September 14, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

September 14, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:57 PM :: 14634 Views

Video: Duke Aiona launches first TV ad

Lingle: “Rail EIS is not on my desk as some have incorrectly stated”

Jerry Burris: “Abercrombie is one of just a handful of members of Congress who do not declare a religious affiliation”

Confirmed: Neil Abercrombie does not claim to be Episcopalian

Which kills more: ideology or religion?

Crichton: Environmentalism is a religion

VIDEO: Ground Zero Mosque leader “9-11 truthers are conducting the most exalted jihad."

Hawaii Democratic Convention renews call for closed primary

Hawaii AARP releases Voter guide

Hannemann to Abercrombie: I admit I will raise the GE Tax, when will you admit it?

Mufi Hannemann on Monday called on his rival for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, Neil Abercrombie, to explain how state government would pay for the new programs Abercrombie is proposing.

At a news conference, Hannemann said some of Abercrombie's proposals as outlined in a 45-page campaign booklet are worth supporting.

But Hannemann said Abercrombie has failed to say how a state government that has suffered significant budget cuts over the last two years can finance the proposals Abercrombie is touting.

Voters constantly ask him how much Abercrombie's proposals would cost, Hannemann said. "We put pen to hand and what we came up with, just two pages alone, is over $280 million. That should concern all of us," Hannemann added.

The other choice: Aiona said he would not raise the general excise tax

Hannemann Seeks Non-Democrat Voters

HONOLULU -- Gubernatorial candidate Mufi Hannemann Monday said he is encouraging Republicans, religious voters and anyone else to vote in the Democratic Party primary Saturday -- even if they are not Democrats.

It puts the issue of "crossover" voting center stage. Hawaii’s “open” primary allows voters to secretly choose a party primary in which they want to vote, regardless of their actual or prior party affiliation.

Crossover campaigns, when a candidate encourages members of the opposite party to vote in their party's primary have happened before in Hawaii. Former Mayor Frank Fasi tried them without success in several campaigns.

Monday Hannemann said, “I am probably the biggest promoter of crossover voting. All of my campaigns have had that kind of characteristic to it.”…

Aiona and the Republican Party urged Republicans to vote in the Republican primary.

Eliminate crossover voting: Hawaii Democratic Convention renews call for closed primary

Inouye's coyness promoting confusion

Like the cautious consumer mulling over a new car purchase, Inouye has been test-driving the campaign of Mufi Hannemann for nearly a year.

He's slipped into the driver's seat, checked the lights and brakes. The key is in the ignition, but Inouye can't seem to turn it until after the Saturday primary.

Last November then-Mayor Hannemann told supporters at a Waikiki fundraiser that Inouye wanted him in the race for governor.

"It is no secret, my friends, and I will say it tonight, that Sen. Inouye is encouraging us to seek the top seat in Hawaii," Hannemann said.

Later Inouye's campaign said the senator is "encouraging many people to run for office and urging healthy competition." …

Abercrombie supporters say that if Inouye was serious about Hannemann, he should come back home, throw the campaign on his back and lug Hannemann over the finish line.

SA: Abercrombie blasts ad using senators' remarks

Takamines, longtime legislators, differ with the ILWU over Dem Nomination

Funny, the SA didn’t mention Larry Mehau’s support.

REALITY: Larry Mehau supporting Neil Abercrombie

ACT 221 Scammers target Rep. Issac Choy

In an email, Representative Isaac Choy’s campaign chairman questioned why the Hawaii Venture Capital Association made an endorsement in just one legislative race.

The only House or Senate race at the State Legislature was for Kimberly Case against Rep. Isaac Choy. Isn’t it odd that the proponents of the 221 tax credit go after the one state legislator who they see as the roadblock to their cash flow? Forget the Gov’s race, these greedy folks want to suck another $100 million a year from the state for the next ten years, again.

