Education K-12

A press release from the University of Hawaii at Manoa on November 24, 2010 announced the results of a computer study by UH climatologists which portends greater global warming in the future.  Even though this was a computer study of other computer studies, the authors were correct in pointing out that there has been great disagreement between the many existing global climate models.  In most of these cases the computer models have consistently overstated future global temperatures.  We also know that estimates of future atmospheric CO2 have also been overestimated.

In light of Honolulu project’s size compared to the population served by it, Governor Linda Lingle requested that the Hawaii Department of Transportation procure an independent financial review.  Infrastructure Management Group, Inc. (“IMG”), in conjunction with the Land Use and Economic Consulting Group of CB Richard Ellis (“CBRE”) and Thomas A. Rubin (together, the "IMG Team”) was tasked by the Hawaii Department of Transportation to evaluate the rail project’s financial plan, including revenues and costs, the post-rail operating plan, and the fiscal implications for Honolulu.

Mission Houses Museum, located in Honolulu’s Historic Capitol District, is known worldwide as the place where the Hawaiian written language was developed. The museum preserves the oldest and second oldest houses in Hawai‘i and the largest collection of Hawaiian language books in the world.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today transmitted the final report of an independent financial analysis of the proposed Honolulu Rail Transit Project to Mayor Peter Carlisle, Council Chair Nestor Garcia and Governor-elect Neil Abercrombie.  A copy was also sent to the Federal Transit Administration and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.  The report is meant to provide an objective assessment of the overall financial impact of the rail project to Hawai‘i taxpayers in the future. 

Success for the Kalanimoku PV project can be credited to the collaborative efforts of Patricia Saito, project officer for the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), Russ Saito, comptroller of DAGS, and Ted Liu, director of DBEDT. 

Activist, masquerading as academic, argues for his preferred changes in society....

Better Government Dec 2010 with Representatives George Fontaine (R-Kihei), Arron Ling Johanson (R-Aiea), Gil Riviere (R-North Shore) and Gene Ward Ph.D (R Hawaii Kai). 

Charges and counter charges over carpet-bagging and eligibility are proliferating in the December 9-29 Special Election for the Honolulu Council District 1 seat being vacated by Todd Apo.

The General Election may be over, but Republicans have the chance to help elect a fellow Republican next month.  Three Republicans, Tom Berg, Bob McDermott and John Roco are vying for the City Council Seat.  

Our long national nightmare is over. Phusion Projects, the makers of Four Loko brand caffeinated malt beverages, announced yesterday that it will remove the caffeine from its products. Phusion’s decisions came just one day after Senator Chuck Schumer (D–NY) pushed the Food and Drug Administration to ban “these dangerous and toxic drinks.” ...

If a group of Honolulu city council members has its way, nonprofits that are exempt from paying more than $300 a year in property taxes will see their bills go up. Sparking the push to raise more revenue from nonprofits—as in other municipalities around the country—is an expected $100 million-plus gap in the city's budget.

Honolulu - News articles report that Japanese billionaire Gensiro Kawamoto wants to establish an art museum on his Kahala Avenue properties.   Representative Barbara Marumoto (R-19th Dist. Kaimuki/Waialae/Kahala) is calling for a discussion of this issue at a Neighborhood Board No. 3 meeting.

Representative Gene Ward (R-Hawaii Kai – Kalama Valley) said today on behalf of the Hawaii Kai community keenly interested in keeping the Kamilonui Valley farmers on their agriculture lots leased from Bishop Estate – Kamehameha Schools, that the Estate has not negotiated in good faith, and is calling upon the community to support the farmers.

The denial of cert by the U.S. Supreme Court means that until the Hawaii Supreme Court confirms or rules otherwise in a future case, the ICA's rule that "unvested" rights or "contingent future interests" are not property and are subject to uncompensated acquisition by the legislature, is the law.

Volcanic Ash columnist David Shapiro describes Hawaii Democrats as “a party where the sun rises and sets by civil unions these days.”  If there is any doubt, take a look at what happened to gay marriage opponent, former Honolulu Councilman Gary Okino....

Over the past week, Charles has received hundreds of emails from people all over the state and the nation expressing their sorrow and disappointment over Tuesday’s election results.  While we share your pain, we prefer to instead focus on all that we were able to accomplish together in the last year.

Minority Leader Representative Gene Ward said, "Our new Caucus is excited and united and ready to do the people's business, particularly regarding fiscal responsibility and job creation in the 2011 Session.  We are very pleased to have grown 33 1/3 percent representing the first net-gain in the size of caucus in 10 years." 

I collapsed into bed at roughly 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, and awoke, groggily, some hours later to find that Rep. Charles Djou, Republican of Hawaii elected in a special three-way election earlier this year, had been defeated....

Aiona: "I congratulate our opponent on his victory, and will join all of you in supporting our next Governor by working to hold our government accountable to our citizens."

There were more local Republican challengers than in a decade, and they were well informed, well qualified and had charisma, yet one by one they went down ....

To locate your assigned polling place, visit the online Polling Place Locator by clicking HERE.

