Environment

Any general tax increases at this time will further damage the economy and prolong recovery. Higher taxes would be the straw that breaks the backs of many local businesses. Now is not the time to take money out of the economy.

SEVEN "Tax Day Tea Party" events are scheduled for Hawaii April 15  Here is a news release for the Hilo event as well as contact information and details for each of the seven events.

And after only eight days, all of the repairs were done, Pleas said. It was a shockingly quick fix to a problem that may have taken much longer if they waited for state money to funnel in."

Not just state money, state workers.  Two years to complete the project, the state said, whatever it was, and four million bucks.  And these people did it in eight days!  Ivan Slack said,  "'We can wait around for the state or federal government to make this move, or we can go out and do our part.  Just like everyone's sitting around waiting for a stimulus check, we were waiting for this but decided we couldn't wait anymore.' ... Now, because of their hard work, volunteers hope they'll be ready to send that positive message -- right in time for the tourist season."

Debating where to draw the line in corporate spending, with Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, R-Hawaii and CNBC's Erin Burnett.  (Obama administration back-pedaling against Obama's condemnation of business travel.)

Douglas Suhm from Tacoma, Washington and Dr. David Teuscher from Texas were in Oahu testifying about tort reform and Senators Baker and Ige were disrespectful enough to stand up and walk out of the room.

A newly formed group, the Hawaii Republican Assembly, is sponsoring a tax protesting "tea party" at the state Capitol on April 15. While the group's fliers don't contain a blatantly partisan message, they do claim a "revolution is brewing in Honolulu."

Have as many people show up in the Senate gallery tomorrow, APRIL 8, AT 11:30 AM in RED SHIRTS for the possible scheduling of HB 444 FOR DECISION MAKING. TANIGUCHI WILL NEED TO ASK FOR A WAIVER TO DO DECISION MAKING THAT AFTERNOON OR THURSDAY MORNING AT THE LATEST.

I’ve seen some bad politicians. But State Representative Joe Bertram stands out. Just last week, Bertram went to court to help a child predator avoid prison-time. A 52 year old man tried to lure a 14-year old girl over the Internet for sex. And Bertram didn’t think he should go to jail. That hits close to home… Polly was 12 when she was killed. As she was kidnapped from her room, she asked her killer to please not hurt her mom. In the worst moment, my brave little daughter thought of protecting others. Shouldn’t we expect the same from our elected officials?

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding ceded lands should not be looked at in terms of “winners” or “losers.”  Rather, it should serve as a clear reminder that we, as a community, must commit to reaching a fair and lasting resolution on ceded lands.  Despite the disappointment being felt by some, the U.S. Supreme Court decision does not in any way affect our Administration’s ongoing commitment to the Native Hawaiian community.

Karen’s Law, HB819 HD2SD2 was heard in the Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee today. Chair Brian Taniguchi passed out Karen’s Law. However he amended the law to only include murder in the first degree.

Karen’s Law is scheduled for a hearing before the Judiciary and Government Operations Committee this Monday April 6 at 10:00am in conference room 016.

“In this period of economic downturn when our government and businesses are striving to restore economic stability, the last thing we should do is implement policies or encourage behavior that jeopardize any industry, especially one that has such far-reaching impact on communities across America,” Hawai‘i officials wrote in the letter.

The increased scrutiny of business travel for companies that have received emergency funding as part of the federal government’s economic recovery efforts has caused increased downturn in business and convention travel nationwide. 

Increasing taxes on families and small business during a recession only compounds the pain people are already feeling and makes recovery more difficult.

State Rep. Joe Bertram III urged leniency Wednesday for a Makawao man who was sentenced for using the Internet to arrange sexual contact with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl, saying the defendant shouldn't be sent to prison for an "imaginary crime." ...

"He showed up at the Maui Mall that day," Martin said. "To him, this was not imaginary. This was real." In an October 2007 online chat, Marcantonio talked about how "he had done this before" with a 15-year-old Oahu girl, Martin said.

