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

Hawaiian Recipes and Recipe

Hawaiian Recipes and Recipe Collections  You are here: About > Travel > Hawaii / South Pacific for Visitors > Recipes Travel Go Hawaii Essentials Which Hawaiian Island Suits You Best? Clickable Map of the Hawaiian Islands Beach Guide Hawaii Pictures Clickable Map of Maui, Hawaii Topics A Hawaii Vacation Planner Big Island of Hawaii Kauai Maui / Molokai / Lanai Oahu / Honolulu / Waikiki South Pacific Culture, History & Language Hawaii Lodging Hula Luau Maps and Weather Pearl Harbor Photos, Video & Cams Recipes Shopping and Gifts Buyer's Guide Tastes of Paradise from Hilo Hattie HilHilo Hattie Dresses and Sarongs Multi-Day Guided Tours Top Hawaii Guidebooks Top Maui / Molokai / Lanai Guidebooks Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Hawaii / South Pacific for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Hawaii / South Pacific for Visitors > Recipes Hawaiian Recipes and Recipe Collections A guide to Hawaiian food and recipes featuring pages filled with recipes in categories such as breads, desserts, drinks, entrees, luau, recipe collections and salads. Subtopics Appetizers (Pupus) (6) Luau Recipes (32) Bread and Pastry (5) Macadamia Nut Recipes (21) Cocktails / Tropical Drinks (18) Main Courses (24) Desserts (10) Recipe Collections (11) Hawaii Cookbooks @ Salads and Side Dishes (8) Hawaiian Food Glossary (2) Articles & Resources Sort By : Guide Picks | Alphabetical | Recent "Hawaiian Cookbook" by Roana and Gene Schindler - Book Review For a list price of $7.95 you won't find a better collection of almost 300 Hawaiian recipes. If you have to pick one Hawaiian cookbook for your collection, make it this one. "The Food of Paradise" by Rachel Laudan - Book Review If you're looking for a cookbook, this is not the book for you. If, however, you are looking for an excellent historical perspective on the foods of Hawaii and their ethnic origins, buy this book. Hawaiian Food Glossary: Seafood We look at the various types of seafood that you will find on a restaurant menu or in the grocery stores in Hawaii. Luau Foods and Recipes We look at the foods that you are likely to find at one or more of the many luaus throughout Hawaii. In the event that you would like to try to cook some of these foods yourself, we've included links to recipes for most of the dishes listed. Pink Mai Tai Recipe from the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel This is a popular variation of the traditional Mai Tai recipe from the "Mai Tai" Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. The original Mai Tai was created by Victor J. Bergeron in 1944 and brought to Hawaii in 1953 at the Royal Hawaiian, Moana and Surfrider Hotels. Top Hawaiian Regional Cuisine Cookbooks Our choice for the best cookbooks featuring Hawaiian Regional Cuisine. Top Sam Choy Hawaiian Regional Cuisine Cookbooks Our choices for the best cookbooks by Sam Choy. Traditional Mai Tai Recipe from the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel This is the authentic traditional Mai Tai recipe from the "Mai Tai" Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. The original Mai Tai was created by Victor J. Bergeron in 1944 and brought to Hawaii in 1953 at the Royal Hawaiian, Moana and Surfrider Hotels.   Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2006 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About Tips to Losing Weight Guide to Distance Learning How to Travel for Less PHOTOS: Italy PHOTOS: Hybrid Cars What's Hot Top Picks in Hawaiian Coffee Kamehameha the Great Kalua Pig Waikiki Beach, Oahu - Life's a Beach in Hawaii - Hawaii Beac... Best Beaches 1999 Headlines Plumeria Photos from Hawaii Plumeria is the most common flower that you'll find in... You Won't See This Sign at Home! This certainly isn't a sign that you've ever seen near... Atlantis Submarine Tour Maui Since I had just experienced the Atlantis Submarine Tour on... Maui Swap Meet Photos Held every Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to noon is the...

Hawaii Volcanoes Park Trail

Hawaii Volcano, Mauna Loa Volcano, Kilauea Volcano, Volcano House Hotel, Home > Destinations > North America > United States > Hawaii > Big Island > Kilauea Caldera - Hawaii Volcanoes Park Trail Kilauea Caldera - Hawaii Volcanoes Park Trail Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the state's premier natural attraction, containing tow of the most active volcanoes in the world, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The park extends for 377 miles from the 13,777-foot summit of Mauna Loa down to the Pacific, where Kilaluea, the youngest of the volcanic mountains, has since 1983 been pushing into the ocean from a vent, creating new land. Compared to more active volcanoes around the Pacific Rim and in other areas, Hawaii's volcanoes are fairly benign, so you can pass eruptions and lava flows in relative safety. No matter where you look, you'll see volcano views from a range of perspectives. Much of the park is preserved as wilderness, but it does provide 150 miles of trails, two visitor centers, and two scenic drives with a wealth of volcano views An 11-mile drive, called Crater Rim, passes by many rising steam vents. The Chain of Craters Road, a 46-mile round trip journey, goes by historic pit craters and heads down toward the ocean. Along the way you can see lava flowing like molasses. Three days has been suggested as a good time frame for exploring the park if you're not taking extensive hikes that eat up more time. Among the top hikes is the trail to Halemaumau Crater, emitting steam and sulfur. It's a moderate 3 1/2-mile hike and goes down 500 feet to the floor of Halemaumau Crater. You can also get a view and walk into a lava flow on a 10-minute walk from Crater Rim Drive. The Volcano House Hotel and Restaurant and the Kilauea Visitors Center and Park Headquarters are where you'll learn a great deal about the park and where you can get permits for overnight camping. They're all just inside the park's gate. There's no way to predict exactly what you'll see at the park. With luck, you'll view streaming rivers of red lava and you might see fountains of lava shooting hundreds of feet into the air. Or, the volcanoes could be completely still and silent. Bulletins sometimes keep you up-to-date on the volcano's activities. contact us | advertising with us | content licensing | privacy policy | terms of use | help (C) 2004 Destination360 All Rights Reserved Hawaii Map Select a region North America Central America South America Caribbean Hawaii Overview When to Go Events and Holidays Top 10 things to do Hawaiian History Interisland Flight Flights to Hawaii Hawaiian Islands Oahu Maui The Big Island Kauai Destinations Akaka Falls Anaehoomalu Bay Beaches Hawaii Volcano Park Kona Liliuokalani Gardens Hawaii Petroglyphs Puuhonua Rainbow Falls Hawaii Hotels Oahu Hotels Maui Hotels Big Island Hotels Kauai Hotels Travel Resources ATV Tours in Hawaii Hawaii Cruises Hawaiian Dinner Cruise Hawaiian Car Rental Hawaii Diving Golfing Helicopter Tour Luau Sailing Snorkeling Snuba Surfing Big Island Weather Weddings Wedding Photographer

maui snorkeling maui, tour

Seafire Molokini Snorkel Tours in Maui, Hawaii Seafire Snorkeling Adventures invites you to join us on one of the best snorkel adventures on Maui! Call 808-879-2201 Visit the Famous MOLOKINI! See Green Sea Turtles in Turtle Town! Discover tropical treasures of exotic fish, turtles, octopus, conch shells, beautiful coral reefs and more! Seafire specializes in small, personal group charters to Molokini. Our experienced staff will tell you insightful information about Maui and it's sealife. Our fast, yet extremely safe boat, can get you to Molokini quicker than the other boats, leaving you more time in the water before the other boats! See Photos! For more information about our Molokini and Turtle Town tours, click Molokini Tours or to reserve online, click Reservations [About Seafire] [Seafire Molokini Tours] [Reserve Your Tour] [Home Page] Seafire Charters P.O. Box 1864, Kihei, HI 96753 Phone: 808-879-2201 Email: seafire@maui.net snorkel molokini snorkel, molokini crater, hawaii, maui, hawaii snorkel hawaii, maui molokini crater, tour hawaii tour, activity maui activity, turtle town,safari snorkel, maui snorkel, molokini snorkeling, exotic fish, maui hawaii, maui snorkeling maui, tour maui tour, activity hawaii activity, coral reefs, green sea turtlesSeafire Molokini Snorkel Tours in Maui, HawaiiSnorkel Molokini with Seafire and discover tropical treasures of exotic fish, turtles, octopus, conch shells, beautiful coral reefs and more! Seafire specializes in small, personal group charters to Molokini. Our experienced staff will tell you insightful information about Maui and it's sealife. Our fast, yet extremely safe boat, can get you to Molokini quicker than the other boats, leaving you more time in the water before the other boats!

