Hawaiian Music Artist Links

Hawaiian Music from Buy Hawaiian Music.com Hawaiian Music Links Home Top Ten New Releases Videos / DVD's 2005 Hoku Awards Search Shipping Info Join our Newsletter View Cart Customer Service Privacy Policy Live Hawaiian Music Artist Links Christmas Music T-Shirts Become an Affiliate -- Buy Hawaiian Music 1145 Kilauea Hilo, HI 96720 PH: 888 652-2212 (TOLL FREE) FAX: 808 935-7761 Send Us An Email Artists: AH YEK, DENNIS 96744 AHUNA, DARLENE AKONI AKONI & DA PALAPALAI PATCH ALA NUI ALE'A ALL STAR BAND ALMEIDA, JOHN KAMEAALOHA ALOHA ALOHA PUMEHANA SERENADERS AMY & WILLIE K ANELAIKALANI ARII, TAPU APAKA, ALFRED APO & BEAZLEY ATUAIA, MARK AUKAHI PRIDE AUNTIE IRMGARD & PUAMANA AWEAU, NATHAN AZ AZIEL B.E.T. BABA B. BACKYAHD BELIEVE BEAMER BROS. BEAMER, KAPONO BEAMER, KAPONO/JENKINS, DAVE BEAMER. KEOLA BEAZLEY, DEL BENITEZ, DARREN BIG MOUNTAIN BILYEU, MALANI BRIGHT, TERESA BROTHER NOLAND BROTHER NOLAND & TONY CONJUGACION BRUDDAH KU'ULEI BRUDDAH KUZ BRUDDAH WALTAH BYRD, JERRY CACERES, MANA KALEILANI CAMBERN, WADE CARILLO, CHRIS CARILLO, SEAN CAZIMERO BROTHERS CAZIMERO, ROBERT CAZIMERO, ROLAND CECILIO CECILIO AND KAPONO CHANG, MOANA CHING, SONNY CHIEF RAGGA CHO, J. MOKI CHORD BROWN COCKETT, KAWAI COLON CONJUGACION, TONY COOL CHANGE COOL RUSH COUCH, DANNY COUNTRY COMFORT CRAZY FINGERS CRUZ, ERNIE CRUZ, ERNIE JR. CRUZ, GUY CRUZ, JOHN DAMASCO, ATA DAMON DELIMA, FRANK DE MELLO, JACK DEZMAN DIAMOND POINT DISGUYZ DON TIKI DREAD, MARTY EHUKAI EKOLU ELUA KANE EMERSON, KEN ENGLISH, MYRA ESELU, O'BRIAN FERNANDEZ, TROY FIJI FIVE BY 5 FLANAGAN, BARRY FORTE' GARZA, IMUA GIBSON, MAILA GILLIOM, AMY GILLIOM, ERIC GUERRERO, ULUWEHI HALEAMAU, GARY HAPA HAWAII HAWAII CALLS HAWAIIAN STYLE BAND HAWAIIAN TIME HELEMANO, BUTCH HELM, RAIATEA HEMA PA'A HEWETT, FRANK HI-RISK FAKTOR HO'AIKANE HO'OKENA HO'OMALU, MARK KEALI'I HO'ONU'A HO'OPI'I BROTHERS HO, DANIEL HO, DON HOKU HORIZON HUI OHANA HULA JOE AND THE HUTJUMPERS 'IKE PONO I'LAND BOIZ IMUA INOA'OLE IRVINE, ILONA ISLAND RHYTHMS JAMIN JON & JUSTIN JON & RANDY JON RANDY STEVE JOY JUNGLE JUICE JUSTIN KA'ALA BOYS KA'APANA, LED KA'APANA, LED / BROZMAN, BOB KA'APANA, LED/ I KONA KA'APANA, NEDWARD KA'AU CRATER BOYS KA'U KAHAKALAU, ROBI KAHALA, MOON KAHAUNAELE, KAINANI KAHAUANU LAKE TRIO KAHAUANU LAKE SINGERS KAHIAPO, DAVID "KAWIKA" KAHUA KAHUMOKU BROTHERS KAHUMOKU, GEORGE JR. KAHUMOKU, KEOKI / OTA, HERB JR. KAILIWAI, BULLA KAIWA, BILL KALAPANA KALAMA, BENNY KALIMA BROTHERS KALUA, STERLING KAMA, HAROLD, JR. KAMAE, EDDIE