Entries for July 2010

When Linda O’Boyle was diagnosed with bowel cancer, her doctors told her she could boost her chances of survival by adding the drug cetuximab to her regimen. But the rationing body for Britain's National Health Service, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), had previously ruled that the drug was not cost-effective and therefore would not be paid for by the government. So O'Boyle liquidated her savings and paid for the drug herself. But this is not allowed under NHS rules. When government bureaucrats found out that O'Boyle had purchased the drug with her own money, she was denied NHS treatment and died within months.

We are truly grateful for Gov. Linda Lingle’s veto today of HB 444. Her decision came after a thoughtful and balanced study of the bill and its consequences and we are convinced she has come to the proper and only conclusion that will best serve the people of Hawaii.

Her veto affirms the will of Hawaii citizens. In 1998, seventy percent of Hawaii voters ratified a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man or one woman. A 2009 survey by SMS Research found that 66 percent agreed with that vote more than a decade later.

"As I have always said, this issue will persist as long as lawmakers continue to keep the public from deciding whether marriage should be between a man and a woman.  

"If elected Governor, I will propose a constitutional amendment on this issue so the people can define marriage once and for all."

Now that the governor has decided the fate of House Bill 444, I firmly support steps to let the people of Hawaii have the final say on an issue that has generated passionate perspectives. 

But in the end, it wasn’t the persuasiveness of public debates, the soundness of legal arguments, or the volume of letters and emails that convinced me to reach this decision. It was the depth of emotion felt by those on both sides of the issue that revealed to me how fundamental the institution of marriage is to our community. It is as fundamental to those who support marriage between two people of the same gender as it is to those who support marriage only between one man and one woman.

This is a decision that should not be made by one person sitting in her office or by members of the Majority Party behind closed doors in a legislative caucus, but by all the people of Hawaii behind the curtain of the voting booth.       

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today vetoed 32 bills that would adversely impact Hawai‘i residents and businesses, would be detrimental to public policy and would hinder efforts to expand the economy and create jobs.

Governor Lingle will announce the bills she is vetoing at a news conference at 3PM in Executive Chambers.  Meanwhile Hawaii Family Forum today sent out an email message stating: “We are hearing that members of the House are getting strong pressure from proponents to hold a special session.” 

Speaker Calvin Say announced today that the House will not convene a Special Session to override any of the Governor’s VETOs. Unless both houses agree to meet there can be no special session and there will be none on July 6. Praise the Lord! Now the decision rests squarely with the Governor.

Therefore, we will not be gathering at 9:00 a.m. to fill the House gallery but instead, will gather for prayer on the fifth floor, at noon in front of the Governor’s office, regardless of her decision.

Remember 9/11. Remember Katrina. Remember Haiti. Often, after a disaster of epic proportions, we are urged to remember the victims and the lessons of how to avoid a similar catastrophe. These reminders are necessary because after the moment of impact passes, people’s attention is drawn to other major events. Rarely ever, however, is the phrase used while the crisis continues unabated; while the administration that the media needs to hold accountable flounders in a sea of ineptitude, red tape and finger pointing.

Yes, we’re talking about the Gulf oil spill. It may be the first time in U.S. history that a president and the national media’s attention need to be refocused on a crisis while it is still, in fact, underway. Remember the Gulf.

Koko Head Elementary School--Kaimuki High School--Noelani Elementary School--McKinley High School

The American experiment with democracy began 234 years ago with the enduring words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Those words remain a profound statement of our natural rights. And to this day, the United States of America is the freest and most prosperous nation in the world. The success of our nation is a testament to the timeless vision of our Founding Fathers.

The people of Hawai`i want our state to be more self-sufficient; they want to be more independent.

I believe that to be a true leader, innovation, entrepreneurship and stewardship need to be fostered, nurtured and rewarded.

It is not enough to encourage today’s citizens and businesses to innovate and think big. Public officials have to do the same.

