The Honolulu City Council wants to raise money for the Honolulu Police Department by adding a surcharge to traffic fines. As KHON2 reports, they say that the money can and should be used to recruit, retain, and equip police officers. It’s definitely a creative idea to raise additional revenue without hiking the property tax.
There is a small problem, however. All traffic fines go to the State, not the county, under current law.
The City tried to get around the problem before. In the 1990’s, the City passed an ordinance saying that anyone convicted in Honolulu would need to pay a “user fee” of $250 in addition to any monetary or other punishment that the court imposed. That fee was to pay for the costs of prosecution and law enforcement.
Counties don’t have the authority to tax anything other than real property. They can, however, impose user fees. So, if someone wants to visit the city zoo, the City can and does charge an admission fee.
Charging a criminal with the costs of law enforcement and prosecution is just and correct, the city said.
The court then wondered what kind of services are being supplied to a convicted person that would justify the fee. That would help distinguish the fee from a tax, which the City had no power to impose.
Plenty, the City argued. Prosecution and arrest assist the person convicted in preventing further harm to themselves and others, and hopefully, also helps to convince the offender to stop being a lawbreaker and become a productive member of society.
Yeah, said the court. It’d be like charging the zoo animals for the service of keeping them caged. We all know what kind of damage a rampaging elephant can do to itself and others. This actually happened in 1994 when an elephant named Tyk got loose and caused havoc before being shot to death by police. So, the argument goes, the Dumbos of this world ought to pull his own weight in connection with the city’s costs to protect him.
The court then went on to observe that in George Orwell’s 1984 one of the characters, who had been caught and imprisoned for various crimes, wondered to his jailer whether he was brought to the jail to punish him, or to make him confess. The jailer’s reply: “No! Not merely to extract your confession, nor to punish you. Shall I tell you why we have brought you here? To cure you! To make you sane! Will you understand, Winston, that no one whom we bring to this place ever leaves our hands uncured?”
Ultimately, the court found that the $250 charge was a tax, not a user fee, and struck it down.
This time, the City Council seems to have learned from that unhappy past. The Council might pass a resolution politely asking the State Legislature to jack up traffic fines and to share the money with the county in which the infraction took place. As to how much, Council Chair Tommy Waters said, “I don’t think they like to be told by the county what they need to do. So I’m asking, I’m asking them to consider it, and we can work on a number as the process goes forward.”
State legislators to which KHON2 reached out for comment had nothing to say. Which might have something to do with the fact that all of the legislators in the square building on South Beretania Street need to run for re-election in 2022.
In a few short months, the 2022 legislative session will start, and then we will see what fate will come of the request for higher traffic fines.
In the meantime, you might want to visit the zoo. Before the admission fee gets hoisted again.
Jeannette Paulson Hereniko is someone who never shrinks from a challenge.
A former writer and producer for Hawaii Educational Television, she is best known as founder of the Hawaii International Film Festival and was the festival’s director from 1981 to 1996. Currently she’s president of the nonprofit Hawaiʻi Film Foundation of Nuʻumealani whose purpose is to purchase the Spalding House, the former Contemporary Museum, which has been on the block since 2019. It’s her goal to turn the $15 million, 3.4-acre property into a hub for Hawaiʻi filmmakers and film organizations.
I had a chance to sit down with her recently to discuss this ambitious project.
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Rob: Why the Spalding House? There’s plenty of commercial space in local warehouses or other venues? How can you justify the expense?
An aerial view of the Spalding property, which is 3.4 acres in size.
Jeannette: The Spalding House has historical and cultural community memories of meaningful ohana gatherings, childhood explorations, artistic and architectural milestones. It is a place where dreams and visions were created and realized – such as when the Spalding House became the Contemporary Museum The history, charm and beauty of the Spalding House nestled in the hills overlooking Honolulu offers visitors a sense of awe and wonder. For Hawai’i storytellers and filmmakers, the unseen but deeply felt connections to our shared history, environment, identity and community stories found at Spalding House is inspiring and unleashes creativity. This rare sense of place that seems to call out for continued community historic and creative gatherings is not found in local warehouses or commercial spaces.
Rob: What’syour vision of who would use it, and how exactly would it be used?
Jeannette: Hawai’i Film Foundation at Nu’umealani, a non-profit organization, has been formed to oversee activities taking place at the Spalding House that will strengthen Hawai’i’s growing film industry and empower Hawai’i Storytellers whose stories have been underrepresented in mainstream media.
Jeannette Paulson Hereniko was the Producer of “The Land has Eyes”, a feature filmed on the Fijian Island of Rotuma. Above, Jim Davenport plays the district officer and Sapata Taito is Viki, the film’s protagonist.
We will be providing space for non-profit film organizations with meeting rooms, desks, storage space, screening rooms, reception areas, and housing for their visiting filmmakers. By sharing spaces and resources the participating nonprofit organizations can more efficiently imagine, plan, coordinate and present public programs throughout the State that nurtures an appreciative film culture and an economically strong film industry that supports and empowers Hawai’i filmmakers.
We will work with Hawai’i storytellers to turn their stories into films that will excite and inspire global audiences. We will provide a dynamic collective space and resources for local filmmakers from every zip code to meet with mentors, film industry leaders, potential sponsors and peers. The purpose is to create the synergy needed to take Hawai’i stories all the way through the creative process until the film is distributed and seen globally. We want to help our filmmakers achieve their goals so well that Hawai’i filmmakers do not have to move to the Continent to realize their dream.
We are particularly excited to encourage the creation of movies and creative media written by people living in Hawai’i who are at home with Asia, the Pacific and indigenous values honoring environment, spirituality, and community.
Milton Cades Pavilion in Spalding House gardens
Rob: How exactly would the House be utilized?
Jeannette: Spaces at Spalding House have been identified that can provide these resources to make the vision reality:
Filmmaker in residence apartments where internationally known filmmakers can stay and work on their projects while mentoring Hawai’i filmmakers; giving master classes for university students; talking to high school students; and showing their films to the public with after-film discussions in public venues such as Honolulu Museum of Art, commercial theatres, public libraries, etc.
Screening rooms for Filmmakers, such as University of Hawai’i Manoa’s Academy of Creative Media students, to show their colleagues, juries, potential sponsors, media, film programmers and distributors.
Seminar rooms for master classes featuring visiting filmmakers, film industry leaders, film teachers
Space for auditions, readings of scripts, and meetings between cast and crew members
Meeting space for nonprofit film organizations to hold board meetings, meetings with staff and volunteers
Balanced rocks, Spalding House gardens
Storage space for nonprofit film organizations supplies and equipment
Space for an exhibit on the history of filmmaking in Hawai’i with guest lectures. Nearby is an area for include screening historical Hawai’i movies, tv shows as well as contemporary films made by Hawai’i filmmakers with discussions afterward.
Desks and space for use by ten nonprofit film organizations who have expressed interest to date
Cafe run by restaurant business mentors who work with students studying to catering meals for movie crews. Patrons of the cafe include mentors meeting with emerging filmmakers; nonprofit film organization executives meeting with donors and volunteers,
Space for filmmakers to learn about tax benefits; film permits, cultural protocols
Reception areas for use to honor filmmakers, donors, volunteers of nonprofit organizations
A library of past film festival programs, digital and printed film books, journals, film posters – including resources for film producers interested in making a film in Hawai’i such as a library of local film talent, cultural protocols for making films in Hawai’i, film permits needed, library of locations, tax benefits, etc.
Garden walks as creative space for filmmakers, film programmers, and nonprofit film organizers
View of Diamond Head from great lawn of Spalding House
Rob: What educational opportunities would you foresee happening for up and coming local film makers, writers and the like
Jeannette: There will be master classes with the filmmakers in residence at Spalding House presented for film students and Hawai’i filmmakers, storytellers, media. The filmmakers in residence will also be visiting school classrooms and public events organized by participating nonprofit film organizations in public venues throughout Hawai’i.
Screening rooms will allow opportunities for after film discussions with filmmakers as well as a chance for student filmmakers to see their completed film on the Big Screen.
Rob: Where would the funds come from to purchase the place?
Jeannette: There will continue to be donations from individuals who want to see the vision of Spalding House become a Center for Hawai’i filmmakers and nonprofit film organizations.
There will continue to be donations from individuals who want to save the Spalding House for the creative arts benefiting the public rather than it purchased as a private home.
There could be future donations from people who: needs a tax benefit – wants to do something that benefits Hawai’i’s people -wants to encourage an alternative economic driver of Hawai’i’s economy other than tourism and the military – wants to honor the memory of a person who was passionate about movies or storytelling.
Monkeypod tree on the great lawn of Spalding House
Rob: So, let’s assume you can raise the money. How would you finance the cost of maintaining such a place?
Jeannette: While there are some organizations and foundations who cannot give to buying property, they can use funds for operating and programmatic expenses. Many have indicated that once the Spalding House is purchased and becomes a place for Hawai’i Film Foundation at Nu’umealani, they plan to donate annually toward the operating costs. Also the nonprofit film organizations using the space will be contributing toward the monthly operating costs.
Rob: Do you think you can get the financial assistance of some of the local studios who have had success in Hawaii?
It is certainly possible.
Rob: Who is helping you with this endeavor?
Jeannette: The original Founders of “Save the Spalding House for the Arts” who have been active since the beginning and remain active:
Sarah Bakewell and Jeanie Schmaltz – Realtors Hawaii Life
Marion Philpotts-Miller, Partner, Philpotts Interiors
Shaunagh Guinness Robbins, Community Leader
Actor/Producer Daniel Dae Kim has been an active supporter the effort to establish the Spalding House as a film hub.
Board members of Hawai’i Film Foundation at Nu’umealani are very active in this endeavor: Jeannette Paulson Hereniko, President
Jason Cutinella, Vice President/Treasurer
Heather Haunani Giugni, Secretary
Jason Suapaia, Director
In addition to the individuals named as our Community Partners and the Board members of
Hawai’i Film Foundation at Nu’umealani, other individuals who have been particularly helpful to this endeavor who the public might be aware of include:
Recently, the press is all over the arrest of a ten-year old whose drawing must have been very offensive, because the school had her arrested by HPD in front of her peers. According to reports, the child was handcuffed and taken away without parental knowledge. The HPD is defending its actions.
And this is where it gets sticky.
I cannot comment on the arrest and handcuffing of a ten-year old girl, except to say that by all appearances, it seems like a bold action that must have happened for some reason. It seems on the face to be a horrible miscalculation – and as a member of the public it appears appalling. Giving the benefit of the doubt, it is still hard to fathom that a small child could become so threatening as to require such action.
I contrast that with a recent incident that occurred with a family member.
Weighing no more than 105 soaking wet, this woman is tiny by any standards, and she is the mother of a 5-year old boy. The neighborhood is full of youngsters in the same age group who play together in the cul de sacs.
On a recent evening, the townhouse neighbor (sharing a wall) was heard arguing with his girlfriend. The parents of a four-month old baby girl, it was yet another argument between them like so many before this, until the women and her baby came screaming “help” to the back sliding glass door.
Upon letting her and the child in, she explained he was drunk and stoned, dragging her around and beating her with her child looking on, as well as the roommate and friend. Their fight had ensued because he picked her up from work with the baby in the car stoned on cocaine and drunk. She called for police assistance while the perpetrator, the baby daddy, took off in her car. The police arrived and explained they had been called to the address a dozen times. They monitored while she packed her stuff and called a family member to pick her up. They left before the boyfriend returned.
As she was getting into her brother’s car, he came out of the house, which he had apparently entered from the back, having parked at a distance so as not to be detected. He threatened and screamed, further frightening my family member and her son.
My girl had come out of the house to request that he stop screaming with all the children in the neighborhood listening.
The neighbor raised his fist and pulled back his arm to strike her, stopping the punch just before he hit. My girl helped the momma and baby into the car and bid them goodbye, while the neighbor continued to scream obscenities.
As she was walking to the door he raised his fist twice more and threatened her before entering his own home, which shares a thin wall with hers.
The police were called a second time and she made a police report, when they made him come out for her to identify him. She was advised to file a TRO. The police refused to arrest him, though they knew he was loaded, he beat his girfriend, and endangered their child, he threatened my daughter, he disturbed our peace, he was driving the car under the influence and his license had been suspended for too many DUIs.
The entire incident was filmed by security cameras in the area.
The woman and baby were back the next day.
In court for the TRO, the judge and the bailiff admonished the victim not to use the TRO as “a weapon” against the man, who lives right next door, has a drinking/drug problem and is a violent abuser.
Maybe the outcome would be better for the victim if he had drawn a picture.
Author’s Note: I originally published this story nearly two years ago. Covid has given me plenty of time to become acquainted with this pistol and on occasion, shoot it with great accuracy. During the last few years I learned a few things that I’d like to pass that onto my readers and consequently, have updated this article.
For those interested in assembling their own build, Amy Foster Smith, whose family owns Caspian Arms, said that slides and receivers are still available at the time of publication. She stated that the infamous “supply chain” is a minor issue with Caspian because raw materials are sourced domestically and the company manufactures its own parts. There is, however, a 12 week delivery delay, mostly due to demand.
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The genesis for this Caspian build began with the idea of tweaking a safe queen that I never quite warmed up to. Built from a Springfield GI model, it simply didn’t have the accuracy that I wanted. My first thought was to re-barrel it. However, the consensus among my 1911 brain trust was that it would be better to do a custom build rather than trying to create a proverbial silk purse.
Before getting started on a project like this, common sense dictates that we should know exactly what we want to build.
In my case, that was easy. I wanted a Bullseye style, Government 45, accurate to 50 yards. Of course, it would have been easy to buy something off the shelf. Nothing wrong with that notion.
Companies such as Wilson Combat, Les Baer, Ed Brown, etc make excellent guns.
For most of us, a stock, semi-custom pistol is more than accurate for our capabilities. Most range goers drag out their Les Baer a few times a year, show it off to friends, punch a few holes in paper and lock it up.
I wanted more. Or, at the risk of sounding presumptuous, I felt I was capable of more. It was time to build my own gun, to my own specs.
That’s what this piece is all about. Hopefully it will be instructive to others.
Going
Custom
Those who build their own pistols (or have them crafted by a gunsmith) do it because they need to customize their rig.
Choosing your own parts is what defines a custom build. In this case I choose the Greider Precision 1911 V-SERIES MATCH TRIGGER.
You may prefer a particular style of trigger, a brand of barrel or an overpriced red dot.
Discriminating shooters also understand that to get a gun to perform to a certain standard, they are going to need more than a semi-custom can offer. A ‘semi-custom’ gun is just that. Depending on the model and price point, there may be some hand fitting, but a mass produced gun will not have the attention to detail that a true custom build will have.
With a custom build, you’re going to get exactly what you want. Not only will it be built to your specs, you’ll know exactly the quality of parts inside. Many of the companies producing semi-custom guns use good quality parts but some people cut corners in order to keep the prices down. It’s hard to know the provenance of parts.
If you build it yourself, there won’t be any doubt in this department.
In the end, you’ll not only have a pistol that will be
accurate, durable and perhaps most importantly, dependable.
And what will it cost?
It’s always a bit tricky to generalize, but depending on the configuration, an off the shelf, high end 1911 will cost around $2000 and up. If you build it from scratch figure on spending anywhere from $1500 to $2000 on parts.
A gunsmith’s labor will add a minimum of $750. It will also depend on how much detail you want from your gunsmith.
Dave Salyer, a South Carolina-based master gunsmith takes the minimalist, pragmatic route. “I save my customers money and turn guns out within less than a month because I do not do external polishing, bluing, checkering nor stippling anymore. Just a perfect tool, not a shiny work of art.”
A good quality frame integral to your build. In this case I went with Caspian. I chose a carbon steel frame and slide (vs stainless) simply because it was available. Carbon vs. stainless is pretty much a wash. Stainless steel is more resistant to rust/corrosion but a coated carbon steel surface (which is what I eventually did) also offers rust/corrosion protection.
The Caspian Formula
From the get-go you’re going to have to figure out where to source the parts. The main constituents in this formula are the frame and slide.
I opted for a frame and slide combo from Caspian Arms, which has been making first class 1911 kits for many years. Founded by Cal Foster, the company began life as a machine shop manufacturing gun parts back in the 1970s but shifted gears in the 1980s, selling 1911 parts to commercial, law enforcement and military customers. Caspian now focuses strictly on in-house made 1911 components for enthusiasts who wanted to build their own guns.
Caspian parts have a direct lineage to the original schematics of the Government model 1911.
One of the elements that I like about Caspian
is that their parts have a direct lineage to the original schematics of the
Government model 1911 pistol (which were last amended in 1936). They were never
meant for today’s Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines but Caspian has
very successfully adapted modern day manufacturing processes to the venerable
designs. (This entail parts interchangeability).
Modern metallurgy also comes into play. The company has labored to develop a cast frame from stainless steel, aluminum and titanium which offer lighter weight and corrosion protection.
Ordinarily these types of metals are not used because they don’t stand up to the wear and tear (called ‘galling’) that results from metal on metal stress. Caspian prevents galling by micro-welding tungsten carbide into the rail at the frame/slide interface. The embedded tungsten carbide produces a super tough surface to create a smooth-running fit. (Caspian is so confident of their product line that they warranty it for life).
Another big plus about Caspian: According to Dave
Salyer, “once carefully built they work well and last a very long time between
rebuilds, due to their harder frames than from the rest of the industry.”
The Caspian slide is a perfect complement the Caspian frame. I opted for a hand fitted slide to frame option from Caspian. Some smiths would rather do the entire fitting process themselves so have a conversation with your gunsmith before ordering. (My smith was not happy about my decision, but obviously things worked out).
In addition to the slide and frame, the company also fabricates components such as the ejector, plunger tube, grip screws, extractor, firing pin, pins, hammer strut, etc. I ended up acquiring many of the internal parts (such as those mentioned above) as a natural complement to the Caspian-made frame. (They also offer their Foster line of receivers which are the same as Caspian except for minor cosmetic blemishes, at a 30% discount).
Fitting a gun is everything
The consensus among gunsmiths is that tightness in the right places and, the right time is what counts. Guns can be too tight when in battery and still function, however, accuracy can suffer. The right places for a stable fit are front and back of the barrel in relation to the slide and slide stop pin. Slide tightness is less than 5% of accuracy except from a machine rest. (It doesn’t matter how loose the gun is when out of battery).
KKM makes a great barrel.
Choosing a barrel
My barrel choice for this build was KKM Precision. Why? I happened to be at the range one day, shooting with a gunsmith friend. He was testing some ammo with a 1911 that he had fitted with a brand new KKM barrel. He handed it to me, and I was soon punching holes in the 10 ring at 50 yards.
Was it my lucky day? Maybe, but I’d never shot as well in my life.
Hardly evidenced-based science, but suffice it to say, I was sold on KKM.
KKM makes custom barrels for the Marine and Army marksmanship programs as well as every major competition worldwide from the NRA National Matches to the Bianchi Cup and even the USPSA, IPSC and IDPA World Championships.
Thus it’s no wonder they have a reputation for accuracy. I was told that 50% of their 1911-barrel sales are OEM. Thus, when you’re buying a name brand 1911 there’s a good chance that KKM may be the source. (Of course, the company building the name brand pistol does not want you to know about that).
KKM has automated their entire manufacturing process which means high quality control.
KKM was founded in 1991 by Kevin McIntyre, for competition shooters. They offer a variety of twist rates and custom dimensions. They use a button rifling technique which entails a carbide button that is pulled through the bore. They utilize ordinance (barrel grade) 416 stainless steel that is heat treated to above 40 Rockwell which will ensure that if there’s a squib the barrel will expand, but not blow up.
Luke McIntyre, the son of the founder explained that the company has automated the entire manufacturing process. That means they don’t use multiple machines for drilling, rifling, turning, etc, which would necessitate multiple set up and jeopardize consistency. Luke says the result is a bore that is perfectly straight and concentric with a mirrored finished.
McIntyre said that the Bullseye sales made up only a very small part of the company’s business. They make in fact over 400 types of barrels.
Adding the Cammer Hammer means a gunsmith has minimal work to get that perfect breaking trigger.
The Cammer Hammer
I went to Cammer
Technologies for my hammer and sear. This is the
second build where I’ve used this product. The founder, Bruce Cockerham,
engineered his own 1911 sear and hammer for several reasons. First off, he underscores
that the hammer and sear are the heart of the trigger pull. For that proverbial
breaking glass feel when the hammer drops, the geometry of sear and hammer must
be perfectly matched. That’s where he believes his product excels.
By mating the sear and hammer (which
EGW manufactures for him) a gunsmith has minimal work to get that perfect
breaking trigger.
Another reason for the re-designed hammer is to reduce “racking force”. I can attest that pistols with Cammer Hammers are easier to slide back.
Cammer Hammer diminishes muzzle flip and improves feeding/reliability.
There are other benefits. Cockerham says the Cammer Hammer
diminishes muzzle flip, which is more acute on shorter barreled guns but also
works with standard length 1911s. (He measured a 7.9% reduced rise on a 5” .45
when testing on a ransom rest).
Cockerham, also says his Cammer Hammer vastly improves
feeding and reliability. (More on that later).
Then there’s all those other parts that inhabit a pistol
To keep track, Brownells has a handy parts list and excellent reference materials compiled by their 1911 whiz, Mike Watkins who works on the tech support line. (Brownells deserves a presidential award its great tech support or at the very least, a Harvard Business School study).
You can go do an individual fabricator such as Wilson or EGW to source parts but I prefer going to Brownells because they stock parts from everyone and, it’s all good stuff. (They don’t sell junk).
You’re going to need oodles of parts for your build. This shot from EGW gives you an idea of what you’ll be ordering. Brownells stocks parts from all the major manufacturers.
Are you better off acquiring parts from one manufacturer?
There is a school of thought that says keep it simple stupid. (Many of my parts were Caspian). Sterling Luna, a gunsmith at X-Ring Security on Oahu is a believer in purchasing as many internal parts from one manufacturer as possible. “A manufacturer fabricates components that are made to work with each other, so it makes sense to use them for your build.”
Then there’s another
school of thought. Dave Salyer says, “I have no single favorite provider of
parts.” He also added, “Highly advertised parts are not always the best.”
Thus, you’ll have some decisions to make prior to beginning a build. Some will be aesthetic such as determining the finish (blued, stainless, combination of the two, special coating, ie CeraKote, melanite, nickel, etc.). In my case, the frame, slide, etc will need a finish because they are manufactured from carbon steel (as opposed to stainless).
In retrospect (I can say that because I’m updating this article) I should have gone for stainless rather than carbon steel for my build. Quality is the same but the carbon steel is going to need a coating and getting someone to do that in Hawaii is near impossible. Who knows, with supply chain issues, maybe it’s a pain in the rear end on the mainland nowadays. Stainless is simply easier to deal with.
Other decisions involve both technical and practical issues:
What kind of sights to use? Iron sights, night sights, adjustable sights or a red dot? That choice will also determine what kind of cut (ie Novak, Bomar, etc) your smith or the manufacturer will have to render on the slide.
My Bubinga hardwood grip came from Caspian. It fit the bill perfectly.
What type of grip safety? There are several options (aside from a standard Beavertail or GI safety to consider). Do you want a .250 cut, a JEM .250 cut, a Wilson/Caspian cut or a .220 cut? The size you want/need will be commensurate with your hand size. (I ended up going with a Wilson Combat Beavertail safety).
What about grips? There’s the standard “one size fits all” route or choices for thinner, or thicker options. Ideally, it’s all about feel and comfort. I chose Caspian’s one size fits all in a Bubinga hardwood in a fancy single diamond pattern.
What trigger to choose? Will it be a Gold Cup variant, a flat serrated style or the one with the tank tread? This is where function/feel and aesthetics come into play. I decided on a trigger from Greider Precision. (More on that below).
My mainspring housing (aka MSH) came from Baer Custom.
What type of mainspring housing (aka MSH)? Do you want it smooth, serrated, checkered, curved or flat? Competition shooters often favor an oversized magwell/mag chute. I opted for the classic blued checkered look from Baer Custom. For the definitive discourse on MSH’s see Mainspring Housing Replacement on Brownells site
What about slide serrations? You can get a smith to copy whatever you like. Caspian tends to prefer the high number narrow grooves or perhaps you like the “STI” style, which features a low number of wide grooves. Or…maybe none.
Visiting the range
As everyone knows, a new build is often a work in progress.