KAMAKAHI, DENNIS KAMAKAWIWO'OLE, ISRAEL KAMEHAMEHA CHILDREN'S CHORUS KANAHELE, KEKUHI KANAKA'OLE, KAUMAKAIWA KANALO KANE, ELODIA KANE, RAY KANEAO, R.J. KANILE'A COLLECTION KAPENA KAPONO, HENRY KAPU, SAM III KEAWE, JOHN KEAWE, GENOA KEAHIWAI KE OPE ONO KEKAI BOYZ KEKONA, ZACC KEKAULA, ROBERT KEKAUOHA, WELDON KESSLER, BRYAN KIA, BLAINE KAMALANI KIM KO KOA 'UKA KOHOMUA KOLEA KOMATSU, JOANIE KUMUKAHI, KU'UIPO KUNIA KUPA'A KUPONO KANE LABRADO, DARRELL LARRIN, JAY LEAHI LEAHI & ILONA LEE, KUI LEE, RILEY AND JEFF PETERSON LEED, MELVEEN LEHUA LIM FAMILY LINDSEY, HULU LONO LOPAKA, AL LORENZO, RANDY MAILE, JUNIOR MAKAHA SONS MAKAHA SONS OF NI'IHAU MAKANA MALIA MALINO MANA OHANA MANA'O COMPANY MAUGA, RUSSELL MAUNALUA MCLEAN, BITTY MELE, G. & COMPANY MILO SHADE MOEMOEA MOKE BOY MOON, PETER MOON, PETER/BAND MR. VANRAY NA 'OIWI NA KAMA HELE NA KANE NUI NA KEIKI O KAMEHAMEHA NA LEO PILIMEHANA NA PALAPALAI NA WAIHO'OLU'U O KE ANUENUE NA'AUAO, SEAN NAMAHANA NATIVE BLEND NATIVE ROOTS NATURAL VIBRATIONS New Releases NEXT GENERATION NO-NO BOYS NORM NUFFSEDD OHTA-SAN OLOMANA OMI ONE GROOVE OOKLAH THE MOC OPIHI PICKERS OSHEN PABLO KULCHA AND JUSTICE MOON PACIFIC BLU PAHE'E PAHINUI BROS. PAHINUI, BLA PAHINUI, C/BROZMAN, B PAHINUI, CYRIL PAHINUI, G/ISAACS, ATTA PAHINUI, GABBY PAIVA, BRITTNI PALI PALOLO, PANA'EWA PANDANUS CLUB PARKER, RANDY PATA, CODY PUEO PATI PAU HANA PAULO, MICHAEL PAULO, RENE PAVAO, DENNIS PEKELO PIPELINE BAND POMAI AND LOEKA PONO POSITIVE GROOVE POUND 4 POUND PRYOR, LEOKANE PURE HEART QUINO & FRIENDS RAKE AND THE SURFTONES REALITY REGIDOR, KAWIKA REICHEL, KEALI'I REIGN REIPLINGER, RAP RIVERA, JESSE RYSHE' SALAZAR, OWANA SANI SHILO PA SHIMABUKURO, JAKE SLY DOG SMITH, PAKA SOLANNA SOLE BRUDDAHS SOLOMON, NORMAN KA'AWA SOULFREE SOWDERS, RAY SPROAT, CLYDE (KINDY) STACIE STRICTLY ROOTS SUDDEN RUSH SUNDAY MANOA SUNWAY TABU TAKAMINE, WAYNE TEN FEET TENDERONI THICK TUBES THIRD DEGREE THREE PLUS TIMES FIVE TOA TOKIOKA, TOMMY TROPICAL BLEND TROPICAL KNIGHTS TULBA, AUGIE TYPICAL HAWAIIANS UA VAIHI VALLEY BOYS VARIOUS VAUGHAN, PALANI VIDEOS / DVD'S WAI'AHOLE DITCH BAND WALTAH BOY WIKI WAKI WOO WILLIE K WILSON, PAULINE YAMASATO, JON Advanced Search Hawaiian Music Links Click on any of the logos below to visit Hawaii's best Hawaiian / Island Music stations. For the latest Hawaii, National and International News visit KPUA.Net For great hand-crafted Ukuleles visit our friends at T.T. Ukuleles Store Home | Search | Shopping Cart | Customer Service View Cart Empty Checkout OUR PRICE: $16.98