The American Dream is based upon our liberty and opportunity to flourish. It is the hope of all to build a prosperous future, and we can achieve it right here in these islands.

As a practical matter, the Declaration of Independence publicly announced to the world the unanimous decision of the American colonies to declare themselves free and independent states, absolved from any allegiance to Great Britain. But its greater meaning-then as well as now-is as a statement of the conditions of legitimate political authority and the proper ends of government, and its proclamation of a new ground of political rule in the sovereignty of the people.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released $10,000,000 to the University of Hawai‘i for renovations to Hawai‘i Community College’s Manono Campus in East Hawai‘i and development of the University of Hawai‘i Center at West Hawai‘i’s new campus at Palamanui.

Once again Hawaii may be saved from the immune-from-prosecution rump Akaka Tribe by Republican US Senators from other states.  With Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) dead and buried, and sometime Akaka Bill supporter Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) facing strong opposition in the August 24 Alaska GOP Primary, Sen Akaka finds himself short on votes and short on time.   

Fiscal Year 2011 started yesterday in most states, and some saw the imposition of tax increases passed in previous legislative sessions. Hawaii, of course, is among them. The Aloha State, already sporting the nation's sixth-highest per capita tax burden, decided to ignore its overspending problem and steal more money from the private sector.

The tax increases implemented yesterday include...

You and I have a great opportunity to help usher in the next generation of leaders to represent Hawai`i in Washington, D.C. We have worked together to help Charles Djou reach victory and now we have a second chance to win the other district (District 2-Rural Oahu and Neighbor Islands) with my friend, Ramsay Puanani Wharton.

Events in MAKAWAO, HILO, WAIMEA, WAIKOLOA, KONA .... 

When families around our state woke up this morning, they were met with reports in the newspaper, on television and on radio about the new legislation which takes effect today, the vast majority of which are new taxes and fees on Hawai‘i residents. 

Washington, DC — Congressman Charles K. Djou (HI-01) issued the following statement after signing on as an original co-sponsor to H.R. 5658, the “Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership (SKIL) Act,” a bill that would make it easier to attract and keep the best minds from around the world....

I am writing to request that you veto HB2377 HD3 SD2 CD1, a bill that would force future governors to nominate individuals for the Board of Education (BOE) from a list of individuals submitted by an advisory committee as it would damage attempts to bring accountability to Hawai`i's education system.

As you have noted on many occasions, the leadership in Hawai`i's education system is fragmented between the BOE, the governor and the legislature. I was supportive of the constitutional amendment that passed that would make the BOE a governor appointed board. It was a positive step that would make the governor more accountable for the performance of education.

However, whatever good the constitutional amendment would accomplish was completely undermined by HB2377 HD3 SD2 CD1, the enabling legislation for that constitutional amendment.

If elected Governor, Duke Aiona will call for a comprehensive, independent audit of the State Department of Education (DOE), which has not been independently examined since 1973.

Following the results of the audit, Duke Aiona will direct the most effective restructuring of our public education system in a generation.

The Obama Administration announced earlier today that:

“As in any military operation, the ability of U.S. forces to operate effectively in Afghanistan depends on affording the Commander in Chief the utmost flexibility and discretion.  If the final bill presented to the President contains provisions that would undermine his ability as Commander in Chief to conduct military operations in Afghanistan, the President’s senior advisors would recommend a veto.”

For months the now-defunct AtomicMonkey.blogspot.com site has skewered Neil Abercrombie as a “flailing gasbag” and his wife Nancie Caraway as “a witch.”  One posting portrayed former Governor Ben Cayetano as an evil scientist secretly controlling Abercrombie’s brain.  Now the Hannemann campaign has admitted that this site was operated by “a campaign volunteer” who works at Honolulu Hale.

A June 21 Gubernatorial race poll showing Duke Aiona leading Mufi Hannemann by four points apparently set off a panicked frenzy of activity in the Star-Advertiser newsroom—but readers of the print edition would have no way of knowing....