DHHL

For months, Mazie Hirono pledged to vote against the Senate version of Obamacare.  For her, Senate Obamacare just wasn’t socialist enough.  Along with 56 other “progressive” members of Congress, she demanded a program with a public option and denounced the Senate bill as a multi-billion dollar giveaway to the insurance companies.

Hirono’s July 30, 2009 letter explained:

“Any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, for a public option with reimbursement rates based on Medicare rates--not negotiated rates—is unacceptable…. (T)his agreement will result in the public, both as insurance purchasers and as taxpayers, paying ever higher rates to insurance companies.  We simply cannot vote for such a proposal.”

Hirono has maintained this position as recently as February 2, but at the last minute, barely noticed by her “progressive” base, Rep Mazie Hirono has changed her mind....

Now, more than ever, we need to bring balance to our nation’s capitol.  For too long, Hawaii residents have been underserved with only “one” viewpoint represented in Congress.  This out-of-balance system has failed our citizens and allowed for policies that have stifled our creativity and economic growth and burdened us with heavy taxes, wasteful, out of control government spending, and inefficient bureaucratic growth.

The people are speaking, but Washington isn’t listening.  That’s why we need new leaders who will listen and provide “common sense” approaches to get our country back on track.  Join me in the “good fight” and allow me the honor to represent you with “a strong voice and presence” in the halls of Congress.  

Protest Rally

• Thursday March 18th
• 4pm-6pm
• Front Sidewalk of Queen Ka'ahumanu Mall

Hawaii Legislature's own papermill.  Built by feeeel-goood fake environmentalism.

Initiatives on the County level have included: Kauai Ohana in 2006-2007 attempting to use the initiative process to defeat high property taxes, Stop Rail activists who won the opportunity to vote on rail, and others who have used initiative for various causes on the Big Island.  Hawaii citizens do not have any statewide initiative and referendum rights. A majority of state citizens do enjoy local initiative and referendum rights. 

An estimated 15,000 Hawaii residents rallied Sunday at the Capitol against passage of House Bill 444 which would enact gay civil unions into law.  They were backed by another 500 protesters gathered at the Wailuku State Building on Maui.

Attend the Rally at the State Capitol on Sunday, January 17th (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm) to support traditional marriage and other pro-family policies.  AND MAUI -- Wailuku State Building, Wailuku, Maui  Sunday, January 17  2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

HONOLULU – Duke Aiona today announced five county chairs and co-chairs and 13 regional chairs for his growing campaign. The leadership team will provide grassroots support to mobilize and turn out voters for Duke Aiona in the 2010 gubernatorial election.

Editor's Note: On Maui, Kihei Elementary School PTA leaders are working against resistance from the HSTA and the DoE to re-open their school on Furlough Fridays.  Why would the union and bureaucracy oppose this plan?  The best clue is at the end of the letter:

"While the children are in their usual routine the rest of us adults can figure out what to do with the budget."

The DoE and HSTA need to create as much chaos as possible in order to stampede the legislature into raising taxes and raiding special funds.  They are working to stifle any discussion of the massive waste, fraud, and abuse contained within the DoE budget.  By coming up with a way to keep school open on Fridays, the Kihei PTA is getting in the way of this DoE/HSTA political game. 

As volunteer sign wavers arrived, they noticed an angry man shouting at them about “F***ing Republicans!” The man picked up the TEA Party signs that were set up near the sidewalk and started to walk away with them. Hodges, called after the man, repeatedly asking him, “Friend, please bring back those signs – they are private property,” but the man continued storming off. Finally, Hodges called out that he would summon police if the man did not return the signs. The man then turned around, marched up to Hodges still carrying the signs and yelled "I'm gonna kick your a**!!".

Hodges, a former Maui police officer, notified the man that pursuant to Hawaii law, Hodges was placing the man under citizen's arrest for the theft of the signs and the physical threat. The man grew angrier and threw the signs, which are made of heavy wood, at Hodges's feet, cutting Hodges’ right leg through his jeans. Hodges stood by with the man until police arrived, accepted Hodges' citizen's arrest, and took the man to the police station for processing. Police reports were generated against the man for theft in the fourth degree and assault in the third degree.

The HSTA union bosses and the top-heavy DoE brass chose the furloughs as a way to convince us that they are indispensable and to justify raising more taxes, including a 20% jump in state excise taxes. More taxes will only deepen the recession and make things worse.

The union and DoE bosses' strategy is backfiring. More and more parents are asking why we need the DoE and the HSTA when they put union elites and the bureaucracy ahead of the classroom teachers, the parents and the students.

It is the fundamental issue of whether we will enable agriculture to survive in our state by ensuring that farmers have access to adequate water to grow their crops.

I am here to talk about achieving a meaningful, reasonable, and balanced decision by the Water Commission, and to offer caution that the decisions the Commission makes will have profound consequences for the future of Maui and our state as a whole.

The Commission will determine the allocation of stream water to meet a public trust.  Included in that deliberation is the examination of the beneficial uses for the water.  I believe because of its importance, water for agricultural operations should be given the same level of protection as that given to domestic consumption, the protection of traditional and customary Hawaiian rights, and the protection of fish and wildlife to achieve a proper ecological balance.

Crossroads will develop a comprehensive assessment of Maui’s present and anticipated healthcare needs, a comprehensive financial feasibility study and business planning for the proposed medical development at a site in Kihei.

On May 10, 1873, Damien arrived in Kalaupapa to meet the spiritual needs of the 600 residents. He soon realized that his presence provided much needed comfort to those suffering from Hansen’s Disease, and he served in different capacities, including doctor, carpenter, legal advocate and grave digger. He also organized religious associations, a children’s band and a choir. Through his work, Damien instilled pride and dignity in the residents of Kalaupapa, restoring the faith of the forgotten.

