Entries for July 2011

Last night, President Barack Obama and U.S. congressional leaders failed to reach agreement on a deal to raise the nation's debt limit. Meanwhile, it has been more than 800 days since the U.S. Senate passed a budget, liberals in Washington are pushing for higher taxes, unemployment is soaring, the deficit keeps growing, and America is careening toward an economic future as the Europe of the West.

 Recent Congressional Vote: House: Fiscal 2012 Defense Appropriations

Honolulu is still completing the paperwork for its heavy rail, but preparatory construction has already started. This irrational project needs to be stopped.

Back in Nairobi, says one government official, Obama Sr. would “slam his fist on the table” and claim that a rival “knows nothing about math or economics”; he would go on to describe other colleagues as “intellectual dwarfs.” As college friend and current Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie tells Jacobs, Obama Sr. could never “contain his irritation with people who were not as facile as he, and he did not hesitate to say so.”

One reader recently wrote bemoaning that he had to read these comments about how taxpayers are constantly being overtaxed and his suggestion is that those who can pay their fair share should do so, “just pay up.”

Governor Neil Abercrombie today signed into law House Bill 1520, which ... directs the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to investigate how an on-bill financing program could operate in Hawai’i and gives the PUC the discretion to implement such a program.

Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced he is seeking applicants to the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission (NHRC). Act 195 gives the Governor the power to appoint a five-member Native Hawaiian Roll Commission that will build the foundation for....

HUD will assist homeowners who have experienced a reduction in income and are at risk of foreclosure due to involuntary unemployment, underemployment, due to economic conditions or a medical condition. EHLP can provide eligible homeowners with zero percent interest, forgivable loan of up to $50,000 that pays past-due mortgage payments, as well as a portion of the homeowner's mortgage payment, for up to 24 months.

For 2011 through 2015, singles in Hawaii with adjusted gross income above $100,000 will be allowed to claim a maximum of $25,000 in deductions for mortgage interest, charitable giving, medical expenses and the like, while couples with AGI above $200,000 will be allowed no more than $50,000. 

The much anticipated Sarah Palin documentary by filmmaker Steve Bannon comes out in theaters next Friday, July 15th. People can now see the trailer for the first time.  

There's no good way to spin the news that came out of today's monthly U.S. jobs report. The economy generated only 18,000 total new jobs, the unemployment rate increased to 9.2 percent, and the number of unemployed Americans has gone up by 445,000. ... President Barack Obama's stimulus-infused "recovery" refuses to ignite, unsurprisingly to all but him.

Warabeya U.S.A. Inc., a Honolulu, Hawaii, establishment, (which keeps House Speaker Calvin Say on a $1000/mo retainer) is recalling approximately 1,550 pounds of convenience meals that may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes....

• Lynn Fallin as Deputy Director for Behavioral Health of the Department of Health (DOH)
• Jade T. Butay as Deputy Director for Administration of the Department of Transportation (DOT)

Oversight of the Honolulu Department of Community Services has been transferred from a committee headed by Councilmember Tom Berg to a committee chaired by Kobayashi.

“Subject got his USC wife ‘Hapai’ [Hawaiian for pregnant] and although they were married they do not live together and Miss Dunham is making arrangements with the Salvation Army to give the baby away,’’ according to a memo describing the conversation with Obama written by Lyle H. Dahling, an administrator in the Honolulu office of what was then called the US Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Fifteen years ago, Hawaii had a combined obesity and overweight rate of 42.2 percent. Ten years ago, it was 49.4 percent. Now, the combined rate is 57.5 percent.

Republican congressional leaders will meet in the White House today with their Democratic counterparts and President Obama in an effort to reach an agreement on the debt ceiling.

Sources within New Hope Church say that Democrats are scheming to plant a hand-picked candidate to make a seemingly suicidal attempt to defeat Linda Lingle in the August 11, 2012 Hawaii Republican Primary....

Recently, my own website and email were hacked into and meddled with. Sadly, numerous people have come to me since that incident with similar experiences. This is a widespread problem from which no one is guaranteed complete protection. 

Governor Neil Abercrombie signed into law a measure that recognizes Native Hawaiians as the indigenous people of Hawai'i. Act 195 gives the Governor the power to appoint a five-member Native Hawaiian Roll Commission that will build the foundation for self-determination.

