Entries for 'News Release'

A hearing has been scheduled on two unemployment insurance bills for this Tuesday, January 26 at 9:00 a.m. at the State Capitol in Room 309. Chair Rhoads did not put the Chamber’s bill on the agenda, only his and Vice Chair’s Kyle Yamashita’s bill because he probably prefers to use one of these as a vehicle.   

Although the bills provide some tax relief, the Chamber believes they do not provide enough assistance to help reduce the "tax shock" and safeguard the statewide unemployment rate.  Therefore, we are asking the committees to amend the bills. 

GOVERNOR LINGLE PROPOSES STRUCTURAL REFORM OF PUBLIC EDUCATION SCHOOL SYSTEM GOVERNANCE

GOVERNOR LINGLE AUTHORIZES $2.8 MILLION IN FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDS TO ENHANCE ROBOTICS EDUCATION IN HAWAI‘I SCHOOLS

GOVERNOR LINGLE INTRODUCES PROPOSAL TO SAVE BUSINESSES $497 MILLION IN UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE TAXES

GOVERNOR LINGLE PROPOSES HAWAI‘I CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENT BONDS

GOVERNOR LINGLE ANNOUNCES INITIATIVES TO CREATE JOBS, GET RESIDENTS BACK TO WORK

Governor Linda Lingle announced in her State of the State Address she will propose a constitutional amendment to rename and revise the State’s Rainy Day Fund to create a Fiscal Stabilization Fund.  This fund will shield Hawai‘i in future years from the need to raise taxes during periods when the economy is contracting and citizens can least afford to pay more.

The Fiscal Stabilization Fund will ensure that in years when tax revenues are growing, 5 percent of the general fund’s end of year balance will be placed in the Stabilization Fund prior to granting the currently mandated refund to taxpayers.

Action will now be focused on the House which has to agree to the amendments made by the Senate. If they agree, then all House members will need to vote to approve. If the House disagrees to the amendment, it will then be given to a Conference Committee made up of members of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees.

THE SENATE IS READY TO PASS HB 444 SD1 ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 22

(SENATE GALLERY OPENS AT 11:30 AM)

WE NEED YOUR ACTION AND COMMITMENT NOW!

"We can't fix our economic problems by increasing the taxes on businesses. Businesses don't have more money to give to the government especially during these times. Small businesses are the engine of economic growth.  Shirokiya's recent announcement of laying off 71 employees in anticipation of the increasing unemployment insurance tax serves as powerful evidence of what businesses will and must do when taxes are increased."  -- House Minority Leader Lynn Finnegan

“Sen.-elect Scott Brown’s come-from-behind victory, in a solid Democrat state like Massachusetts, clearly shows the American people want different leadership in Congress.  Like Sen.-elect Brown, I am troubled by Congress’ multi-trillion dollar budget deficit that recklessly mortgages our children’s future, a multi-billion dollar stimulus package that has done little to alter unemployment and a health care plan that is too expensive and won’t work,” stated Djou. 

"From those I've spoken to at the 4,000 doors that I've knocked on in the last two weeks, and from the 1,100 donors to my campaign, it is clear that Hawaii’s voters feel just as frustrated.  Hawaii needs a voice from outside the system to fundamentally change the status quo.”

Hawaii Republicans need to follow this example.

Attend the Rally at the State Capitol on Sunday, January 17th (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm) to support traditional marriage and other pro-family policies.  AND MAUI -- Wailuku State Building, Wailuku, Maui  Sunday, January 17  2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Djou's Dec 31 fundraising figures released this afternoon (below) are more than double Ed Case's Dec. 15 figures.  Djou's Dec. 31 cash on hand is 263% of Case's Dec. 15 cash on hand.   Hanabusa is a very distant third.

“This is a split decision as far as I’m concerned,” said Governor Lingle.  “The arbitration panel went along with our request for pay cuts for employees of some of the most important 24/7 operations at the State Hospital, the prisons, and the youth correctional facility, but ignored the same request for others. 

“We are very disappointed that the panel chose to implement furloughs for employees of the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation.  A straight pay cut for these employees would be better than furloughs because the nature of the work and the people they serve requires 24/7 attention,” the Governor added.

This report is actually good news.  Because of the DoE/HSTA efforts to crush Charter Schools, the DoE has already done enough to make sure that the RTTT funds--and the accountability requirements that come with them--won't be coming to Hawaii.  So they no longer need to force furloughs onto instructional days in order to keep RTTT out.

HONOLULU – Duke Aiona today announced five county chairs and co-chairs and 13 regional chairs for his growing campaign. The leadership team will provide grassroots support to mobilize and turn out voters for Duke Aiona in the 2010 gubernatorial election.

Neil with his friends, Mr Broken Trust, and Brother Sandwich Isles. 

Pelosi barely held Democrats together in passing ObamaCare the first time. A narrow 220 to 215 margin means we can kill ObamaCare in the House by flipping just 3 votes!

FreedomWorks has identified 13 critical Democrat targets that we believe are the most likely to abandon Pelosi in her quest to socialize health care.

Under the Governor’s latest plan, up to $50 million from the Rainy Day Fund would be used to restore 12 furlough Fridays – five this semester and seven in the 2010-2011 school year. 

An additional 12 instructional days – two this semester and 10 in the next school year – would be gained by using days when teachers are paid to be in their classrooms but do not teach students.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today nominated Lawrence M. Reifurth to serve as a judge on the Hawai‘i Intermediate Court of Appeals.  Reifurth would fill the vacancy created when Governor Lingle named Judge Craig Nakamura to serve as chief judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals.  Reifurth’s nomination is subject to confirmation by the State Senate.

Currently, voters in Hawai‘i have no direct authority over the Office of Elections. The Elections Commission, which appoints the Chief Elections Officer, is composed of individuals selected by only four members of the State Legislature.

Hawai‘i consistently ranks at or near the bottom nationally for voter turnout.

If passed, the constitutional amendment would give Hawai‘i voters the authority to decide in the 2010 General Election whether or not to establish an elected, nonpartisan Secretary of State.

Kubo served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii from 2001 to October 2009, and prior to that was Assistant U.S. Attorney for 11 years. During his tenure with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Kubo focused on major federal criminal investigations such as white collar crimes, mortgage fraud, civil rights violations, tax evasion, corruption, crimes on government installations and violent crimes.

Today’s proposal being floated in the media would use more than two-thirds of the $50 million offered by the Governor and would only restore five days of instruction.  “This arrangement is not a credible plan, it is not fiscally responsible and it is not sustainable,” Governor Lingle stated. 

Cost saving measures totaling $452.3 million for FY 2010 that have already been implemented include reducing specific appropriations, eliminating cash funding of capital improvements, debt restructuring and a comprehensive 13.85 percent restriction on operating budget appropriations.  In addition, because 60 percent of the State budget pays for salaries and benefits of State employees, the Administration instituted payroll savings through furloughs and reductions in force.

However, these steps alone are not sufficient to close the expanding budget gap for FY 2010, which now totals $721 million.

Senator Ben Nelson got an unprecedented deal to force federal taxpayers to pick up 100% of the cost of Nebraska's Medicaid expansion--forever.

(Medicaid expansion in Hawaii?  Here's the cost >>> Obamacare punches $41M hole in Hawaii State Budget.  Looks like Inouye and Akaka don't have the clout that Ben Nelson has.  Too bad they're so liberal.)

FreedomWorks has learned that it is Reid's intention to bring up the decisive cloture vote for the Left’s proposed government takeover of America’s health care system at 1:00 AM (EST) Monday Morning  (8PM HST).

While there are now clearer signs of an imminent recovery, risks abound, including possible additional fallout from state and local government fiscal crises and a possible stall in the global upturn. The beginning of local recovery will not quickly yield tangible benefits for many local households. Jobs will still be hard to find for several years, social welfare needs will abate only slowly, and income losses for public and private sector workers will persist for some time.

This 10 minute video lays out the primary themes of Duke Aiona's campaign for Governor. See it here...

HSTA has side-stepped the primary issue by proposing to reopen portions of the original contract unrelated to the furlough issue and is seeking changes that would compromise the safety of the children and limit their after-school programs.  The HSTA is now saying they do not want teachers to participate in campus and playground supervision responsibilities during lunch hours.  And they no longer want teachers to voluntarily participate in school-related activities after the regular school day – such as glee club, debate team, robotics, or prom night.

At the outset of the hearing, Republicans expressed their fundamental constitutional concerns with this effort to create a separate governing entity for Native Hawaiians, and served full notice to Committee Democrats that we intended to use every House rule and parliamentary tool available to us to insist our concerns be heard.  Until Representative Abercrombie stated his intentions to not push forward the proposed changes, Republicans demonstrated their dedication to using all tools available to them.

A new poll of registered Hawaii voters, conducted by Zogby International, has found that a majority of those surveyed oppose the Akaka Bill. The poll was conducted from November 18 to 23, 2009.  Zogby International surveyed more than 500 registered voters in Hawaii.

These changes, taken together, change the bill from one where the status quo and the relations between the United States, the State of Hawaii, and the Native Hawaiian governing entity can be changed only after negotiations and after passage of implementing legislation, to a model in which the status quo immediately changes, pursuant to an Indian law model.

Early last week, an agreement was reached with the Democrat Majority that Wednesday’s markup would consist of non-controversial bills that could be considered quickly.  Democrats issued notice on Friday that the Native Hawaiian bill would be added.  The Majority has had no communication with Republicans regarding this legislation since they canceled a markup on this bill without explanation in early July....

The magnitude of the changes being proposed deserve careful consideration and an opportunity for all those who may be impacted, especially the people and elected leaders of the State of Hawaii, to properly review the rewritten text.  The proposed changes have only been available to the Republican side of the Committee for a matter of days, and the State of Hawaii has had the full text of the proposed changes for only a matter of hours.

Governor Linda Lingle today released two lists of judicial nominees that were provided to her by the Judicial Selection Commission to fill one vacancy each on the Intermediate Court of Appeals and the First Circuit Court (O‘ahu).  Governor Lingle is making the lists available to the public to encourage public comment on the nominees. ... The Governor has 30 days from receipt of the lists (December 11, 2009) to submit her selections to the Hawai‘i State Senate, which would need to confirm the nominees.

