Entries for February 2011

The March edition of Mission Houses Museum’s “Talking Story”, which focuses on themes of myths, legends, and fables in 2011, will take place on Wednesday, March 9^th at 7PM in the Kana‘ina Building on ‘Iolani Palace grounds.  Admission is free.

Senate Bill 120 was originally written to repeal 148 special funds. Although there were 800 pages of testimony submitted on the original version of the bill, no action was taken at the public hearing on Feb. 10, 2011. Then, on Feb. 25, the Ways and Means Committee (WAM) rewrote the bill....

Sadly, the most widely exploited document used by perpetrators of elderly abuse is the Power of Attorney because it can give the perpetrator immediate access to the victim’s bank accounts, real estate, and other valuable property unlike a will, trust, or estate planning document that may not take effect for many years.

According to an analysis of the 111th US Congress published Friday by the National Journal, among Republicans Hawaii Representative Charles Djou was out-moderated only by Rep Joseph Cao of New Orleans. 

A Gallup Poll of Hawaii adults released today shows that Hawaii has the fewest self-identified conservatives of any state in the nation—but Hawaii’s 27.9% of conservatives still outnumber the Aloha State’s 23.6% of self-identified liberals.

It has been a busy two months in office. So far there have been floods in Kihei and Maalaea, rockslides on the pali, a ban on plastic bags and a push for a major film production studio. And that was just January.

Ariyoshi, as editor of the ILWU’s communist line Honolulu Record weekly paper between 1948 and 1958, employed a columnist named Frank Marshall Davis--also a Communist party member--who would in the mid-1970s become a mentor to a kid named Barack Obama....

We'd have to check the archives to see if the Honolulu City Council ever did issue a condemnation of Mao Tse-tung for the genocide of Chinese people back when the cultural revolution, the great leap forward and all that stuff took place. 

“Daniel K. Inouye has spoken.”

...how is that 9 years have lapsed since the legislative directive to transfer the funds was given? Who is supposed to be overseeing these kinds of funds and how many more dormant funds from repealed laws exist?

Despite our strong opposition, Hawaii Senate Bill 218 relating to emergency contraception PASSED out of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. We were also disappointed to learn that when the senate judiciary committee approved the bill with a vote of 3 to 2, they also rejected our request for a "healthcare right of conscience" exception.

 The word change can simply mean, “something becomes different.”  Like a car tire that runs over a large pothole, and becomes flat.  But change can also mean “something is transformed.”  Transformation is an evolutionary process.  Like a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.  “Transformation” is a concept that will be discussed several times today as we review the challenges facing our city.

The U.S. Census Bureau today released more detailed 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics to the governor and leadership of the state legislature in Hawaii.

It didn’t really seem anyone was in a great rush to pull out the paint and scrub-brushes for the arrival of the world’s media, business chiefs and heads of state for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum meetings in November. At Honolulu’s wonderful, breezy, open-to-the-elements airport there’s little to suggest this is a city that wants to be in the same league as the likes of Seoul, Sydney and Osaka.

Within the last two-years, over 200 cities and 14 counties in California have banned or passed a moratorium on pot shops.  And now the dopey Hawaii Legislature wants to follow California's failed experiment.

...it is quite likely the 113th Congress that convenes in 2013 will find an even greater percentage of Senators who have yet to complete a full term than in the 112th - should at least five more senators announce their retirement or get defeated in their reelection bids.

Despite the member upheaval that the Senate has experienced over the past few election cycles, there are certainly still several state delegations with a wealth of experience in the nation's upper legislative chamber....

"The civil union bill here in Hawaii possibly contains some loop holes whereby undocumented people could in fact enter into a civil union here in Hawaii. I'm looking at that option for me and my partner possibly," Campbell said.

According to Abercrombie's proposal, the pension tax is expected to raise $112.3 million in revenues per fiscal year. At the yesterday's briefing, Ward asked Abercrombie how many citizens will be taxed by this measure. Abercrombie said the tax would hit 43,520 pensioners. The math says $112.3 million spread amongst 43,520 senior citizens amounts to $2,580.42 per person. Of course, the actual payment per person will be more or less depending on income.

"That’s why it is egregious for you to indicate that what I’m saying is that somebody with a sole total income of $37,500—that that is their sole income—that they would be asked under those circumstances to pay that.  But if anybody wants to try and manipulate the numbers for a personal political agenda in order to  try and score political points, let me tell you—this is one Governor that’s not going to put up with it." -- Abercrombie