Hawaiian City Garden

StopMoskowitz :: The Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem Support the Coalition with your Donation Donation Amount $25.00 $50.00 $100.00 $250.00 $500.00 $1000.00 thank you The Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem P.O. 67903, Los Angeles CA 90067 310 553-1146 email -- How Moskowitz Profits from his Hawaiian Gardens Non-profits A Detailed Analysis of Irving Moskowitz's Non-profit Operations in Hawaiian Gardens nonprofit (non·prof·it) adj. 1. not conducted or maintained for the purpose of making a profit <a nonprofit organization> - noun 2. a nonprofit organization, institution, corporation or entity. These days, Dr. Irving Moskowitz is seldom seen in Hawaiian Gardens but his presence is everywhere. A banner bears his name in a picture of the Little League team that runs in the local paper. Senior citizens attending a city council meeting sport t-shirts with Moskowitz's name emblazoned across the back. Moskowitz may be hundreds of miles away at his home in Miami Beach but he is ubiquitous in the community as a businessman and benefactor who has pumped millions of dollars into the city. And there is no question Hawaiian Gardens is in need of help. The unemployment rate is high in this largely immigrant slice of LA County where half of all adults lack a high school diploma. And where close to one out of every four Hawaiian Garden residents lives below the poverty line. 1 But Irving Moskowitz's track record of less-than-charitable activity in Hawaiian Gardens belies his image as a philanthropist - a careful examination of his financial records and those of his non-profit foundation show that the majority of his contributions resulted in either financial gain or increased political influence for himself. Dr. Moskowitz, it seems, has engaged in non-profit profiteering in Hawaiian Gardens. Since posting this report on our website, more information has come to light that strongly suggests that Moskowitz's non-profit Tri-City Regional Medical Center is in violation of Internal Revenue Service rules qualifying health care providers for tax-exemption. (Click here to read more) Putting the 'profit' in Non-profit healthcare Tri-City Hospital sign greets motorists entering Hawaiian Gardens saying the "community" facility serves all health needs - as long as you're not poor or pregnant. Take Tri-City Regional Medical Center in Hawaiian Gardens. In 1996, when its balance sheets were beginning to look less-than stellar, 2 Moskowitz decided to spin off this privately owned hospital as a non-profit, while retaining ownership of the building and land. 3 Immediately after converting Tri-City Regional Medical Center into a non-profit, the Irving I. Moskowitz Foundation 4 donated $4.9 million in tax-free proceeds from its Hawaiian Gardens bingo to the hospital. 5 Moskowitz then began collecting the money back by charging the hospital $95,000 a month in rent, payable to his private landlord company. 6 Those payments now exceed $110,000 per month. 7 California state financing records show that in 2000 the foundation made an additional transfer of funds to Tri-City. 8 The hospital's fidelity to the concept of charitable trust 9 is tenuous at best. This could perhaps be forgiven if the hospital was meeting the health care needs of the local community. But despite its non-profit status, Tri-City is less than solicitous when it comes to the health of Hawaiian Gardens. When the hospital applied for non-profit status in 1997, it made a commitment to provide pre-natal care. 10 Recent patient discharge data published by the state of California shows that Tri-City has stopped delivering babies - none were born at the hospital in either 2000 or 2001. 11 It isn't for lack of demand for services. Last year residents of Hawaiian Gardens brought home 98 newborn babies. 12 While small in size (the city's population is a little under 15,000 13 ), Hawaiian Gardens is a young, largely immigrant community - recent census data indicates the average age of its resident is 26. More than half of the households have children under the age of 18. And as of 2000, a little more than 10 percent of the population was under the age of 5. The women of Hawaiian Gardens are having babies - they are just not having them delivered at the hospital in their own neighborhood. Tri-City's failure to fully address the health care needs of the poor may be a factor. Again, nearly one out of every four resident of Hawaiian Gardens lives below the poverty line and many are immigrants