Hawaii Family Forum Publishes 2014 Voter Guide
Health Connector Names New CEO
A Bad Week for David Ige
Abortion: Desperate Democrats Spend over $100K Lying About Aiona
KITV: The Democratic Governors Association in Washington, D.C. has spent six figures on the ad that's running on broadcast and cable TV outlets in Hawaii, Democratic sources said. An exact dollar estimate of the media buy was not available.
"In TV ads, he seems so reasonable. But the real Duke Aiona is troubling,” said a woman's voice in the TV ad. “Republican Aiona believes we should outlaw abortion, even in cases of rape or incest. Even when the health of the mother is at risk." (This is a lie, but where are all the progressives whining about negative ads? They cheer this one.)
Aiona released this statement: "Personally, I am pro-life and I choose life; however, I also believe every woman also has the right to choose."
The TV ad also said, “Outlawing abortion, it's the national Republican agenda and Duke Aiona's. Troubling and true.”
But Aiona's campaign said that's not true and he will not try to overturn Hawaii's abortion law if elected governor.
"As a former judge I know how to maintain objectivity and submit to the rule of existing law. It's already been settled," Aiona said.
"This is a pretty hard hitting negative ad by Hawaii standards," said UH Manoa Political Science Professor Colin Moore, Hawaii News Now's political analyst....
Moore said the commercial could help reinforce Democratic Party talking points that while Aiona may seem like a nice guy, his stands on social issues are out of sync with a majority of Hawaii voters. (Translation: For 'progressives', lying is OK because it works. No hand-wringing about the negative impact on the quality of political discourse in the public square , bla bla bla....)
KITV: Milner Just as Big a Hypocrite as Moore Political analyst Neal Milner said in this game, it's not about morality as much as effectiveness. "The significance of this ad is that it reminds people, it tries to remind people the majority of voters who are normally Democratic, don't be fooled by this, of moderate reasonable thing on issues like abortion," Milner said.
FLASHBACK 2012:
Why now? A Bad Week for David Ige
read ... New TV ad targets Aiona on abortion issue
Nago Off Hook, Says He is Trying to Get it Right This Time
KHON: Chief election officer Scott Nago is off the hook.
The state Elections Commission announced Friday findings of its investigation into Nago’s handling of the August primary.
Nago came under fire after Tropical Storm Iselle kept some Big Island voters from getting to the polls and for his decision to hold a makeup election just days later, while many voters were still dealing with the storm’s aftermath.
“Based on results of my interviews, my opinion that Scott Nago’s decision-making prior to and during Iselle was not unilateral. It included collaboration with appropriate Hawaii County officials as well as the Attorney General,” said Election Commissioner Victor Viera.
After launching three separate investigations, the commission agreed with Nago’s actions.
As for the failure to count 800 ballots, the commission agreed human oversight was the cause.
With that behind them, the commission now wants to know what plans are in place in case lava threatens the general election. With Puna being threatened by an approaching lava flow, a lot could go wrong.
The Elections Commission grilled Nago on what he’s got planned, warning him that he can’t make any mistakes.
read ... Chief election officer focuses on a mistake-free general election
US should reexamine Jones Act, Tesoro’s CEO recommends
OGJ: Tesoro Corp. Chief Executive Officer Gregory J. Goff called for a review of the Jones Act, a federal law dating from the 1920s that requires US-produced goods moving between US ports to do so aboard US-flagged vessels.
“To move crude oil from the Gulf Coast to Northeast refineries costs 2-3 times as much as to bring it from Saudi Arabia,” he said in remarks to the US Energy Association’s 7th Annual Energy Supply Forum on Oct. 2. “The Jones Act makes it economically impossible for us to buy North Dakota crude for our West Coast refineries and displace imports.”
Goff, who leads one of the nation’s largest independent refiner-marketers, said provisions in the federal Renewable Fuels Standard and proposed ozone regulations also could pose problems for domestic downstream operations.
But he added that Congress and other federal policymakers should at least discuss and debate ways the Jones Act makes US oil product markets less economic and efficient. “It’s possible repealing it will be the best solution, although that wouldn’t be easy,” Goff said.
His observations after Graeme Burnett, senior vice-president for fuel optimization at Delta Air Lines Inc., which owns a Northeastern US refinery, said on Sept. 23 that the Jones Act and RFS need to be reconsidered before more US crude oil exports are authorized.
read ... US should reexamine Jones Act
BLNR to Allow Sit-Lie Enforcement
DN: The Board of Land and Natural Resources posted an agenda this afternoon which includes two items impacting houseless citizens of the state.
