We can all agree that our State is experiencing one of the worst economic downturns in its history. This 2009 Legislature has made numerous efforts to remedy this situation. Unfortunately, these efforts have resulted in high tax increases and anti-business legislation that will hurt rather than help our floundering economy.

I will be joining hundreds of other hard working Hawaii taxpayers at 4pm on April 15 at our state capitol to display our objection to government taking the easy way out and sending us a bigger tax bill.  Families across the nation are tightening their belts to deal with these difficult economic times and instead of doing the same, all levels of government want to simply make these times harder and raise our taxes.  This is unfair and unacceptable.

For those who feel they're paying too much and have a yen to vent, there's an event tomorrow just for you (assuming that you're not one of those last-minute procrastinators and have the time to attend). The "Tax Day Tea Party" will be held 4-7 p.m. at the state Capitol.

Here's the call to action from the organizer's Web site, www.overtaxedhawaii.com:

"Many of our elected state legislators in Hawaii are planning to enact massive tax increases in the weeks ahead when the legislative session ends on May 7th. YOU CAN HELP STOP THEM.

Once you start getting up to times 40 yes it can be a really powerful psychedelic, you'll see things shoot, you won't remember your name you'll start drooling a little bit your hands will sweat a little bit," said Sochocki.

"They become afraid may jump off buildings may do things like most hallucinogenic substances," said Kamita.

Individuals involved in ceded-lands litigation Kuroiwa v Lingle have issued two statements in response to Duke Aiona on Ceded Lands: High Court decision leaves no winners:

...while you might know it from Proposition 8's victory last year, voter initiatives to ban gay marriage are becoming harder and harder to pass every year.....

(This analysis is flawed by its reliance on 'white evangelicals' since in Hawaii opposition to gay marriage comes from evangelicals of all ethnic backgrounds.  Also in California, opposition to Prop 8 came from black and Hispanic precincts.  But the bottom line is the same.  Church-goers better start registering to vote in the same percentages that union members do.)

(Be sure to check out the videos of West Hollywood gay protesters shouting the n-word after the approval of Prop 8.)

...several division presidents and secretary-treasurers, have been convicted since 2001 of felonies ranging from embezzlement, falsifying official reports to government, mail fraud and conspiracy....

The firm’s main office was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last year.

Any general tax increases at this time will further damage the economy and prolong recovery. Higher taxes would be the straw that breaks the backs of many local businesses. Now is not the time to take money out of the economy.

SEVEN "Tax Day Tea Party" events are scheduled for Hawaii April 15  Here is a news release for the Hilo event as well as contact information and details for each of the seven events.

And after only eight days, all of the repairs were done, Pleas said. It was a shockingly quick fix to a problem that may have taken much longer if they waited for state money to funnel in."

Not just state money, state workers.  Two years to complete the project, the state said, whatever it was, and four million bucks.  And these people did it in eight days!  Ivan Slack said,  "'We can wait around for the state or federal government to make this move, or we can go out and do our part.  Just like everyone's sitting around waiting for a stimulus check, we were waiting for this but decided we couldn't wait anymore.' ... Now, because of their hard work, volunteers hope they'll be ready to send that positive message -- right in time for the tourist season."

Debating where to draw the line in corporate spending, with Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, R-Hawaii and CNBC's Erin Burnett.  (Obama administration back-pedaling against Obama's condemnation of business travel.)

Douglas Suhm from Tacoma, Washington and Dr. David Teuscher from Texas were in Oahu testifying about tort reform and Senators Baker and Ige were disrespectful enough to stand up and walk out of the room.

The best short credo of liberalism came from the pen of the literary historian Vernon Parrington in the late 1920s. "Rid society of the dictatorship of the middle class," Parrington insisted, referring to both democracy and capitalism, "and the artist and the scientist will erect in America a civilization that may become, what civilization was in earlier days, a thing to be respected."

Some public figures are using England's plaintiff-friendly laws to go after books they don't like. New York and Illinois have come to the defense of U.S. writers. Congress and California should too....

A newly formed group, the Hawaii Republican Assembly, is sponsoring a tax protesting "tea party" at the state Capitol on April 15. While the group's fliers don't contain a blatantly partisan message, they do claim a "revolution is brewing in Honolulu."

The bogus bonds are not sold through an investment firm or brokerage house, as legitimate bonds are. They also purport to represent ownership in a fictitious Hawaiian nation named Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, sponsored by the Hawaiiloa Foundation.

The companies pushing the bogus bonds, several claiming to be affiliated with Native Hawaiian sovereignty movements, are targeting Native Hawaiian homeowners and others who are facing foreclosure.