who do not qualify for state programs such as MediCal (although MediCal is available to cover prenatal care and deliveries for undocumented immigrants, making the hospital's failure to provide these services all the more shocking). Stomach stapling accounts for a large part of Tri-City Hospital's tiny patient census. When it turned non-profit the hospital made a commitment to provide free or reduced cost care to the indigent 14 - and yet in recent years Tri-City has provided zero dollars in charity care. 15 State health care data shows the other four non-profit hospitals of comparable size in LA County provided a combined total of two million dollars in charity care in 2001 (the most recent year that statistics are publicly available). 16 Tri-City's failure to pull its own weight when it comes to helping out poor patients has little to do with its bottom line - in 2001 the hospital's gross patient revenue exceeded $72 million and its net income was slightly more than two million dollars - despite the fact that its occupancy rate in 2001 was an abysmally low 19.6 percent. 17 The average occupancy rate for other hospitals of comparable size in the state of California that year was 52.16 percent. 18 How does the hospital manage to stay afloat with such low patient volume? The answer may be as close as the sign in front of Tri-City's main entrance announcing it is also the home of "The Center for the Surgical Treatment of Obesity." Tri-City, it seems, has gotten into the lucrative business of stomach stapling. The Center, run by the somewhat famous Dr. Mathias Fobi provides surgical stomach shrinking services to patients clinically termed morbidly obese, that is, those who are 75 to 100 pounds or more overweight. (In what is perhaps an unfortunate display of poor taste, his website's motto is "lighten up." 19 ) According to a CBS News Report profiling his practice, Fobi performs surgery on up to 600 patients a year. 20 While Fobi charges for the surgeries he performs, the hospital also bills patients for the use of its operating and recovery rooms and other medical services it provides. In 2002 patients who underwent the surgical procedure at Tri-City, on average, racked up $50,000 in hospital charges. 21 State health care data shows that at least 439 Tri-City patients underwent the stomach stapling procedure last year, that is, more than one out of every four patients that received some sort of surgical treatment at the hospital had their stomach stapled. 22 Total charges for those patients was $21,936,400 - representing close to a third of the hospital's gross charges for the year. Tri-City's 2001 income tax forms (the most recent that are publicly available) indicate that by far its highest paid independent contractor that year was FOCA Management Company, a private company registered to Dr. Mathias Fobi. 23 Tri-City paid Fobi's firm $2,293,044 - more than its next four highest paid contractors combined. 24 Dr. Fobi has made numerous national television and radio appearances touting his surgical techniques and his patients come from as far away as Alaska, 25 but the obesity center appears to be of little value to the community where it is based: last year not one Hawaiian Gardens resident made the short trek across this mile-wide city to receive the procedure. 26 One former City Council member recalls that when the hospital was first built, Hawaiian Gardens welcomed it as the solution to the community's unmet health care needs. But citing the high cost of treatment at Tri-City and the lack of charity care, he said few use the hospital now. State health care data backs that assertion up - despite its proximity only 13.7 percent of all Hawaiian Gardens residents who were hospitalized in Los Angeles County last year were admitted to Tri-City Regional Medical Center. 27 Hawaiian Garden residents admitted to the hospital represented an even smaller percentage of Tri-City's total patient census - just 5.4 percent. 28 Since posting this report on our website, more information has come to light that strongly suggests that Moskowitz's non-profit Tri-City Regional Medical Center is in violation of Internal Revenue Service rules qualifying health care providers for tax-exemption. (Click here to read more) Banking on Bingo Bucks Moskowitz earns more than $1.3 million dollars annually as landlord of what is ostensibly a non-profit hospital. But his money-making off non-profits doesn't end there. In 1988, the city of Hawaiian Gardens granted the Irving I. Moskowitz Foundation a license to operate a non-profit bingo within its city limits in exchange for a commitment to spend the majority of the funds generated by the bingo on the local community. The foundation, which had existed mainly to own a piece of land in Northern California and seldom got much cash, was suddenly taking in more than $30 million annually from bingo games. But the foundation's bottom line wasn't the only beneficiary. 