Environment

For years, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has expended every resource to create a Hawaiian Indian tribe. Now, with its goal finally in sight, disputes over how much of Hawaii the Akaka Tribe should grab and how quickly to grab it threaten to torpedo the entire project.

While Hawaii is ninth in a Gallup's list of top liberal states, Aloha State conservatives have a 5% edge--29% to 24%--over liberals.  Hawaii is tied with Rhode Island as the top state for self-identified moderates at 43%.

In an August, 2008 interview with Maui’s Akaku Public Access TV, Roggasch claims there was no assault.  He also explains his belief that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States and is therefore ineligible to be President.  Like many “birthers” the Akahi group are “9-11 truthers” as well.  An entire page of their www.FreeHawaii.org website is dedicated to arguing the 9-11 attacks were "a time of reckoning" and "our fault".

“Statehood was a major turning point for our state, and 50 years later, we are proud of everything we have accomplished. I hope the residents of Hawai‘i will show their pride in our island home by attending local commemorations and learning more about our state’s history,” said Kippen de Alba Chu, chair of the 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission.

There were 247 contributions from individuals and PACs. Of these 247 only 12 were for less than $1,000. 235 individuals and PACs donated more than $1,000 each. There were 33 contributions that were at the maximum of $6,000. There were numerous contributors who are in the same family that maxed out their contributions at $6,000 apiece.

SB: "Most of the cuts would come from revision of reimbursements for doctors, discounts for prescription drugs and elimination of co-payments for preventive services — changes that would affect providers, not beneficiaries."

So with Hawaii already suffering an MD shortage caused in large part by low medicare reimbursements, Obama is going to cut them even more. And that won't affect beneficiaries, just providers???  It will when the MDs leave Hawaii.  And this isn't a "cut"?

The bill says that the government agents, "well-trained and competent staff," would "provide parents with knowledge of age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor domains ... modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices," and "skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development."

(This applies to Indian Tribes as well, so if the Akaka Tribe is ever formed, Hawaiian families will find themselves inspected by US Government social workers with the power to remove children from the home.  "Sovereignty", eh?)

(And who are we to pass up the opportunity???)

“I hope our employees adhere to the deadline we have set, because the possible consequences to them of ignoring the deadline could be the loss of any ability to bump into a different position,” Governor Lingle said.

“I am also very disappointed that the HGEA and UPW have failed to respond to the offer we presented on July 21, 2009. Unfortunately, the State’s deteriorating budget situation is getting worse, not better, and the amount the State can afford to pay in labor costs continues to decline. The unions’ failure to accept or recognize this is, in my opinion, not in their members’ best interests.”

You have only a few more days to enjoy the pause in the Gramscian War on the cultural and historic foundations of Hawaii Statehood.... So be sure to tune in tonight.

 IMAGE: CAT 4 Hurricane Felicia takes aim at Hilo, but is projected to weaken before landfall.

(And here's what would happen if a CAT 4 hit Oahu....)

A powerful hurricane would shut down Hawaiian Electric's grid for 30 days. Streets as far inland as Beretania and the H-1 freeway would be flooded. Debris would block roads. And homes would be damaged across the island of Oahu, if a powerful hurricane struck Oahu, officials said.  The imagined scenario officials have been working with calls for a Category 4 hurricane -- meaning a storm with sustained winds over 130 mph -- to make landfall at Kapolei.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has appointed Kaulana Park to serve as the new director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) and chairman of the Hawaiian Homes Commission.  Park, the department’s deputy director since February 2008, succeeds Micah Kāne, who will become a Trustee for Kamehameha Schools.  The transition will take effect on Aug. 12.

Governor Lingle also announced that she will furlough approximately 900 state employees for three days per month effective September 1, 2009.  These “exempt excluded” employees are all non-union employees, who are not covered by Judge Karl Sakamoto’s order barring the Governor from unilaterally implementing furloughs for union employees. 

(Sounds like union membership is detrimental to the interests of those emplyees who are being laid off.)