Have as many people show up in the Senate gallery tomorrow, APRIL 8, AT 11:30 AM in RED SHIRTS for the possible scheduling of HB 444 FOR DECISION MAKING. TANIGUCHI WILL NEED TO ASK FOR A WAIVER TO DO DECISION MAKING THAT AFTERNOON OR THURSDAY MORNING AT THE LATEST.

I’ve seen some bad politicians. But State Representative Joe Bertram stands out. Just last week, Bertram went to court to help a child predator avoid prison-time. A 52 year old man tried to lure a 14-year old girl over the Internet for sex. And Bertram didn’t think he should go to jail. That hits close to home… Polly was 12 when she was killed. As she was kidnapped from her room, she asked her killer to please not hurt her mom. In the worst moment, my brave little daughter thought of protecting others. Shouldn’t we expect the same from our elected officials?

In the report, Mr. Holmes questions Mr. Anderson's claim in a television advertisement that Anderson was former Councilwoman Barbara Marshall's senior aide for six years. Two former senior advisers to Marshall have also claimed this statement to be inaccurate. 

In 1999, Mr. Holmes was unable to explain why he could not produce documentation of graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Iowa, despite his claim that he earned both a bachelors and master degree from the university.  The University of Iowa has said that Holmes was a former student for three semesters, but earned no such degrees.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding ceded lands should not be looked at in terms of “winners” or “losers.”  Rather, it should serve as a clear reminder that we, as a community, must commit to reaching a fair and lasting resolution on ceded lands.  Despite the disappointment being felt by some, the U.S. Supreme Court decision does not in any way affect our Administration’s ongoing commitment to the Native Hawaiian community.

Karen’s Law, HB819 HD2SD2 was heard in the Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee today. Chair Brian Taniguchi passed out Karen’s Law. However he amended the law to only include murder in the first degree.

As Pan Am Flight 830 descended toward Honolulu and passengers finished their breakfast, a blinding burst of light washed over them. And then, "BOOM!"

Flight plan filed by North Korea shows missile heading straight for Hawaii. 

Plus latest updates from Japan, Korea, and NORAD....

BBC: North Korea had "ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations", Barack Obama said in a written statement.  (And he stamped his feet....)

(No word on how close it came to Hawaii or Alaska)

The Hawai`i Island Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawaii, and Kanoelehua Industrial Area Association unite to support the passage of the Office of Mauna Kea Management’s (OMKM) Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP).   We need the vocal majority to show that we support the plan! 

Karen’s Law is scheduled for a hearing before the Judiciary and Government Operations Committee this Monday April 6 at 10:00am in conference room 016.

“In this period of economic downturn when our government and businesses are striving to restore economic stability, the last thing we should do is implement policies or encourage behavior that jeopardize any industry, especially one that has such far-reaching impact on communities across America,” Hawai‘i officials wrote in the letter.

The increased scrutiny of business travel for companies that have received emergency funding as part of the federal government’s economic recovery efforts has caused increased downturn in business and convention travel nationwide. 

Increasing taxes on families and small business during a recession only compounds the pain people are already feeling and makes recovery more difficult.

State Rep. Joe Bertram III urged leniency Wednesday for a Makawao man who was sentenced for using the Internet to arrange sexual contact with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl, saying the defendant shouldn't be sent to prison for an "imaginary crime." ...

"He showed up at the Maui Mall that day," Martin said. "To him, this was not imaginary. This was real." In an October 2007 online chat, Marcantonio talked about how "he had done this before" with a 15-year-old Oahu girl, Martin said.

ED NOTE: Front Page Magazine today posted the Hawai`i Free Press article "Barack Obama, born in Hawaii"--debunking conspiracy theories swirling around Barack Obama's Hawaii birth certificate.  The following was posted by an anonymous commenter "DadBode" in the comments section and we thought it was so spot-on and funny that it deserves wider exposure.  For readers working in State offices who have taken birth-certificate-related phone calls, this should be of special interest. 

The Hawai‘i State Legislature has filed a Motion for Leave to File an Amicus Curiae Brief in the case Sierra Club v. Department of Transportation (Supreme Court No. 29035), commonly referred to as Sierra Club II, or the Superferry case. A motion by the state for the Hawai‘i Supreme Court to reconsider the Court’s earlier ruling in the case is currently pending. If the Legislature’s motion is granted, the Legislature would be permitted to file a brief stating its position regarding questions presented in the case, and seeking clarification of key issues.

The high court’s reading of legal precedent gives special protection to a state’s Admission Act. And in the case of Hawaii this means special protection for Hawaiian Homelands and the designation of ceded lands revenues for five specific purposes. The high court thus undermines two of the three key public arguments for the Akaka Bill.