HEALTH DEAL UNRAVELING:  This fight isn't over yet, no matter how many times the media tries to declare the death of the public option. It'd only take one or two senators to unravel this deal, and progressive senators Russ Feingold and Bernie Sanders both indicated last night that their support can't be taken for granted.   (...so sad...)

“Former OPM Director Linda Springer told FederalNewsRadio it will literally take an act of Congress to pull that off. ‘I flat out think that OPM doesn't have the capacity to do this type of role,’ said Springer. ‘Furthermore, I don't believe that OPM has the statutory authority to do it as well. But on both those counts, I don't think it would be a good call….”’

Four Hawai’i schools who competed at the Pan Pacific Championship qualified to advance to the VEX Robotics World Championship that will take place at the Dallas Convention Center and Arena April 22 - 24, 2010, including: Honokaa High School, Waiakea High School, McKinley High School, Pearl Highlands Intermediate.  At the World Championship, these winning teams will have the opportunity to challenge their top-ranked peers from other countries around the world, including teams from the Asian Robotics League, South America and Europe.

Almost three weeks since the plan was announced, we are still in lengthy and unproductive discussions with the State Teachers union.  It is disappointing that the next discussions aren’t scheduled again until December 15th and 16th. This delay will seriously impact the possibility of teachers voting on the contract changes and the convening of a special session to enact the necessary legislation to use the State’s Rainy Day Fund.  This will result in further loss of classroom time in the month of January.

Cadets await speech at West Point

"After vacillating for months, I am happy the President has finally made up his mind to confront the Taliban and defeat Islamic radicals.  This is the right decision and deserves our nation's full support," stated Djou.  "The war in Afghanistan is a fight we must win."

The ‘Small Business Survival Index' helps business owners and investors understand the public policy burdens placed on entrepreneurship and small business, with the states ranked accordingly.

Chief United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway today (Monday, Nov 30)  sentenced ETHAN MOTTA, also known as "Malu," age 40, to life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole, for his role in the shooting of three persons at the Pali Golf Course on January 7, 2004.

Councilmember Djou introduced legislation to extend the ban on sleeping to City sidewalks, but a majority of council members blocked advancement of Djou’s measure. Djou is now seeking to apply an existing ordinance that bans structures on municipal sidewalks to the tents surrounding Kapiolani Park.

Djou fully supports giving free taxpayer financed mental health, drug counseling and shelter to those in need, but does not support converting City parks into private property.

...a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run health plan.  It’s right there beginning on line 11, page 122, section 1303, under “Actuarial Value of Optional Service Coverage.”  The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account – and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services.

"This is potentially very big news for the future of tourism in Hawai‘i. It will bring back a lot of jobs if we’re successful at bringing it about." -- Gov Lingle 

How this would be accomplished:

1.        Use 15 non-classroom days (between Jan. 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011) when teachers are paid but do not teach classes to restore all teaching days lost on Furlough Fridays beginning Jan. 1, 2010.  (For those teachers who work on a 12-month schedule, a comparable adjustment would be made.)

2.        The cost of restoring the remaining 12 days would be achieved by using money out of the Emergency Budget Reserve Fund (Rainy Day Fund).  Estimated cost to Rainy Day Fund would be $50 million.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle today said the selection of Hawai‘i to host the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting is an affirmation of Hawai‘i’s strategic role as a leader in the Asia-Pacific region, and will help build a stronger economic foundation for Hawai‘i’s future.  President Barack Obama, who will host the Hawai‘i meeting, announced Hawai‘i’s winning bid today during the APEC Leaders Meeting being held in Singapore.

“Our nation’s veterans have made tremendous sacrifices in defense of our freedoms. The least Senators should do is make the easy sacrifice of eliminating a small amount of wasteful spending to improve veterans’ health care."

Hawaii does a below-average job managing its schools in a way that encourages thoughtful innovation. Ninety-four percent of teachers report that routine duties and paperwork interfere with their teaching, and only 22% of teachers like the way their school is run....Ninety-six percent of principals say that teacher unions or associations are a barrier to the removal of ineffective teachers, 35 percentage points above the national average of 61%.

PHOTOS Left: Sun at peak of warming, 1998.  Right: After 10 years of cooling, 2008.  NASA reports that the absence of sunspots continues today.

The average October, 2009 temperature of 50.8°F was 4.0°F below the 20^th Century average and ranked as the 3^rd coolest based on preliminary data.  If you are surprised by global cooling like this, it means you haven't been paying attention. 

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - The 25th Infantry Division (ID) Headquarters is scheduled to return to Schofield Barracks, Thursday morning. The homecoming marks the return of the last group of Soldiers from the 25th ID Headquarters, which assumed command of the Multi-National Division North (MDN-North) in December 2008.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has concluded a successful round of meetings in Beijing as part of the Administration’s ongoing strategic effort to strengthen the state’s long-term economy by promoting Hawai‘i as a visitor destination to China’s growing outbound tourism market, developing export opportunities for Hawai‘i products and services and forming partnerships in clean energy.