Entries for March 2011

Description: Amends provisions of the code relating to adoption records and the secrecy of proceedings and records, allowing access to adoption records....

To provide Employer contributions amounts for plan year 2010-2011 for Hawaii Employer Union Health Benefits Trust Fund health benefit plan premiums for the employees of collective bargaining units....

Fontaine, who represents South Maui, will have access to an exclusive bank hot line on behalf of constituents and other Maui homeowners who are having difficulties with their mortgage payments. BOA’s goal is to establish contact with the customer within one business day, and to provide a response the legislator’s office and to the borrower within 20 business days on the specific issues of the inquiry.

Board members oversee and administer the LFCP, the purpose of which is to reimburse -- to the extent provided by the Rules of the Hawaii Supreme Court -- losses caused by dishonest conduct of lawyers licensed to practice in Hawaii.

• Rep Fontaine and Riviere on HB845 Ground Leases
• Rep. Thielen on HB1176 HECO's Transmission Cable
• HB1435 Highway Safety Reps. Thielen, Ward and Ching
• Rep Ward in Opposition to HB1486 boat harbors
• Rep. Gene Ward on HB853 State Bank
• HB1457 Reps. Ward and Johanson on Higher Education
• Rep. George Fontaine Supports HB1640 Certificates of ID
• Rep Marumoto opposes DBED's surcharge tax HB782
• Reps. Riviere and Pine on HB 1411 - Mortgage Foreclosures
• Rep. Fontaine Opposes TAT Tax HB 795
• Reps. Ward and Pine Oppose Liquor Tax HB 840

The program will cover 80 percent of health expenses between $15,000 and $90,000, and was intended to encourage employers to maintain coverage for early retirees in the age group between 55 and 65....

Before the vote, lawmakers were threatened with death and physical violence. After the vote, thousands of protesters stormed into the capitol building, ignoring announcements from police that the building was closed. Once inside, and at great risk to the public welfare, activists handcuffed some doors to the capitol shut. When security escorted the Senators to another building, a Democrat tipped off the mob, which then surrounded their cars and tried to break their windows as Senators returned home.

This is the case in which Ralph Nader challenges the number of signatures needed for an independent presidential candidate, on the basis that the law is irrational, because Hawaii requires approximately six times as many signatures for an independent presidential candidate as for an entire new party.

• Baldwin High, Moanalua High, and Punahou School will compete at the San Diego Regional Competition among 60 teams from four states and two countries.
• Waialua High will compete in the New York City Regional Competition among 66 teams from three states and three countries.
• Sacred Hearts Academy will compete at the WPI Regional Competition among 36 teams from three states and three countries.

After nearly a month of debate on the budget repair bill, nearly three weeks of childish stunts and delay tactics from the Democrats, the longest public hearing in state history and the longest Assembly debate in state history, the Senate met tonight to pass the non-fiscal items in the Budget Repair Bill.

one of my concerns with this bill as currently drafted is that, while the threshold is now higher, $100,000, it opens the door to taxing the pensions of those with a lower AGI in the future.  It could slip down to $75,000 or lower before the end of session or in future sessions.

The good news is with the first crossover of bills in the state Legislature, the number of bills remaining alive has been reduced from 3,224 to 710 bills....

4 March 2011 - The Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International protests the detention of writers Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener, who were among around 10 journalists and writers arrested early yesterday morning (3 March 2011) following police raids on their homes and offices.

Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald announced today that he is seeking written comment on judicial nominees for three vacancies at the District Court of the First Circuit and one vacancy at the District Family Court of the First Circuit (Oahu).

The first HOPE “warning hearing” will be administered to five offenders on Wednesday, March 9, at 1 p.m. by Judge Greg Nakamura. Judge Nakamura will preside over all hearings involving offenders on HOPE Probation in addition to his regular calendar.

PV investigative reporters, Shaughn Adeleye and Simon Templar posed as members of the Muslim Action Education Center, a non-existent group with a goal to "spread the acceptance of Sharia across the world."

The meeting is on Saturday, March 19th at 1:00 PM at the Kona Vistas Pavilion

Repeals part V of the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act and Act 99, Session Laws of Hawaii 1994, relating to the future termination of the prepaid health care law....

HB1101: Allows for increase in the State motor vehicle registration fee

HB1097: Extends the $3 per day surcharge on rental motor vehicles

...rest assured, proclaimed the crowd in matching mass-produced t-shirts, “this is what democracy looks like.”

