Entries for 'News Release'

The U.S. Census Bureau today released more detailed 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics to the governor and leadership of the state legislature in Hawaii.

According to Abercrombie's proposal, the pension tax is expected to raise $112.3 million in revenues per fiscal year. At the yesterday's briefing, Ward asked Abercrombie how many citizens will be taxed by this measure. Abercrombie said the tax would hit 43,520 pensioners. The math says $112.3 million spread amongst 43,520 senior citizens amounts to $2,580.42 per person. Of course, the actual payment per person will be more or less depending on income.

Census 2010 Hawaii Data has been released.  See it here....

PRINCETON, NJ -- Residents of Hawaii gave native son President Barack Obama the highest average 2010 job approval rating (66%) of any of the 50 states, surpassed only by the 84% Obama received in the District of Columbia. Obama's lowest average state approval rating in 2010 was 28% in Wyoming.

Math problem:  $844M deficit + $728.6M new spending = $1.5726 Billion dollars in new taxes, fees, and/or costs to government employees and retirees.  Cost of Abercrombie: Over $1000 per person in Hawaii.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters agree more with the Republican governor in his dispute with union workers. Thirty-eight percent (38%) agree more with the unionized public employees, while 14% are undecided.

This bill does not provide a healthcare right of conscience exception for hospitals or individuals who object to offering emergency contraception for medical, ethical, moral, or religious reasons. Those who refuse face penalties by state government and could risk discipline from their own employers. This sets a dangerous precedent by allowing the government to mandate what healthcare providers must do, violating individuals' constitutional rights and in effect practicing medicine.

Manufacturers' News reports Hawaii is now home to 1,200 manufacturers employing 21,922 workers.

The Winter 2011 issue of The People's Pulse is based on statewide telephone interviews among a random sample of 700 adult citizens (400 Oahu, 100 each on Hawai‘i, Maui, and Kauai) from January 4-16, 2011.

In its first quarter 2011 economic report, the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) forecasts a strong recovery in Hawai‘i’s economy in 2011 and economic expansion in 2012. DBEDT expects that continued growth in tourism and the recovery in construction in Hawai‘i will help the economy to head on to the expansion path.

The target is to have the three weekly flights operational sometime in 2012 in a three-class format of First Class, Business Class, and Deluxe Economy. The service level must be top-notch in order to attract this market, according to the China-based investor. The investor's vision is to begin operations using two Boeing 767/300 aircraft that would be serviced at Shanghai PVG airport at a special VIP Aloha section only for these Hawaii flights.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will be headlining the Hawaii GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner.  The Party fundraising event will be held tonight at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Judge Browning’s assignment is effective March 4, 2011. He will succeed Judge Sabrina McKenna, who will be sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court on March 3 at 4:15 p.m. in the Supreme Court Courtroom.

Please contact your state Representative and urge him or her to OPPOSE HB 441 and HB 834.

"Colleen Hanabusa and Mazie Hirono are simply two of the most ineffective members of congress in our nation today.  Not only did the two of them fail to stop an amendment eliminating federal funding of the East West Center, even worse, the two of them didn't even bother to show up for work and defend the center on the House floor during debate."

Lambda Legal and the ACLU filed a lawsuit in July, 2010 after then-Governor Linda Lingle vetoed HB 444, the previous civil unions bill.  The remedy requested in that suit will be provided by this bill, meaning there will be no need for the lawsuit to continue.

“Rep. Paul has strayed to the left of Obama and allied himself with the radical anti-war left by laying the blame on America for the unprovoked attacks of Sept. 11th. Additionally, Rep. Paul has not condemned the 9/11 "Truther" conspiracy theorists that support him, and he has repeatedly insisted, that the United States not bring justice to those who have murdered thousands of our civilians and soldiers at home and abroad...."

The Senate Committee on Health on Monday voted to remove the non-alcoholic beverage tax from legislation that they voted on.  This is an initial victory for families and consumers across Hawaii!  However, the same committee will be debating a similar beverage tax proposal on Wednesday, February 16 at 2:45 p.m.

The arguments surrounding this emotionally charged issue are varied and complex. Cutting through the rhetoric and euphemisms brings clarity to this issue both from an ethical and moral perspective. It is with this in mind that Hawaii Right to Life has partnered with KALO-TV, channel 38 (cable 25) to broadcast Death as a Salesman: what's wrong with assisted suicide ...

"As soon as the governor signs the final bill, Hawaii should move swiftly to finish the job by ending exclusion from marriage itself..." --Evan Wolfson, co-counsel in 1993 gay marriage case, Baehr v. Miike

During 2010 most Kona coffee went to Afghanistan , where it was very highly welcomed and appreciated.  Some also went to the P.I. and now here at the end of the year I am once again sending Kona coffee to the 25th Infantry Division folks who have recently deployed to Camp Liberty, Iraq.

Mayor Alan Arakawa will be attending and will make opening remarks, as well as speaking about his plans for West Maui....

Labor-Trafficking bill is SB960 with its identical House Companion HB577

Sex-Trafficking bill is SB959 with its identical House Companion HB576

"We already knew that bag taxes are an annoying levy that provide no environmental benefit; now we also know that they are an economically destructive job killer thanks to this new report. Unfortunately it is also D.C.'s poorest communities that are hit hardest by the bag tax," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

Multiple renewable energy projects are in rapid development on every island, and plans include $multi-billion inter-island undersea transmission cables.

But if this is all supposed to feel so good, how come our electricity costs are going up up up and it feels so bad?

• WHAT: Legislative Townhall Meeting 
• WHERE: Haha‘ione Elementary School Cafeteria
• WHEN: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  

AAP’s Freedom to Read director Judy Platt said: “The approach taken by this legislation would have a profound and unacceptable chilling effect not only on AAP members who publish travel guides, but on the robust free marketplace of ideas that the First Amendment is intended to protect. The courts have simply not allowed this to happen, and the Hawaii legislature needs to be reminded of that.”

The Senate Committee on Health heard testimony this week on a beverage tax and Senators heard loud and clear that beverage taxes are not popular.  This Monday, the Committee will vote on one beverage tax proposal. Then on Wednesday, they will hold a hearing on another proposal that would tax beverages.

HONOLULU – The Regents Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC) has presented a list of candidates to Gov. Neil Abercrombie to fill four seats on the University of Hawai’i Board of Regents, including two City and County of Honolulu seats, a Hawai’i County seat and a Maui County seat.

HB12, a bill introduced by State Representative Cynthia Thielen (R, 50^th District) which establishes monetary restitution to property owners who have been victimized by plant thefts, will be heard by the House Committee on Agriculture this Friday, Feb. 11, at 9 a.m. in Conference Room 312 at the State Capitol. 

The House Republican caucus has led the effort to keep invocations a part of the daily legislative sessions in the Hawai`i State House following the ending of the practice in the State Senate.

In November 2010, Hawai‘i voters approved a Constitutional Amendment that gives the Governor the authority to appoint members of the BOE. Governor Abercrombie is encouraged that the State Legislature has been moving expeditiously to establish the appointment process for BOE members. When that legislative process is complete, Governor Abercrombie intends to name Horner among his first appointments.

Honolulu – Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced appointments for the following positions:  Chief Negotiator, Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) Deputy Director, and Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control.

• Bills to Decongest Traffic
• Bills to Cut Taxes & Make Government More Responsive to the People
• Bills to Solve Problems within Homeowner Associations
• Bills to Stop Elder Abuse
• Bills to Solve Problems for Our Schools

House Judiciary Committee Feb 1 acted on over a dozen election-related bills....

Health Care Repeal - Vote Rejected (47-51, 2 Not Voting)

Location: Kalama Heights Retirement Home, Garden Room

Date: Friday, February 18th, 2011, 6:30pm

Cost: Free and open to the public!

Senator Charles Schumer and other congressional leaders have called on government safety agencies to investigate why such elevated levels of lead are coming into contact with our food and leaching into the environment. Perhaps even more alarming, a University of Arizona study found fecal coliform bacteria and E. coli in some of the bags.

EPA standard for lead in packaging materials is 100ppm.  Safeway tests 6.72 times the EPA limit.  Walgreens is 2.98 times, KTA Superstores 2.85 times, and Defense Comissary Agency tests 2.35 times the EPA standard. 

SB602 proposes an amendment to the state constitution to legalize slot machines and video poker machines that are not visible from the street in designated resort areas within Waikiki.

Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced the appointment of State Representative Hermina Morita as the chair of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

Hopefully, every member of Congress will recognize by then that earmarks are a wasteful, unnecessary part of the budget process that should never be restored. CAGW will also be monitoring how members of Congress may attempt to circumvent the moratorium, through ‘phonemarking’ or other underhanded techniques.”

Nor have I, or any of the other fishermen here, seen any long term decline in numbers of aquarium fish. We've been diving the same reefs for more than 4 decades, and the fish always return year after year. If this supposed depletion was true, we'd have been out of business long ago. The state has been monitoring the fishery since the early 1970s, and there has never been any declining trend.