Tourism officials fined for alleged travel upgrades
HONOLULU (AP) — Four state tourism officials accused of soliciting and accepting travel upgrades for business trips were fined $12,000.
State rules require employees to travel by coach class when on official business.
The state Ethics Commission charged Hawaii Tourism Authority CEO George Szigeti and three others after an investigation into allegations they accepted the upgrades and failed to disclose the gifts as required by law.
The commission decided to resolve the investigations without further action by imposing administrative penalties. The resolutions do not constitute admissions of guilt by the employees or findings of violations by the commission. But Szigeti acknowledged that he accepted “courtesy upgrades” to business class twice from Japan Airlines when traveling on state business.
The others accused are Hawaii Tourism Authority Chief Operating Officer Randy Baldemor; Jadie Goo, director of marketing for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia; and David Uchiyama, former vice president of brand management for the authority.
Baldemor acknowledged he accepted courtesy flight upgrades to business class on six work trips in 2015 and 2016 and acknowledged directing an assistant to solicit upgrades from Japan Airlines, China Airlines and Air China.
Goo acknowledged she solicited or accepted upgrades to business class for four trips on Japan Airlines and China Airlines from 2014-16. And Uchiyama acknowledged he solicited flight upgrades for three trips, including first-class upgrades on Air China from Guangzhou to Beijing in November 2014 and from Beijing to Shanghai a few days later.
Navy evaluates options for
Red Hill fuel tanks
HONOLULU (AP) — The U.S. military prepared detailed evaluations for six options to prevent leaks from 20 large fuel tanks in Honolulu. The tanks at Red Hill date to World War II and sit atop an important aquifer.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health say the Navy submitted the analysis last week.
A public workshop to discuss the report will be hosted in the spring.
Options include restoring existing tanks, lining the tanks and installing tanks within tanks.
The report doesn’t include cost estimates or recommend a specific alternative.
The EPA, Health Department, the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency will select an option next year.