James Madison would disagree. A public-sector union protest is not the essence of democracy. In reality, public-sector unions are a faction, and therefore dangerous to popular government....

...deeply buried within Obamacare was a $105 billion slush fund that assures its implementation into the future, no matter what future voters think or want....

...at the end Yoshioka accused Slater of lying and mentioned the 20 misrepresentations by Slater that he had presented to the City Council. At this point Slater was on his feet demanding to answer this slander but with Council Chair Garcia screaming that he was out of order, Slater stood down....

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Short-term Continuing Resolution
• House: Short-term Continuing Resolution
• House: Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Hawaii had the highest wellbeing among states in 2010 with a Well-Being Index score of 71.0. Wyoming, North Dakota, and Alaska are also among the 10 states with the highest overall wellbeing scores.

The healthcare reform bill passed last year will cost states at least an additional $118.04 billion through 2023 due to their increased Medicaid costs, according to a new congressional report. Hawai'i's cost will be $30 million between 2014 and 2019.

“I’m relieved that HECO and IBEW leaders have put the people of Hawaii first today."

Two members of Congress, two men whose families were devastated by a relative's radicalization and two civic leaders with opposing views on Muslim community support for law enforcement will testify Thursday at the first hearing on Islamic radicalization in America.

Hawaii currently has no background checks in place.  A note from page 3 of Inspector General Report explains: “A statute requiring FBI checks exists in Hawaii; however, no implementing rules have been published.  A Hawaii State official confirmed that nursing facilities are not yet required to conduct such checks.”

Workers are exhausted from working very long shifts.  Some told me they worked 17 hours yesterday and are back on the scene again today to work the same number of hours or more.

.

...the geothermal reserve on Earth is 70 million QUADs (hot rock only) but the USA needs only 100 QUAD/yr. In the Philippines they already use 27% geothermal, and in Iceland 100% for electrical power.

“In times of disaster we must come together, put aside our differences and help people first." 

The power outage has also affected traffic signals which impact the ability of emergency medical personnel, police, fire, civil defense and other emergency services. We are also concerned that hospitals and care facilities may not be able to run the equipment necessary to maintain the health and welfare of their patients.

Party leaders at all levels made a strong push to recruit candidates for Oahu’s neighborhood boards and now that most of the applications are in, there are over 60 Republicans who are running for the boards. 

Hawaii's top radio hosts dissect Abercrombie's $37,500 blowup.....

Dela Cruz (rejected) the idea that Takase was fired, saying that her term had ended Friday.  In fact, according to state law, while the governor does indeed appoint OIP's director, that appointee does not have a set term length....  (ooops!)

Nine states had underemployment rates of 21% or higher.

Governor Abercrombie has until April 1, 2011 to submit his nominees for boards and commissions to the Senate for confirmation this legislative session.

“This bill primarily affects property crimes and takes repeat offender status away from those kinds of crimes.  As a police officer I’ve dealt with this many many times where we’ve had people that have gone out and habitually burglarized homes, stolen cars all to fuel their drug habit….  And I feel that we need to have that repeat offender status for these kinds of crimes because of the fact that we do have these people that are just habitual criminals….”  -- Rep George Fontaine (R-Kihei)

House Bill 1529 seems to give hope to the idea that there should be an overall plan for state government. Unfortunately, the idea is to set up a task force to be convened by the governor and made up of mostly lawmakers to review and report on what is going on with the state.

A behind the scenes knock down drag out fight between Abercrombie and Inouye over how and when to push Akaka under the bus would explain the Palafox DoH dismissal—Inouye forced Abercrombie to dump Palafox--and would explain Clayton Hee’s bizarre attacks on Abercrombie’s DNLR nominee William Aila.

“I think she would make an outstanding United States senator,” Djou says. “The best illustration of Governor Lingle’s abilities is 2006. In 2006, it was a highly toxic environment for the GOP nationally, but she managed to win reelection not only by a large landslide but by the largest margin in the history of the state.”

Speaking to KHON yesterday, Caldwell said not a word about Akaka.  Instead he tractors both Mazie Hirono and Colleen Hanabusa into the Senate race, and then transports himself into Congress--CD1 or CD2 no matter—all in one sentence....

PRINCETON, NJ -- While no state exhibited strong economic confidence in 2010, the people of Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Iowa, and Maryland had the highest economic confidence. At the other end of the spectrum, residents of West Virginia, Idaho, and Rhode Island were the least confident.