29 Moskowitz is the managing general partner (for practical purposes, the sole owner) of Cerritos General Hospital Company, the private firm that owns the land where his bingo is situated and the building in which the game is played. 30 It is not possible to tell from the foundation's IRS 990 forms (which non-profits file instead of income tax returns), exactly how much Moskowitz's foundation is paying him for use of the land, but even by conservative estimates, the total comes to several hundred thousand dollars a year. The Moskowitz Foundation's 2000 and 2001 990 forms show that in both years it paid total occupancy costs (defined by the IRS as rent and utilities) of over $900,000 for services and programs. The bingo is the foundation's only activity -- apart from writing checks. If even half its occupancy costs went to paying rent on the bingo hall as opposed to covering the costs of electricity, gas and water, it's safe to say Moskowitz is paying himself roughly $450,000 a year for the privilege of holding his own bingo games. On top of the bingo's rental payments, Moskowitz also drew more than half a million dollars in salary ($322,880 in 1999 and $184,503 in 2000, respectively) from the Moskowitz Foundation. 31 By contrast, the Moskowitz Foundation takes advantage of a state law requiring bingo workers to be volunteers for the non-profit operating the bingo. To run the bingo, Moskowitz uses mostly immigrant workers who have no ties to, or even knowledge of, the aims of his foundation, compensating them with nothing but the opportunity to get tips from bingo winners. 32 Workers say that their nightly shifts sometimes bring in as little as $20, even though the "volunteers" essentially function as full-time employees. 33 The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund is currently suing Moskowitz's bingo on behalf of 24 unpaid bingo workers. 34 continued on page two View all news reports 2003 the Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem

Hawaii Cruise

Chang Family Foundation Hawaii Cruise WAYNE OGIMACHI Senior Pastor of Lighthouse Christian Church in Bellevue, Washington STEVE GREEN Christian Music Artist, Former Dove Awards Artist of the Year MICHAEL CHANG Professional Tennis Player, 1989 French Open Champion JULY 4-11 2004 FRIENDS AND FAMILY CRUISE IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS with MICHAEL CHANG & STEVE GREEN Dear Friends, My family and I would like to invite you to spend a week with us experiencing one of the most stunning places on earth. We're taking an exciting cruise to the Hawaiian Islands and would love for you to join us! Departing from Honolulu, we will discover the exotic paradise islands of Kauai, Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu. Not only will this be a wonderful opportunity for you to build new friendships, it will also be a special time to gather with family and old friends. It'll be a great time of fellowship on top of some fun-filled, refreshing times of worship. I will also be sharing about my experiences both on and off the court, and I hope that the time you share with us will be a good time of encouragement and blessing. God has been incredibly faithful over the years and it's my hope that you would come away with a greater understanding of how much each of you are dearly loved by Christ. So come join our family as we take a break from our busy lives and enjoy a time of relaxation and renewal. After all, life is not just about hard work. It's about love and finding fulfillment in life! Take care and we hope to see you and your family in Hawaii!!! Sponsored by the Chang Family Foundation For seven days next July, there will be a touch of excitement in the sea air, as each day will be filled with adventure touring the Hawaiian Islands. You will be able to experience the beauty of the Islands while sailing in the comfort of the Norwegian Cruise Lines Pride of Aloha. Norwegian Cruise Lines is one of the top rated cruise lines in the industry. You will sure to be treated with the best service, food and entertainment the cruising industry has to offer! There is