Before a visit to the range we needed to know if it could pass a preliminary “feeding test”. To do that, my smith removed the firing pin and loaded several magazines. He then inserted a magazine and began to rack the slide to see how it would feed and then extract the round. It went perfectly. Each round flew out of the ejection port and plopped happily into a net.
The gun will need to be broken in and then sent off to the mainland to have a protective coating applied.
It’s taken over a year but I was able to get some stellar results from this gun using 4.4 gn Accurate #2.(This was shot offhand).
Initial Testing
Naturally, I couldn’t wait to get this out to the range.
There were a couple of issues.
The main one I experienced was that the slide would not always go into battery after ignition. Often it would get stuck a quarter to one eighth of an inch off. Usually I could remedy that by coaxing the slide into battery to get it functioning. I consulted my brain trust and determined it was an ammunition “issue”, rather than the throat of the barrel being overly tight. \
Mea culpa, I simply hadn’t crimped the case to spec (.471).
The second problem was that the brass, instead of plopping out of the ejection port, was catapulted 15 feet. This was not kosher. I realized the spring was on the light side. I’m not sure what spring was in there but I happened to have a 12 lb Wolff recoil spring in my range bag. We swapped it out and that did the trick.
Accurate #2 proved to be as good as any powder for Bullseye shooting.
Upon correcting the above, the gun functioned perfectly. Rather than bench testing, I decided to shoot offhand and see what the gun could do. At 25 yards it was extremely accurate. The bullet would go where I pointed it.
But what could it do at 50 yards?
The target above tells the story. Can I replicate this every day? Probably not. But at least I know with this Caspian build it can be done.
Starline is the gold standard and my go-to brass.
The powder I loaded, Accurate #2, is not well known among Bullseye shooters but it should be. (Most Bullseye shooters are generally fans of Bullseye, Clays, Titegroup and the like). I can’t imagine that my accuracy would have been better with another powder.
I see AA #2 as a sort of Rodney Dangerfield in the Bullseye space. I think it deserves a lot more respect.
I used a 200 gr SWC bullet cast locally and Starline brass.
Opting for a Greider trigger
Putting this gun together was a learning experience. One of things I learned was that I wasn’t paying full attention to the ergonomics of the trigger. In other words, the size and shape of a trigger I had originally chosen could be improved upon. I realized that I needed a trigger similar to, if not exactly the same as the ones on my 1980’s era Clark Custom 1911s (which fit me perfectly).
I called Clark Custom and was told the shop that produced the original triggers (King’s Gun Works) had gone out of business and Clark currently purchased their triggers from Greider Precision, a California-based company that manufactures a product nearly identical to King’s. Greider sells their triggers (that’s all they make) to a number of high end 1911 builders. (They are available on Brownells site).
Greider Precision makes a several styles of triggers. You can purchase them from Brownnells.
I started doing to some research on the company (which has no website) and found them in a town called Escondido (near San Diego). Escondido means “hidden” in Spanish and it couldn’t be a more appropriate description. I spoke to the co-owner, Ginny Greider, who runs the CNC machines that keep this family-owned business humming along. Grieder is a classic example of a successful mom and pop company that focuses like a laser beam on a specific niche and is able to compete with the big boys.
I installed their 1911 V-SERIES MATCH TRIGGER and it worked like a charm. (Caspian offers a Trik Trigger which is also excellent but better suited for someone with larger hands).
Greider has both a serrated and smooth version as well as different styles (and sizes). Prices range from about $21 to $29 depending on the style you choose.In retrospect, this company really doesn’t need a website.
Feeding the Beast
Finally there’s the magazine, which for many may seem like a commodity. Think twice, it’s an extremely important component. I opted for the venerable Cobra mag from Tripp Research, which in my experience builds some of the best. The superior fit-and-finish is evident, they are easy to load and, there was never an issue with feeding. You can’t ask for more…
Cobra Mags, from Tripp Research are a necessary component to your custom 1911. Worked like a Swiss watch.
Research Notes If you want to do research you can check out several books and videos. Jerry Kuhnhausen’s book, The Colt .45 Automatic and AGI’s Video Armorer’s Course are several good sources of information. Kuhnhausen’s books are excellent for Colt 1911 types, and some derivatives. He covers the theory of operation, detail disassembly, checking the firearm parts and assemblies for proper fit and function. He also delves into trouble shooting, and instructions for reassembly. The cross section illustrations and photographs are first rate.
FFL Considerations: All the FFL work was done by the good folks at X-Ring Security in Waipahu. They are friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough. The shop has a large selection of rifles, handguns and ammo. There’s also an indoor range on the premises–the most modern on Oahu.
The folks at Caspian were always patient and wonderful to deal with. They also have great products. As alluded to above, their Foster brand frames with tiny blems, sold at a discount, are a bargain. (One of my 1911s is built on a Foster frame and once belonged to the best shooter in the state. It was his backup gun for Camp Perry).
Addendum
Live and learn. The gun is wickedly accurate but at first there was a problem that needed to be corrected. In testing the pistol, I found that a mixture of wax and gun powder detritus would gum up the throat of the barrel and gather around the rim of the case mouth. The result was that after 20 rounds or so it would stop feeding. This was not an issue I encountered with my other 1911s.
I discussed the issue with Luke McIntyre, KKM Precision president and he suspected (correctly it turned out) that the barrel’s throat had not been reamed out quite enough to contend with the handloads. He volunteered to rectify the matter so I sent the barrel and with a handload round to the factory back in Nevada. He noted the wax buildup in the barrel (my bad) and opened up the throat just a teeny bit, based on the dummy round I’d sent him.
As alluded to before, you also need to be certain that the round is up to spec. If the case mouth is too wide, it may (as in my case) “gum up”.
Mahalo KKM and thanks to everyone who helped contribute to this article.
The story you are about to read is true. The names have not been changed to protect the innocent. This is the city: Honolulu, Hawaii. I live here. I’m a doggie.
This is the Case of the Persecuted Watchdog.
A few months ago, the Boss wrote an article called, “State Auditor Facing a Whack Job?” The article spoke of an apparent feud between the Speaker of the House and the State Auditor, and of a report that a committee organized by the Speaker put out that tried to cast doubt on the Auditor’s competence.
We also spoke of a House special investigative committee that was formed to look into some unflattering things the Auditor found at the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and at the Agribusiness Development Corporation. According to House Resolution 164 that established the committee, the purpose and duties of the investigating committee were to follow up on the audits, to examine the recommendations made, and for “purposes of improving the operations and management of these state agencies, their funds, and any other matters.”
But, as Honolulu Civil Beat reported on Thursday, the Auditor seems to be in the crosshairs of the investigation as well. The committee voted to subpoena Edwin Young, the former auditor of the City & County of Honolulu, ostensibly to talk to the committee about federal Yellow Book standards on auditing. This riled Rep. Dale Kobayashi, who observed that Mr. Young chaired the Speaker’s committee “to go after the auditor.” The committee also voted to subpoena one Randal Lee, who wasn’t involved with DLNR and ADC at all but who was a consultant to the State Auditor for an audit of the Honolulu rail project. Kobayashi wondered aloud what Mr. Lee had to do with the audit findings regarding DLNR and ADC, and suggested that the committee obtain an opinion from the Hawaii attorney general as to whether the committee was acting within its proper scope. Rep. Della Au Bellatti, the committee chair, pointed to language in the authorizing resolution (quoted above) arguably allowing it to look into “any other matters.”
We share Rep. Kobayashi’s concern that the House investigation is going off track. The law requires that the resolution establishing an investigating committee state the committee’s purposes, powers, duties and duration, as well as the subject matter and scope of its authority. It’s tough to conclude that those three words, “any other matters,” give the committee unlimited scope and authority to do whatever the heck it wants.
Let’s face it. Watchdogs are there to find things that certain people don’t want to be found. When those things are found, those people are unhappy and might want revenge on the watchdog.
Watchdogs are very useful to society. That’s why I am one. But no watchdog expects to be everyone’s friend. Each one has enemies, some more powerful than others. When the Tax Foundation sued the State over the excessive “rail skim,” for example, certain politicians vowed that the Foundation would never get one cent from the Legislature in state aid. (We wouldn’t take it anyway.)
To survive, watchdogs have to watch out for each other. If one gets beaten up, none of us are safe. That is why we are very concerned about the sudden turn in the House investigation, and we think any citizen who values honesty and transparency in our government should be concerned too.
This is a true story. The end of the story has not yet been written. We too will be following the investigation, or trying to, and will continue to bark like crazy if it keeps going off track. Ours is a tough job but someone has to do it. The name’s Watch Doggie.
This is the second part of a two-part inteview I did with Julie Christensen.
As alluded to in the first part of this conversation, I met Julie Christensen while working on a family history project. Julie’s mom went to high school with my late father’s best friend, Hank Carbonell, the subject of my research.
I didn’t have a lot to go on. Hank died when his fighter plane crashed in 1943 and I couldn’t find much in the government archives.
Julie checked the high school yearbook but alas there was very little about Hank.
After conversing a bit more with Julie I discovered that she made her living as a psychic medium.
We needed more information than what was available in the Polytechnic High School yearbook. Julie offered her services.
She volunteered to assist my exploration in a manner I never considered—as a medium. Julie seemed quite confident that she could make the connection and I was happy to take her up on her offer.
I was fascinated by her work and wanted to better understand her modus operandi. How in the heck does she do this?
By reading the interview below, you’ll have a much better idea of how a psychic medium, or at least how Julie, operates.
Julie makes her home in Rocklin, California (near Sacramento) and calls her company Luminous Passages, LLC. She works both in the US and internationally helping to connect her clients with Spirit. In doing so, in her words, she helps them “heal and awaken to their true nature and authentic selves”.
Her methodology is “evidential mediumship”. This means she will help the client establish who they are communicating with on the other side by ferreting out clues about the deceased individual’s traits, hobbies, habits, physical description, etc.
Julie also assists others in developing their psychic mediumship abilities and navigating spiritual awakenings through intuitive counseling.
Unlike most people in her line of work, she is a licensed marriage and family therapist where she specializes in grief and trauma therapy in a separate business.
Hank Carbonell (with light colored sport coat) with his San Francisco Junior College Hotel & Restaurant Management class circa 1941 in front of a Santa Fe Railroad dining car.My father is at the extreme right.
Julie has a master’s degree in counseling psychology with a specialization in transpersonal psychology from John F. Kennedy University received in 1999.
We connected via Zoom for this interview.
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Rob: I have a question about the process of connecting to people on the other side. Let’s say, I’m a client, and I want to speak to my father or my mother who have passed. Do I simply let you know whom I want to connect with and then they come to you?
Julie: That’s one way to do it. However, and it’s a big however, at the beginning I don’t want to know anything about who they’re looking for. If the first spirit that visits isn’t who they’re looking for, then I’ll give them the option to tell me they want their dad or mom or whomever.
Keep in mind there’s usually a good reason for whoever comes in first. It’s funny because sometimes I’ll get three other spirits in before the one they really want comes in. After connecting with the first ones, we realize had the one the client wanted showed up first, we would have spent all the time with that particular spirit and no one else would have gotten a chance to communicate. I think sometimes they hold back for that reason, or to be polite, and sometimes they hide a bit if they feel guilty or badly.
Julie is active in training those interested in mediumship.
Rob: So, it’s up to the people on the other side to show up if they want to show up?
Julie: Yeah. And they usually do. However, it can also be people you never even met before, say ancestors who want to connect.
Rob: How does the process of connecting with someone on the other side work for you?
Julie: I breathe into the top of my head. I raise my vibration. I open up. On the client or “sitter” side, the more open he or she is, the better.
Rob: Can you see the spirit with your eyes?
Julie : I use my third eye, not my “regular” eyes. It’s like, I’m seeing a black screen, and someone just approaches me, and it becomes more technicolor. And I may see them sitting somewhere or standing, and what they’re wearing, what do they look like, and I’ll try to describe these things. Then, I may pick up hobbies. This person liked to fish, play golf, etc. They may be tall, short, overweight, bald, etc.
Rob: So, when you first meet a client, you really don’t want them to tell you anything about the person you want to connect with?
Julie: That’s an extremely important point. I don’t want to hear any details about the person who has passed. Let me find out who it is. Once you determine its dad, the one you wanted to speak to, we can talk. Then, you can be specific, and we can all have a nice gathering.
Julie was able to see the inside of Hank’s P39 cockpit through his eyes as the plane plummeted to earth.
My mediumship is evidence-based. I want to give the sitter enough information for them to recognize, “That’s my dad.” And it could be their personality. “This was a really educated person. He had lots of books in the room.” And they can come in at any age. So, I’ll see them. I’ll hear them, and sometimes I feel them too.
Sometimes they might show me how they passed. It’ll be more visual or sometimes I can feel things.
For example, with our friend,, Hank, who was an WWII Army Air Corps pilot I connected with. He showed me how his plane went down by taking me to the cockpit. I could feel his fear, feel the plane shake, the control stick shudder and hear the noise of the engine. Most people won’t show me a death scene that intense, but he did.
Rob: Can you provide another example?
Julie: In doing a reading for my mother (age 92 then), her aunt whom she’d never met before, showed up. The next thing I know, I was taken to 1910 Berlin. I was walking down these snowy streets. The aunt is in a long coat dress with little shoes, looking in windows. And it was like I was experiencing really being in 1910 Berlin. It was like I was there. I mean, it was pretty wild. It’s fun to do readings with the elderly because it is so easy to reach spirits further back in time.
Rob: How specific can the client be with questions?
Julie: Well, if you’re trying to get the password on a cellphone, that’s probably a bit too specific for me. I can’t usually get those kinds of details. It’s not my strong suit.
Hank was only 21 when his P39 fighter plane (much like the one feature above) went down in Curacao in 1943.
Rob: You know what’s mind-blowing is that the fact that we’re interacting with somebody on the other side who is trying to help us in the living world? That’s mind-blowing.
Julie: Well, I think really, it’s all about love. And yeah, they do want to help us, and they do care about us.
Rob: You once told me that people who have passed may want to visit us. How do I know if they’re around me? What do I look for?
Julie: Often it will be through feeling them. It’s like the feeling you get when you rub your hands together and then slowly bring them together like you’re in prayer. At that moment you can feel there’s a little resistance. That’s what it feels like when a spirit is up against you. It’s very subtle. A sitter could also experience chills in a room that’s warm, and that’s a spirit coming closer. You also might hear things. A spirit encounter could sound like a garbage can clinking, or a “Hey,” or “Hi,” or probably very brief.
You may even experience clairvoyance, which is clear-seeing. You may just sense a shadow out of the corner of your eye, and you turn to look, and it’s gone. Or it could just look like there’s an outline of something across the room, but you can’t really make it out.
If any of those things happen, just relax and ask them to come closer. And then, in your mind, you can ask “Can you show me yourself? Is there more you’d like to say? Who is this?” Be curious.
Other ways spirits will communicate may be lights flickering or they can influence butterflies. You may find feathers, things with the radio, the clock, and other experiences. An unusual odor specific to that spirit might also be present. You might smell something a bit different. The spirit could be influencing you to see a bird, or it could influence a bird’s behavior.
Rob: What about people visiting us in dreams?
Hank is buried at the Golden Gate National Cemetary in Colma, California, just south of San Francisco, his hometown.
Julie: Dreams are one of the easiest ways for them to communicate with us. You wake up and it’s like, “Wow. I swear my aunt was there. I could see her and feel her.” It just doesn’t feel like a regular dream. That’s them trying to visit you.
Rob: Is there a particular situation where you could invite visitors?
Julie: You can try anytime but there’s what is called spirit time, between 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Let’s say you’re awake and you want to invite in guests. You can ask them to visit you silently in your mind or even out loud.
Rob: Would you ask for a particular individual to join you?
Julie: You could. However, I would keep the invitation open as wide as you can. If you’re focused on just one person, you’re going to be reaching and trying because it may be somebody you really miss. However, it’s better to just be very receptive and open. The trick is to just be lying there and be receptive for something to come to you versus you trying with your mind to make something happen.
Rob: Isn’t a bit dangerous to be so wide open?
Julie: That’s a great question. I tell people you attract what you’re afraid of so don’t be afraid. If you want, you can ask for only those from the light and for your highest and best good.
Rob: You alluded in an earlier conversation that we’re never alone. What did you mean by that, Julie?
Julie: Many of us feel very alone and we don’t like to feel alone. But when you talk to spirits or you get a reading you find out, “Wow, they’re actually with me and watching me.” You find out you’re not alone. So, if you ever feel lonely, realize that you’re not alone. Try to connect and hang out with somebody. For me, it’s like meeting friends.
Rob: Would you have any advice for aspiring mediums?
Julie: Well, I would say, go for it. First, assess what you already have going. (You may not even realize the gifts you have). And then, you work to develop it.
Rob: Is there tipping point or epiphany typical in a medium’s development to know this is real?
Julie: When I’m working with people who are developing their skills, one of the biggest challenges is to not dismiss your experiences. You might question, “Is this even real, what I’m doing? Maybe I just made it up, or I just got lucky.” There’s lots of ways to devalue what you’re doing so you need to be conscious of that.
While we were on Zoom, Julie picked up on the energy from the shell necklaces from Tahiti that hanging from my door knob. Some belonged to my friend Rebecca (as did the turtle doorstop). Julie felt her presence in the room.
In my case there was a tipping point. I had done over 40 readings or more probably. I was driving down the road one evening and it just washed over me that this is real. People are on the other side and I’m really communicating with them. I’m never going to be the same. I can’t go back to who I was before.
Julie : I am going to change the subject for a moment. I need to ask you something.
Rob: Of course, what is it?
Julie: So, as we’ve been talking, I keep getting drawn to the shell necklaces hanging on the doorknob. Is there anything unusual about them? Is there anything meaningful? How you got them? Who you got them from?
Rob: Those are necklaces from Tahiti. I got them from friends. You want me to bring them closer to the webcam?
Julie: Yeah. let me look at them. So, I’m still drawn to the same necklace. The one with the big shells. How did you come to get that?
Rob: These were gifts.
Julie: That’s what I’m thinking. And I feel like it came from a female. I mean, not necessarily somebody you were dating.
Rob: Well, I have some items in my house from a woman whom I wasn’t dating. It was somebody who was very important to me.
Julie: And is that from that same person?
Rob: It could have been.
Julie: Would that person have had blondish hair? Oh, God. Are you aware of whatever happened to that person? Do you think they’re still here, or have they crossed over? (Julie knew she had passed but didn’t want to surprise me with that comment).
Rob: They’ve crossed over for sure.
Julie: That’s fine. I feel teary right now which is her emotions. Because that person is here for you. She’s wanting to send you love and blessings and that you were an important part of her life, and if it didn’t all go well. I don’t know.
I was very fond of Rebecca, who passed away in 1994. She was a talented writer and artist. I was happy to hear that her spirit was around.
Rob: Oh, that’s sweet. Would you want to hear the crazy thing?
Julie: Yeah.
Rob: I spoke to her 101-year-old mom two days ago.
Julie: Okay. Twilight zone here.
Rob: We had a close connection via Tahiti. That’s wonderful that she’s here.
Julie: But that necklace. She’s using it to get to you. So, this is a good example for us. Because the other thing is, everything is energy. And even readings, it’s all about energy. That spirit was drawing me over to that necklace to ask you what the heck is going on.
Rob: I have been thinking about her of late. Rebecca was her name.
Julie: Yeah. I think she’s also wishing you well with your writing. She’s just passing on blessings to you.
Rob: Thanks, Julie. Thank you for bringing her in.
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Author’s Note: The object of the interview was not planned as a ‘medium event’ but it ended that way. I certainly got more than I bargained for. I Having Rebecca, my old friend, contact me via Julie was an unexpected pleasure.
If you’d like to get in touch with Julie for a reading or one of her other services, please visit www.luminouspassages.com.
Mike Loftin is the co-founder of 808 Cleanups a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit organization committed to restoring Hawaiʻi’s natural beauty. According to Mike, that entails, cleaning up “everywhere, literally” –hiking trails, roadsides, parks, beaches, parking lots, underwater, litter removal, graffiti removal, illegal dumping removal and invasive plant removal. Loftin came to Hawaii in January 2006 after completing his Peace Corps service in Jamaica working in environmental management at the Montego Bay Marine Park Reserve. After working in Hawaii as a divemaster, and then as a crew lead in the solar industry installing PV systems, he found his way back to stewardship and ecosystem restoration.
Q: What was the genesis of 808 Cleanups?
A: It started very small and the turning point for us at the time (Myself and Wayde, Board of Directors) was an alarming increase in nature tagging at some gorgeous hiking locations. So, our journey began by researching and taking action to remove graffiti tagging from natural surfaces. We were tired of the talk.But very quickly we realized how much litter there was, and illegal dumping, and pallet bonfires leaving nails in the sand. We were truly a Mauka to Makai organization, cleaning everywhere.
Q: Isn’t clean up the job of the City & County? Do you partner with other organizations or local governments?
808 Cleanups is a community affair and a Mauka to Makai organization, cleaning everywhere.
A: For the most part it really shouldn’t be anyone’s job to clean up after other adults, but here we find ourselves. That being said, someone’s got to do it and there are many proud community members who take action for any number of reasons. City & County have staff to manage parks but as we can see there’s a lot of space and tasks to cover and they can’t solve it all alone. That doesn’t even cover the jurisdictional gray zones where no one can agree to take charge.
I’d love to see that change- where instead of multiple agencies pointing fingers and walking away, they compete with each other to show the most initiative. That’s where 808 Cleanups comes in. If it’s a public space in need of help, we go for it. We believe in positive action without all the roadblocks and gatekeeping. Don’t even wait for us! Everyone should think about taking their own initiatives, and we’ll do our best to support you. I tell people every day, their actions big and small are all significant. We partner with a number of other community groups, organizations and all levels of government where it makes sense to and is productive.
Puʻu o Kaimuki, a park that was once the site of a heiau, is being restored by 808 Cleanups under the supervision of Kimenona Kane
Q: How is your work integrated into the local community?
A: Community members are the heart and soul of 808 Cleanups. There would be no 808 Cleanups without the community, and we are here to serve everyone and also grow and progress together. We are all interconnected, and there are lessons of the past and present to study to prepare us all for the future. Together we can make the islands the best they can be- that means clean, safe and strong communities for everyone. That’s a natural right. To make that happen, we all need to take responsibility to make that happen. It isn’t going to get handed to us, and it shouldn’t fall onto the shoulders of the few. We also need to look big picture at how we get there. At 808 Cleanups we see the connections across space and time.
The importance of Hawaiian people, culture, practices, knowledge is central to our organization. Several years ago, Kimenona Kane, a respected Hawaiian practitioner, joined 808Cleanups to help expand our activities. For example, he is currently helping us restore Puʻu o Kaimuki, a park that was oncethe site of a heiau. Kimeona’s huge efforts as a kumu to bring these practices to life. Litter and graffiti removal was only the beginning for us- we’ll have native plants return, fishponds return to function, coral reefs restored and sea levels stabilized. Team work both here and worldwide will get us there.
Kimenona Kane (at left) a respected Hawaiian practitioner, has become an integral part of the 808 Cleanups crew.
Q: How do you fund yourselves? Do you have sponsors?
Right now we receive about 14% of our revenue from individual and employee workplace donations, 6% from business donations, and 80% from grants. My top priority this year has been to diversify our funding, that includes writing grants every month as well as looking to how we could expand our revenues. We have some ideas on the table that we hope to test out this coming year. Regarding sponsors, we’ve had the greatest success with folks who know us, participate with us and follow our work thoroughly. In addition to funding, I tell everyone, your most valuable contribution is your TIME! Mahalo nui to everyone who donates any amount of money and time- it makes a huge difference to everyone, believe it!
Q: If I want to be a volunteer, how do I get involved?
A: 808cleanups.org is the one stop shop for our events calendar and information on our Adopt a Site program! We even have our own free app that’s available for Apple and Android. What’s great is you can track all your volunteer hours in your app’s portfolio, get exact GPS pins on cleanup locations, and find other volunteers and projects in your area!
You can never be too young to be an 808 Cleanups volunteer.
Q: Anything else you care to add?
I just want to thank everyone out there who has supported us through thick and thin. We’re working harder than ever through the pandemic and that is in large part thanks to all of you both financially and for donating your time! Many of you want to stay active and give back, and that’s why 808 Cleanups is giving more events and support to you than ever before. Let’s keep up the great work!
Robert F. Kay is a business columnist for the Honolulu Star Advertise is the author of two Lonely Planet guidebooks and Fijiguide.com.
On October 13th, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii published the result of a poll of about 1,000 Hawaii residents. They found, not surprisingly, that people don’t like our high state taxes:
Maybe I’m too cynical after being at the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, but my initial reaction to this poll was, “Well, of course people don’t want to pay taxes. Tell us something we don’t know!”
If you think about it, taxes have a lot in common with gifts to a charity – setting aside the very real difference that failing to donate to a charity will not land me in the slammer. In both cases you part with your money and you get nothing in terms of any immediate return. But people are willing to give to charity, or to the government, if they think that they receive value when they do so.
“If I give to this charity,” I think, “maybe a kid with terminal cancer will get to go to Disney World before he meets his maker. Or it might help put a mouthful of food in some emaciated person in Somalia, or Mongolia, or Kakaako. Or it might help educate us, the electorate, and the politicians who write our tax laws, how these laws actually work.” The better I feel about what the charity is doing, the more likely I am to give.
By the same token, I think that when I pay taxes I’m paying for education for my kids, or necessary oversight of public health, or care of our parks and forests. The more value I think I am getting for the tax dollars I have to pay to the government, the less likely I am to complain about having to part with those dollars.
Folks who sell things for a living are intimately familiar with the concept of a “value proposition.” If your customer doesn’t understand or can’t appreciate the value of buying your product or service, or of giving you money, then they won’t do it if they have a choice. If they don’t have a choice, they won’t be happy about being forced to contribute. So, part of your salesperson’s job is to make the value proposition obvious enough to your customer that your customer will say yes and open up that wallet. So now let’s pose a challenge. There are going to be lots of people running for office next year, more than usual because of the redistricting that is happening because of the recent U.S. census. Look at the graphic included with this column. The message it’s screaming is that the electorate does not understand the value proposition associated with paying the taxes we pay to get the state government we have. So, the challenge to these people running for office is: Present us, the electorate, with not only your own value proposition but also the value proposition relating to the government that you want to hold office in. Where is the value that our government brings to the people contributing to it? And what are you, as a prospective politician, going to do to bring your constituents that value? Are you going to get more things done with less? Are you going to drain the swamp? Are you going to help create an environment that will help us make ends meet? Give that some thought and give us some ideas! And, for those who do get elected, we need you to turn those good ideas int
I met Julie Christensen while doing research on a family history project. (We didn’t know each other before that).
Julie’s mom went to high school with my late father’s best friend, Hank Carbonell. My father, an introvert, didn’t make friends easily, so Hank was special. I thought there may be a chance that Julie’s mother might have a recollection or perhaps a comment from him in her high school yearbook from 1939.
I didn’t have a lot to go on. Hank died when his fighter plane crashed in 1943 and I couldn’t find much in the government archives.
Julie checked the yearbook and alas therewas nothing from Hank.
After conversing a bit more with Julie I discovered that she made her living as a psychic medium.
She volunteered to assist my exploration in a manner I never considered—as a medium. Julie seemed quite confident that she could make the connection and I was happy to take her up on her offer.
In her line of work, communicating with folks on the “other side” was akin to making a long-distance call. Usually the other party answers.
She succeeded in communicating with Hank and came up with some great details.I latercorroborated what she discovered with Hank’s relatives.
Suffice it to say, I was impressed. Julie was “for real”.
I met Julie while researching Hank Carbonell, pictured above. Hank was a classmate of Julie’s mom.
I was fascinated by her work and wanted to better understand her modus operandi. How in the heck does she do this?
That is the genesis of this Q&A.
By reading the interview below, you’ll have a much better idea of how a psychic medium, or at least how Julie, operates.
Julie makes her home in Rocklin, California (near Sacramento) and calls her company Luminous Passages, LLC. She works both in the US and internationally helping to connect her clients with Spirit. In doing so, in her words, she helps them heal and awaken to their true nature and authentic selves.
Her methodology is to work with “evidential mediumship”. This means she will help the client establish who they are communicating with on the other side by ferreting out clues about the deceased individual’s traits, hobbies, habits, physical description, etc.
Julie also assists others in developing their psychic mediumship abilities and navigating spiritual awakenings through intuitive counseling.
Unlike most people in her line of work, she is a licensed marriage and family therapist where she specializes in grief and trauma therapy in a separate business.
Julie has a master’s degree in counseling psychology with a specialization in transpersonal psychology from John F. Kennedy University received in 1999.
We connected via Zoom for this interview.
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Rob: The first question is why go to a psychic? What kinds of things can a psychic help you with?
Hank was also a close friend of my father, John Kay, hence my interest in doing research for the family history project.
Julie: Interesting question because you’re asking what a psychic can do. Before I answer that I think it’s important to delineate the difference between a psychic and a psychic medium.
Rob: OK, tell me about it.
Julie: A psychic is going to look more into your current life and through your aura. A medium on the other hand, is the one who connects with the other side. So, a medium is going to connect with deceased people, or pets, or guides, or other entities. Even that depends on the medium you see and what they believe in, what they have experienced, etc. Different mediums have different skills.
I’m a psychic medium.
Rob: Thank you for distinction. What else should I know?
Julie: One of the things that I do is called “evidential mediumship”. What it means is that when I bring in a deceased person to someone, I’m bringing in evidence such as: what they look like, what their personality is, shared memories, and other traits. Thus, I’m trying to prove to you that life goes on and that I have your loved one whether it be a person or a pet.
Rob: What kinds of reasons would a client have to see you?
Julie: Often someone they love has passed and they want to connect with them. They miss them. Maybe they didn’t get closure. Maybe they just want to know how they are or what happened to them? Are they okay? I act a little like the old-time telephone operator where I’m passing questions and answers back and forth between the client and their loved ones.
Julie would meet with clients pre-Covid. Nowadays she works exclusively via Zoom.
Rob: Is there a rule of thumb how often you might help someone connect with a loved one?
Julie: If I see someone who’s really in grief over someone who’s passed, I restrict them to seeing me maybe once a month. It’s important to understand you can get addicted to doing this. You miss somebody and the next thing you know, you’re wanting to connect and can spend a lot of money seeking out different mediums. If it’s a husband or a wife, you want to connect every day and that isn’t necessarily helpful. I don’t think it’s good for you because you must be here.
Rob: What other kinds of things do you help people with?
Julie: Often people want guidance. And so, from a psychic medium perspective, I use guides as well to show you the future. And then, I also will use psychic ability.
Other people might have issues at the office that need resolution. Or maybe they are simply not happy at work and need advice and I “look” into it.
And then, it might be questions about one’s love life.
Sometimes other things just come up for me to pass on. For example, I was shown that one of my client’s cars needed work. I suggested they take it in to a mechanic. Three days later the client contacted me and said the car broke down on the way to San Francisco. So, yeah, who knows?
Another reason people come to see me is maybe someone they love is alive, but they can’t connect with them. They’re in a coma or they have dementia. So, I can help them have a conversation.
Sometimes folks who are adopted want to know something about their birth parents. I can assist them in that department.
I can also pick up on health issues, but I won’t call myself a medical intuitive. It’s not my specialty.
Other people might want to connect with their pets. Maybe you have behavioral issues with them. I can suggest what we can be done.
Recently, I had someone contact me about their horse. They were getting ready for a big horse competition, and I picked up something was wrong on the back of the horse. And they said, “Yep, that’s exactly where is this problem is.” They considered another horse for the event, and I “looked” in on that horse, “This other horse can do it and wants to.”
Julie will work with pets with behavioral issues.
Rob: You mentioned “guides” earlier. What are they and why would people be interested in them?
Julie: When I work with guides, and different mediums may do it differently, but I will see a person’s “gate”. This entity is called a gatekeeper. It’s a guide who’s with you from the time you’re born until you die.
Often, it seems to be a family member that passed before you ever got here. And it could be somebody from a past life or somebody just very in line with your life purpose. But for the most part, it seems like it’s a relative that passed before you arrived. And so, I’ll explain who it is. They can ask questions, and then I’ll ask permission and go behind the gate and see other guides.
The next guides might be creative, or perhaps someone from a past life. When I go the furthest in behind the gate, I’ll get what I call a high vibration guide which is a little more ethereal-like and will provide all kinds of information about their life.
Rob: Anything else?
Julie: There are those interested in ETs, and they’ll want me to connect with these entities to discover their other lives on other planets or dimensions and get guidance. So, now we’re really stretching.
Rob: I’d say so.
Julie: That was a big stretch for me too once. And frankly, before I didn’t believe in any of this stuff. Well, even deceased people were a stretch for me.
Rob: Do you train people to become mediums?
Julie: Yes, I believe we’re all mediums to different extents and I help people develop their skills. Sometimes I’ll meet with someone who’s in what we call a spiritual, or kundalini, awakening. Part of this mentoring process is intuitive counseling as I help them navigate their journey which can include facilitating the unconscious to the conscious, clearing out issues from the past and supporting them through spiritual experiences. It can help them be a clearer channel for mediumship. Some clients have had mediumship abilities their entire life and they’re just wanting to fine tune them.
Rob: Sounds like an awakening can be traumatic.
Julie will also work with aspiring mediums, those going through a spiritual, or kundalini, awakening.
Julie: Yes. It can be exhilarating, beautiful, painful, and frightening. Anyone who goes through this has a different experience. It is not a one-size fits all experience. And you don’t have to go through one to be a medium. I also don’t suggest trying to bring it on. If it’s meant to be; it will come to you. I went through one myself in 2012 and fortunately was working with a very skilled psychotherapist and spiritual teacher. I like to say when the dust settled, I was a clearer channel to be of service. It’s outside the normal realm of experience and I’ve met people who were medicated until it shut down. It’s complicated.
For anyone interested, I suggest perusing www.biologyofkundalini.com. If you do have one it can take up to five years to integrate. The first year is usually the wildest. Then it generally slows down, and Spirit gives you a little bit and it gets boring and slow for a while until you integrate it. And then, you get a little bit more. And hopefully, you’re practicing. And you just see where it goes. You don’t go 0-100. If I had gotten everything that I’ve got today, all at once, I’d probably have been hospitalized because I couldn’t have integrated it. I’m still growing and changing and probably always will.
Rob: Does your professional training in psychology help you as a medium?
Julie: One way it complements my readings is I’m trained to work with people by examining their past. When I have a spirit in, one of the abilities I have is to go back in their life and see where there were problems. Was there abuse in this person’s life? Was there addiction? A variety of things.
When I’m talking to the client and I have a spirit there, if there were issues between them, I can help them talk and resolve and get closure. At a minimum, it helps the client understand why the person who’s crossed over was the way they were. And somehow, they get, I think, relief and closure from that perspective. So my work as a medium combined with psychological training really provides an opening to explore these kinds of issues.
This completes Part 1 of a two part interview with Julie Christensen. Stay tuned for Part 2. For more information on her services visit www.luminouspassages.com.
In recent weeks, it’s been no secret that the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) has had some concerns about their working conditions. Schools are about to start up again with in-person instruction. Teachers are then supposed to be teaching a bunch of random kids, few of whom may be vaccinated because vaccines only recently have been approved for early teenagers and still aren’t approved for kids under 12. Oh, and then some teachers are concerned about vaccine mandates. So HSTA filed a “class grievance” – basically a labor complaint – and asked for some dialogue with the Department of Education (DOE) about this.
DOE’s response, signed by its Labor Relations Administrator, told HSTA that “the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation dated August 5, 2021, suspended the following provisions of law, but only as explicitly set forth below and as allowed by federal law, pursuant to section 127A-13(a)(3),” cited a number of sections in the Hawaii law governing collective bargaining in public employment, and concluded with: “As such, we are taking no further action on the matter.”
Translation: “The Governor’s suspended the laws governing labor relations in public employment. Therefore, we can do what we want, and we won’t even listen to you. Go pound sand.”
What a high and mighty response!
The Governor did indeed issue a proclamation on August 5. The language in DOE’s response is apparently taken from pages 11-12 of the 20-page document. The Governor issued another proclamation on October 1 restating the same language, because emergency proclamations are effective for 60 days and the August proclamation would have expired on October 4th.
Was that response justifiable or necessary? Certainly, federal labor law protections normally associated with a collective bargaining agreement don’t apply when a State is the employer. There are U.S. constitutional protections preventing state law interference with contracts; the collective bargaining agreement is a contract. The constitutional law gives states certain liberties, including suspending or tweaking contract rights, to protect citizens in case of an emergency.
But none of this law gives the State the right to simply slam the door on a public worker union when it has understandable concerns about its members’ working conditions.
In other words, neither DOE nor the Governor can tear up a public union contract just by saying we’re in a COVID emergency. Our state government, having bargained for and entered into an agreement with HSTA, needs to live up to what it agreed to in the contract. HSTA needs to live up to what it agreed to, as do the other public employee unions such as HGEA and UPW. And we as a people have a right to expect that everyone will live up to their obligations, especially because roughly two billion dollars a year, close to one-eighth of the whole state budget, is invested in the DOE.
In this kind of situation, we should take a page from the ancient Hawaiians’ playbook. They had a ritual of sorts called ho‘oponopono. In the ritual, a statement of the problem is made, and the issue is discussed. Everyone is expected to work problems through and cooperate, not “hold fast to the fault.” Everyone’s feelings are acknowledged. Then they all worked out the problem and broke bread together afterward.
Slamming the door is no way to solve a problem, whatever it is. It just serves to polarize the parties further. Rather, even today, all of us need to be doing more listening and less positioning.
Hike Traffic Fines for Profit
The Honolulu City Council wants to raise money for the Honolulu Police Department by adding a surcharge to traffic fines. As KHON2 reports, they say that the money can and should be used to recruit, retain, and equip police officers. It’s definitely a creative idea to raise additional revenue without hiking the property tax.
There is a small problem, however. All traffic fines go to the State, not the county, under current law.
The City tried to get around the problem before. In the 1990’s, the City passed an ordinance saying that anyone convicted in Honolulu would need to pay a “user fee” of $250 in addition to any monetary or other punishment that the court imposed. That fee was to pay for the costs of prosecution and law enforcement.
But our supreme court didn’t buy that story, in a case called State v. Medeiros, 89 Hawaii 361 (1999).
Counties don’t have the authority to tax anything other than real property. They can, however, impose user fees. So, if someone wants to visit the city zoo, the City can and does charge an admission fee.
Charging a criminal with the costs of law enforcement and prosecution is just and correct, the city said.
The court then wondered what kind of services are being supplied to a convicted person that would justify the fee. That would help distinguish the fee from a tax, which the City had no power to impose.
Plenty, the City argued. Prosecution and arrest assist the person convicted in preventing further harm to themselves and others, and hopefully, also helps to convince the offender to stop being a lawbreaker and become a productive member of society.
Yeah, said the court. It’d be like charging the zoo animals for the service of keeping them caged. We all know what kind of damage a rampaging elephant can do to itself and others. This actually happened in 1994 when an elephant named Tyk got loose and caused havoc before being shot to death by police. So, the argument goes, the Dumbos of this world ought to pull his own weight in connection with the city’s costs to protect him.
The court then went on to observe that in George Orwell’s 1984 one of the characters, who had been caught and imprisoned for various crimes, wondered to his jailer whether he was brought to the jail to punish him, or to make him confess. The jailer’s reply: “No! Not merely to extract your confession, nor to punish you. Shall I tell you why we have brought you here? To cure you! To make you sane! Will you understand, Winston, that no one whom we bring to this place ever leaves our hands uncured?”
Ultimately, the court found that the $250 charge was a tax, not a user fee, and struck it down.
This time, the City Council seems to have learned from that unhappy past. The Council might pass a resolution politely asking the State Legislature to jack up traffic fines and to share the money with the county in which the infraction took place. As to how much, Council Chair Tommy Waters said, “I don’t think they like to be told by the county what they need to do. So I’m asking, I’m asking them to consider it, and we can work on a number as the process goes forward.”
State legislators to which KHON2 reached out for comment had nothing to say. Which might have something to do with the fact that all of the legislators in the square building on South Beretania Street need to run for re-election in 2022.
In a few short months, the 2022 legislative session will start, and then we will see what fate will come of the request for higher traffic fines.
In the meantime, you might want to visit the zoo. Before the admission fee gets hoisted again.