Entries for September 2010

Last night, even though I was in Washington, D.C., I was able to talk with over 3,000 residents in my district, my "bosses" in Hawaii's First Congressional District. I heard from you about your concerns on many issues: from jobs, to the economy, to taxes, healthcare and the size of government.

As Israel is in the fight for its people’s very survival, Congressman Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, has refused to support America’s important ally over the terrorist group, Hezbollah.

"Union bosses are showing their true colors in these tough economic times,” said Chairman Jonah Ka’auwai.  “They have refused requests by union members to reduce union fees during the recession and are even making examples of Speaker Say and Senator Mercado Kim because of their resistance to raising the GET tax on the people of Hawaii."

However, we have just received from a highly reliable source a description of Kiewit's soil testing, which apparently reveals how Kiewit was able to offer the lowest bid on the project and why the cost may be increasing...

The resolution came after a series of reports in the media indicated there was a vast network of corrupt Democratic lawmakers engaging in pay-to-play schemes on behalf of the PMA Group. As indicated in the resolution, the Washington Post reported on February 14, 2009 that they “examined contributions that were reported as being made by [the firm’s] employees and consultants, and found several people who were not registered lobbyists and did not work at the lobbying firm.”

In the 2008 at-large election, "blank votes" exceeded the votes for each of the three candidates elected to the BOE.  33.8% of the votes (312,965 votes) were "blank".

“No one denies that the current valuation of Chinese currency is troubling and remedial actions must be taken. While I support a free-floating currency exchange between the United States and China, this legislation will not affect the trade deficit and will not create American jobs. Instead, this bill would hurt more than it would help our nation and Hawai‘i.

“This measure will harm U.S.-China relations, hurt international commerce and, most troubling for Hawai‘i, impair the emerging Chinese visitor market in Hawaii."

At 20 minutes after midnight this morning, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) gaveled the House out of session, assuring that Congress will now adjourn until after the November elections without taking any action to stop the Obama tax hikes. Earlier in the day, 39 Democrats defied Speaker Pelosi and voted with the minority to keep the House in session until they could vote on the impending tax hikes.

A financial bubble fueled by easy money and loose credit bursts. Unemployment shoots up, and gross domestic product falls sharply. Some in the U.S. Congress blame foreigners for unfair trade practices and pass a trade bill that prompts widespread retaliation, exacerbates the popping of the bubble, and sends the country into further economic trouble. That is what happened with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 and the Great Depression. Americans might hope our leaders would learn from our past mistakes. But the leftist majority in Congress, aided by some misguided members of the minority, is trying to repeat this terrible history....

Arakawa commented, “Randy Piltz’s opinion and influence in this community is substantial and this was made evident by the large number of votes he received in the primary.  I am most pleased with my meetings with Randy and valued the opportunity to discuss our platforms which revealed tremendous similarities in our philosophies.”

When 34 Samoans were killed in a September 29, 2009 tsunami, Mufi Hannemann’s brother Afimutasi Gus Hannemann was front and center defending a Territorial Government which allegedly “created positions” with funds earmarked to install 30 tsunami warning sirens.

Congressman Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii awarded Pacific Biodiesel a $3.5 million earmark to try to grow fuel for the Army in Hawaii. It turns out the founder of Pacific Biodiesel is a co-chair of the Congressman's gubernatorial campaign.  The pattern is repeated over and over....

Citizens Against Government Waste: Rep. Abercrombie’s latest outrage is to slip a provision (Sec. 2833) into the House version of the 2010 Defense Authorization Act that would double the construction costs of relocating 11,600 U.S. troops from Japan to Guam.... OpenSecrets.org lists the Hunt Building Company, which is headquartered in Texas and would be one of the prime builders of the facilities on Guam, as among Abercrombie’s top five campaign contributors in the 2007-2008 election cycle. The Hawai`i Free Press reported on August 4 that Hunt has contributed at least $32,500 to Abercrombie’s re-election since 2002.

As a hippie transplant from Buffalo, Neil Abercrombie was in the late 1960s and early 1970s involved in a scandal over tearing down military facilities--fighting to drive the ROTC out of what 1960s anti-American war activists called “the shacks” on the UH Manoa campus.

Four decades later, as a Congressman, Abercrombie could become embroiled in a scandal over building up military facilities--steering construction contracts of a military base on Guam towards a major campaign contributor.

“The Community Awareness Act requires applicants for grant assistance under section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to hold public meetings regarding such applications. I introduced the legislation in response to recent events in the Ewa Gentry community, which is in my district. I hope that this legislation will receive bipartisan support and swift action.”

Abercrombie voted for higher taxes on Hawaii families, the bailout, failed stimulus - bonuses for Wall Street executives.  

In this economy, Mr. Abercrombie?

I want to relieve the tax burden on Hawaii families and small businesses, while Mrs. Hirono has already committed to drastically raising your taxes this coming January. I want to stop the incessant and reckless government spending that jeopardizes our children and grandchildren’s future, yet Mrs. Hirono advocates more ill-conceived, ill-advised, and ill-fated and costly deficit bailout schemes. And I want to create jobs for our high number of unemployed and underemployed workers, but Mrs. Hirono wants to continue making Hawaii families more and more dependent on government handouts.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent letters to 216 low-income families informing them that he was taking back the $7,500 in scholarship money that the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program had previously awarded them. Yesterday on NBC's TODAY Show, Obama admitted that daughters Sasha and Malia deserve better than D.C. public schools -- that's the reason he sends them to a tony private school with other Washington elites. So then why is Obama blocking other kids from the same opportunity?

HONOLULU - Duke Aiona and Lynn Finnegan today announced the launch of their website, www.AionaFinnegan.com, and other joint efforts to reach out and connect with residents online. They have joined together on Facebook, where Duke Aiona has already added more than 11,300 friends and supporters - more than any elected official in the state.

On Twitter, Duke Aiona (@DukeAiona2010) and Lynn Finnegan (@LynnFinnegan) have more than 4,200 followers.

"There is little evidence that voters are willing to throw Djou out of office after only a couple months on the job. A private Democratic poll showed the congressman leading by double digits. This race is not over, and Djou may even have the advantage.”