In attempting to prove DU is dangerous, the activists have in fact proved the opposite. They have discovered what any junior high school physics student already knows -- the world is naturally bathed in background radiation. This background radiation is far stronger than anything depleted uranium could ever emit. DU radiation is literally too weak for them to measure.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will conduct a hearing on S. 1011, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009.  The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 2:15 PM (EST)  which is 8:15AM Hawai`i Time and will be held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building room 628.   UPDATE: Names of hearing tesifiers have been released.... 

If the Big Square Building comprises 100,000 square feet weighing 100 pounds per square foot, and that weight were made up of equal parts drywall, brick, and cement, the ten-million-pound building contains about 42 pounds of non-depleted uranium and 63 pounds of radioactive thorium.

Jim Albertini of the misnamed Malu-Aina Peace Center writes March 27, “We must not tolerate having any depleted uranium in our environment….” By this logic the legislature should immediately be shut down and quarantined as a toxic waste dump.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers both sidestepped questions on Obama's intentions about taxes. Geithner said the White House was not ready to rule out a tax hike to lower the federal deficit; Summers said Obama's proposed health care overhaul needs funding from somewhere....

Screaming constituents, protesters dragged out by the cops, congressmen fearful for their safety — welcome to the new town-hall-style meeting, the once-staid forum that is rapidly turning into a house of horrors for members of Congress.

On the eve of the August recess, members are reporting meetings that have gone terribly awry, marked by angry, sign-carrying mobs and disruptive behavior. In at least one case, a congressman has stopped holding town hall events because the situation has spiraled so far out of control.

We at Hawai`i Free Press care about voter participation, so here is a convenient list of upcoming Neil Abercrombie Town Hall events.  Don't be shy... 

Three years ago, a Statehood Rally was attacked at Iolani as police stood by.  Now this from Inouye: 

"The territory of Hawaii was annexed to the United States in 1898 by a joint resolution of Congress based on a treaty signed with the Hawaiian government.  For many years thereafter, many delegations of congressmen and senators visited the territory to consider the pleas submitted by generations of our people requesting statehood."

These lines are sure to aggrivate the phony "sovereignty" activists--drug dealers, mortgage scammers, child abusers and others paid by OHA to create an argument for the Akaka Bill by pretending to oppose it in favor of "independence".  But Hawaii's elite have decided to turn off the faucet on OHA's goons--for now.  What will happen AFTER Admission Day?

In the coming weeks and months, I will be leading our state’s efforts to formulate solutions to grow our high-tech industry and put us back on track. Your input and involvement in this new endeavor will be critical to our success.

If you share the vision of a thriving high tech industry in Hawai‘i, I ask you now for your help.  Please contact my office at ltgov@hawaii.gov and let me know if you want to be part of the solution.

Please know that should I run, I will be a strong voice against tax increases, for moral values to protect our Keiki, and encouraging our community to have a stronger voice in the legislature.

“The NRCC is committed to working with Charles Djou as he continues to meet the rigorous goals of the Young Guns program,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions. “With all that Charles Djou has accomplished in just a few short months, I am confident that he will be successful in his effort to regain a seat for Republicans and keep the Democrats accountable for their reckless anti-jobs agenda.”

Governor Lingle and I continue to believe that Judge Sakamoto erred in his legal analysis, and that the Governor has the right to implement the three-day-per-month furlough plan.  The State also believes Judge Sakamoto erred in deciding that he, rather than the Hawai‘i Labor Relations Board, had jurisdiction in this matter.  The State will shortly file an appeal and will seek expedited consideration of that appeal. 

And so the Democrat media boss Klein, head of CNN's US operations, is now creating and spreading a new false claim about Obama's birth certificate--that Hawaii has destroyed all paper records.

“I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, Director of the Hawai’i State Department of Health, have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawai‘i State Department of Health verifying Barrack Hussein Obama was born in Hawai‘i and is a natural-born American citizen."

(New audio debate: Walden vs Berg on Tennessee radio station.)

(Notice how the Obama media has suddenly chosen to focus on the birthers just as Obama's socialized health care scheme falls apart in Congress?  Precisely as this writer has explained again and again, the "birthers" are very helpful to Obama.  He uses them to portray his opponents as loons.  He also uses them as a cudgel against any investigation of his past or his associations.)   