something for everyone on this cruise. Picture yourself in any one of these fabulous activities offered: Learn the latest tennis serving techniques from Michael and Carl Chang Challenge others in basketball, volleyball and/or the golf tournament Take part in the special Children's Program preformed by Dove Award artist Steve Green Participate in daily morning devotionals led by Pastor Wayne Ogimachi Join in the many Inspirational Topics and Seminars Be a part of the professional exercise classes Join us on this once in a lifetime cruise around the Hawaiian Islands! This cruise is sponsored by the Chang Family Foundation. The mission of the Chang Family Foundation is to introduce the good news of Jesus Christ to the World through local and international program, and to grow and nurture people in their personal relationship with God. About the Ship | Itinerary | Cruise prices | Terms & Conditions | Reservation | FAQ | Hotels | Transportation

Oahu Invasive Species Committee

Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) -- About OISC Contact Information Meetings OISC Target Species Announcements -- Products Meeting details -- Volunteer ?? -- -- What's New -- ?? posting on the HEAR Job Announcements page.end example-@ Volunteer with OISC Join OISC for a Miconia calvescens search. The service trip will be held on 13 August 2005 . For details about how to secure a spot on the survey team, see the OISC volunteer page . -- About OISC About OISC OISC mission statement: The Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) is a voluntary partnership of private, governmental and non-profit organizations such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Hawaii Community Foundation, the University of Hawaii, the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, and the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit united to prevent new invasive species infestations on the island of Oahu, to eradicate incipient invasive species, and to stop established invasive species from spreading. The group is concerned with all non-native invasive species threatening agriculture, watersheds, native ecosystems, tourism, industry, human health, or the quality of life on Oahu. OISC Target Species: OISC is working to control or prevent the introduction of the plants and animals that pose the greatest threat to Oahu. See photos and general information about OISC Target Species here. You may subscribe to the  Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) internet mailing list to be notified via e-mail about information and events regarding priority invasive species on Oahu. Contact Information: Oahu Invasive Species Committee c/o DLNR/DOFAW 2135 Makiki Hgts Dr. Honolulu, HI 96816 General Information/ Public Relations, Rachel Neville Phone: (808) 286-4616 Fax: (808) 973-9781 E-mail: oisc@hawaii.edu OISC coordinator, Ryan Smith Phone: (808) 292-6691 E-mail: smithrya@hawaii.edu Field operations manager, Joshua Fisher Phone: (808) 292-6769 E-mail: joshuafi@hawaii.edu ccory@tnc.org ).-- [ top ] Announcements Announcements Next meeting date -- webmaster@hear.org so the info can get posted on this website! Thanks!) -- meeting details section for more details about previous meetings.-- The next Oahu Invasive Species Committee meeting (a general meeting) will be held on Friday, February 01 , 2006 from 9:00 am-12:00 pm at a location TBA. 1849 Auiki Street , Honolulu; onsite telephone: 808-832-0566).-- Refer to the meeting details section for the meeting agenda. For more information about OISC or this meeting contact Ryan Smith (OISC coordinator) via e-mail ( oisc@hawaii.edu ), phone (808-286-4616), or fax (808-973-9781). 45-680 Luluku Road, Kaneohe .-- OISC will be taking a group of volunteers into the mountains to remove Himalayan Blackberry on 12 June 2004 from 8:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m . If you are interested in participating in this trip please download this June 2004 Service Trip flyer or contact OISC ( oisc@hawaii.edu )-- OISC internet mailing list (to which you may subscribe yourself for free!). Budget/Strategic Planning (contact: Rob Cowie ) Policy ([temporary?] contact: Steve Lohse ) Education (contact: Melissa Dumaran ) Detection (contact: Dan Sailer ) Control (contact: Mindy Wilkinson ) Aquatics (contact: Lu Eldredge ) Restoration (contact: Jennifer Garrison ) -- OISC-L internet mailing list You may subscribe to the OISC internet mailing list for discussions and announcements about information and events regarding invasive species