Entries for September 2018

...This law, which we have discussed before, recently has been used to create a “school impact district” that goes from Kalihi to Ala Moana.... 

...state policymakers are willing to commit to payments on the unfunded liabilities, but haven’t done much to curb the excessive spending practices that have led us to this point....

...The Tax Foundation of Hawaii, a nonprofit taxpayer watchdog organization, together with 14 other organizations, businesses, and individuals, submitted a court filing supporting the Counties’ request that the Hawaii Supreme Court void the ballot measure for school funds....

...Hirono is “particularly vulnerable to right-wing attacks” because of her focus on the Kavanaugh allegations, the email said....

...Follow-Up on Recommendations from Report No. 15-20, Audit of the Department of Human Services’ KOLEA System....

...24 key metrics that represent financial savvy — or lack thereof....

...Our review of six trust funds and four trust accounts of the Department of Defense (DOD) found one trust fund did not meet criteria and should be closed....

...Following two years of decline, the pace of building in Hawaii has stabilized. The value of construction permits is posting healthy gains across all sub-sectors this year....

...Retail Sales Workers topped the list at 42,445 workers in 2016, which accounted for 5.9 percent of Hawaii’s civilian workforce; followed by Food and Beverage Serving Workers at 40,775, 5.7 percent ... Construction Trade Workers ranked third place 34,137, 4.8 percent....

...The report, “Cabotage Laws of the World,” is the outcome of a an international survey of national maritime cabotage regimes....

...Two prominent attorneys agree Act 007 may violate Supreme Court Janus decision....

...It is the smallest overall decrease in the six years following the great recession....

...Hawaii 4th-worst 'Individual Income Tax'....

...the well-documented conflict between federal and state law has created barriers for financial institutions desiring to serve businesses involved in state-licensed cannabis activities....

...On Monday, gun-grabber special interests filed “friend of the court” briefs and declarations to argue against the right to bear arms in the case of Young v. Hawaii, challenging the state’s effective ban on open carry by the whole people....

“The 1.4 percent increase in visitor spending for August was the lowest of any month since May 2016. Additionally, the $1.41 billion in total visitor spending was the lowest of any month so far this year."

...overtourism....

...“when the wind was blowing, the building was moving, if this building collapses during a show, the dolphins, and possibly hundreds of people will be injured or possibly killed.”...

...Former left-wing activist, explains why she left the 'left-wing' crowd she previously identified herself with and what were the main differences she learned about herself through the journey....

...The term “hate crime” comes up six times in the report but the phrase “child molestation” never appears....

...Americans initiating heroin use dropped by around half from 2016 to 2017. The number of Americans misusing opioids also dropped for the second year in a row, and the number receiving specialty treatment for heroin use increased....

...The CLC sent a letter to Hatch Act Unit Chief Ana Galindo-Marrone asking her office to look at whether Benton's attendance as a speaker at a Hawaii Republican Party fundraiser on Friday was illegal....

...Please keep putting this Senator Hir-Oh-NO-she-didn't-just-say-that-yes-she-did on TV every single day from now until the midterms....

...sometimes you just have to laugh....

...coral bleaching hysteria can bring federal law down on you....

...the state continues to hide $4.2 billion of its retiree health care debt....

...A proposed state “surcharge” on “investment real property” to fund public education could result in county property taxes statewide going up by an average of $21,005....

...Qualified homeowners still have time to apply for a real property tax credit offered by the City and County of Honolulu....

...The Board of Water Supply will have the ability to waive the water systems facilities charges and new meter cost for qualified on-site affordable and homeless dwelling units, up to 500 dwelling units per year....

...During the meetings participants will engage in a “game” that sparks discussion about the best way to transition O‘ahu to a clean energy future and meet stated goals under the Paris climate agreement....

"...Behavioral Specialists described an alarming frequency of significantly dangerous behaviors exhibited by a number of students, including suicide attempts that were nearly fatal...." 

...Senator Mazie Hirono today poses as a brave feminist cultural warrior, but when it really counted in her own backyard in Hawaii, she was AWOL....

...advocates of the so-called education tax have been strangely quiet about how much it will be....

...Weekly Update from GovTrack.us September 23, 2018....

...Hirono: Kavanaugh Doesn’t Get Presumption of Innocence Because of His ‘Ideological Agenda’....

...the ballot question doesn’t say anything at all about tax.  Does that make the ballot question misleading or deceptive?....  

...Hawaii Republicans launched their ticket's general election campaign Friday during a dinner also attended by gubernatorial running mates Andria Tupola and Marissa Kerns....

"...in the event of default, the Government may demand all Federal funds provided to the Grantee for the Project be returned...."

...click any school to see test results....

...Although there has been extensive discussion regarding whether Aloha Poke Co.’s actions are morally justified, there has been little, if any, serious analysis as to whether its position is legally valid....

...New app will allow Hawaii students to anonymously report bullying....

...Global tourism continues to power forward, and there remains a healthy pipeline of construction work. And even with the recent labor market weakness, Hawaii continues to enjoy its lowest unemployment in many years....

...A federal district court struck down a Hawaii law forcing pregnancy centers and pro-life doctors to advertise for the abortion industry Thursday, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision affirming free speech in NIFLA v. Becerra....

...Hirono's Democratic colleague in the Senate, Tom Carper (Del.), who has admitted to punching his wife hard enough to give her a black eye, appears to be getting a pass from Hirono....

...One calls Tulsi Gabbard ‘the hottest member of Congress on either side of the aisle.’ And it’s part of a series of pages from four companies traced to one Democratic law firm....

...according to a report released today by The Institute for College Access & Success....

...Hirono claimed Wednesday that the death threats that have allegedly been made against Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford are “witness tampering”....

...We found that RCUH has implemented all eleven recommendations....

...attended by about 200 people. The Republican Party promoted the event as a chance to hear diverse ideas “at a time of increased campus censorship by snowflakes with their safe spaces.”....

...an en banc hearing of the Ninth involves 11 judges chosen at random, out of the 23 or 24 judges (depending on confirmation hearings) on the Ninth Circuit....