​Go Green Recycling will operate from a NEW LOCATION starting Saturday, August 15th! Appointments required!
Visit MalamaMauiNui.org/GoGreen for NEW LOCATION DETAILS & to submit an APPOINTMENT REQUEST FORM.
Go Green Recycling is an appointment-required, monthly, bulky-item recycling event for residents of West Maui.

How We're Going To Spend CARES Act Money
By Tom Yamachika, President
 
Imagine what would happen if a genie came up to you and said, “Here’s a pot of money for you.  All you need to do is spend it by the end of the year.  If you don’t, whatever you haven’t spent will disappear.”  What would you do with it?

Our State government just got that genie visit.  The genie is called Uncle Sam, and the pot of money contained $1.25 billion.  Our recently passed budget bill, SB 126, parceled it out – or tried to.

The largest chunk of the money, around $560 million, was given to county governments.  Honolulu received about $387 million, the Big Island $80 million, Maui $67 million, and Kauai $29 million.

Then, the Legislature called for $230 million to be spent on a State enhancement, or “plus-up,”to the weekly benefit to those now on unemployment.  The federal government’s extra $600 per week ran out at the end of July, and, as of press time, no deal was in place to extend the benefit.  The idea was for the State to kick in $100 per week from August 1 to December 31, but that won’t happen because Gov. Ige has line-item vetoed this appropriation. 

According to the Governor’s office, he prefers to wait until the federal government reaches a deal on what to do on their end.  This reasoning, if true, would be strange because there is already a provision in the appropriation saying that the $100 per week isn’t payable if the federal government is kicking in more than $300 per week.  In the meantime, the unemployed need to survive without any plus-up at all.

The bill appropriated $100 million to assist childcare, elderly care facilities, hospitals, small businesses, nonprofits, and schools in buying personal protective equipment.  The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) is supposed to be on top of this program.  The Governor chopped the $100 million to $61 million.

The bill also appropriated $100 million for a housing relief and resiliency program, administered through HHFDC.  There, the idea is to give assistance – 50% of rent payable up to $500 per month from August 1 to December 31 – to renters and homeowners impacted by COVID-19 and whose income level doesn’t exceed 100% of Area Median Income (which is about $101,600 for a family of four here).  The Governor slashed the $100 million to $50 million.

The bill directed $90 million to the airports, specifically to augment airport screening and health assurance security initiatives.  On the Department of Transportation’s wish list is a thermal screening system, a Web-based traveler verification application, traveler verification rooms (sounds like interrogation rooms), a swab and testing facility, and a service contract for testing.  The Governor reduced the appropriation to $70 million.

There are many other appropriations of lesser amounts.  Some of them were reduced.

And, of course, there is a “slush fund” category.  $40 million is appropriated to the Governor’s office, supposedly to take care of any unanticipated needs.  That appropriation wasn’t reduced.

Finally, there is a catch-all clause.  Any money appropriated but unspent as of December 28 is sent to the Unemployment Insurance trust fund, and hopefully that money will help soften the automatic increases in the unemployment taxes that otherwise are triggered at the end of the year, as we recently wrote about. 

But a big question remains:  Are moneys dumped into the trust fund “necessary expenditures incurred” before the end of the year, within the meaning of section 5001 of the CARES Act?  If we can’t answer this question with a definitive “Yes,” we had better get some clarity from the federal government pronto, or risk having to pay that money back to the genie. 

And the $366 million that was line-item vetoed is unappropriated money that won’t even be going to the trust fund.  Those dollars will be disappearing unless we do something about it ASAP.

We don’t get a genie visit that often, so we had better make the best of it when it does happen.

Doctors On Call, Maui’s Urgent Care, will be administering drive up COVID-19 testing at their clinic located in the Times Shopping Plaza in Honokowai on Saturday, August 8, 2020 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
The Rapid COVID-19 test is only available on Maui at Doctors On Call. This accurate, rapid test provides COVID-19 results to patients in 15 minutes. The cost will be $63, paid at the time of service.
Register Now
Preregistration is advised!
Here are the specific details:
What: Drive up Rapid COVID-19 testing
When: Saturday, August 8th, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Where: Doctors On Call Times Shopping Plaza 3350 Lower Honoapiilani Rd, Ste 211 Lahaina, HI 96761
Preregister: Go to docmaui.com to register. You will be directed to the registration site. Once registered, print the COVID-19 registration packet. Email the completed forms along with a copy of your driver’s license and insurance card to rapidcovidtest@docmaui.com. Or bring the forms with you to the testing.
How: To be tested, drive to the parking lot at Time Shopping Plaza, call the office (667-7676) and press 0 to request the test, wait in your car for our staff to come to you.
Bring: Forms, Valid I.D., Health Insurance Card, credit card for payment of $63.
Next: Doctors On Call will call you with your results in approximately 15 minutes.
Register Now
Call 808-214-7983 For More Information.Rapid COVID-19 testing will also be available Monday – Friday from 8:00a.m. – 4:00p.m. starting August 10th
Clinic will reopen on 8/10 M-F 8am-4pm
​Currently offering telemedicine visits 8am-8pm most insurances accepted. Cash price $59.


Call 808-439-3911. No appointment needed.

Source as 8/3/2020 - 11:35 am http://doctorsoncallmaui.com/