Hawaii Wedding

Hawaii Wedding Resort - Best Honeymoon Resort - Resort Info - Weddings - Overview The best wedding and honeymoon resort, Mauna Lani Resort at Kalahuipua'a welcomes you. It would be an honor to welcome you and your friends & family to Mauna Lani on this very special occasion. Our beautiful weather and tropical sunsets will truly compliment your special day. We offer comprehensive services for weddings, vow renewals and honeymoons. We’ll create and take the worry out of weddings and replace it with adventure, romance and the maximum quotient of nuptial bliss. For guest accommodations, please call Hotel Reservations at (800) 367-2323 for promotional rates. Please call the Wedding Department directly if you would like to book 10 or more guestrooms per night, as we offer Wedding Parties special group room rates at substantial savings. As guests of Mauna Lani Bay, you may select one of the many beautiful sites: panoramic ocean views, ancient royal fishponds, tropical garden settings and many others reminiscent of Old Hawaii. printable information Honeymoon / Wedding Registry: Register your wedding/honeymoon for free and show your family and friends all that you want to enjoy at Mauna Lani Resort. It works just like a gift registry, except that your friends and family can give you money toward your dream honeymoon instead of, say, a toaster! The perfect, unforgetable gift. You can register for free, and your friends and family can either contribute towards your stay at Mauna Lani, or your favorite extras (Spa treatments, Rounds of Golf, Dining, etc.) Aloha! Do you have a question about weddings we can personally assist you with? Site Map

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...