The first item is a denial of Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery’s application for a contested case hearing to challenge the BLNR’s approval of the use of a Sand Island site for a tented camp for the homeless displaced by enforcement of the city’s new sit/lie ordinances, and the second begins the process of allowing the Honolulu Police Department to exercise jurisdiction over the state-controlled Fort DeRussy Beach where some people have been camping overnight.
read ... Push them into shelters
Candidates Struggle to Pander to Anti-GMO Morons
CB: Aiona: “It is a very emotional and divisive issue right now in regards to the counties. I believe that labeling — people knowing what’s in the food, what’s in the ground — is very important. In regards to pesticides, I believe if it is an issue in regards to monitoring and regulation, then obviously our Department of Health has to do a better job than what it’s doing right now. But I’m not sure that it’s really is the exact, the real problem, in regards to this whole genre of issues that are before the counties right now. I think it’s really a matter of not being as well educated as everyone should be. I think with the latest commercials that we see right now and the Maui initiative is educating people both ways. I’ve heard it both ways. And so, it’s something that obviously everyone has to be a part of in the discussion and when the ultimate decision is finally made, it’s whether or not it’s going to help us — it’s going to be beneficial to us in regards to our health and well-being — and of course, the economic toll that it’s going to take on the farmers, on the vendors and everyone else.”
Ige: “Yes, I do believe that as governor I would assure that we protect the health and safety of our communities. That would be Job 1. We need to regulate pesticide use. We need to know what is being applied, where it’s being applied and ensure that it’s being applied safely. That is a core function of state government and I would ensure that that happens. In terms of labeling, I do believe that labeling is a federal issue. I strongly encourage the federal government and the FDA to set standards so our people know what’s in the food they’re buying. And then thirdly, in terms of the GMOs, I really do believe and support all farmers. We have so much agriculture land that is not in production. We need to support them, whatever their method, whatever they’re planting.”
PR: Morons Launch New TV Ad
read ... Pandering
Arizona Prison Sued for Interfering With Sovereignty Movement Recruitment Efforts
KHON: A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that a civil rights lawsuit brought by prisoners who claim to practice the Native Hawaiian religion will proceed as a class-action against the State of Hawaii and private prison operator Corrections Corporation of America (CCA).
U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi granted class certification to the Hawaii inmates who are serving their sentence at Saguaro Correctional Center, a private for-profit prison owned and operated by CCA in Eloy, Arizona, under a contract with the Hawaii Department of Public Safety.
Almost 200 inmates have declared that they engage in Native Hawaiian religious practices at Saguaro.
Eight inmates filed the lawsuit in 2011 after prison officials prevented inmates from gathering for daily outdoor worship, and confiscated objects inmates said are vital to their religion.
read ... Federal judge ruling allows Hawaii prisoner lawsuit to proceed
Big Island candidates for state House and Senate take on cesspools, lava flow in Puna
HTH: Republican Dave Bateman said the cesspool proposal is “a ridiculous move on the part of the DOH.”
“I went through the petition and supporting materials and found none,” Bateman said. “We have very good basalts here and rifts in the earth that will purify (waste). I don’t know of anyone being treated in the ER for coliform. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”
Bateman said a public-private partnership would fix the ailing hospital system he says is failing largely because of labor costs.
The candidate called for the use of state land and federal funds to aid Puna residents whose property and access could be destroyed by lava.
Bateman repeatedly emphasized cutting income taxes and the general excise tax, and he voiced his support for more local control of public education....
House District 6 includes Kailua-Kona, Holualoa, Kalaoa and Honokohau.
Republican challenger Kelly Valenzuela called for existing cesspools to be grandfathered in.
“Our families cannot pay $15,000 to convert from a cesspool into a septic tank,” she said.
On the lava front, Valenzuela said the state should work with insurance companies to make sure residents are taken care of. Developers of large subdivisions also need to be aware of where the volcano could reach, she said.
Valenzuela said hospital “reimbursement rates are horrible and we pay millions in premiums.”
The general excise tax is a punishing factor for “people who are just trying to get ahead,” she said.
“It’s almost like we’re being taxed twice,” she added.
read ... Cesspools
Seven Months after FBI Raid, DPS Employee Still Has Job
SA: He resigned from the Police Commission in late February after FBI agents raided his home and bank account earlier that month.
He was appointed to the commission for a partial term in 2011 by Mayor Bernard Carvalho. He was reappointed the following year for a full three-year term.
Green said Chiba likely will lose his job with the Department of Public Safety.
Public Safety spokeswoman Toni Schwartz said, "There is still an ongoing internal investigation that requires the receipt of the final sentencing documents before we can move forward."
Kauai County spokeswoman Beth Tokioka said the county declined to comment on the sentencing since Chiba is no longer a member of the Police Commission. Commission Chairman Charles Iona also declined to comment.
Chiba was the bookie for Dodge Watson, 34, a former University of Hawaii Foundation employee who was recently sentenced to probation by a federal judge for using scholarship money to pay off his gambling debt.
Watson was employed with the foundation for eight years and served as the scholarship administrator in December 2012 when he forged signatures of other foundation employees to obtain approval for a $2,000 scholarship check made payable to his bookie. In June, Watson pleaded guilty to identity theft.
He was fined $2,000 that he already paid back and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service.
read ... Bookie Jailer
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