Hawaiian food and recipes

Hawaiian Recipes and Recipe Collections  You are here: About > Travel > Hawaii / South Pacific for Visitors > Recipes Travel Go Hawaii Essentials Which Hawaiian Island Suits You Best? Clickable Map of the Hawaiian Islands Beach Guide Hawaii Pictures Clickable Map of Maui, Hawaii Topics A Hawaii Vacation Planner Big Island of Hawaii Kauai Maui / Molokai / Lanai Oahu / Honolulu / Waikiki South Pacific Culture, History & Language Hawaii Lodging Hula Luau Maps and Weather Pearl Harbor Photos, Video & Cams Recipes Shopping and Gifts Buyer's Guide Tastes of Paradise from Hilo Hattie HilHilo Hattie Dresses and Sarongs Multi-Day Guided Tours Top Hawaii Guidebooks Top Maui / Molokai / Lanai Guidebooks Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Hawaii / South Pacific for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Hawaii / South Pacific for Visitors > Recipes Hawaiian Recipes and Recipe Collections A guide to Hawaiian food and recipes featuring pages filled with recipes in categories such as breads, desserts, drinks, entrees, luau, recipe collections and salads. Subtopics Appetizers (Pupus) (6) Luau Recipes (32) Bread and Pastry (5) Macadamia Nut Recipes (21) Cocktails / Tropical Drinks (18) Main Courses (24) Desserts (10) Recipe Collections (11) Hawaii Cookbooks @ Salads and Side Dishes (8) Hawaiian Food Glossary (2) Articles & Resources Sort By : Guide Picks | Alphabetical | Recent Pink Mai Tai Recipe from the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel This is a popular variation of the traditional Mai Tai recipe from the "Mai Tai" Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. The original Mai Tai was created by Victor J. Bergeron in 1944 and brought to Hawaii in 1953 at the Royal Hawaiian, Moana and Surfrider Hotels. Traditional Mai Tai Recipe from the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel This is the authentic traditional Mai Tai recipe from the "Mai Tai" Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. The original Mai Tai was created by Victor J. Bergeron in 1944 and brought to Hawaii in 1953 at the Royal Hawaiian, Moana and Surfrider Hotels. Top Sam Choy Hawaiian Regional Cuisine Cookbooks Our choices for the best cookbooks by Sam Choy. Top Hawaiian Regional Cuisine Cookbooks Our choice for the best cookbooks featuring Hawaiian Regional Cuisine. Luau Foods and Recipes We look at the foods that you are likely to find at one or more of the many luaus throughout Hawaii. In the event that you would like to try to cook some of these foods yourself, we've included links to recipes for most of the dishes listed. Hawaiian Food Glossary: Seafood We look at the various types of seafood that you will find on a restaurant menu or in the grocery stores in Hawaii. "Hawaiian Cookbook" by Roana and Gene Schindler - Book Review For a list price of $7.95 you won't find a better collection of almost 300 Hawaiian recipes. If you have to pick one Hawaiian cookbook for your collection, make it this one. "The Food of Paradise" by Rachel Laudan - Book Review If you're looking for a cookbook, this is not the book for you. If, however, you are looking for an excellent historical perspective on the foods of Hawaii and their ethnic origins, buy this book.   Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2006 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About Tips to Losing Weight Guide to Distance Learning How to Travel for Less PHOTOS: Italy PHOTOS: Hybrid Cars What's Hot Top Picks in Hawaiian Coffee Kamehameha the Great Kalua Pig Waikiki Beach, Oahu - Life's a Beach in Hawaii - Hawaii Beac... Best Beaches 1999 Headlines Plumeria Photos from Hawaii Plumeria is the most common flower that you'll find in... You Won't See This Sign at Home! This certainly isn't a sign that you've ever seen near... Atlantis Submarine Tour Maui Since I had just experienced the Atlantis Submarine Tour on... Maui Swap Meet Photos Held every Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to noon is the...