April 14, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

April 14, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 12:25 PM :: 8438 Views

National Democrats: Hanabusa “unelectable”

The race has become a problem for the incumbent party in recent weeks as national Dems worry Hanabusa's record in the state legislature makes her unelectable. The DCCC quietly encouraged Case to hire top-notch consultants to aid his bid, though they haven't publicly endorsed him; if the DCCC does, they run the risk of offending Inouye, Akaka and some within the HI establishment.

And what is that “record in the legislature”? ONLY Hawai’i Free Press reports on it: Fireworks, dirt, and stolen trucks: Colleen Hanabusa and the Honolulu Raceway Deal, Hanabusa, Souza tied to Pali Golf course shooters’ mob, Cayetano: Hanabusa's Broken Trust connections lead to Ko Olina

Inouye buys off DCCC with $100,000

"The DCCC appreciates Sen. Inouye's support, as well as everything he is doing in Hawai'i to defeat Charles Djou," Jennifer Crider, a DCCC spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Inouye gave $300,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to help U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, fend off a primary challenge from Case in 2006….

"I think people have to just evaluate it for themselves and decide why he did it," Case said of Inouye's donation to the DCCC.

Djou said he would focus on his own campaign. "The insiders and the operatives from Washington, D.C., can do what they want," he said. "I'm going to bring my message to the voters of Hawai'i and we're going to run an aggressive campaign built on fiscal responsibility and government accountability," he said.

(Does this mean that the DCCC operatives who are helping Case against Hanabusa will be going home now?)

Debate: Djou stands for tax cut--Case, Hanabusa call for higher taxes and Advertiser spins

Former Congressman Ed Case and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa said last night that they would likely vote to let President Bush-era tax breaks for the wealthy expire if elected to Congress, while Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou said he would extend the tax cuts. (Case, Hanabusa still campaigning against Bush… and for higher taxes.)

VIDEO: Five questions for Charles Djou, candidate for Congress

SB: Congressional hopefuls face off

TPM: AFL-CIO Mailers Back Hanabusa, Slam Ed Case In HI-01 Special Election

The AFL-CIO is throwing its weight into the Hawaii First District special election, actively backing state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa in a new pair of mailers -- and going further by attacking the other Democrat in the race, former Rep. Ed Case.

The mailers target two key union demographics, warning them of the dire consequences that the union says Case's positions would mean for them. Public employees are told of "layoffs," "cutting pensions" and other negative developments, while longshore workers are told: "Ed Case Will Put Your Job AT RISK."

Here is a look at the AFL-CIO bosses’ favored candidate: Fireworks, dirt, and stolen trucks: Colleen Hanabusa and the Honolulu Raceway Deal, Hanabusa, Souza tied to Pali Golf course shooters’ mob, Cayetano: Hanabusa's Broken Trust connections lead to Ko Olina

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How Many DOE Employees Does it Take to Mow the School Yard? (DoE employs 13 plumbers per school)

The Hawaii State Teachers’ Association (HSTA) is demanding an additional $92 million from the Hurricane Relief Fund to get all Department of Education (DOE) personnel, including state and district employees, back to work 5 days per week.

Meanwhile, Gov. Linda Lingle has offered $62 million for essential school personnel maintaining that is all the state can afford.

Senate and House Finance Committees have expressed their commitment to fund whatever agreement is decided between the governor, Board of Education, HSTA and DOE.

But what will this money fund?

In response to a Freedom for Information Act request filed several months ago by Hawaii Reporter, the Department of Education just recently released its personnel position list for its 258 schools as of 2/10/10.

Link here: DOE Personnel file

SB: Lingle meets with protesters

Marguerite Higa, who has an 8-year-old daughter in public school, blasted Lingle: "We don't care about her argument with the union and the Legislature and all the people she can't get along with. She is the leader. It is her job to end the furloughs now." (Sounds like a squalling child having a tantrum. I want it now now now.… These are just Abercrombie supporters complaining that the governor does not have the power of a dictator.)

And she added she did not think the protests accomplished anything. "Regardless of how many days you occupy these offices, it doesn't create any more money whatsoever. It doesn't get the union off their position that they have stopped negotiating," Lingle said.

Democrat Borreca compares Lingle to Democrat segregationist Bull Connor: Lingle could have defused furlough protest with chat (Typical Democrat talking points, even compares ticketing professional activists to use of firehoses on protesters.)

SB to HSTA: Get back to the table and settle this thing (finally, some facts)

The HSTA, which is surely enjoying the sit-in show at Lingle's expense, proclaimed its March 30 position as the union's last offer to the state. "This is the final chapter in the negotiating process," HSTA President Wil Okabe declared.

No. With legislative means still available to tap the relief fund, now is the time for all sides to make good on their education rhetoric.

Lingle says she is open to renewed negotiations. Do it. But doing so would be fruitless unless the teachers union agrees to back away from misplaced and rigid multi-union solidarity—for the good of the children.

ADV: Hawaii unlikely to reach deal to end this year's teacher furloughs

Lingle dismissed today's deadline imposed by state Rep. Marcus Oshiro, D-39th (Wahiawā), chairman of the House Finance Committee, saying, "there is no deadline." (Yup, the deadline is part of the political theater arranged by Democrats.)

PDF: HSTA letter to legislators

(Note the pro-Amnesty “legalize LA” T-shirt. Typical professional activist, always protesting everything.)

HFP explained this all last year: Furloughs vs Layoffs: The union no-solution strategy

Union Shills: Sit-in Protests Over School Furlough Days Only 'The First Step'

Vernadette Gonzalez, a University of Hawaii Professor of American Studies and mother of a kindergartner at Noelani Elementary School, wants Gov. Linda Lingle to “step up to the plate” and accept the Hawaii State Teachers Association and Board of Education’s agreement to end furlough Fridays or no school days. (Just give the hostage takers what they want.)

She’s part of the Save Our Schools group camping illegally in the governor’s office, at times with their young children, since last Wednesday. “Our vision is that we want the public to be fired up about public education. It’s not our job to figure out how to fix it: we just want it fixed.” (And yet they are demanding the HSTA’s demands be met.)

Save Our Schools (SOS), made up of University of Hawaii faculty and students who say they are concerned about public school students’ welfare, and parents at Noelani Elementary school in Manoa, are demanding that the governor accept the Hawaii State Teachers’ Association’s (HSTA) offer to get children back to school at a cost of $92 million.

Each public school has a School Community Council (SCC) with the power to design the school academic plan. Each council may seek a waiver from the Board of Education to redistribute Friday classes to other days of the week.

Ironically, Noelani’s School faculty decided against trading teacher planning days for instructional days.

Gonzalez said that the Noelani school parents supported the teachers’ decision not to give up planning days

Full Text: Lingle to SoS Protesters: DoE selected furlough schedule to “maximize disruption to the school calendar”

Furloughs: How Unions and the DoE aim to co-opt protesting parents

Furloughs: Advertiser sides with “sustainability” billionaires against “Save our Sports”

ADV: Mākaha plan a winner

The DOE's Zones for School Innovation program, partially funded by Kamehameha, will bring a 21st century, technology-based education techniques to Leeward classrooms. As Wai'anae High's Searider Productions media program attests, innovation can flourish here.

ADV: EUTF Trust-fund remedy left to lawmakers

Lingle yesterday sent a letter to the heads of labor committees in the House and Senate asking them to take up money-saving measures in the remaining three weeks of the legislative session.

The series of actions seek to lower benefits and make other changes so that the fund doesn't run out of cash sometime this year.

"I cannot stress enough to you that you have the authority and the responsibility to stop the collapse of the EUTF (Employer Union Health Benefit Trust Fund) system," Lingle wrote in the letter. "I urge you to act promptly and decisively."

(When EUTF collapses, the political theater will be used against Aiona in the Gubernatorial races. Surely the workers can understand the importance of sacrificing their health care to elevate The Abercrombie into the Big Chair.)

TAXES: The Cost of Living in Paradise Slated for Sharp Increases

Another bill passed yesterday will limit the amount of itemized deductions that can be claimed on state income tax returns to $50,000 for joint returns with adjusted gross income of over $300,000 and $25,000 for individuals with adjusted gross incomes of over $150,000. The bill also removes the capital goods excise tax credit refund until January 1, 2016. It is expected to result in $119.7 million in additional revenues for the state over a six year period.

Effective January 1, 2011 political campaign contributions cannot be deducted from income, expected to result in a revenue gain of approximately $1.2 million per year. Businesses with net operating losses exceeding their income are no longer allowed carrybacks to get a refund of taxes paid in prior years.

A bill to temporarily suspend the right to claim Technology Infrastructure Renovation and High Technology Business Investment Tax Credits has been deferred until tomorrow. If passed, the bill would retroactively repeal Act 221 investment credits already made, which were meant to give a full 100% return up to $2 million per year on investments for qualified high tech businesses, and could bring up constitutional issues.

Keep Kauai Jammed: Obstructionist fires lawyers Murakami, Frankel

Palmeira said in court she had not “received adequate representation” from Murakami and Frankel, that the attorneys did not disclose certain documents to her and failed to address some pertinent issues, and that they may have a conflict of interest in the case.

After the courtroom action, Palmeira would not elaborate on her decision to change counsel.

She requested a continuance so she could secure new counsel, and Watanabe continued the hearing to June 8.

Wynhoff said he is concerned about the delay for several reasons, including the fact that federal stimulus funds for the widening project must be used by Sept. 30, moved to another project or lost. (Which is exactly the purpose of firing Frankel and Murakami)

(It is critical for Kauai eco-activists to keep Kuhio Hwy jammed. By keeping the Hwy jammed, they are able to peddle the absurd idea that Kauai is overpopulated. Remember: Your traffic jam is their propaganda-of-the-deed. And be sure to thank the UH Manoa Hawaiian Studies Department for filling Palmeira’s head with revisionist history. Without UHM we’d all be driving 55MPH.)

LINK>>> lawsuit filing

Hawaii Co Property values fall by $3 billion

Based on its latest assessments and no change in tax rates, county finance officials expect property tax collections to plummet $22 million to $193.2 million for the fiscal year starting July 1.

ADV: An orchestra set to scale is reasonable

The Honolulu Symphony Society, which holds the pursestrings of the orchestra's long-empty purse, has taken an important first step toward crafting the needed reorganizational plan by preparing the detailed study for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Faris.

Study finds benefits in modified crops, warns of overuse

“warns of overuse” … After the failure of their anti-GMO hype, the Gramscians try to find a standpoint from which to re-launch their attack….

EXPLAINED: Antonio Gramsci Reading List, The Future of Fraud