It’s one of those Tuesdays that feel like a deferred Monday. It makes Friday seem a lot closer.
In any case, I thought it might be time to stop and check out the State Procurement Office.
A few items of interest found there, as usual.
• The State Department of Transportation is requesting an exemption from bidding requirements for as-yet unknown projects with as-yet unknown costs in order to provide “goods, services, and construction” in advance of the APEC meetings in December.
Examples of some of the goods, services, and construction that may be required, but not limited to the following: the rental or purchase of concrete barriers, fencing, or razor wire; the delivery and placement of concrete barriers, fencing, or razor wire; trucking service; traffic control service; electrical repairs; plumbing repairs; graffiti removal; painting service; landscaping service; street sweeping service; trash removal service; security guard service; purchase of fuel; and the purchase of meals.
Unless adequate lead time is given, “a single quote will be used as long as it is reasonable.”
Coincidentally, the “Eating in Public” project has just launched an anti-APEC web site with an array of useful protest items (check out the “spec sucks” t-shirts, for example).
• In mid-May, there was a leak that required emergency repairs in the hallway next to the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms office in the State Capitol basement. In requesting approval for the emergency repairs, DAGS described it as “a slip hazard at a high traffic area and the leak could not be contained.” It took four contractors and $24,870 to make the repairs.
• The Hawaii Convention Center at the edge of Waikiki is preparing to shut down all events during a 10-week “black-out” period between January 12 and March 22, 2012, in order to make an estimated $9 million in priority repairs. DAGS is proposing to go outside of routine procurement procedures in order to (hopefully) select a contractor with a track record of finishing time-sensitive projects like this one.
The repairs and improvements include rebuilding the lobby water feature, repair corrosion in the sail structure, repair the roof membrane around the sail structure and ballroom, do waterproofing on the 4th floor rooftop garden to stop water from leaking into stairways, more waterproofing in various areas to stop leaks and water damage, etc.
And so it goes on this Tuesday morning.
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Worthless ugly monolithic piece o’ junk con-vention center shoulda never been built. leave Honolulu low rise. I mean we have the HIC for conventions.
I am troubled by the whole security preparations and procurement for APEC. I see a lot of “let’s buy more cameras” or “let’s buy razor wire and barracades” but incredibly little PLANNING on how to utilize these resources. I’m not troubled by the cameras/privacy issue, but more that the attitude that just buying more stuff (technology?) is the way to go. I’m also not necessarily opposed to spending money on security, but I’d like to have a plan (we need X number of cameras to place at these specific locations because we’ve done the planning to figure out how to best exploit the technology and get the most bang for our buck and personnel).
Perhaps the HTA can work “razor wire” into it’s advertising of Hawaii’s many scenic charms and attractions.
Hey, time to pull out those WWII photos of the romantic razor wire stretched out along Waikiki Beach!
http://ilind.net/oldkine_images/duke-large-waikiki.jpg
The APEC organizers seem to expect people would get angry if they knew knew APEC’s purpose. And they may be right. As I see it, APECi s just another organization being used by the international corporate elite to overcome the “barriers” to their pursuit of profit.
It is shameful to watch as today’s Democrats scramble to honor the APEC delegates. The Old Democrats fought against the Big Five and for erecting “barriers” to corporate greed, like unionized labor, healthcare, zoning laws.
Glad to see liberals like Abercrombie and Schatz finally doing something about the homeless problem.
Here’s a link to that anti-APEC website:
http://www.nomoola.com/apec/
“APEC Sucks!”
A day late and a dollar short, as usual.
The community gets what the community wants.
The main story on the front page of the Wall Street Journal consists of input from corporate executives on how to increase the employment level. Their suggestions? Less regulation and tax breaks for corporations.
Funny thing is, before reading that I had just read Charles Hugh Smith’s blog Of Two Minds, which stated that 60% of workers in the United States work for small business. Funny how proposed pro-employment policies turn out to be not only primarily pro-business, but pro-CORPORATE, and they do not even help small business. They also happen to be the same policies (deregulation) that got the US into this economic catastrophe.
I can only guess that Abercrombie is doing what Rahm Emanuel called never wasting a good crisis to do what needed to be done anyway. The APEC might be a good opportunity to revitalize Waikiki. We’ll see if that happens.
But is it realistic to believe that APEC members are going to be so impressed with the cosmetic features of Waikiki that they will want to invest money in Hawaii? First of all, wouldn’t one expect most of these people to have already come to Hawaii, and multiple times at that? Second, don’t business elites look at things other than the seeming absence of homeless people when they want to invest in a country? China is a grim place today, but corporations invest in it because the fundamentals are there. Are the fundamentals there in Hawaii?
Are there really people in Hawaii who believe that APEC represents some kind of opportunity for Hawaii? I hope Abercrombie and Schatz don’t really believe in their own hype.
I also meant to add that the rational for catering to APEC is a bit like catering to corporation in order to boost employment. The big shots are already spoiled as it is.
for those that haven’t seen it — check out
Into the Fire — about G20 Toronto
—- youtube film link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zejD0UkMGGY