~~~What the ..?
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You will recall from Part 1 of my full report that previous official responses to UIPA requests were greeted with statements – issued by DoH Director Fukino and DoH Communications Director Okubo – which indicated that state law forbid “any information” about Hawaii vital records from being released. These rigid responses were issued despite the clear applicability of Haw. Rev. Stat. 338-18(d) which requires the mandatory release of some information from vital records on file with the DoH.
Just after I released that report, the Post and Email blog detailed that another researcher who requested “index data” had received the same improper denial of access to that index data. I blogged on that denial in my report entitled, “Hawaii DoH Official Janice Okubo Places her Thumb Directly In The Giants Eye.”
Behind the scenes, myself and two other members of my research team – KingsKid and Justin Riggs – have been issuing very specific UIPA requests. And last night KingsKid received a response to her UIPA request from DoH Communications Director Okubo which exhibits a complete reversal of policy.
KingsKid UIPA REQUEST ANSWERED BY OKUBO… AND MORE?
From: [KingsKid real name redacted]
To: janice.okubo@doh.hawaii.gov
Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 11:03 AM
Subject: Request for information
Dear Ms. Okubo,
IAW Hawa’ii Revised Statute, paragraph 338-18(d), I am requesting all index data pertaining to the vital records of Mr. Barack H. Obama, Jr, Mr. Barack H. Obama, II, and/or Mr. Barry Soetoro or any other name used by that party.
This statute at para (d) provides officials no authority to withhold the requested information. Therefore, I as an American citizen, am invoking Revised Statute, paragraph 338-18(d) Disclosure of records, which reads as follows: (d) Index data consisting of name and sex of the registrant, type of vital event, and such other data as the director may authorize shall be made available to the public [my emphasis].
Ms. Okubo, I worked for the federal government for 32 years as a contracting officer and can appreciate the position you are in. However, I will tell you this, when it came to doing my job, I never allowed politics to interfere. Call it personal integrity, upholding my principles, or whatever. I went by the acquisition regulations scrupulously, thus, no one could ever contest what I had done. Yes, I encountered opposition when I rebuffed “politics”, but I wouldn’t budge. Standing steadfast sometimes brought me short-term grief, but in the end, right triumphed. I see you in a similar situation. I don’t know you or your personal ethics or agenda. I do know that as a public official and servant to the people, you have a duty to carry out the laws that govern your department.
Ms. Okubo, you cannot escape the duty you have … in providing this information to anyone who requests it. According to the referenced statute, you are to provide me all index data pertaining to the vital records of Mr. Barack H. Obama, Jr (or any other name he has used as indicated above), AND such other data as the director may authorize shall be made available to the public. My request right now is limited to all the index data on Mr. Obama. If you have other information that you care to make available in addition, please send that also.
As a public servant, you have the responsibility to uphold the law in all respects and not cherry-pick what is politically expedient for you or any other public servant. All your public responses that I have seen on the internet to date, absolutely avoid any reference at all to paragraph (d). You obviously don’t want to release Mr. Obama’s index file, but by your own law, you have to. The truth always comes out, Ms. Okubo. You can save yourself embarrassment, if something not more serious, by quickly complying with Hawa’ii Revised Statute, paragraph 338-18(d)…
Last night, Janice Okubo responded to KingsKid with the following email:
From: Okubo, Janice S.
To: [email redacted]
Cc: Onaka, Alvin T.
Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 12:47 PM
Subject: RE: Request for information
Aloha..,
Index data referred to in HRS 338-18 from vital records in the State of Hawaii is available for inspection at the Department of Health’s Office of Health Status Monitoring at 1250 Punchbowl Street in Honolulu . The Director in accordance with 338-18 (d) has not authorized any other data to be made available to the public.
In response to your request the following index data is being provided:
BIRTH INDEX
OFFICE OF HEALTH STATUS MONITORING
CHILD
OBAMA II, BARACK HUSSEIN
GENDER
M
MARRIAGE INDEX
SORTED BY BRIDE
OFFICE OF HEALTH STATUS MONITORING
GROOM
OBAMA, BARACK HUSSEIN
BRIDE
DUNHAN, STANLEY ANN
Janice Okubo
Communications Office
Hawaii State Department of Health…
(Okubo used the “blue ink” to transmit the index data. And Stanley Ann’s last name is misspelled as “DUNHAN”. It should be “Dunham”. KingsKid is awaiting clarification.)
[UPDATE: 2:35 PM 10.02.09 KingsKid was informed by Okubo that the index file has the correct spelling “DUNHAM” and the typo was her mistake, it’s spelled correctly in the file.]
This response certainly gives a plethora of new information. First and foremost, it tells us that a thumb is being removed from the giant’s eye. This is, as far as I know, the first time the DoH has responded to a request for information from President Obama’s vital records by releasing actual records as opposed to Fukino’s view of those records.
This is a significant change in policy caused by renewed public attention.
It also tells one where to view the actual index data with your own eyes, “…the Department of Health’s Office of Health Status Monitoring at 1250 Punchbowl Street in Honolulu.”
The index file also lists President Obama’s name as “Barack Hussein Obama II”.
BRIDE AND GROOM?
This information allows us to put the rumour to bed which claims that Stanley Ann and Barack, Sr. weren’t married. They were married in Hawaii. However…
KingsKid didn’t request index data for Stanley Ann or Barack, Sr.
I thought it was very odd that Okubo included the marriage index information in her response to KingsKid’s very specific request for President Obama’s index data. Specifically, I was confused as to why Okubo’s response would list “Bride” and “Groom” in Obama’s index file instead of “Mother” and “Father”.
Okubo’s response to KingsKid gives the impression that the names of Obama’s parents are included in that response – but it doesn’t have them listed as parents.
It has them listed only as bride and groom.
Knowing that the DoH has exhibited a penchant for misdirection, this raised a big red flag for me.
Rest here
OK , so we have confirmation of a record of marriage between Stanley and Barack Sr. ,, no matter what anyone wants to argue B. H. Obama II is definately of divided nationality and is NOT a NBC.
Is the bride’s name mispelled ?
DUNHAN / D-U-N-H-A-N ?
Uhhhh, what's "blue ink"?
There is plenty more index data Hawaii is sitting on.
We had their divorce records, right? But there is doubt they were married?
Okubo’s response would list “Bride” and “Groom” in Obama’s index file instead of “Mother” and “Father”.
so, the records are all messed up, or they were listed as bride and broom to the infant? or they got married/birth certificate at the same time?
confusing...it is meant to be.