Sometimes magic tricks just aren't that great, and even the most innocent, wide-eyed child can't be fooled by the illusionist's flourish.

“At first, we questioned the state’s call to relocate our services,” said Brother Sage of Ohana Family of the Living God Ministry, which is in the process of moving its services from A'ala Park to coordinate efforts with the Institute for Human Services’ shelters. “But after much thought and collaboration, we see the potential of benefits to the community that our change and transition in service will make. We are still fulfilling our mission of serving those who need our help while contributing to our collective goal of creating solutions to end homelessness.”

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011
• Senate: Confirmation of David H. Petraeus to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

From the halls of Congress, those individuals traveled to the gates of the White House, where they "complained that [President Barack] Obama had supported immigration reform with words and not deeds," as Fox News reports.

...Those credits were then followed by the now infamous Act 221 tax credits that were designed to attract investment funds to underwrite the high technology industry as it was difficult for start-up companies to attract investors. But the generous tax credits made it more of a boondoggle than a true tax incentive that invited participation.... 

The Declaration announced to the world that the American colonies were free and independent states. But this alone does not make the document or America revolutionary. What is revolutionary about the Declaration is not that a particular group of Americans declared their independence under particular circumstances but that they did so by appealing to a universal standard of justice: equality. What is revolutionary about America is that it is built upon a foundation of universal principles, not petty interests.

The start of July marks the effective date of the many bills that did become law this session. Below are some that might be of most interest to you.... 

Senate Bill 219 prohibits physically restraining inmates who are pregnant....

The only question is what will that HSTA courtroom victory look like?

The Abercrombie administration’s “last, best, and final” offer to the Teachers Union--which has now been unilaterally imposed--says nothing about implementing the 180-day school year....  The State’s contract also says nothing about implementing anything even vaguely resembling the teacher accountability requirements mandated by Race To The Top.

The continuing rise in the cost of living has not been offset by increased productivity: gross state product decreased by $2,363 per capita in 2009, the worst decrease in the nation.... 

“Hawaii is the most regulated state in the nation.” He described that it takes about 10-14 years to get a project in Hawaii from green field (non-urban designation) to completion. ...“Every delay adds to the cost of housing, as projects are all financed and the cost of those loans keeps accruing even though no development has actually taken place.” We all end up with higher housing costs as a result.

As we are celebrating the 4^th of July this weekend, we recommend you take some time to read some substantive articles about who we are as Americans....

Did Wil Okabe and the rest of the Abercrombie lap-dogs running the HSTA accepted the State’s “last best final” offer in negotiations? Are they now engaged in face saving after the HSTA board slapped them down? That’s what Neil Abercrombie says….

The Hawaii Republican Party announced today that Executive Director, Dylan Nonaka, has left his post to launch his own political and public affairs consulting firm...

Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was recently on ABC News in an interview with George Stephanopoulos. During the conversation, Bachmann said that a number of the Founding Fathers opposed slavery and worked to end it, but Stephanopoulos challenged her, “Now, with respect Congresswoman, that's just not true.” 

But it is true....

While Helm repeatedly stated the I Aloha Molokai position of NO to both the cable and the windmills, Ritte said right now his position is also NO but that could change if given the opportunity to negotiate and have his long list of benefits met. The list was so long that he did not have time to finish reading it.

A new Harvard University study finds that July 4th parades energize only Republicans, turn kids into Republicans, and help to boost the GOP turnout of adults on Election Day.

the President made the following proclamation in a desperate attempt to recast himself as a deregulator:

What I have done — and this is unprecedented, by the way; no administration has done this before — is I've said to each agency, 'Don't just look at current regulations or don't just look at future regulations, regulations that we're proposing. Let's go backwards and look at regulations that are already on the books and if they don't make sense, let's get rid of them."

Oh, if only it were true....

Hawaii citizens are faced with a $500 million increase in taxes in the next 2 years to cover the $22 billion budget for the same period. It is clear the Hawaii government desperately needs to hear from commonsense taxpayers like you. That is why I am happy to introduce the co-chairs of AFP Hawaii, Jay McWilliams and Laura Brown.

Former Council Chair Nestor Garcia is iced out of all leadership positions.