on Oahu. Other ISC websites & mailing lists See the All-ISCs website descriptions of other-island Invasive Species Committees in Hawaii. You may also subscribe to one or more HEAR-sponsored mailing lists , particularly ALLISCS-ANNOUNCE-L , in order to keep abreast of invasive species events and information relevant to Hawaii. [ top ] Products Products OISC Public Relations Products OISC has created public relations products related to OISC's work with a public outreach and education program. This program strives to inform the public about the threats posed by invasive species, what they can do to help, and how OISC is stopping the alien pest invasion. Pest Alert Flyers Miconia (241 kb) Miconia calvescens is Oahu's number one invasive threat. Manuka (306 kb) Also called New Zealand tea tree, this bush is creeping into Oahu's valleys. Himalayan Blackberry (220 kb) Have you tried walking though a Himalayan blackberry thicket? Fountain Grass (238 kb) Fountain grass is fueling fires across Hawaii. Bush Beardgrass (297 kb) This invasive bunchgrass is only found in two areas on Oahu. There is still a chance of removing it! Indian Rhododendron (275 kb) This beautiful plant is on the Hawaii noxious weed list and is a close relative of the dreaded Miconia. Smoke Bush (238 kb) Also known as butterfly bush, this ornamental plant has escaped the garden. Target Plants and Animals By Area Leeward Oahu (202 kb) More targeted plants and animals by area to come! OISC Administrative Products OISC also produces administrative products including annual action plans and funding proposals which are available online. The OISC annual action plan describes the OISC project and details the objectives and methods utilized to combat invasives on Oahu. OISC Strategic Action Plans Annually-produced OISC Strategic Action Plans are now available online.-- OISC 2002-2003 Strategic Action Plan -- OISC 2002 Action Plan (with images, optimized for on-screen viewing) (intermediate file size/download time [376 Kb]) -- OISC 2002 Action Plan (with images, optimized for printing) (largest file size/slowest download [1,171 Kb]) OISC 2002 Action Plan (text only) (for faster downloading [206 Kb]) OISC Product Archives . - - - - - - --- Meeting details Meeting details Below are announcements (and/or minutes) for the Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) meetings. (Some of these documents may be in Adobe Acrobat format [PDF files] .) ( Oops! The webmaster doesn't know when the next OISC meeting is! If you know, please tell me [webmaster@hear.org]!! ) -- 18 January 2006: General OISC meeting Agenda Agenda -- ( Meeting notes will be posted after approval at a subsequent meeting.) Meeting minutes -- 05 October 2005: Prioritization workshop Agenda Prioritization workshop species profiles 2005 OISC Summary of Cost Projections Meeting Minutes Meeting Notes (Full Discussion) 17 August 2005: General OISC meeting Agenda ( Meeting notes will be posted after approval at a subsequent meeting.) Meeting minutes -- 14 March 2005: Education/outreach subcommittee meeting Agenda No meeting notes for this meeting Meeting minutes -- 10 March 2005: Miconia strategy meeting Agenda No meeting notes for this meeting Meeting minutes -- 23 February 2005: General OISC meeting Agenda Meeting minutes 29 September 2004: Prioritization workshop Agenda Background information (on target species) Meeting minutes 04 August 2004: General OISC meeting Agenda Meeting minutes 07 July 2004: Fountain grass working group meeting Agenda -- Meeting minutes 01 June 2004: Coqui frog control strategy meeting Agenda -- Meeting minutes Meeting minutes -- 21 April 2004: General OISC meeting Meeting Announcement Agenda Agenda -- ( Meeting notes will be posted after approval at a subsequent meeting.) Meeting minutes -- 28 January 2004: General OISC meeting Agenda Meeting minutes Documents from historical OISC meetings are also available. This document is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. If your computer is not already set up to read these files, you can download the FREE Adobe Acrobat reader . You can set up most web browsers to automatically invoke this reader (as a "helper application" or "add-in") upon encountering documents of this type (refer to your browser's documentation for how to do this). [ top ] [ back ] [ ALL ISCs home ] [ HEAR ] This page was created on 02 November 2000 by PT , and was last updated on 23 January 2006 by EMS . Questions or comments about this website? Contact the webmaster ( webmaster@hear.org ).

