Entries for June 2012

...strange results with RCV such as "Raising a candidate's rank on one's ballot does not always increase that candidate's chance of winning and in fact may decrease a candidate's chance to win"

"Hawaii is a state of small business owners, unlike other states where you have some very large employers. Here we really are reliant on our smaller businesses," said Governor Lingle.

The Supreme Court will hand down its verdict on Obamacare this week, making it a timely occasion for Americans to show their support for religious freedom....

The nation’s 52nd-largest urban area has only about 950,000 people, yet it is spending $5.3 billion, or more than $5,500 per resident, to build a single 20-mile rail line. That’s probably a greater cost per person than any rail system ever built....

Black Press is subject to a cash flow sweep as long as debt to EBITDA exceeds 3.75x, which has resulted in debt repayment above the scheduled amortization....

...an advocate for a program that state government has been trying to implement for nearly two decades asked why couldn’t taxpayers support a hike in the general excise tax rate....

Dan Boylan moderates a discussion among the candidates vying to represent Honolulu City Council District 1, which includes the Waianae Coast, Kapolei, Makakilo and parts of Ewa Beach

Last week, Katie Thomas of the New York Times ran a breathless expose of the devious actions that many colleges have taken to escape the mandate of gender equality under Title IX of the Civil Rights Act....

The trial court had determined the plaintiffs' regulatory takings claims were not ripe because they should have tried to change offending land use regulations which allegedly deprive their property of all economically beneficial uses.

Urbanized (Gary Hustwit 2012), Saturday, June 23, 7:00 p.m., at R&D, 691 Auahi Street, Honolulu....

The 2012 Manufacturing and Logistics National Report shows how each state ranks among its peers ....

The real-time blocking system— provided at no charge for the state—allows retailers to automatically block unlawful pseudoephedrine (PSE) purchases in real-time and at the point of sale.

Moving on up: Last year Hawaii taxpayers owed 'only' $25,000 ....

Federal Question ... whether the Act violates or its implementation would violate: The Equal Protection clause or other provisions of the Constitution or civil rights laws of the Unites States or the fiduciary duties of the trustee State of Hawaii and you and other State officials under the federally-created Ceded Lands Trust....

“the leading wind project developers and manufactures are canceling their plans for 2013 and wind development will grind to a halt due to the uncertainty of a PTC extension.… "

The President himself has admitted he doesn't have the authority to do this....

Vijoy Chattergy, investment specialist, has been named interim CIO, subject to administrative approvals, said Wes Machida....

HGEA slate of endorsed candidates announced for state and county races....

Sierra Club endorsements include seven Republicans....

On the night of December 15, 2010, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was shot and killed by an untraceable assault weapon that was deliberately handed to Mexican drug lords by U.S. officials ....

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 today, siding with nonmember California state employees challenging a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) political fee charged to them without notice and opportunity to opt out....

“I don’t support it, of course,” McConnell said, “and I don’t think it will pass.”

The ownership structure of Octopus Holdings, L.P. is as follows: ninety eight percent (98%) of the partnership interest is owned by the Lawrence J. Ellison Revocable Trust and the remaining two percent (2%) is owned by Tentacle Corporation....

UNITE HERE officials agreed to refund a substantial chunk of Orr's union dues after they were caught using her money for political activism....

Dr. Prevedouros addresses questions posed by Candidate Caldwell....

The report provides a list of BOE actions that focused on changes in student achievement, service support improvements and staff development....

The single biggest mistake in all of health policy is the belief that the best way to make health care accessible is to make it free at the point of delivery....

Today, the Senate will vote on the fate of one of the most expensive regulations of all time....

• Senate: Motion to Table; Farm Bill – Sugar Price Supports Repeal 
• Senate: Motion to Table; Farm Bill – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Elimination

Hawaii’s retirement plans had a liability of $32.5 billion and the state has fallen $21 billion short in setting aside money to pay for it....

Here's Transportation Daily's view on the last minute efforts by Congress to craft an acceptable new Transportation Bill....

You can find the real reason for bus service reductions in the FTA’s rather grudging letter granting acceptance of the City/HART’s rail project into the Final Design process....

Lawmakers are rated on their support and advocacy for small business and an improved business climate....

President Obama has begun "evolving" his positions on various policy issues as polls show him neck and neck with Mitt Romney. His latest about-face restores a popular school voucher program for needy children in Washington, D.C.—after he had yanked its funding....

“By marking Hawai'i Pollinator Week in conjunction with National Pollinator Week, our state is helping to create a positive ‘buzz’ around bees...."

Department of Taxation may begin to use the subpoena power beyond criminal investigations into examination and collection functions....

The video features Governor Lingle and several supporters, as they discuss how our state and country should move forward....

"...a source of opinions and authority that is ultimately answerable to the Chinese Communist Party and which is not subject to scholarly review...."

NYT: Ms. Lingle deserves credit for creativity in trying to get noticed by voters in Hawaii, a state with abysmal voter turnout and deep election inertia....

During the recent economic downturn, 20 states (Hawaii is #21) increased health provider taxes to take advantage of federal matching funds....

The decision facing them is whether they will continue to attempt to create state-run exchanges (despite the financial pitfalls) or if they will run partnership exchanges with the federal government....

The President and his team have been blaming "European headwinds" for some of the U.S. economy's woes. But the truth is that the policies pursued by Washington and Athens are frighteningly similar....

For the first time in decades, Catholic education is showing signs of life....

CEO Grabauskas tells us that the cost of the planned extensions to UH, Waikiki and to Kapolei Town will bring the total to $9.03 billion .... 

...the entire listing of HART people and companies on staff includes over $3M of "public involvement' and 'multimedia' contracts....

Whenever some policymaker comes up with a proposal to grant a tax preference to a certain group of taxpayers, one has to take that proposal with a grain of salt ....

"Hirono is, well, either living in a fantasy world or pandering to the electorate."

The entire former MCAS Ewa was designated as National Register eligible during the BRAC transfer process and significant historic sites have already been discovered since the original BRAC 1999 surveys were done....

...sustainable job growth is not going to come from a few big corporations hiring hundreds of people. Job growth is going to come from lots and lots of small businesses....