Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawaii Daily News Read

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, March 9, 2009
March 9, 2009 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 5:21 AM :: 11358 Views

State of Pork: Hawaii delegation proud of earmarks

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was expected to be among the top beneficiaries of the so-called omnibus spending bill.  And he is.

But an analysis of earmarks by Taxpayers for Common Sense found that second-term U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat, led the 435-member House of Representatives with $138.6 million in pet projects — or earmarks — in large part because they were co-sponsored with Inouye.

In fourth place was Democratic U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, with $111.4 million.

Hirono was traveling Friday, but her spokeswoman, Jaclyn Zimmerman, was ebullient.

"We are very excited about that," she said. "Hawai'i should be delighted at this. The congresswoman was delighted when I told her about this over the phone." ...

At times, Inouye endured verbal assaults from the Senate's champion of budget reform, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona.

"We're going to spend $2 million for the promotion of astronomy in Hawai'i," McCain said, referring to one of the earmarks, as he leered at Inouye. "I ask the senator from Hawai'i: Why do we need $2 million to promote astronomy in Hawai'i?"

Unruffled, Inouye rattled off provisions for healthcare, housing and scientific research.  "I dare anyone to suggest these are evil products," he said. "These should remind us earmarks are not evil."

(They're evil.  Inouye's pork exists to benefit his cronies and keep him and them in power.)

read more

SB Cheers: More Americans say they have no religion

Fifteen percent of respondents said they had no religion, an increase from 14.2 percent in 2001 and 8.2 percent in 1990, according to the American Religious Identification Survey.

(And why so thrilled about this decreasing rate of Gramscian accession?)

Northern New England surpassed the Pacific Northwest as the least religious region, with Vermont reporting the highest share of those claiming no religion, at 34 percent.  (And who do they elect in Vermont?  Openly socialist candidates like Sen Bernie Sanders.)

Survey results: http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/

RELATED SB Editorial: "Now is right time to correct injustice for gay couples"

read more

Kamehameha Schools urges that Honolulu rail be at ground level

The city eliminated that option long ago on concerns that a ground-level train would operate at slower speeds and generate lower ridership and higher long-term costs.

However, Kamehameha Schools has joined others, including the American Institute of Architects, in raising concerns about the visual impact the approximately 30-foot-wide, 50-foot-high elevated track system will have on Honolulu's scenery. A ground-level train also could shave millions of dollars off the cost of the project, and that could allow the city to build a longer train system more of what it is planning before running out of money.

read more

SB:  Lawmakers would rob Oahu to fill treasury (Rail tax raid)

A SENATE committee that approved a measure to transfer half of the city's rail transit revenue to the state's treasury is essentially proposing to steal money from Oahu taxpayers.

read more

SB: Reveal Plaintiffs' names

The rules allow the identity of plaintiffs in civil lawsuits to be kept hidden if they "would risk suffering injury if identified." Eric Grant, one of the youths' attorneys, says threats and inflammatory rhetoric have surrounded the case.

Indeed, the issue of whether the admission policy is unlawful and should be changed has been highly emotional, but the angry letters to the Star-Bulletin have been less than incendiary.

Kalani Rosell, a non-Hawaiian who was allowed to attend Kamehameha Schools on Maui in 2002, said upon graduation two years ago that students would not talk to him at first. That quickly changed, he said, and his friends at the campus called him "Snowy" as a term of endearment.

Ann Botticelli, the schools' vice president for community relations, says the schools "would never take an action that would place a child in danger." If the youthful plaintiffs reveal their identities, win admission to Kamehameha Schools and are injured as a result, Botticelli's assurance is sure to resound in court.  (What resounds is the fact that she had to make such an assurance.)

(Instead of hiding from the courts by bribing and then threatening plaintiffs, Hawaii can solve this problem by going to a voucher system which would enable an end to Kamehameha Schools artificial shortage of student seats, admit every Hawaiian child who wants to go, and then open admissions to others without excluding any Hawaiians.  In a state where the largest single private institution and landowner is a private school, ask yourself why vouchers are not even on the political agenda.)

read more

Aiona supports giant telescope, within limits

Aiona addressed questions about the telescope at a meeting Friday with the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce in Hilo. 

Aiona stated the administration's categorical support for the telescope, but then said it had to be done in a "pono" way.  "The administration is 100 percent behind that initiative," Aiona said of the TMT. "We want to see that initiative here in Hawaii. We think Mauna Kea is the site ...

read more

Hawaii Tribune Herald finally covers Motta Trial

The trial of accused underworld murder Ethan Malu Motta hasn't gotten much play in the Big Island papers, in spite of because of the well documented ties between Motta and Mayor Billy Kenoi.  But finally the Sunday Tribune Herald did get around to running a recycled item from Saturday's Advertiser.  Its the one with the most exculpatory evidence on behalf of Judge Town. 

read article

Abercrombie flies to Maui, speaks to 50

LIHU‘E — Rep. Neil Abercrombie launched a two-day campaign tour of the Neighbor Islands on Sunday, saying the 2010 race for governor will be decided by voters outside urban O‘ahu.  (Who are grateful for his decision to leave Congress and know him far too well to elect him Governor.)
After a supporter breakfast in Honolulu, the 10-term Hawai‘i Democrat told about 50 supporters at Maui’s Kanaha Beach Park Sunday that his campaign will emphasize issues of concern to the Neighbor Islands.
Abercrombie then flew to Kaua‘i for an evening campaign kickoff at HGEA Union Hall in Lihu‘e.

Related Websites: www.neilabercrombie.com, www.dukeaiona.com, www.djou.com

read more


Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT