Entries for April 2012

While some of the slowness of government action is certainly attributable to the laws and regulations that have been layered upon year after year, a good part of the blame lies with the reality that many in the public sector do not want to make decisions purely out of the fear that the decision might be wrong....

"If there is an issue under water, you literally have to pull the whole cable up, and that's very expensive."

...The Ameron Quarry in Kailua was chosen as the best site to house the next landfill. The next step is for the Mayor to agree . . . for he does have the power to not agree and pick another site....

Rep. Gene Ward (R-Hawaii Kai – Kalama Valley) will host a "Talk Story" with constituents in his district at Maunalua Bay (next to the canoe halau) this Saturday April 21 from Noon to 2 p.m. Food will be provided....

the true cause of what burst America's housing bubble is still debated, two of the culprits -- housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are still going strong ....

The Hawai‘i State Senate has confirmed the appointment of four new members of the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents effective July 1, 2012, and renewed the appointment of two Regents....

Judge Hara ruled that the HSTA, Mr. Beekman and Mrs. Wilson had no standing ....

... Hawaii Employees' Retirement System, Honolulu, is searching for up to three domestic large-cap equity managers to run a total of about $1.2 billion, according to sources ....

...many of the protections put in place to help shield our nation’s heroes—specifically the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)— have been violated in a disturbing number of cases within the past several years....

... according to indictment, on five occasions between September 23, 2011 and December 8, 2011, Seaman engaged in illegal sexual acts with a detainee at FDC ....

The case arose from allegations of theft and fraud at a now-defunct nonprofit legal services corporation in American Samoa called the U’una’i Legal Services Corporation (ULSC). ULSC was the only nonprofit organization in American Samoa that was dedicated to providing free legal services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual abuse.

Scheduled as follows, open house starts at 5:30 p.m. with formal presentation to start at 6:30 p.m....

...

DW Aina Lea Dev. LLC v. State of Hawaii Land Use Comm'n, No. 11--1-0112K ....

Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced the release of more than $34.2 million for various Capital Improvement Projects ....

Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced the recent appointment of Jo Ann Uchida Takeuchi as deputy director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA). She fills the vacancy left by Everett Kaneshige....
 

"The campaign's real slogan is: 'No Debates; Just Watch My Commercials'.

"I'm glad to see this small business bill pass the House, with the support of 18 Democrats, and disappointed that Congresswoman Hanabusa voted against it," stated Former Congressman Charles K. Djou....

...government waste, fraud and abuse isn't limited to just one agency. Look no further than the Department of Energy (DOE) whose inspector general said yesterday that he's overseeing 250 to 300 open criminal investigations....

... the public utilities commission shall consider the costs and benefits of a diverse fossil fuel portfolio and of maximizing the efficiency of all electric utility assets to lower and stabilize the cost of electricity....

 This "early release bill" amends current state law in a manner that can affect neighborhood security. With 1100 inmates released in the first 3 years of the program, there will be some recidivism, some crimes and many victims....

Saturday, April 21 9AM at Kaka‘ako Gateway Park

 According to Opensecrets.org ....

2012 graduation dates, times, and sites for Hawaii's regular public, charter, and adult community schools ....

U.S. and British officials were deeply suspicious of this outfit, observing that the AASF – though backed by singer (ands Communist Party member) Harry Belafonte and actor Sidney Poitier – had links to a Kenyan nationalist leader….

The Hawaii State Board of Education (BOE) today unanimously approved three policies related to performance evaluation systems for teachers and principals....

...

...

High gas prices are not a president's friend, especially in an election year, so it's not surprising that President Barack Obama is trying his darndest to shift the blame for record-high fuel prices onto something other than his failed energy policies....

...these laws were passed primarily to restrain politicians from being reckless with public resources, not to restrain the private sector....

“Voters have a legal right to choose who represents them,” Thielen said. “A small group in a Party cannot secretly and arbitrarily veto that choice. I am a member of the Democratic Party. Hawaii law allows me to run for public office as a democratic candidate.”

American households can expect to face an average tax increase of $3,800 ... 70 percent of Taxmageddon's impact will fall directly on low-income and middle-income families, leaving them with $346 billion less to spend.

There are no Jones Act ships available to transport the LNG from the contiguous United States or Alaska to Hawaii. No deep draft LNG carrier has been built in a U.S. shipyard for at least 30 years....

We have spoken with two Oahu based hospitals and have not been able to come to an agreement with them at this time....

Bishops from California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah began their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican with prayers for courage in defending religious freedom and in sharing faith in the risen Lord.

Tibet's spiritual leader says China's 'totalitarian' policies sparked Tibetan self-immolations....

Forty-eight years after President Johnson declared war on poverty, the number of poor people in the United States remains stubbornly high....

The U.S. Senate could vote today on the gimmicky distraction known as the Buffett Rule ....

The 4th annual Honolulu Tea Party Tax Rally will be held on Monday, April 16, from 4-7 p.m at the Hawaii State Capitol....

• HSTA: “You Cannot Expect Better Results”
• Inouye, Akaka, Hirono, Hanabusa: "Hawaii is making Significant Progress"

The Hawaii/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center (AHEC) has established a database of actively practicing non-military physicians in Hawaii....

This bill blatantly violates several constitutional protections, such as protection of Hawaii’s streams and consideration of cultural impacts. If passed, litigation may be inevitable.

I will advocate for meaningful, comprehensive tax reform that brings down the rate for all taxpayers while retaining the most important deductions such as the mortgage interest and charitable contributions. Through these reforms, we will actually collect more revenue with a much broader tax base ....

One of the reasons why there is growing taxpayer cynicism about the work of lawmakers is the earmarking of revenues for specific programs which in many respects has little relationship to the source of the funding....

In the same week that Gov. Linda Lingle hosted Sen. Susan Collins, one of the nation’s most bipartisan leaders, Mazie Hirono has opted to campaign with Congressman Barney Frank - the poster child for the hyper-partisanship in Washington, D.C....

The annual Rich States Poor States report is out. Hawaii ranks 15^th for economic performance and 46^th for economic outlook.

Hawaii ranks number one with the highest prevalence of high school students who have considered suicide. How can we prevent and discourage teen suicides if we pass legislation condoning ending one’s life ....

DOA (Department of Agriculture) concerned that overnight accommodations would dramatically alter concept of agricultural tourism as originally intended and could cause agricultural tourism to be primary, rather than secondary, land use....