FULL TEXT: Gay Marriage Bill Introduced, Hearing Set for Oct 28
Foster Boys in Hilo Speak Up: Hunt On for Yet Another Alleged Homosexual Child Molester
Abercrombie Proposes More Items for Special Session Agenda
Hanabusa Camp: Schatz Campaign "Divisive, Insulting, Crass, Cynical, Narrow-Minded"
Chang: Hawaii GOP Recruiting Candidates
Closed Primary: Party Leaders Want more ideological Democratic Party
UPDATE: Hawaii Reapportionment Case Presented to US Supreme Court
State’s Largest Charter School Responds to Arrest of Former Principal
Senate WAM Briefing to Consider ‘Tax System Modernization’
GMO Free Kauai: Silencing a Dissident
Kaiser Health News: Thousands of Policies Cancelled Due to Obamacare
Celebrating sustainable fishing
‘The Saratov Approach’ Coming to Laie
Only 39% Approve of Abercrombie
CB: A majority of registered Hawaii voters who plan to vote in the Democratic primary — 51 percent — do not like the way Gov. Neil Abercrombie has been doing his job, according to a new poll.
Just 39 percent said they approve of the governor's job performance, while 10 percent said they are unsure.
Abercrombie's numbers have worsened since a Civil Beat Poll in June showed 48 percent of registered voters disapproved of his job performance while just 45 percent approved.
read ... And yet no real opposition
October Complete Poll Results
CB: Civil Beat surveyed a random sample of 819 registered Hawaii voters on Oct. 9-10, using interactive voice response technology (touch-tone polling)....
For the poll on the U.S. Senate race, Civil Beat surveyed 549 registered Hawaii voters who said they will vote Democrat in the primary. The poll has a 4.2 percent margin of error. For the poll on rail, we surveyed 540 Oahu voters; the margin of error is plus or minus 4.2 percent....
PDF: Full cross tabs October 2013
read ... Poll Results
Hee: Senate Amendments Will be Allowed on Gay Marriage Bill
HNN: If the Senate doesn't propose any amendments, which Hee confirms Senators will have the opportunity to, then the first House reading of the bill is expected on Thursday, October 31.
House Majority leader Scott Saiki says it will go through two committees, Judiciary and Finance – a decision he says is unprecedented.
"Those two committees combined represent over one half of the membership of the House, so in other words – more than one half of the House will be sitting on the committee that is hearing that bill," Representative Saiki explained.
House leaders say another uncommon step they've taken is to extend the special session length past the 5 day minimum, but Representative Bob McDermott says it's not enough....
The House Minority member says he will vote no on the same-sex marriage legislation and plans to introduce a bill of his own to put the issue to a public vote.
"This is a major societal change. Mothers, fathers, truck drivers, clerks at Long's – those folks should be able to make that decision at the ballot box via a Constitutional amendment. And then if we fail to convince them, I can live with that – but let the people decide," McDermott explained.
House Speaker Joseph Souki says he doesn't think the proposal stands a chance.
"22 members in the Senate favor same-sex marriage and so I don't think they're going to change to allow for two-thirds of the Senate to vote for a Constitutional amendment," Rep. Souki said.
But Souki says he does think the House has the minimum 26 votes it needs to pass same-sex marriage.
"Maybe 29 to 30 for," Souki described.
The public will have another chance to testify on Thursday, October 31 at a joint House hearing in the State Capitol auditorium. An exact time has yet to be announced....
If Representatives make any amendments to the bill, the earliest the Senate will likely vote on it is Wednesday, November 6.
PR: Schedule -- During the special session, the House will take the lead on bills relating to the financing of new public worker contracts and emergency money for the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital and the Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital.
read ... Amendments Will be Allowed
Is same-sex marriage battle behind attack on Hawaii churches?
World Magazine: Hawaii atheists have accused five island churches of intentionally filing false paperwork to pay less for the schools they rent from the state’s Department of Education (DOE).
Those involved, though, are questioning the atheists’ motives: Could the legal attack be tied to the churches’ outspoken support for biblical marriage?...
The Family Research Council, however, suggests the lawsuit is really about ideological differences: “During the debate in the Hawaii legislature, some of these same churches have been outspoken proponents of marriage. Could it be that they’ve been targeted for exercising those rights from the pulpit?”
read ... World Magazine
Sheriffs Deploy During Democratic Caucus
KITV: State sheriffs were highly visible as lawmakers prepared to caucus.
They were on every floor and just about every corner.
The heightened alert comes on the heels of additional threats against lawmakers over their positions on the same-sex marriage issue.
"We are always concerned about it, so we are trying to tighten security a bit," said House Speaker Joe Souki.
Emotions are expected to ratchet as the days tick down to session.
House leadership expressed hope that cooler heads will prevail even though rhetoric is getting more heated.
Read ... A reasonable precaution against more Atheist Attacks
Hawaii House Reps Spend on Refrigeration, Mediation, Translation
CB: Rep. Dee Morikawa doesn’t mess around when it comes to keeping things cold. In January, she bought two refrigerators — one regular size, one compact — for $1,373.