I invite you to join us after the polls close for an Election Night Watch Party at the Dole Cannery Ballrooms. Click HERE for more information.

Click a link and find out what the rest of Hawaii media has not been telling you....

Duke Aiona and Lynn Finnegan today toured the Roberts Hawai`i office with President Robert Iwamoto where he met and talked story with Roberts Hawai`i employees. Duke and Lynn also visited Pioneer Plaza to meet and greet with supporters and walk through small businesses to connect with voters.  In addition, Duke and Lynn visited Island insurance Company, Bank of Hawai‘i, Matson, Alexander and Baldwin and a medical building in Kapahulu.

“You raise important concerns about the impact that the standards could have on Hawaii’s two refineries, and by extension, the State’s economy and the Pacific Command,” said Jackson in her October 25, 2010 response letter to Governor Lingle.  “Your letter effectively summarizes the primary ways in which the situation of the Tesoro and Chevron refineries in Hawaii differs from that of refineries located on the mainland of the United States.”

Colleen Hanabusa has used every opportunity to say that she “supports our kupuna.” Which makes her unabashed support of the $1 trillion government takeover of health care known as Obamacare that much more puzzling.

Recently, in a debate, she claimed that no seniors would see Medicare cuts – that it is guaranteed. Actually, that’s false. Here are the facts....

Duke Aiona is being blamed for everything the State Legislature and Judiciary has done wrong.

Generic Ballot

• Generic GOPer  46%
• Generic Dem    42%

Originally posted May 18, 2010.  Re-posted in honor of Dennis Mitsunaga's $25,000 contribution to pay for Hawaii Democratic Party "coordinated campaign" attack ads. 

In the past four years (at least), she did not encounter a single tax increase, government regulation or pay raise that she thought fell short of getting "the biggest bang" for Hawaii taxpayers' bucks.

Djou has now raised more than $362,000 in October alone and over the past two months has raised more than $752,000 - nearly $200,000 more than his opponent.

Honolulu, HI — Congressman Charles K. Djou (HI-01) released the following statement after attending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech on America’s engagement in the Asia Pacific....

But Djou also isn't shy about emphasizing his Republican views on the economy: he views the stimulus as a failure, wants Congress to spend a lot less, supports a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and supports the extension of all the Bush-era tax cuts.

Djou has "essentially been very candid and straightforward about his Republican principles. And, love 'em or hate 'em, they're out there pretty clear," said Neal Milner, a professor of political science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa....

1. Shall the B.O.E. be changed to a board appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, as provided by law?

We recommend YES so that there will be accountability (resting on the governor's shoulders) within the B.O.E.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released a $1,500,000 capital improvement project grant that will go toward the building of a permanent Windward Clubhouse for the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai‘i.  Under a partnership between the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai‘i and the Department of Education, the facility will be located on the grounds of Kailua Intermediate School. 

He’s caring and courageous, taking on the political establishment to put working families first, fighting irresponsible spending that threatens our keiki’s future, creating new local jobs by opening overseas markets so Hawaii families can stay here together.

A poll released by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now shows Colleen Hanabusa in trouble. Across the board, she is struggling not only to make inroads with independent voters and younger voters but also struggling to seal the deal with her own party and union members.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released $140 million to the University of Hawai‘i for the construction of the new University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center. The funds were released as preparations get underway for breaking ground on the new state-of-the-art facility on Thursday, Oct. 28. 

The telephone survey, conducted by ccAdvertising, showed Charles leading Hanabusa 44% to 35%, with a margin of error of +/-3%. The survey had 2,747 participants.

Groups and individuals backing Democrat Rep Neil Abercrombie for Governor and Democrat State Senator Colleen Hanabusa for Congress are holding a “Use Your Voice, Use Your Vote” rally on the University of Hawaii Manoa campus Tuesday.  The event is being promoted with UH resources including an official UH Manoa news release. 

Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 84 clearly prohibits “using state time, equipment, supplies, or state premises for campaign activities or campaign purposes.”  Use of state computers and email accounts is specifically prohibited.

According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation, the tax burden for the average working family in Hawaii’s First Congressional District where Charles Djou lives would be $1,784 higher if tax rates are allowed to increase at the close of this year—if Congress does nothing, as it is currently poised to do.

Hawaii's first congressional district, former home to President Barack Obama, longtime Democratic district, but the GOP has a great shot at keeping this seat. Why? Well – a couple reasons: foremost being that this year seems to be the year where the impossible becomes possible in Hawaii politics: a Republican, Charles Djou, won the special election for former Democratic Rep. Neil Abercrombie's seat and now, when Democrat Colleen Hanabusa is trying to take it back, Djou is well-positioned to keep the seat.

The Hawaii Republican Party has released its endorsements and recommendations for non-partisan County Council and Mayor races, County-level charter initiatives, and the two proposed Amendments to the State Constitution.

Two weeks ago the Hill released a poll in which Djou led his once and current opponent, Hanabusa, 45 to 41 percent — within a margin of error of 4.9 percent. The poll also found 61 percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of the congressman, while 56 percent did of his adversary. Fortune, it seems, is smiling on Djou.