Led by 9-11 trooothers like Pennsylvania Democrat Phil Berg, the scammers claiming that Barack Obama was born outside the US are continuing to work day and night to divert Obama's opponents into useless tin-foil-hat conspiracy theories.  Every day they come up with a distracting new lie.

As Obama's hero Saul Alinsky explains:   “The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength.”

“We have an excellent relationship with Honolulu Fire Department, and it is really a shame the Mayor didn’t take the time to learn the facts about our past, current and future collaborative efforts before denigrating the good work of our state firefighters."

Hawaii was the 50th state admitted to the union, but the first to implement a universal health- care scheme. Now, it did not go as lawmakers in the Aloha State had originally planned, and Griff Jenkins, he tells us the story why.

Prior to being appointed by Governor Lingle as an Intermediate Court of Appeals judge, Nakamura served as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1986 to 2004, where he focused on prosecution of federal crimes with emphasis on complex fraudulent schemes, tax offenses, environmental crimes and public corruption.

In a statement released today, Senator Daniel Inouye asks, “Why should there be layoffs?”

Good question.  Governor Lingle’s furlough plan avoids layoffs.

“The State of Hawai‘i is facing a very serious budget crisis and labor costs make up nearly 70 percent of our entire state budget,” Governor Lingle said.  “Every day that passes without the implementation of labor savings will result in deeper cuts in the future to make up the shortfall.”

In truth, Randy Perreira makes over $150,000 a year on dues from union members!  Randy knows he clears at least $25,000 a year more than the Governor, herself, who is taking a voluntary pay cut and furlough.  In typical, arrogant, Union Boss fashion, Perreira fails to mention that he isn't taking any pay cut, himself, nor is he offering to reduce the monthly dues for the hard-working rank and file to ease the hardship.  With these greedy bosses, it's always, "Do as I say, not as I do!"

After much prayer and input from close friends and family, I believe the time may have come to enter government rather than fighting from the sidelines. Therefore I am seriously considering running against Senator Brian Taniguchi or Representative Scott Saiki. Prior to making my final decision I would like to hear from my many friends and supporters of Hawaii Christian Coalition as I value your support, prayers and friendships. I now ask for your thoughts via email ...

People of Hawai’i, I am standing here with you because I am sick and tired of the strangle hold that the arrogant and greedy union bosses and there puppet legislature have on Hawai’i.

Our Senate President Colleen Hanabusa has said that you are used to paying higher taxes.  Which tells me that Senator Hanabusa and her tax and spend friends in the legislature will continue to stick us with the bill unless we get them out of office.

We, the principled, honest and hardworking people of Hawai’i have allowed selfish corruption, personal gain, and special interests to determine the future of our children. As the Republican Party Chair, I am telling you -- NO MORE, NO WAY, and, NOT ON MY WATCH!!!

Governor Linda Lingle today issued an executive order (see attached) to furlough herself, the Lt. Governor, her chief of staff, and all executive branch directors and the deputies or assistants to the directors. The two-day furlough takes effect August 1, 2009 and continues through June 30, 2011. It is expected that the furloughs, along with the legislatively mandated pay cut, will result in more than $1.2 million in salary savings over the next two years.

In addition to the 5% reduction of pay implemented by Act 85 at the start of July, House Republicans unanimously decided to take a voluntary pay cut equivalent to a two day furlough effective August 1, 2009 – fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010.

Among the bills that will become law include measures that will take away the right to a secret ballot from employees who wish to form a union, make it difficult for employers to check the credit history of prospective employees, and will require employers to continue to pay the medical costs of individuals who are deemed ready to return to work.

The Legislature passed bills that would increase state spending by millions of dollars beyond the current budget. “The State cannot spend money it does not have,” Budget and Finance Director Georgina Kawamura said. “My Department will be forced to recommend the Governor not release the appropriations in these bills.”

Instead of closing the "pay-to-play" loophole that allows donations from grant-in-aid contractors, HB128 allows all but non-bid contractors to make campaign donations.

Instead of further limiting "seeding-the-community" donations to non-profits, HB128 doubles the allowable amount.

Governor Lingle also will allow to become law nine bills that were on the potential veto list.  These include SB 603 SD1 HD1 CD1 which deregulates Hawaiian Telcom, allowing it to compete with other telecommunications companies; SB 1673 SD2 HD2 CD1 which starts the process of allowing state hospitals to become private operations; and SB 199 SD1 HD1 CD2 which tightens the availability of tax credits for investments in high technology companies.

RELATED: Duke Aiona disagrees--signals opposition to reduction of tax credits

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today vetoed five bills that would discourage the creation of more jobs in the state of Hawai‘i.  The Governor issued the vetoes one day in advance of the constitutional veto deadline to highlight the need to ensure that Hawai‘i’s economic recovery is not undermined by legislation that would make it harder for employers to hire and retain their workforce.

“The primary focus of my five-point economic recovery plan is to encourage the creation of jobs in the private sector.  This is also the focus of President Obama’s federal economic stimulus efforts,” said Governor Lingle.  “It is important that government not send the wrong message to employers and not make it harder or more expensive for them to keep and retain good staff.  In addition, it is important for government to respect the rights of employees who are in the workforce.”

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle vetoed three bills today that would have negatively affected Hawai‘i’s low-income and affordable housing supplies.  The Governor issued her vetoes to highlight the importance of housing needs during one of the state's most economically challenging times.

“Affordable housing options are scarce in Hawai‘i,” Governor Lingle stated.  “We should be passing laws that increase affordable housing options for Hawai‘i’s families, not limit them.”

Because we believe that furloughs are still the best way to address the fiscal crisis, we will likely appeal the Circuit Court’s recent ruling.  We are also developing layoff procedures, which may become a necessary but undesirable reality.

In 2000, Carlisle encouraged then Deputy Prosecutor Randall Lee’s investigation into illegal campaign contributions to Harris, and stood by Lee’s investigation and prosecution of contractors who laundered money to Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris.

Bob Watada, then state campaign spending director, estimates that more than 100 companies laundered $1.5 million to Harris, constituting half of Harris' campaign war chest. Carlisle says if he is elected ... he will select people on the basis of talent, skill and experience and on what they know, not who they know.

As a result of declining state revenues, today Governor Linda Lingle vetoed 10 bills that would have spent funds not included in the state budget and which would further widen the state’s budget shortfall.  The Governor’s vetoes highlight the fact that the state cannot afford these programs, even those that have merit, during this difficult fiscal period.

“Combining top federal and state rates, and factoring in all deductions, the government would be taking over half of every additional dollar from high-income taxpayers in two-thirds of the states under this latest funding scheme,” Tax Foundation President Scott Hodge said. “In fact, even in the seven states with no income tax, the lowest top tax rate would be about 46%.”

The hardest-hit states would be Hawaii (55.8%), Oregon (55.8%) ....

On June 21, Walden was interviewed by Ben Barrack on right wing radio (KTEM, Temple City/Ft Hood, TX) and was joined later in the program by Birfistani lawyer and dentist, Dr. Orly Taitz, Esq. The argument got pretty hot pretty soon in.

Plus, Walden said to Dr. Orly Taitz, Esq.: “Don’t patronize me, dentist!”

Yes, he did!

Administration’s Position Still Unknown, Sources say Department of Justice Seeks Changes to Bill....

The vote postponement follows some written criticisms of the bill by prominent members of the Native Hawaiian legal community.

In a four-page analysis of the legislation sent to the Natural Resources Committee, the Native Hawaiian Bar Association voiced concern that some provisions would grant the federal government too much immunity against potential claims by Native Hawaiians, especially for land.

(They want the Akaka Tribe but they are unwilling to trade away the PASH decision and the opportunity to shake down future Hokulias.)

The final tax collections represent $56.7 million additional general fund revenue loss compared to what the Council on Revenues had projected for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2009 when it last met on May 28.  The additional revenue loss means the state is now facing a budget shortfall in excess of $786 million through June 30, 2011.

House minority staff report that the Akaka Bill, HR2314 Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, is scheduled to be "marked up" by the US House Committee on Natural Resources Thursday, July 9th at 10AM. 

UPDATE 4PM 7-8-09: House Minority press secretary Jill Strait reports that the Akaka Bill has been removed from the agenda for tomorrow's meeting of the US House Committee on Natural Resources.