HVCA: HVCA BOARD ENDORSES KIMBERLY CASE FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 24

City prosecutor hopefuls lay out visions 1 last time

Kaneshiro, director of the Department of Public Safety under Gov. Ben Cayetano, said he headed the department when it opened more bed space for prisoners here by sending inmates to the mainland.

Ching said he brings a "new vision" with a "proactive approach" of prosecutors forming partnerships and working with the community to prevent crime rather than react to it.

Kaneshiro, who was city prosecutor from 1988 to 1996, said he entered this year's race because he felt that it's "too critical for me to stand on the side any more."

Pacarro raised more than $173,000, the most money among the three candidates, according to last week's Campaign Spending Commission reports. Ching raised nearly $113,600, including about $60,000 in loans, and Kaneshiro nearly $75,000, including $22,500 in loans.

Shapiro: A taxing connection for Caldwell

Some readers don’t like the way the dots connect between the mayor paying minimal taxes on the $1.8 million Manoa home he owns with his wife Donna Tanoue and the recent city tax reclassifications that smacked some 250 O’ahu residents, mostly in Kalihi, with property tax increases of more than 300 percent in some cases.

One Stanley Street homeowner saw his bill go up from $2,335 last year to $10,552 this year. The city’s initial response was to offer affected homeowners a payment plan, although Caldwell has since proposed more substantive relief.

According to the Star-Advertiser, Caldwell saw his property tax drop from nearly $5,500 in 2005 to $100 in 2006…

ILind: Retired SA Editor Chuck Frankel

It did not bother me that Kirk Caldwell wasn’t mentioned until deep in the story. I found it intriguing that Jon Van Dyke’s Roundtop home wasn’t visible at Roundtop but could be seen from Kahala — if you knew where to look. Yet he got a tax break.

It’s another incident where the rich get richer, thanks to attorneys. The program to help preserve historic homes was well conceived but it has failed and should be repealed.

Economy is top issue in packed Maui mayoral race

Arakawa, 58, who lost to Tavares in 2006 by less than 5 percentage points (1,749 votes), is hoping enough voters will swing his way this year.

Arakawa said the most important issue is increasing employment in the county.

"This requires us to focus in on rebuilding our local economy in partnership with local businesses," he said….

Marc Hodges, a former police officer and co-founder of the Maui Tea (Taxed Enough Already) Party, wants to increase efficiency and reduce the number of people in county government mainly by not filling vacancies.

Hodges, 42, ran unsuccessfully as an environmentalist for mayor in 1994 and received 35 percent of the vote in a Democratic primary against Goro Hokama.

State Auditor doing her part for the DoE/BoE/HSTA: DOE Management Audit Would Overwhelm Her Staff

Last week, during a lieutenant governor candidates’ forum, Republican Adrienne King said the focus of the next governor should be "A full, comprehensive fiscal and management audit of the DOE. The last time we had one was in 1973."

That's true, according to State Auditor Marion Higa, who showed us the 1973 DOE audit she worked on 37 years ago, complete with its geometric, early-70s cover and fading pages.

"DOE has not been short shrifted in our attention," Higa told KITV 4 News.

(This proves Lingle was right about Higa. She is a Democrat shill.)

Quick math calculation: 2010-1973 = 37 Lets wait another 37 years until 2047. We really only need to check up on DoE finances every 74 years or so. Really.

VEBA: HSTA files lawsuit against Lingle

(After its arrogance and incompetence drove VEBA into insolvency) The Hawaii State Teachers Association has filed a class action lawsuit against Governor Lingle after they say the state is forcing public school teachers to transfer their health benefit plans by the end of the year from the Voluntary Employee's Beneficiary Association Trust (VEBA) to the Employer-Union Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF).

BOE names Kathryn Matayoshi as superintendent

No surprise here. The BoE didn’t even bother to interview any of the other 23 candidates.

