Ka‘ū News Briefs, Friday, November 15, 2019

An image of Lono held by Duane Pua at Kāwā. It was carried through Kāwā and Waiʻōhinu today, during the Makahiki Lonaikaukahi Relay. See more on the annual event, below. Photo by Clarissa Pua

"MY GOD, SHE MAKES ME PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN," tweeted Sen. Brian Schatz, in response to testimony from former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and anti corruption expert, Marie Yovanovitch. During today's public hearings on the impeachment inquiry of Pres. Donald Trump before the U.S. House of Representatives, Yovanovitch was questioned about allegations that Trump fired her because he was afraid she would reveal his corruption in his dealings with the leader of Ukraine, the largest country in Europe. Yovanovitch said she was abruptly recalled from her post, was told "The president has lost confidence in you," and was subject to a campaign to "smear my reputation falsely."
     During a phone call on July 25, Trump said Yovanovitch, is "going to go through some things."  Yovanovitch said she felt threatened.
     Said Schatz, "Americans are not going to be talked out of caring about the President extorting a foreign leader for his own benefit. Whatever a pundit or a politician may say, this is an historic moment and citizens get that.

     "After watching Ambassador Yovanovitch I have hope that, if we win the next election, we will have a massive influx of talented and principled people racing into the State Department to re-establish the United States as the indispensable nation."

     During Yovanovitch's testimony, Trump tweeted, "Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia. How did that go?"
     Objecting to Trump's attack on the career foreign service officer  with more than 30 years of service, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff asked Yovanovitch, "What effect do you think that has on other witnesses' willingness to come forward and expose wrongdoing?" She testified that she felt Trump's actions were "very intimidating."

     Sen. Mazie Hirono tweeted, "To falsely malign, attack, and intimidate Amb. Yovanovitch while she testifies shows what a liar and a bully @realDonaldTrump is. A liar and a bully -- a terrifying combination in a president of the United States."

     She also posted a "Hearing Haiku for Today:"

     Cut through their shibai

     It's not a witch hunt.
     Rep. Ed Case tweeted, "An open and transparent impeachment inquiry process is essential to broad public understanding and involvement."
     Case said he was in a "critical hearing" this morning with the Appropriations Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on "failures in the (Veterans Affair's) internal accountability and whistleblower protection processes; these have to work to assure we deliver for our vets and ʻohana."

     Case said the House impeachment inquiry "is critical, but I also continue work every day on the many other issues facing our country and Hawaiʻi, including meetings today with the @citizensclimateHawaiʻi, @IBEW Hawaiʻi, and Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders Association.

     Another testifier, David Holmes, an aide to the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, stated he overheard Mr. Trump asking EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland about Ukrainian president Volodmyr Zelensky's willingness to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his son.

     Schatz retweeted a post from CNN's Manu Raju: "I obtained a copy of David Holmes' opening statement, saying that he heard Trump telling Gordon Sondland: 'So, he's gonna do the investigation?' Sondland tells Trump: 'He's gonna do it' and that Zelensky will do 'anything you ask for.'"

     Schatz also retweeted a post from Politico's Chief Washington Correspondent Ryan Lizza, "Two devastating details from Holmes's testimony, just read on air by CNN: 1. He personally heard Trump demand investigation of Biden. 2. Sondland said Trump didn't care about the war with Russiabecause he only cared about things that benefited him, like the Biden investigation."

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AN INTERIM RULING FROM THE HAWAIʻI PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION WILL NOT ALLOW HELCO TO INCREASE RATES, according to a release from Hawaiʻi Electric Light. The utility filed a rate review in December 2018. HELCO seeks a 3.4 percent increase in revenues, or $13.4 million.
     In requesting the rate increase, the company cited continued improvements to the power grid to help integrate even more renewable resources while improving reliability. It also described extensive vegetation management work that is credited with reducing outages and their duration during storms.
     An interim decision is one step in the ratemaking process. The PUC will continue to review the rate request and other matters and will later issue a final decision that could result in a rate increase or decrease and other changes.
     If the final decision results in a rate decrease, the difference will be refunded to customers with interest. If a higher amount is approved, the increase will be applied going forward, not retroactively.
     The decision and order is available on the PUC's website, dms.puc.hawaii.gov/dms/. The docket is 2018-0368.