HAWAII CONDO EXCHANGE Stunning

Hawaii Condo Vacation Rentals in Kauai, Maui, Hawaii (Big Island), Oahu Enjoy Elegant Hawaii Condo Rentals For the Discerning Traveler With HAWAII CONDO EXCHANGE Stunning Hawaii Vacation Condos of Distinction . . . Island-Wide! **ALL ISLANDS: Maui Condo Rentals, Kauai Condos . . . Big Island & Oahu Condo Rentals Selective CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS RESERVATIONS Now Available . . . Call Today! HAWAII CONDO EXCHANGE Leads the way in Providing the Finest Hawaii Condo Rentals & Travel Services available, combining the Joys of Island Travel & Island Culture. Geared towards the Upscale Leisure and Business Traveler, our Finely Tuned Database of Hawaii Vacation Condo Rentals on ALL ISLANDS - Maui Condos, Kauai Condo Rentals, Big Island Condos & Oahu Condo Rentals - will be Matched to Meet your Specific Needs, while our Friendly Staff of Destination Experts act as your own Personal Concierge - Recommending Everything from Top Island Festivals and Secluded Beaches to key Restaurant Picks & Fine Meeting Facilities. Sample the True Flavors of Island Life with the Finest Selection of Distinguished Hawaii Condos Island-Wide . . . with Hawaii Condo Exchange MEMBER · HAWAII VISITORS BUREAU We Now Invite you to View our Distinguished "Royal Alii Collection©" of Stunning Hawaii Condo Rentals Island-Wide: Please click on Your Island of Interest Kauai Oahu Maui Hawaii (Big Island) Ask About our Value-Priced Car Rentals TOLL FREE RESERVATIONS 800-442-0404 or 323-436-0300 FAX 323-436-0331 1817 El Cerrito Pl. LA, CA. 90068 http://hawaiicondoexchange.com Click here to use our O n Line BOOKING AND RESERVATION REQUEST FORM E mail Ray White at HAWAII CONDO EXCHANGE MEMBER · HAWAII VISITORS & CONVENTION BUREAU MEMBER · MEETING PROFESSIONALS INTERNATIONAL This page has been accessed times

Hawaiian Island

Aloha-Hawaii.com: Hawaii Content on All Subjects | What to Do! January 2006 | aloha-hawaii.com : statewide Search for articles: Within this site All of Hawaii THE ISLANDS OF HAWAII Aloha and welcome to a place that can take you on an image-packed tour of Hawaii or bring you just the information you need. Use the navigation tools to pick an island, a category or an interesting feature article. Get to your Hawaii topic fast by typing a keyword in the Hawaii search engine in the upper right hand corner. Click for more...>> HELICOPTER TOUR While there are many ways to explore Hawaii, few experiences can match an>> PETROGLYPHS Scholars have always been baffled by petroglyphs. Long ago, these primitive ...>> SNORKELING If you think a land or aerial tour of Hawaii provides spectacular scenery, try>> SOUNDS OF HULA Interwoven in this traditional mele inoa (name chant) are Hawaiian poetic>> MORE FEATURED ARTICLES: > Hawaii Weather > Kauai > Downtown Oahu > Oahu > Hanauma Bay > Haleakala > Kalaupapa > Lanai > Kilauea Volcano KONAS BEST B&B Offering upscale treehouse lodging with spa pamperings!! Voted #1 in West Hawaii. HOME FOR SALE In Waialae Iki; 4 BRs, 3-1/2 Bths, lots more rooms, big view, pool BUDGET KAUAI Suites from $65!! FREE Pool & Jacuzzi!! BEST VALUE IN POIPU, KAUAI!! TAKE A SAFARI! Visit Safari Helicopters and take a turn at the controls of a virtual helicopter... FIND YOUR WAY 32 Great Maps. Overview and details for all islands. Driving directions. BOOK YOUR VACATION TODAY WITH ALOHA-HAWAII.COM. CLICK HERE! Vacation Rentals , Airline Tickets , Rental Cars , Travel Rebates , Cruises , Destination Guides Site Map | Contact Us | Submit a URL | Advertising Info | Privacy | Terms & Conditions ©2003-2004 Media-HI, Inc. All rights reserved. Designed & produced by: Tsunami Marketing . -- --