor votes. It then moved on to the House, where it passed the House Committee on Water and Land, and two-floor votes, before being blocked by the House Committee on Higher Education and Technology, chaired by Representative Perruso. Perruso's failure to schedule a hearing for the bill deprived the House members of the Higher Education and Technology Committee of the opportunity to deliberate on it. It is ironic that Representative Perruso frequently laments bills being unfairly blocked by Subject Matter Chairs, yet she herself is guilty of this practice. She is engaging in the very action she highlighted in Civil Beat as an issue and an improvement that Hawaii lawmakers could implement to enhance the legislative process, which is "eliminating the power of committee chairs to unilaterally kill bills."  SB1469 had gained considerable momentum, receiving support from both the Senate and the House for the establishment of the FRTC. It garnered endorsements from the Department of Defense, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Law Enforcement, the Office of Enterprise Technology, the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, and many others. All these departments submitted testimonies supporting the FRTC bill because it aligns with and supports their missions and functions. However, the media would prefer readers to believe otherwise.    It is important to remember that the State's Chief Executive has the right to exercise a line-item veto on any budget item. However, the standard used by the Honolulu Advertiser is not responsible or consistent. If the Governor wishes to retrieve $270 million to address the dip in the latest Council on Revenue forecast, it will be necessary to apply the media's broad criteria for a line-item veto to all 48 budget appropriations listed below, which were added to the final budget from the Governor's Messages, the Senate, the House, and the conference. If any of these 48 budget appropriations meet the same criteria as the First Responders Technology Campus, they should also be subject to a line-item veto.    ProgID  SeqNo  Category  FY24  FY25  Description  AGR141  3001001  Conference  $5,250,200   $250,200   Land acquisition pursuant to Act 90, SLH 2003  AGR192  2100001  Senate   $5,000,000      Feral animals  AGS101  310001  GM2  $590,000      Hawaii information portal - user request backlogs  AGS131  213002  GM1  $760,000   $1,020,000   Data network  AGS221  2102001  Senate   $5,000,000      Central Oahu Agriculture and Food Hub infrastructure  AGS221  2103001  Senate   $1,050,000      Proof of concept and master planning  AGS879  213001  GM1  $2,518,308      Voter System Contract  ATG100  213009  GM1  $2,418,289      Victim Witness Program and Career Criminal Prosecution Program  BED100  403001  GM5  $2,500,000      Culinary Master Classes  BED100  1000001  House      $1,000,000   Hawaii defense alliance program  BED100  2101001  Senate   $5,000,000      Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture  BED101  2100001  Senate   $500,000      International/Art Programming  BED113  3000001  Conference  $64,000,000      Convention Center  BED130  213001  GM1  $2,994,167   $3,382,618   Contracts for Tourism Research  BED138  1000001  House   $100,000,000     Energy Loans for ALICE populations  BED143  1002001  House   $4,000,000      HCATT  BED143  1004001  House   $5,275,000   $275,000   HiCAP  BED143  2102001  Senate   $50,000,000      FRTC Infrastructure  BED144  213002  GM1  $500,000   $500,000   Coastal Zone Management  BED170  2100001  Senate   $93,800,000      ADC infrastructure to support agriculture  BED170  3000001  Conference  $10,000,000      Food and Product Innovation Network  BUF101  3000001  Conference  $33,000,000   $33,000,000   Broadband  BUF101  3001001  Conference     $500,000,000  Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund  BUF101  3002001  Conference  $200,000,000     Deferred maintenance  CCA191  213002  GM1  $2,940,000   $2,940,000   King Kalakaua Building roof repair  DEF110  213005  GM1  $1,120,750   $1,440,857   State and local Cybersecurity grant program  DEF118  2100001  Senate   $12,000,000      FRTC (new emergency operations center)  HRD191  2100001  Senate   $3,000,000   $180,000   IT & computer equipment and infrastructure  HRD191  2101001  Senate   $3,000,000      Telework pilot  LAW900  213001  GM1  $45,000,000      Law Enforcement I.T. Software Project  LAW900  2100001  Senate   $2,015,383      Salary differentials  LAW900  2101001  GM2  $5,000,000      FRTC (new headquarters)  LBR111  403001  GM5     $1,000,000   Loan forgiveness program  LBR171  213001  GM1  $36,000,000      UI Modernization  LBR171  213002  GM1  $5,000,000      Lost Wages assistance  LBR171  1000001  House   $1,098,246   $1,098,246   Personal services for retention & recruitment  LBR902  213001  GM1  $1,248,772   $259,064   Personal services  LNR172  3000001  Conference  $25,000,000      Equipment, acquisitions, renovations, improvements for forestry-resource management  LNR401  1000001  House   $14,790,000      Equipment, acquisitions, renovations, improvements for aquatic resources  LNR405  2100001  Senate   $4,684,997   $4,372,099   DOCARE 24/7 expansion  LNR407  3000001  Conference  $6,165,000   $6,165,000   Maui Axis Deer Program  LNR801  3000001  Conference  $60,225,000      Various operating expenses  LNR802  310001  GM2  $614,280   $614,280   Full-year funding for SHPD  LNR804  213001  GM1  $2,000,000   $2,000,000   Trail maintenance and outdoor initiatives  LNR806  3000001  Conference  $50,000,000      Various operating expenses  PSD900  213006  GM1  $500,000   $1,700,000   IT upgrades  PSD900  1000001  House   $2,000,000   $2,000,000   Community work furlough program for women  PSD900  2101001  Senate   $521,899      Utilities - electricity and propane gas  Contact: State Capitol Room 208 | 415 S. Beretania Street | Honolulu | HI 96813 P. 808.586.6090 | E. sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov   unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences