Hawaii State Government

The purpose of this briefing is to provide the legislature with an overview of the current projects, the priorities of the divisions; a report on whether the Department of Transportation is using renewable energy and its efficiency; and a departmental 5 year plan....

...this project will provide land acquisition for the last remaining, undeveloped parcel of land contiguous with existing harbor lands....

No public testimony will be accepted....

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING SCHEDULE January 3-18, 2013

Senate Vice President Donna Mercado Kim (Sen. District 14) has been selected as the President of the Senate ....

Plans are underway to establish an additional Office of the Lt. Governor on Maui....

...first joint enforcement action against a nationwide debt-relief services company that illegally charged advance fees for its services....

January 3 - 15, 2013

Friday January 11, 2013 at 1pm 

Review of the Revolving Funds, Trust Funds, and Trust Accounts of the Departments of Human Resources Development, Labor and Industrial Relations, Public Safety, and Taxation....

...Such a framework is necessary to preserve the availability of federal student aid funding under Title IV of the HEA....

Pending the election, the governor shall make a temporary appointment to fill the vacancy by selecting a person from a list of three prospective appointees submitted by the same political party as the prior incumbent....

...general funds, approximately $6.1 billion for fiscal year 2014 and $6.3 billion for fiscal year 2015....

... lawmakers will make a bid to increase taxes yet again ....

“This isn’t the first time that a Democratic majority faction has organized with the Republicans; some people are just more honest and transparent about it. It is time to govern and stop politicking.”

· DATE: Tuesday, December 18, 2012

· TIME: 2:00 PM

... several deficiencies expose the Program to fraud, including the over-reliance on self-reporting by Program personnel and lack of systematic compliance inspections....

This informational briefing will cover the topic of food safety as it concerns and relates to farmers, wholesalers and retailers in Hawaii....

In his prior role at the Department of Attorney General, Wisch served as special assistant to the Attorney General....

Discover the Public's Power in the Legislative Process....

The elections are over and the governing is to come. Now is the time for citizens to step up and get involved. Here are the ways....

Some of these governors are schizophrenic on taxes: They jack up overall business tax rates, then give breaks to favored businesses....

Many have asked how come none of the regular environmental and public interest watch-dog groups sounded the alarm earlier? How did such a law get passed?

A Democratic state representative says, “They’re like a couple of high school kids.”

...

Hawaii banks and Hawaii’s housing sector largely avoided subprime lending....  But Hawaii’s political leaders are working to change all of that. 

...a total of seven employment-based lawsuits against HDOT presently filed in state or federal court, at various stages of litigation, some involving workplace violence in one form or another. Also, there are Workers’ Compensation claims filed as a result of workplace violence at different stages of that process....

The Hawaii Public Housing Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday morning to appoint Muslim Association of Hawaii President Hakim Ouansafi as HPHA Executive Director.

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Sheila Weinberg spoke in Hawaii Tuesday, Oct. 11 on "Government Accounting: The Seen and the Unseen -- What Needs to be Done?"

To put an end to budget shenanigans the Institute has developed a budgeting system called “Full Accrual Calculations and Techniques”. FACT based budgeting would require governors and legislatures to recognize expenses when incurred regardless of when they are paid. This improved method of accounting is discussed in detail in this report.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) took action to improve operations at its State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) and ensure federal compliance. The Department awarded a contract to Solutions Pacific, LLC to implement recommendations of the National Park Service’s Corrective Action Plan.  

...the districts in BOLD are ones in which the Representative has changed in the past 7 years. There are 27 changes out of 51 seats, which is indeed more than half.

...The Grassroot Institute applauds the House Minority Caucus for including fiscal note legislation in its 2011 legislative package....

Hawaii is the only state which does not mandate “fiscal notes” be attached to legislation introduced in the House or Senate.   Without Fiscal Notes, Legislators are just guessing....

The GAO is in the “design phase” of preparing the audit plan. US Interior Department official Tom Bussanich, who was in Majuro last week for the Development Partners Meeting, said GAO officials had an “entrance conference” with him last month to start the audit process.

Progressive Democrat Keneko, and lobbyist Radcliffe sitting around in an “union hall in Kalihi” determining whether Clayton Hee will head DLNR or DHHL.  Will anti-Superferry protester Gary Hooser get a cabinet position?  It is an exercise in self-parody.  The image of the corporatist one-party State could not be any clearer.

Just in time for September 11th, the State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, has announced a six-figure grant to the 9-11 truthers of the Malu Aina Peace Center.

Jim Albertini is a convicted felon and federal ex-convict once tagged as a "psychopath" by Judge Samuel Wilder King.  Along with his comrades from Malu-Aina, Albertini can be seen every Friday afternoon in front of Hilo’s Federal Building with an “Impeach Obama” sign.... 

With the media picking up on this big story, maybe they will start asking Hanabusa about the firing of Margery Bronster, or her meeting with Larry Mehau, or the land deal with a member of the Pali Shooter’s gang, or the Honolulu Raceway deal. 

While Hawaii’s school children are subjected to Furlough Fridays and the state faces a record shortfall, the 2010 Hawaii Pork Report reveals that bureaucrats continue to spend taxpayer dollars in questionable ways. Co-authored by Hideo Hikida, Frances Nuar, and Jamie Story, the second annual report reveals more than $300 million in waste, abuse, and mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.

Even with Hawaii facing an $869 million budget deficit over the next three years, in 2008, state Senate President Hanabusa defended a 36 percent pay raise for the Hawaii State Legislature.  Hanabusa said “legislators work very hard and deserve the raise.”  As of December 2009, Hawaii pays the highest salary for part-time legislators.

Whoever said “you get what you pay for” must have meant it ironically.

Residents who are interested in serving on the advisory council for their respective island should submit a letter and resume to the appropriate liaison office by June 30, 2009.

As Governor, I have until July 14 to sign bills into law, veto them or let them become law without my signature. I encourage you to send my office your input during this comprehensive review process at governor.lingle@hawaii.gov  so that we can approve legislation that boosts our economy, creates jobs and balances our budget in a way that is fair to all the people of Hawai‘i.