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Carroll talks about possible problems with another one of Governor Ige's nominees, Linda Chu Takayama, to head the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. She is currently Director of
Economic Development for the City and County of Honolulu, but during the aftermath of Hurricane Iniki she was the State of Hawaii Insurance Commissioner (1991-1994). There are a number of questions regarding her past association with insurance settlements and liquidations after Hurricane Iniki when she was put in charge of overseeing the process, and later became a partner in the law firm that completed the deal. Her ex-law partner, Jerrold
Chun, was involved with, and convicted of, shady dealings involving the liquidation. Takayama may or may
not have been involved in the illegal part of the deal, but as Chun's partner in the law firm managing the final portion of the settlement, she should have known what was going on. Carroll reads news stories published in 2003 and 2004 regarding Chun's, and possibly Takayama's, involvement in insurance company liquidations. According to the stories, Chun was convicted and served 10 years for "stealing" money from the insurance companies. He
called the money a "success" bonus. Takayama denied any involvement with Chun's problems. The big question is, was she a beneficiary of money received from the liquidation after assigning the
business to Chun's firm when she was Insurance Commissioner, then petitioning the courts to appoint her to oversee the liquidation as "deputy liquidator", and then later becoming a law partner with Chun. In a Honolulu Advertiser story published in 2003, one state senator and a former Insurance Commissioner noted there were "serious questions" about her role in the process even though she denied any knowledge of the alleged fraud.
Here are links to some of the news stories:
October 21, 2003
Honolulu Advertiser
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Oct/21/ln/ln12a.html
October 22, 2003
Honolulu Advertiser
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Oct/22/ln/ln17a.html
October 22, 2003
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2003/10/22/news/story14.html
December 14, 2004
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/12/14/news/story6.html
Carroll also mentions the nomination of Suzanne Case as Chairman of the Board of Natural Resources. Carroll is concerned about privatization of the Department of Land and Natural Resources due to contractors from nonprofit environmental organizations being hired to do the work of, or supervise, state workers. (Listen to past shows of 04/5/15
and 03/15/15 regarding Frazer McGilvray). Now, with Case on the job, how will the Nature Conservancy benefit, and how many other outside contractors will be working at DLNR? Do we really want our state agencies privatized, and where will that lead down the road?
Carroll then talks to the woman who was assaulted at Kaena Point, by a member of the Monk Seal Foundation, when she was taking pictures of a seal on the beach. Over a month ago she filed a complaint with the DLNR, but has not heard from them at all. Carroll also talks about at least three DLNR workers from one district placed on paid leave because they allegedy reported to work
earlier then scheduled for that day. So, who is protecting resources in their district? Is this why a dead turtle was recently found in a trash can? The caller tells us she goes to Kaena Point a couple of times a week, but has never seen anyone from DLNR in the area.
More on waste of money at the DLNR: Carroll tells us a boat motor that allegedly needed a $5.00 part to repair was given to Central Marine Center Incorporated as payment for past due bills that date back seven years. The value of the motor was way more than the amount of the bills owed Central Marine, and DLNR had to buy a new motor to replace the one given Central Marine.
There are also allegations a DLNR employee asked the business owner to "stack" the bills for services received over a period of seven years.
Follow: Carroll Cox, Linda Takayama, Jerrold Chun, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Insurance Commissioner, Governor Ige, DLNR, ROPA, Central
Marine Center.
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Cleaning up
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