Mele Carroll spent $1,017 to stay at the Four Seasons Resort on Lanai.
James Tokioka bought his staff lunch at Aiea Bowl for $2,341....
PDF: Hawaii House Legislative Allowance
read ... Cold Cash
Abercrombie Sets $500/plate Fundraiser for Kapolei
PR: ...tonight in Kapolei. The $500 per person event will be held at the Chun Wah Kam Noodle Factory....
read ... Second City
Limiting the power of money in elections
Fred Hemmings: Here is what I am proposing.
No one can become a candidate for elected office until they are registered with the campaign spending commission in the prescribe time period in an election year.
Organizations of all sorts, campaign committees, exploratory committees, Political Action Committees-PACs may not collect or spend any money for any campaign for public office except in the time period prescribe by law. Each state can designate that time period.
For instance Hawaii law could stipulate that no campaign fund raising or expenditures by any group will be allowed except for the designated time period between March 1 and the end of the election year.
At the close of the election year all surplus funds shall be disposed of as stipulated by law. All accounts must be closed. Basically Hawaii law allows for surplus funds to be dispersed by refund or donating to a legitimate charity.
At the end of the election all accounts and campaign committees shall be terminated.
In addition no advocacy group or special interests can support, promote of spend money for any candidate except during the prescribe time period in the election year. Everyone shall play by the same rules.
read ... Fred Hemmings
Caldwell: Keep grants-in-aid process free of political influences other than Mine
SA: As all the grants-in-aid commission members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council — a political process — we instruct the members in writing that "your efforts must be free of any political influence and that your scores on the grants should reflect your sincere belief in the merits of each grant application and its compliance with Council-established priorities and criteria."
Related: $381K in Prohibited Gifts: Ethics Commission Compares Kirk Caldwell to Rod Tam -- Then Lets him off Hook
read ... Caldwell
Overheated market for solar energy leads to industry's painful consolidation
SA: Remember the 1983 film with Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay, "Risky Business"? Toward the end, after Cruise's character had to pay back all the money he made the night before to the pimp, Guido sarcastically asks, "Time of your life, huh kid?"
In Hawaii, where photovoltaic sales went off the charts last year, we collectively had the time of our lives and, for a growing number of integrators, are now having to give back those profits as PV sales on Oahu have been down for the past six straight months. According to my crystal ball, the amount of PV sold in 2013 will be down around 20 percent compared to last year.
read ... Marco Mangelsdorf
UH Prof: Government Regulation Causes Administrative Bloat
CB: At the slightest problem, Congress imposes new laws on universities and the corresponding federal agencies impose more guidelines. To enforce the federal guidelines, agencies called “accrediting institutions” have been spawned, basically shake-down mafias that tell universities that if they don’t get accreditation, “Washington” will cut off funding for their students. The accrediting agencies have to find higher and higher but still vague bars that universities must clear so the accreditors can justify their continuing existence.
Universities, pressed with more paperwork, hire more administrators. But administrators are like rabbits. They need a secretary, then they need an assistant vice-administrator who then needs an assistant, and so on. The more rules, the more administrators and the more job security. No worries if the rules don’t actually have anything to do with education. Economists have a name for this: it’s called “regulatory protectionism.”
Consider these university statistics: Nationally, between 1993 and 2007, while enrollment grew by 15 percent and faculty numbers grew by 18 percent, administrator numbers grew by 39 percent. While spending on students rose 39 percent during this period, administrative costs rose by 61 percent!
Here’s how it works today: Deans, vice chancellors and university presidents became peripatetic, only staying at universities for four or five years before moving on to the next. To get their next position, they have to create some great new initiative that they can trot out as evidence of their excellence. These academic transients have become a separate class, better paid than professors, even though they don’t teach or contribute directly to what their institutions actually do.
read ... Over-Regulation
Boom in the Hawaii Gun Business
HB: Imagine a retail business in which one key measure of sales growth was up 42.2 percent last year, with similar growth this year. You’d be on Easy Street, right? Except this same business is plagued by a perennial problem: Customers can buy plenty of the product, but it’s difficult to get enough of the one thing that makes the product work. Plus, there are few easily accessible places to use it safely.
On top of that, while your customers love your product, there are plenty of people who hate you and would like nothing better than to see your business six feet under.
No, I’m not talking about cigarettes, I’m talking about the retail firearms business in Hawaii
read ... Boom
Overcrowding due to lack of Affordable Housing -- 28 Displaced as 2 Houses burn
SA: The first fire was reported at a two-story home at 56-377 Leleuli St. There was extensive damage to the first floor, according to fire officials.
Three separate families were living at the home and the Red Cross is now assisting the 18 residents, said Capt. Terry Seelig, Honolulu Fire Department spokesman.
The second fire occurred at 56-381 Leleuli St., where 10 people were living.
read ... Lack of Affordable Housing
Hauula resident fights city’s condemnation of land
KITV: "We are the fee owners, and in fact, the first trial for this eminent domain case is not going to start till March, 2014," said Choon James.
SA: Eminent domain fight has city moving to close recycling center
read ... Hauula resident fights city’s condemnation of land
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