Hawaiian issues, please visit

"Uncle Charlie" - HAWAIIAN STORYTELLER - Ha`i Mo`olelo IMINI I KA NA'AUAO E PAHU IA MAKOU IMUA Seeking the Knowledge to Push Us Forward Designed by Ipo Nihipali, the sail was first used as the logo for 'Aha Hookele at the ADB Conference in May 2001, and with her kind permission it is now used as the logo for CKM Cultural Resources. CKM Cultural Resources L.L.C 157 Alea Place, Pukalani, Maui 96768 Phone: 808-572-8038 e-mail: kale@moolelo.com KAHU (REV.) CHARLES KAULUWEHI MAXWELL SR. "Uncle Charlie" kale@moolelo.com H AWAIIAN S TORYTELLER Listen to Uncle Charlie live on KNUI Radio AM 900 on, every Aloha Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. -- TALK STORY WITH UNCLE CHARLIE Interactive Cultural Discussion Forum (Also see Talk Story 1997-2000 Archives ) NEWS, ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS Articles, viewpoints & letters to the editor featuring Uncle Charlie NA IWI - MOEPU - REPATRIATION News archive regarding bones, burials, artifacts and NAGPRA For regular news and events related to Hawaiian issues, please visit my webmaster Scott Crawford's weblog at HAWAIIANKINGDOM.INFO (A blog, short for weblog, is a regularly updated journal on the web with links to news articles and websites, along with commentary from the author and comments from readers.) NEW AUDIO DOWNLOAD: CLYDE NAMU'O AND MONA BERNADINO ON "TALK STORY" RADIO Discussing the Kau Inoa effort to register Native Hawaiians, and the Akaka bill AUDIO DOWNLOAD: KEANU SAI & THURSTON TWIGG-SMITH ON "TALK STORY" RADIO Special shows commemmorating the 111th anniversary of the overthrow ALOHA STORY VIDEO Ten minute video I co-wrote originally aired in 1973 BISHOP MUSEUM LEADERSHIP MUST CHANGE Commentary, The Honolulu Advertiser, Sunday, June 13, 2004 Beware the Red Wave! Story and Pictures from the March on Waikiki, Sept. 2003 TRAVELS WITH HOKULE'A Pictures, articles and accounts of Polynesian voyaging Dear Mr. President Song about the plight of the Hawaiian nation. PAUL HARVEY - THE REST OF THE STORY "Down in the shadowy realms where U.S. foreign policy shakes hands with the devil... the overthrow of a friendly monarch" WEDDING IN A GRAVEYARD Desecration of the Iwi Kupuna (Ancient Bones) of the Hawaiian People Saturday, June 24, 2003 HALEAKALA Sacred Summit Under Assault KAHO'OLAWE, A NEW AWAKENING An ongoing fight and struggle to regain the island of Kaho'olawe for the Hawaiian people. KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS Collection of articles, including on enrollment policy SOVEREIGNTY: OUT OF SIGHT, NOT OUT OF MIND Commentary by John Griffin, Honolulu Advertiser, June 9, 2002 KOHOLA Stories, comments and other items regarding whales HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES What Does the Sanctuary Mean to Me as a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) SPIRITUAL CONNECTION OF QUEEN LILIUOKALANI'S BOOK "HAWAII'S STORY" The entire book has been published on the Web! AKUA LELE & THE LOST ANCESTOR FROM EASTER ISLAND Two newly posted short stories (January 2002) PROTECTION OF THE IWI NA KUPUNA (Bones of our ancestors) Uncle Charlie's mana'o (thoughts) on ancient Hawaiian Burials KALAUPAPA, A LAND OF BEAUTY, PAIN AND SUFFERING Uncle Charlie does 8/17/01 radio show from Molokai (with pictures) SONGS OF ALOHA AINA Songs Uncle Charlie wrote about Honokahua Burials on Maui HAWAII ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS Press Conference in Washington D.C., June 26, 2001 INSIDE THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK Uncle Charlie shares his experiences at the ADB Meeting, May 7-9, 2001 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBIT ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE Uncle Charlie's Australia Travels KU'E: AN ACT OF ALOHA Hawaiian Elders protest at Kahului Airport Feb. 2-4 THE PASSING OF THE TORCH "A Spiritual Awakening" NANA I KE KUMU Look to the Source THE KOHOLA IN HAWAI`I Humpback Whales and the Hawaiian I TOUCHED A GOD Meeting a Pigmy Whale PAPA'S OLD KOA GUITAR Music from the Past UNCLE CHARLIE'S BEDTIME STORIES Bedtime Stories for Uluwehi MANA`O I`O Thoughts - Beliefs COOKING WITH UNCLE CHARLIE Ono local recipes shared on cooking shows NATIVE HAWAIIAN CIVIL RIGHTS Five Years After the Passage of the Apology Bill IZ - HALI`A ALOHA Fond Recollections of Israel Kamakawiwo`ole HULA BOWL 2000 Pictures of Uncle Charlies and Na Halau ABOUT THE AUTHOR Uncle Charlie's Bio HUI `AI POHAKU A Cultural Organization for Upcountry Maui MAUI NUI CULTURE ONLINE Directory and Features sponsored by Maui's Visitors Bureau Uncle's E-mail: kale@moolelo.com Web Design Ho`okele Hawai`i HawaiiaNavigation

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