ED NOTE: Front Page Magazine today posted the Hawai`i Free Press article "Barack Obama, born in Hawaii"--debunking conspiracy theories swirling around Barack Obama's Hawaii birth certificate.  The following was posted by an anonymous commenter "DadBode" in the comments section and we thought it was so spot-on and funny that it deserves wider exposure.  For readers working in State offices who have taken birth-certificate-related phone calls, this should be of special interest. 

The Hawai‘i State Legislature has filed a Motion for Leave to File an Amicus Curiae Brief in the case Sierra Club v. Department of Transportation (Supreme Court No. 29035), commonly referred to as Sierra Club II, or the Superferry case. A motion by the state for the Hawai‘i Supreme Court to reconsider the Court’s earlier ruling in the case is currently pending. If the Legislature’s motion is granted, the Legislature would be permitted to file a brief stating its position regarding questions presented in the case, and seeking clarification of key issues.

Your choices are not easy or pleasant, and they will not be popular, but they are yours to make....either work with me to adopt a version of the budget we have proposed, including $278 million in labor cost savings over the next two years, or resort to massive layoffs and tax increases....

This case challenged the State's title to the ceded lands because the federal government's title, which it transferred to the state at statehood was somehow less than absolute. That argument has now been put to rest: the federal government had "absolute fee" title to the lands ceded to it by the Republic of Hawaii. Statehood is "a uniquely sovereign" event, and means something.

“Ed Case doesn’t seem to understand that running for office is not something you haphazardly choose in order to add another notch to your political belt,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain.

If we can prove that there is an unbroken genealogical line of the royal family we can certainly argue that we should be able to govern monies and not be fettered with State administrations and the United States Constitution. 

Honolulu City Councilmember Charles K. Djou (Waikiki, East Honolulu), a candidate for Hawaii’s 1^st Congressional District, welcomed Ed Case’s declaration that he would run against Djou.

"I enjoyed serving with Ed in the State legislature and I know that he has had a difficult time deciding which seat to run for...." 

I'm truly excited at the opportunity to represent Hawai’i's great First Congressional District … from Makapu’u to Mililani, Waikele and Ewa Beach. I've lived and worked in the First half of my life. I represented Mānoa and Makiki for eight years in our state legislature, have crisscrossed the First in two statewide campaigns, and have addressed its needs in Congress. I know the First, and I know I can represent its 600,000 citizens well in Congress.

To my friends in Hawai’i's equally great Second Congressional, where I was born and raised and have spent the other half of my life, and whom I was fiercely proud to represent in Congress for over four years, I look forward to continuing to represent you in D.C. as well. I ask for your continued support.

Rallies planned for Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo Wednesday April 15.

As was the case with the two previous financial plans the Governor submitted on December 22 and March 4, the Administration’s most current plan balances the budget without further burdening Hawai‘i residents and businesses with general tax increases, without adding to Hawai‘i’s unemployment with layoffs or furloughs of state employees, and without making further cuts to public services or programs.  In addition, the Governor’s plan does not take any money from the counties, such as the Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) or Honolulu County’s general excise rail transit tax. 

By an 18-6 vote, the full Senate defeated a motion to pull the bill from the Senate Judiciary and Government Affairs Committee, where it had stalled after members deadlocked 3-3 on advancing the bill.

The next step will be to get the Chair of the Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee, Brian Taniguchi, to hear the bill.  This will be the toughest committee to get Karen’s Law through as there is opposition to the bill with its committee members.

But now, when collaboration and continued support is most needed to get us over the hump, some politicians have taken it upon themselves to propagate misinformation and distort a very clear record of accomplishment.

For those politicians and cynics, I have a message: Hawai‘i will be a world leader in clean energy, with or without you....

Although the Senate Judiciary Committee ended with a tie vote (3-3), there is still ongoing discussions happening at the capitol in regards to a potential pull of the bill from committee for a vote on the Senate floor.

If the Supreme Court refuses to reconsider its SuperFerry decision, Councilmember Djou’s legal affairs committee will examine voiding all state laws that apply to just the City and County of Honolulu. 

What of last year's legislative attempts to smooth the way for Aloha Airlines as it lurched into insolvency? Under the court's equal protection analysis propounded in the Superferry decision, any such legislation could well be contrary to the court's new reading of constitutional restraints on the legislature's power to act.