BOE Press Release: Kathryn Matayoshi Named New Superintendent: LINK

Shapiro: Support Matayoshi, but boot the school board

CB: Island Values flyer is inflammatory but accurate

Kenneth Wong of Island Values told Civil Beat that while his group believes that "Congressman Abercrombie's no religious affiliation does not make him a better or worse Congressman or candidate," that "what concerns Island Values is that after 24 years of officially declaring no religious affiliation in Congress, Mr. Abercrombie is now claiming that he is a confirmed Episcopalian just 10 days before the election."

Wong provided the following links (here, here and here) to Civil Beat as evidence to back up Island Value's claim that Abercrombie has no religious affiliation. The links connect to various blogs. (FALSE> These links are not “blogs.” They are the Honolulu Advertiser, the Washington Post, and the non-partisan group Vote-USA.org.)

For fact checking purposes, this borders on the edge of unverifiable. While the blogs from Wong all say that Abercrombie has no religious affiliation, Abercrombie's campaign spokesperson, Laurie Au, says: "Neil was confirmed in the Episcopal Church as a young man. He has since chosen to exercise his beliefs privately." (A new version of the spin.)

(There is nothing private about declaring “no religious affiliation.” That is a public statement.)

REALITY: Confirmed: Neil Abercrombie does not claim to be Episcopalian

SA: None of the 14 Hawaii farms (such as my son’s ML&P) are accused of doing anything wrong

The farms had relied on Global Horizons Manpower of Los Angeles, which has been accused in federal court of abusing the present federal guest worker program, known as H-2A, in 2004 and 2005, in importing farm workers from Thailand. In a separate criminal case, brothers Mike and Alec Sou, owners of Aloun Farms on Oahu, are awaiting trial on charges related to their recruitment of Thai workers.

(And I sure hope that my son Steve and his buddy Pierre don’t end up like the Sous.)

REALITY: Green hypocrites: Case & Omidyar’s Maui Land & Pine tied to human trafficking case

More reality: Advertiser Endorsement: More Case family media manipulation?

Trapped With a Dying Dog: Understanding Human Trafficking, on a Smaller Scale

Complicit in Hawaii slavery case, Pierre Omidyar’s Civil Beat focuses on human trafficking – in Cambodia.

REALITY: Green hypocrites: Case & Omidyar’s Maui Land & Pine tied to human trafficking case

More reality: Advertiser Endorsement: More Case family media manipulation?

Review discovers campaign violations by Hawaii County Council members

three council members, Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann, South Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford and Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason, responded to campaign-related e-mails in some fashion, or mentioned their campaigns in response to e-mails relating to council business.

Kauai Shrimp farm meeting spurs public interest

“While the exclusive meeting and tour that the state Department of Health has arranged of the shrimp farm would seem to be beneficial, the community does not view it as an adequate substitute for a formal hearing process accessible to the whole community on the known and potential impacts resulting from large-scale wastewater discharge requested for the shrimp farm,” Sierra Club member (and anti-Superferry protester) Brad Parsons said Monday.

(Environmentalists continue their war against food production in Hawaii—while babbling endlessly about the decline of food production in Hawaii.)

Kauai electric utility wins approval for rate hike

HONOLULU (AP) - Regulators have given Kauai's electric utility permission to raise rates by 1.98 percent.

(“Green” energy.)

Quarantine possible to contain coffee berry borer pest

A pathogenic fungus, Beauveria, has been somewhat successful in limiting the borer's spread, she said. That fungus is approved for use in every state except Hawaii.
Wong said officials were working to request permission to bring that fungus into the state. (The enviros will stop them or delay until it is too late….)

SA: Big Island coffee beans could be quarantined to fight pest

Suspect in 1996 Waikiki Gay Sex Tourism murder provides writing samples

McCormick, 36, is awaiting trial for second-degree murder for the July 1996 death of visiting University of Pittsburgh professor Robert T. Henderson.

When police found Henderson's naked, decomposing body in a Waikiki condominium, written in capital letters in blue ink on the body's buttocks was the phrase, "I rape young boys so I must die."

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