Here's a complete round up of all the legislative moves and all the lies being told today...a day when almost every "not surprised" Hawaii Democrat is admitting they have been lying through their teeth for the last 15 years...and not a single interviewer is calling them on it. 

At the same time we have been working to close the budget gap, we have also been focused on ensuring that funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are used as effectively as possible in order to create jobs for Hawai‘i residents and boost our economy.

The White House has created a system of accountability for the distribution of federal stimulus funds to states. President Obama and his Administration decided the best way to ensure that stimulus funds are put to the best possible use, and for the intended purpose of stimulating the economy and creating jobs, was to use the nation’s governors as conduits for the funds and to hold them accountable for how these funds are used.

Your choices are not easy or pleasant, and they will not be popular, but they are yours to make....either work with me to adopt a version of the budget we have proposed, including $278 million in labor cost savings over the next two years, or resort to massive layoffs and tax increases....

This case challenged the State's title to the ceded lands because the federal government's title, which it transferred to the state at statehood was somehow less than absolute. That argument has now been put to rest: the federal government had "absolute fee" title to the lands ceded to it by the Republic of Hawaii. Statehood is "a uniquely sovereign" event, and means something.

How wrong is the Hawaii State Supreme Court?  Their unanimous decision just got unanimously reversed by the US Supreme Court....How did this case begin?  With OHA suing to block construction of affordable housing.  Why are Hawaiians leaving Hawaii?  Lack of affordable housing. 

“Ed Case doesn’t seem to understand that running for office is not something you haphazardly choose in order to add another notch to your political belt,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain.

If we can prove that there is an unbroken genealogical line of the royal family we can certainly argue that we should be able to govern monies and not be fettered with State administrations and the United States Constitution. 

Four high school robotics teams from Hawai‘i – Maui, McKinley, Moanalua and Waialua High Schools – have earned a spot in the FIRST Robotics World Championship that will be held in Atlanta, Georgia next month.

Honolulu City Councilmember Charles K. Djou (Waikiki, East Honolulu), a candidate for Hawaii’s 1^st Congressional District, welcomed Ed Case’s declaration that he would run against Djou.

"I enjoyed serving with Ed in the State legislature and I know that he has had a difficult time deciding which seat to run for...." 

I'm truly excited at the opportunity to represent Hawai’i's great First Congressional District … from Makapu’u to Mililani, Waikele and Ewa Beach. I've lived and worked in the First half of my life. I represented Mānoa and Makiki for eight years in our state legislature, have crisscrossed the First in two statewide campaigns, and have addressed its needs in Congress. I know the First, and I know I can represent its 600,000 citizens well in Congress.

To my friends in Hawai’i's equally great Second Congressional, where I was born and raised and have spent the other half of my life, and whom I was fiercely proud to represent in Congress for over four years, I look forward to continuing to represent you in D.C. as well. I ask for your continued support.

America's top military officer said on Friday that a rocket North Korea plans to launch next month has a range that could possibly reach Hawaii.

Asked if the North Korean rocket could reach the US states of Hawaii or Alaska, Admiral Mike Mullen told CNN: "In some cases, yes, they could probably get down to Hawaii."

Rallies planned for Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo Wednesday April 15.

Unlike Earth Hour, the purpose Human Achievement Hour is to salute the people who keep the lights on and produce the energy that helps make human achievement possible.  Many organizations and average folks around the world will show their support for human achievement by simply going about their daily lives. 

As was the case with the two previous financial plans the Governor submitted on December 22 and March 4, the Administration’s most current plan balances the budget without further burdening Hawai‘i residents and businesses with general tax increases, without adding to Hawai‘i’s unemployment with layoffs or furloughs of state employees, and without making further cuts to public services or programs.  In addition, the Governor’s plan does not take any money from the counties, such as the Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) or Honolulu County’s general excise rail transit tax. 

By an 18-6 vote, the full Senate defeated a motion to pull the bill from the Senate Judiciary and Government Affairs Committee, where it had stalled after members deadlocked 3-3 on advancing the bill.

The next step will be to get the Chair of the Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee, Brian Taniguchi, to hear the bill.  This will be the toughest committee to get Karen’s Law through as there is opposition to the bill with its committee members.

More than 1,000 high school students from Mexico, Philippines and four states, including Hawai‘i, will compete in the tournament that challenges teams of young people to solve a common engineering problem, using a standard kit of parts that includes motors, batteries and a control system – but no instructions.

Of the 34 teams in the tournament, 24 represent the state. The winning teams will advance to the FIRST Championships – called the “Super Bowl of Smarts” in Atlanta, Georgia, April 15-18. Honoka‘a High School was one of six teams to represent Hawai‘i last year in Atlanta.