The decision today by Hawaiian Telcom to ask the bankruptcy court to approve $6 million in bonuses for its employees is unconscionable, and we will oppose it in court.

Karen’s Law is now in the Senate, referred to Chair of Human Services, Suzanne Chun Oakland and Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Brian Taniguchi. It will be hard to get a hearing for Karen’s Law hearings without ample public support.

We are going to have to go out and find other employment for Alakai, for now.

Environmental and community-action groups such as the Sierra Club and Maui Tomorrow now find themselves in the crosshairs of many residents frustrated by recent developments with the Hawaii Superferry.

The Disabled American Veterans today commended the Obama administration for backing down from a controversial proposal that would force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who suffered service-related disabilities and injuries.

"VA's sacred duty is to care for veterans injured in honorable service to our nation, and the department should not turn to wounded warriors' private insurance to pay for combat injures.  Under my Chairmanship, the Veterans' Affairs Committee will not advance any such legislation," said Akaka. 

“After reading the alarming tract, I wanted to know whether Albertini -- who went to prison for a year (many years ago) for trying to block a Navy vessel in Hilo Harbor -- will be putting his life and/or freedom on the line along with the novice activists he is counseling.

“The answer? No. Not only is Albertini not going to protest the Superferry, he claims he didn’t even know his “non-violent” call to arms was even published."

As Pacific Business News editorialized January 12, the Superferry opposition and obstruction, “continues to perplex us as yet another group of politicians, this time senators from Neighbor Islands, make noise….”

Malia Gray, legislative office manager for Rep Lynn Finnegan, faced former Ron Paul Hawaii campaign leader Dan Douglass in the contest for County Chair.  Both candidates recruited new Republican Party members and mobilized supporters for the event.  Gray reported her team recruiting 300 new Republican Party members and identifying 20 Legislative candidates to run in 2010 during the last few weeks of campaigning.

In observance of the 50^th anniversary of the signing of the Hawai‘i Admission Act, both houses of the Hawai‘i State Legislature will convene a joint session in the State Capitol House Chambers on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, from noon to 1:30 p.m. 

Because I have also met with and will continue meeting with union leaders, the counties and my cabinet, as well as social service agencies and other organizations in the community, the process of developing a new financial plan takes time, but I believe it is time well spent.  I remain committed to balancing the budget without raising taxes or laying off employees.  Either of these actions would further weaken our economy.

Sen. Sam Slom, (R-Hawaii Kai): this is the premier bill presented by the “criminal lobby.”

"Karen's Law", HB819HD2, passed out of the House today un-amended.  The measure passed with the exception of no votes placed by Representatives Lyla Berg, Roy Takumi, Faye Hanohano, Sylvia Luke, Hermina Morita, Mark Nakashima and Scott Saiki.

EarmarkWatch is an experimental distributed research project that contains data for Fiscal Year 2008 earmarks from the House and Senate Labor-HHS-Education bills and the 2008 House Defense Bill. It does not contain 2009 earmarks.

Thanks to you, Karen’s Law will finally be heard on the House Floor tomorrow...a select few members will be trying to kill the bill.

It appears at least 41 Senators object to the massive increase in spending -- 8% over last year's budget – and the larding in of 8,500 earmarks totaling $7.7 billion. 

A senior Senate aide told me this morning that many Senators do not want a repeat of the Stimulus battle where their offices were literally shut down with telephone calls and their email was swamped with messages going after the wasteful spending.

You see, they’re talking about Americans like you.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today submitted to the State Legislature recommended amendments to three bills that would provide statutory changes needed to help meet a projected $650 million revenue shortfall for the remainder of the current fiscal year (FY09) and biennium budget fiscal years 2010 through 2011.

The Hill: Yes, Hawaii could field a competitive general election race in 2010.

“I commend the HTA for having the wisdom to reconsider their previous decision and return the Pro Bowl to Hawai‘i where it belongs.
“Let us now move forward and work closely with the NFL to make the Pro Bowl’s homecoming the best possible.
“I am excited to continue working with Commissioner Goodell on what I believe could be an enhanced all-star weekend of festivities.”

An official familiar with Abercrombie's plans says the 10-term congressman will make his announcement through an Internet video to be released Sunday.