Environment

“With the economy reeling from an unprecedented national debt and an unsustainable addiction to expanding the size and spending of government, and with traditional values mocked and marginalized by an unaccountable, out-of-control Congress, we must bring sanity back to Washington, D.C.  More than any other Beltway politician, Daniel Inouye personifies the Pelosi-Reid Congress’s big spending, anti-family agenda. If we are to repair our economy and restore our nation, the reign of Daniel Inouye must end.”

Hanabusa said that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's preference for former Rep. Ed Case (D) in the special election was based on "bum information" in an interview with the Fix Monday. "I'm president of the Senate. I'm not a neophyte when it comes to understanding political alignments and misalignments," she added.  (Is that why she "aligned" with Mehau against Bronster?)

The Aloha State may be renowned as one of the most beautiful states in the Union, but that beauty comes at significant cost: the average Hawaiian paid out $1,010 in state taxes in the first quarter of the year, the highest of any state. The two biggest components to the state's revenues were income and excise taxes. 

The four politicians running for this office all have clearly represented their support of the status quo with even prosecutor/politician Peter Carlisle pledging to have rail all over the island and through the Koolaus. Is Peter's 30 Billion Dollar Rail Plan prudent fiscal policy for our Oahu?

I am the only candidate who is an engineer, not a politician, and I will stop the rail project, repeal its tax, and work with everyone who wants to make Honolulu the great city we all know it deserves to be.

Here are some questions for Abercrombie and Caraway:

At first blush, Hawaii’s First Congressional District doesn’t look like a potential Blue to Red conversion target. Obama did carry HI01 by a lopsided 70-28 percent spread, but that margin seems to be grossly distorted in favor of Honolulu’s Favorite Son. President Obama was born and spent some of his schoolboy years in this very district. 

Djou’s Honolulu-based district is historically Democratic, but it is not utterly inhospitable to Republican candidates. As the Washington Examiner’s senior Political Analyst Michael Barone mentions in his Almanac of American Politics, HI01 is home to “many military families in modest neighborhoods who may vote for Democrats but can be attracted to Republicans.”  

HONOLULU— Hawaii Republicans are celebrating candidate filing deadline this year with a bang. Hawaii Republican candidates are contesting nearly every seat in the State House and Senate.

“Mr. Speaker, the American people expect Congress to act responsibly and to be trustworthy. But how can this happen when this Congress has no plan?

“No plan for a budget. No plan to create jobs. No plan to turn around our economy other than to spend, spend, and spend some more of the people’s money.

“We spent more than a trillion dollars to ‘create jobs,’ but as of yet our unemployment rate still languishes at over 9.5%. Our nation is plagued with debt and not creating a budget further amplifies the problem."

...the recommendations center on creating a National Ocean Council to coordinate regulation of oceans and the Great Lakes, and on a principle of "ecosystem-based management" for marine areas….

The first draft of the policy, released in September, drew heavy criticism from some quarters, including industry and recreational anglers concerned that sport fishing might be restricted or banned.

Despite having served for less than two months, Hawaii Congressman Charles K. Djou is influencing national policy in Washington.  He has rapidly become one of the most active and outspoken representatives in the U.S. today.

“After more than 10 days of political maneuvering, Hannemann must have reviewed his polls and discovered that taking a clear stance on HB444 was politically beneficial. 

"Is this the kind of pono leadership Hannemann promises in his latest television ad?  Hawaii deserves a principled Governor who is not afraid to make decisions and take positions on controversial issues.”

If Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) pulls the trigger and moves to proceed to the bill, Senator Murkowski may be the 60th vote to join liberal Democrats to break a filibuster....

 A source that closely follows progress of the Native Hawaiian bill tells Red State Insider that “despite the recent spinning and posturing in the press, the likelihood of the (Native Hawaiian Bill) passing in the Senate this year is nil … unless .. a few votes can be wrangled from the Republican side to break any Republican (threat of a filibuster) and stop time-consuming amendments.”  The Senator who is tasked to round up votes is Murkowski, and sources tell me that she has been specifically tasked with rounding up the votes of the other three Republican women Senators. 

 Brian Schatz at 2006 Akaka campaign rally in Larry Mehau’s barn.

Thursday’s editorial in the Washington Post: “Wrong way in Thailand” highlights an issue of personal significance to Congressman Djou. He is the first Member of Congress of Thai descent and still has family living in Bangkok. 

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has appointed former Maui Public Works Director Charles Jencks to serve as an interim commissioner on the state Land Use Commission (LUC).  Jencks will replace Ransom “Randy” Piltz, who resigned on July 2 to run for Maui County Mayor.  Jencks will complete Piltz’s remaining term, which runs through June 30, 2011.

Washington, DC — Congressman Charles K. Djou (HI-01) appeared on the CNBC program “Worldwide Exchange” to discuss, among other things, the flawed financial regulatory reform bill that passed the U.S. Congress, the ballooning national deficit and debt, and Congress’ failure to pass a budget.

“This is an important bill that has stalled in Congress for far too long. This legislation will re-authorize Title VIII of the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), which has been waiting for reauthorization since 2005. This legislation will expand opportunities for Native Hawaiians, particularly those of limited means, to access affordable housing. This is a good idea and will benefit not just Native Hawaiians, but to Hawaii as a whole.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in both parties to ensure that this legislation becomes law.”

“The sewer fix and the EPA consent decree (these are two different things) are likely to cost about $4.5 billion.  Add $5.5 Billion for the rail and Oahu taxpayers face a $10 Billion fiscal liability.  For a city with a typical capital improvement program (CIP) of no more than One Billion dollars per year this spells mismanagement.

“The rail project and the mismanagement of sewer and water mains leaves Honolulu with record tax increases, chronic homelessness, crumbling infrastructure, and some of the worst roads in the country. 

“And let's not forget corruption....

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the so-called “stimulus,” was enacted in February of 2009 when the national unemployment rate was 8.2% and Hawaii’s unemployment rate was 6.3%. Today, unemployment is at 9.5% nationally and remains at 6.3% in Hawaii.

Congressman Charles K. Djou is entering the general election with a strong showing of support from 4,137 individual donors for the quarter that ended June 30, 2010. The Djou campaign raised $935,435 in the second quarter, receiving nearly $200,000 of that in the five weeks after his special election victory.  Djou has entered the third quarter with $379,046 on hand.

Washington, DC — Congressman Charles K. Djou (HI-01) today expressed his concern regarding the municipal waste buildup in Honolulu to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and received verbal assurance that the matter would be resolved as quickly as possible.

“If our nation continues down this fiscally reckless path, what is happening in Hawaii will be writ large, and that is an outcome that we simply cannot afford”

“I met with constituents of Hawaii’s First Congressional District while I was home this past week,” Djou said. “From town hall meetings to business visits to encounters on the street, the number one concern that constituents expressed to me was the reckless and runaway federal spending in Washington.”

At a Cooper Center hearing in Volcano July 12, the Mauna Kea Recreational Users Group, a broad based coalition of outdoor users,  presented testimony for opening public access to the proposed expansion of the Puu Makaala NAR by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' Forestry and Wildlife Division.  

Asked Monday what the next step would be, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) was anything but certain. “I wish I knew; I really mean that,” he said in a brief Capitol interview.

We scored all 50 states—using publicly available data—on 40 different measures of competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Then, we separated those metrics into the ten broad categories, with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers. We weighted the categories based on how frequently each is cited in state economic development marketing materials.

In the letter sent today, Governor Lingle said the agreed upon changes to the bill between her and Sens. Inouye and Akaka “return the bill to a form that protects health and safety in Hawaii, while providing explicit federal recognition to the only native people in the United States who lack that recognition – Native Hawaiians.”

The Governor also wrote that passage of the Akaka Bill will, “put Hawaii on an equal footing with its forty-nine sister states, and will recognize Native Hawaiians just as America recognizes it other indigenous groups.  It is fair and just – nothing more, nothing less.”

KHON looks at Hawaii Republican candidate recruitment efforts....

"Having worked with Lynn for many years as part of the Legislative Minority Caucus, I continue to be impressed by her bold and yet compassionate leadership. Her work, characterized by her willingness to collaborate in a bipartisan way, has been an asset to the Legislature and to the people of Hawai'i. As our next Lt. Governor, I am confident Lynn Finnegan will continue the strong, balanced leadership we need on the 5th floor."

WASHINGTON: The university from where Law Minister Babar Awan claims to have done his PhD is banned in the United States from issuing any degree and cannot even claim that it is a legal educational institution.

Long before the dispute over fake degrees became a political issue in Pakistan, the Circuit Court of the First Circuit in the State of Hawaii, declared that the University of Monticello was a non-recognised and non-chartered university....

“We made a pledge to fill every open seat this year and we are very close to it with just about seven days left before the filing deadline,” said Dylan Nonaka, Executive Director of the Hawaii Republican Party.  “We have a lot of people working on recruiting quality candidates and are making every effort to challenge every race.  This is going to be an exciting year for Republicans in Hawaii.”

Duke Aiona - Incredibly smart, focused on the key issues, and displayed by far the greatest knowledge on those issues. He also would be the most effective on fixing K-12, if he could get the necessary legislation through. Duke is a superb & impressive candidate.

In his almost 50 years in the United States Senate, Daniel Inouye has become perhaps the strongest Senate proponent of government spending. As the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee he controls how our tax dollars are spent—literally, the buck stops with him.  However, through his earmarks and other support for federal spending, he has not hesitated to shower special interests with our hard-earned tax dollars.

Our loss has been Sen. Inouye’s gain.  A recent study by Taxpayers for Common Sense found no other U.S. Senator received more campaign contributions from earmark beneficiaries than Inouye.

As Senator Inouye and his cohorts in Congress continue to pile up debt that our children and grandchildren will be forced to repay in the future, their spendthrift ways are sucking the oxygen out of the economy today. Unless and until they are brought to heel, Americans’ standard of living will continue to decline. Prosperity has never been built on debt.

Holomua Elementary School, Mililani High School, Pearl Ridge Elementary School, Kawananakoa Middle School

The Finnegan campaign signs were hung near several Duke Aiona campaign banners, which were also taken prior to the start of the parade. Each sign was hung only after receiving explicit permission from the respective home owners or occupants. When one home owner was asked what happened to the signage, they responded that persons approached their door claiming to be from the Finnegan campaign and they would be taking down the banner.

Here are some Video clips from a public town hall on Tuesday, July 9 at Ahuimanu Elementary School hosted by Rep. Jessica Wooley (D-47 Laie to Kaneohe) with special guests Rep. Pono Chong, Rep. Ken Ito and Rep. Marcus Oshiro.  During the town hall meeting, Rep. Wooley put her hands on an attendee in an attempt to make her stop filming the public forum she was holding as a public official on public property. 

Wooley apparently believes that she can determine whether a video will be “used for political purposes” and if so she can shut down the videographer.  No transparency or accountability here; just another politically correct wanna-be dictator with an attitude of superiority.

The debate surrounding the redefinition of marriage in Hawaii centers on the nature of family and its role as “a prime institution in civil society.” According to Heritage Foundation Senior Fellow Chuck Donovan, the “family is not the creature of the state” but is “both natural and pre-political” in its origins. As such, the consequences of a redefinition for the whole of the state are weighty. A change of this magnitude should not “be made by one person sitting in her office or by members of the Majority Party,” but, as Governor Lingle suggests, “by all the people of Hawaii.”

USA Today reported that Federal employees earn higher average salaries than private-sector workers in more than eight out of 10 occupations that exist both in government and the private sector. Instead of taking the news as an opportunity to save taxpayers money, the Obama administration pushed back against the news and dispatched Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag to defend government employee pay. Orszag told reporters: "I think the key thing to remember about that is the federal workforce is more highly educated than the private workforce. ... Basically the entire delta between private sector and public sector federal government average pay can be explained by education and experience." The problem is, this is just not true.

 In order to uphold righteousness for our land, we now need to exercise our civic and kuleana responsibility to VOTE. The Lord has provided us this “victory” but we must take responsibility to be salt and light to this community.

“I am very glad the Akaka Bill will be amended to reflect the State’s concerns,” Governor Lingle stated.  “I have assured Senators Akaka and Inouye that I will strongly support a bill with the changes described above, and will write to Senators of both parties expressing my support.  I sincerely hope the bill will become law in 2010.”

Last December, Neil Abercrombie passed a previous immunity-free version of the Akaka Bill as a Trojan Horse to get through the House Committee on Natural Resources.  He then amended the bill by substitution on the House floor.  Would Akaka pass a no-immunity version through the Senate and then use the House-Senate Conference Committee to change it back?  Of course he would—everything about the underhanded and secretive way the new version of Akaka Bill was created shows that is possible. 

Now, Djou enters a new stage in his political career: embattled incumbent. After easily winning a three-way special election in the more conservative -- but still dang Democratic -- House district in a May 22 special election, Djou enters an abbreviated 2010 reelection campaign as one of a handful of deeply endangered GOP incumbents.

That's just fine with him, and nobody will accuse Djou of being ill-prepared. "The only way I know how to campaign is running a race where I'm down by two points and closing in," he said in a recent interview with the Fix.

Lambda Legal and the ACLU had readied a lawsuit after the House tabled HB 444 in January.   The Hawai`i Senate had previously approved the bill by a veto-proof 18 to 7 majority and sent it back to the House for a conforming vote.

“We’re obviously disappointed that Governor Lingle has, once again, used her power to deny the people of Hawai`i their civil rights” said Laurie Temple, Staff Attorney for the ACLU.  “Luckily for the people of Hawai`i, however, our constitution prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation.  If the Governor won’t honor her oath to uphold the constitution, the courts will.”

“I am very encouraged by the Governor’s veto of HB2377, a bill that would have forced future governors to nominate individuals for the Board of Education from a list submitted by an advisory committee. 

“This bill served only to further fragment the leadership and accountability in Hawai‘i’s education system.  As I have stated for years, much of Hawai‘i’s public education challenges arise because there is no clear line of accountability between the Board of Education, the governor and the legislature." 

“Democrat legislators pushed to bring this bill back to life on the last day of the legislative session, but where are those arrogant legislators today?  Speaker Calvin Say is afraid to call a special session because his unstable rule over the House of Representatives is in jeopardy and he wants to avoid an attempt by dissident Democrats to overthrow him."

We are truly grateful for Gov. Linda Lingle’s veto today of HB 444. Her decision came after a thoughtful and balanced study of the bill and its consequences and we are convinced she has come to the proper and only conclusion that will best serve the people of Hawaii.

Her veto affirms the will of Hawaii citizens. In 1998, seventy percent of Hawaii voters ratified a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man or one woman. A 2009 survey by SMS Research found that 66 percent agreed with that vote more than a decade later.

"As I have always said, this issue will persist as long as lawmakers continue to keep the public from deciding whether marriage should be between a man and a woman.  

"If elected Governor, I will propose a constitutional amendment on this issue so the people can define marriage once and for all."

Now that the governor has decided the fate of House Bill 444, I firmly support steps to let the people of Hawaii have the final say on an issue that has generated passionate perspectives.