According to today’s Star-Bulletin, the public relations firm representing Hawaii Superferry Inc. has come out with another poll providing, according to the company’s lobbyist (a nice guy but hardly an unbiased source), evidence of public support. I would just ask a couple of questions. First, are they making the full survey and protocol, including the questions asked, available? Response data can be quite misleading if you don’t see the full questions. And, second, are they going to disclose the amount spent on this poll and related actions they’re taking in this attempt to persuade the legislature to take action?

Previous expenditures of this type have been omitted from the company’s expenditure reports required to be filed with the State Ethics Commission although they appear to fall within the definition of lobbying because they are aimed at persuading the legislature.  I’ve raised this issue here before (here’s an earlier entry–lobbying references are mid-way down the page). This survey raises the same issues.

Here’s another item that caught my eye. It’s a request for exemption from state bid requirements for $2.4 million of construction at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility. The job includes plumping repairs, installation of new security cameras, replacement of air conditioning, construction of “padded cells”, “and any other work that is necessary for health and safety reasons that should be done as part of this project.”

The rationale presented for requesting an exemption is that the work “needs to be designed and constructed in an expedited manner for the health and safety of the wards and staff….”

Okay. The request for exemption also notes that the state is under pressure due to a memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that resulted from the federal lawsuit against the state over conditions at the facility.

That doesn’t seem unreasonable. But the supporting documentation posted on the state procurement office web site yesterday referred to a consultant’s report noting the necessity of this work. That report, however, was dated November 2006, nearly a year ago.

So it seems that little has been done for nearly a year, and then suddenly we’re faced with the “need” for expedited action.

Oh, one additional oddity. The additional document citing theNovember 2006 report is no longer posted on the procurement office web site as part of the application for exemption.  I don’t know why this bit of history has been disappeared.

That reminds me to thank Larry Geller (www.DisappearedNews.com) for suggesting excellent sources of news on the sad events in Burma.

Larry also left a comment yesterday pointing to an interview with reporter Sy Hersh available from Democracy Now!

Robert Wood pointed to another Hersh interview with  Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air yesterday, which is available as an online stream and downloadable podcast.

Ms. Annie, the petite cat among our nine felines, turns out to be the huntress who has been bringing fresh snacks into my bathroom. I happened to be up for a glass of water when she came in with another rat at about 2:15 this morning. She glanced around and then happily trotted directly into my bathroom and deposited the rat in my shower and proceeded to start playing with it.

I admit to a quick bare hand rat rescue which left the rodent outside and Ms. Annie searching the bathroom for the missing morsel, all with lots of verbal rewards for her excellent display of hunting skills.

Ah, it’s 5:50 a.m. The city refuse crew has already come and gone, and there are beginning to be hints of light to the east. Just about time to set the coffee and head out to watch the sunrise.