Ellen Bellerose rushed to Maui Memorial Medical Center's emergency room at her cardiologist's direction after she felt severe pain and pressure in her neck, chest and arms. As the pain intensified over the next two hours, she walked up to the counter three times to report difficulty breathing. She was told there were no beds available. "I was becoming terrified that I could die, unattended, in the emergency room." Although registered as a patient for 27 hours, she never entered the main hospital that February 7, 2006, but was billed as if she had.

Hodges is asking the state and the unions to waive contract terms and regulations that may prohibit furloughed teachers from returning to work under private contract and to streamline approval processes so community volunteers can be mobilized quickly and effectively.

“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.

Links to Memorial Day commemorations across the state...

When the Star-Bulletin and Advertiser write about "ethical lapses" of public officials without actually describing the lapses it is a sure sign that a good story is lurking below the surface.  Of course that is the case with MRC Greenwood, one of the two finalists selected from 600 applicants for the job of UH system President. 

This hidden story involves money-grubbing lesbians, a $30,000 dog run paid for by the UC system, former Communist Party vice-presidential candidate Angela Davis, and one suicide.  Questions Hawaii reporters should be asking Greenwood include:  "If hired, will UH be expected to also hire Ms Goff and/or your son?"  and "Will you speak up in favor of  administrators arranging cushy high-paying jobs for their lovers at UH--or was that just a UC thing?"

When this subject came up last week in the House Judiciary Committee, an amendment to the hate crimes bill that would have excluded pedophilia from the definition of sexual orientation was defeated by Democrats along party lines, 13-10.

Rep Joe Bertram’s 30-year friend Mark Marcantonio isn’t the only convicted child molester helped out by the Maui Democrat. The Legislative staff directory for 2007 shows that Bertram hired convicted child molester Leon Rouse as a Legislative Aide for the 2007 Legislative session.

Before a boisterous crowd of approximately 20,000 in the Georgia Dome, the four Hawai‘i teams got down to business at the “Super Bowl off Smarts,” which started yesterday and wrapped up today.  They competed with close to 350 other teams from Brazil, Canada, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines and the U.S. mainland.  The competition challenged the students to use their critical thinking skills and knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to maneuver robots they built themselves around a playing field.

Joe Bertram believes sexual predators are clogging up our prisons and should be out of jail, free to lure more of our innocent children. I believe they belong behind bars and away from our communities.  Bertram’s actions are not only disgusting, they are dangerous.

For those who feel they're paying too much and have a yen to vent, there's an event tomorrow just for you (assuming that you're not one of those last-minute procrastinators and have the time to attend). The "Tax Day Tea Party" will be held 4-7 p.m. at the state Capitol.

Here's the call to action from the organizer's Web site, www.overtaxedhawaii.com:

"Many of our elected state legislators in Hawaii are planning to enact massive tax increases in the weeks ahead when the legislative session ends on May 7th. YOU CAN HELP STOP THEM.

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.

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.

The bogus bonds are not sold through an investment firm or brokerage house, as legitimate bonds are. They also purport to represent ownership in a fictitious Hawaiian nation named Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, sponsored by the Hawaiiloa Foundation.

The companies pushing the bogus bonds, several claiming to be affiliated with Native Hawaiian sovereignty movements, are targeting Native Hawaiian homeowners and others who are facing foreclosure.

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?

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.

The high court’s reading of legal precedent gives special protection to a state’s Admission Act. And in the case of Hawaii this means special protection for Hawaiian Homelands and the designation of ceded lands revenues for five specific purposes. The high court thus undermines two of the three key public arguments for the Akaka Bill.

How wrong is the Hawaii State Supreme Court?  Their unanimous decision just got unanimously reversed by the US Supreme Court....How did this case begin?  With OHA suing to block construction of affordable housing.  Why are Hawaiians leaving Hawaii?  Lack of affordable housing. 

Four high school robotics teams from Hawai‘i – Maui, McKinley, Moanalua and Waialua High Schools – have earned a spot in the FIRST Robotics World Championship that will be held in Atlanta, Georgia next month.

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

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle along with Castle & Cooke, First Wind Hawai‘i and Hawaiian Electric Company today announced an agreement that could lead to large wind farms on both Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i providing clean energy to O‘ahu. These wind farms would feed into an inter-island cable system currently being discussed that could ultimately interconnect the major Hawaiian islands for increased grid reliability, security and consumer and business cost savings through access to renewables.

The Certificate of Need for the proposed West Maui hospital was officially approved by Ron Terry, Executive Director of SHPDA....

San Francisco State University:  "[T]he College Republicans must be punished or sanctioned for throwing shoes at the Hamas flag; pending charges should be dropped against the two protestors who assaulted the College Republicans and seized the Hamas flag; and, most ominously for defenders of free _expression on campus, a forum should be created to 'educate' students about what forms of speech the 'offended' students deem acceptable or unacceptable, including what the Left regularly tries to proscribe as 'hate speech.'"

Kimo Apana, a former Maui County Mayor, testified that he brought a friend into MMMC with a stroke this week and although they needed to admit the friend, there was not a bed....

The bill was drafted as a compromise to get House approval and to encourage talks with the state Senate, where many senators are opposed.

In a Feb­ru­ary 28, 2008 letter, Hon­orary Vice-Consul of Italy in Hawaii, Car­men Di Amore-Siah, purports to grant the Hawaii King­dom Gov­ern­ment group recognition by the Gov­ern­ment of Italy.

After nationalizing a Kauai poi factory in December, the state of Hawaii is considering collectivized agriculture. A bill before the Legislature’s House Committee on Health would establish a state farm on Maui -- to grow marijuana.