The mortgage crisis has arrived in Kaaawa in a very visible way. A cluster of three brand new, never-occupied homes built by developer W. Michael Sessions have been empty since they were built two years ago and now appear abandoned. Although real estate records continue to list the owners as Michael Sessions and Daniel Sessions, [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Business'
Lender apparently takes back developer’s homes in Kaaawa
August 8th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Business, Kaaawa
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Another Safeway horror story
August 1st, 2010 · 4 Comments · Business, Consumer issues
If I were a Safeway executive, or a Safeway stockholder, I might be a little worried about the problems with “Just for U”. But I would be extremely concerned about stories like the one that follows, which came via email yesterday from a regular reader. She writes: We shopped at the Waimalu Safeway for seven [...]
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State laundry contract with “exorbitant” costs went to a roofing company
July 21st, 2010 · 6 Comments · Business
A botched contract for laundry services that threatened to saddle the state’s Department of Defense with “exorbitant” costs was awarded to a Waianae roofing company, procurement records show. The records show the 1-year laundry contract went to Leeward Roofing, which submitted what appeared to be the low bid of $18,751.32. Leeward Roofing & General Contracting [...]
Hawaii Department of Defense admits to “exorbitant” payments for laundry services
July 11th, 2010 · 15 Comments · Business, Politics
Remember the scandals back in the 1980s over the Pentagon’s $435 hammers and $640 toilet seats? Now Hawaii apparently has it’s own entry in the same category of overpriced items. A state’s Department of Defense contract for laundry services apparently had it paying $107 for the once-a-week washing of the two sheets, pillow case, and [...]
Safeway responds to “Just 4 U” critique
July 3rd, 2010 · 19 Comments · Business, Food
I was surprised and a bit impressed when an email showed in my inbox earlier this week from Shelby Brimhall from Safeway’s “Customer Service Team”. Apparently someone over there is reading this blog, or at least read it when it showed up in a Google search for articles about Safeway’s new “Just 4 U” promotion. [...]
Tags: Safeway
Is it just going to get worse in the gulf?
June 18th, 2010 · 8 Comments · Business, Politics
If you’re into doomsday scenarios worthy of Hollywood, here’s a rationally argued assessment of what might be happening in the Gulf of Mexico. This started as a comment left on The Oil Drum blog, spotted by Casaubon’s Book at Science Blogs, picked up by Mother Jones, and then broadcast by Information Clearing House. If I [...]
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What’s missing from this HMAA advertisement?
June 12th, 2010 · 4 Comments · Business, Politics
I noticed this HMAA ad in the front section of the Star-Advertiser yesterday morning, congratulating former City Council member John Henry Felix and entertainer Jimmy Borges after they were honored by something called the Honolulu Police Community Foundation. Short bulleted biographies are given of each of the men. Interestingly, the ad omits one key fact: [...]
Tags: HMAA·Honolulu Police Community Foundation·John Henry Felix
Lots of city legal business goes to the Ethics Commission chair and his law firm
May 15th, 2010 · 4 Comments · Business, Politics
In yesterday’s entry, I made a passing reference to the legal work done by Ethics Commission chair Lex Smith for the city. He has also been paid to represent the city in certain legal cases involving leasehold conversion. Later in the day, I took a closer look and realized Smith and his law firm (Kobayashi, [...]
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