Let me say at the get-go that it was a sad comment on the current state of Hawaii’s Democratic Party.

The Hawaii People’s Fund‘s annual dinner honored Ah Quan McElrath last night. It looked like at least 400 people, maybe more, packed the ballroom at the Japanese Cultural Center to support the People’s Fund, a progressive community fund supporting grassroots change, and to pay their respects to McElrath, a lifelong champion of working people, a labor activist, a UH Regent, and so much more.

But I didn’t spot a single elected official in the crowd, although it’s always possible that someone escaped my attention. I asked several other people, including an event organizer, and none were aware of any elected official being present. I did spot state senate candidate and former Democratic Party chairman Brickwood Galuteria. Thanks, Brickwood.

But I have to wonder why, with a key election just days away, at least a few politicians didn’t recognize this as a good place to be seen. As I said up front, their absence is a sad comment on the state of the Democratic Party.

Thanks to Andy Zajac, a reporter in the Chicago Tribune’s Washington Bureau, for this plug and link back to my Wednesday entry. But don’t get all excited–I haven’t noticed any surge in visitors as a result. Well, actually, I haven’t notice any visitors as a result of that link. So it goes.

And pity the poor apartment owners at the ultra-luxury Hokua condominium at 1288 Ala Moana, where you can buy a unit today at prices ranging from $1.5 million to $4 million.

According to a law suit being pursued by the condo owners association against the building’s developer and contractors, flooding and damage from broken water pipes began almost as soon as it opened.

Things got serious when one leak followed another, causing water damage in adjacent apartments and on floors below.

A detailed investigation followed. The news wasn’t good. According to the suit, plans and specifications for the potable water system delivering drinking water to each of the 245 residential apartments were changed during construction.

The system eventually installed is “composed of cross-linked polyethelene pipe”, brass fittings and stainless steel cinch clamps.

The bad news is that the brass fittings contain far too much zinc, causing them to break down over time in an “unstoppable process” of dezincification. While the plumbing code limits zinc content in these kinds of items to 15% or less, the components used at Hokua were found to have an average 36% to 39% zinc content. There are at least 70 brass fittings per apartment, or a total of 17,150 fittings, according to the complaint.

As the brass fitting deteriorate, they leak, causing corrosion of the stainless steel clamps, in turn causing pipes to come off or loosen enough to leak at full water pressure.

The substandard fittings were allegedly produced by manufacturers in Korea and China.

According to the law suit, stopping the leaks will require the complete removal of the substandard fittings at an estimated cost of $53,000 per apartment. KaChing, KaChing!

Now, of course, comes the long drawn out process of figuring out just who is going to have to foot the bill. The law suit, which started in state court but has moved to federal court, names the developer, architect, engineer, contractor, plumbing subcontractor, and parts suppliers.

Ms. Alice Brown makes another appearance today in this brief video. If clicking on the picture doesn’t work, try this link to the quicktime movie.