Entries for 'Andrew Walden'

The Democrat-controlled Illinois redistricting commission has apparently re-drawn the Illinois 8th Congressional District especially to include the home of Tammy Duckworth.

Hanabusa supported Speaker John Boehner’s resolution demanding that Obama seek approval of the war under the War Powers Act within 14 days.  Hanabusa also supported a resolution offered by Rep Dennis Kucinich demanding US withdrawal from Libya within 15 days.

Hirono opposed both resolutions, essentially agreeing that the President may go to war without Congressional approval. This position differs sharply with her loud opposition to the Iraq war under President Bush.

After being hounded for years by charges of sexual harassment leveled against him by a former aide in a 2006 EEOC complaint, former Big Isle Council Chair and Mayoral candidate Stacy Higa has been named Executive Director of the Hawaii State Commission for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps programs in Hawaii.

Arrogantly, Abercrombie states that “we” –ie the State—have to “deal with” the question: “Are we extending life or are we prolonging death?”

The Honolulu Neighborhood Commission Office has announced the complete election results for Honolulu Neighborhood Boards. The online voting, which ended Saturday May 21 drew 13,264 voters for an 8.5% turnout.

This scam is tied to several well-known sovereignty activists—which perhaps explains why the Advertiser’s two recent articles have included so little information about the alleged perpetrators.

Phoning it in from a black-tie event in Washington, DC, Rep Mazie Hirono blessedly informed Hawaii that she will not be a candidate for the 2nd Congressional District in 2012.

Describing the news as “very disappointing”, Anthony Bergamo, President and Founder of the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation (FLEF) categorically repudiates any connection between his organization and the Muslim Association of Hawaii and Hawaii Islam Day celebrations....

After using an alleged “crisis” and so-called “budget shortfalls” to push tax increases through the Legislature, it certainly seemed like fortuitous timing when Neil Abercrombie’s Department of Taxation found a $134M jump in tax revenues shortly after the Legislature adjourned....

After months of trying to get on base in Hawaii, is it ‘three strikes and they’re out’ for the Turkish Gulen cult?

"I look at the ACOs coming out as almost fluff and distraction on the side.... We're way past it."

 The opportunity to directly vote on the Republican nominee is expected to bring out thousands of Hawaii Republican voters who have never before had a chance to directly participate in choosing the Republican Presidential nominee.

...unalterable opposition to the Akaka Bill and to any iteration of it....

Hundreds of Hawaii Republicans will meet Saturday and Sunday at the Kauai Beach Resort for the GOP state convention. But the top of the agenda—selecting new Party leadership--is a foregone conclusion....

It is not clear why HMSA could not “anticipate” such impacts. Millions of Americans have been protesting against Obamacare for over a year now.  The bureaucratic interference, bungling, and rationing described in the HMSA letter reads like a caricature of what these “TEA Party” protesters have warned of.

The real savings Medical Homes could give to HHSC do not come in the emergency room but in elder care and neo-natal care....

...unnoticed in the public summary of the report are a couple of paragraphs which point out some serious risks to the corporatist State of Hawaii. The cut-off of Earmarks and other Federal pork is having an impact and the full effect is only just beginning to be felt....

Says Washington’s Gregoire: “(Change in marijuana laws) must first come at the federal level."

For five and a half years, the US has hunted for Ahmed Hashim Abed--code-named "Objective Amber." Abed is the alleged ring-leader of an Islamist mob which murdered four US military contractors--including Pa`auilo resident Wesley Batalona--in Fallujah, Iraq on March 31, 2004.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed spent most of 1994 plotting to blow up or hijack 12 airplanes carrying about 4,000 passengers bound for Honolulu and 11 other locations as part of Operation Bojinka, based in Manila, Philippines.  He would later use operational experienced gained from his Bojinka failure to mastermind 9-11.

Now Hawaii's two Senators have voted to help spring Mohammed from detention at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba. 

SB754  will increase the cost of construction, shipping, air travel, rent, and cellular phone use.  Suppliers to tourism are specifically targeted for double taxation which will push up the portion of the tourist dollar which goes into the State General Fund and reduce the portion which circulates in the privately-owned economy.

On the second Monday of every October, Hawaii celebrates, “Discoverers' Day", in recognition of the Polynesian discoverers of the Hawaiian Islands.”  But the Senate wants to put a stop to the celebrations.

According to the text of SCR55, introduced March 3 by Abercrombie-appointed Senator Maile Shimabukuro, the holiday should be dropped ....

The HSTA is currently in contract negotiations.  Thus it is plainly false to claim that the 180 days “come without compensation.”  Have HSTA leaders been negotiating on the assumption that Act 167 was not going to be enforced this fall?  If so, perhaps the membership should dismiss them for incompetence.

In the Hawaii State House, Tax Day was April 12.  On that day, legislators voted up several key tax increases approved earlier by the Senate and forwarded them to the House-Senate Conference Committees which will be meeting behind closed doors for the next two weeks. 

... here is a slice of today’s news which once again makes it crystal clear that birtherism is designed to help Obama ....

An internal HGEA memo sent to the membership earlier this week ties the HGEA’s tentative settlement to the Legislative agenda and promises that HGEA will enjoy “equity with other unions” who will likely settle their contracts after the Legislative session is over. 

Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle says the Comp Time and the elimination of scheduled furloughs counterbalance the 5% wage cut and amount to a 1.5% raise.  The Grassroot Institute estimates the cost at more than $100M over the course of the contract.

But “Comp Time” is not Abercrombie’s only omission....

In messages being sent to the HGEA membership, HGEA bosses describe the tentative agreement as including “administrative time off.”  This confirms the report in today’s Star-Advertiser, “Public workers would also get an additional six hours of paid time off each month, according to sources.” 

S.675, the 2011 version of the Akaka Bill, passed a voice vote of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee today.  The next stop for the bill would be the floor of the US Senate  No version of the Akaka Bill has ever passed the Senate.

Those highlighted in yellow have voted to increase the most regressive of all Hawaii taxes.  The hike in the GE Tax will hit low and middle income consumers hard.  Save this list for November 6, 2012.

After two years of marketing the alleged horrors of the non-existent “Pacific Garbage Patch”, environmentalists, big business, and big government are ready to cash in.

There will be no formal hearing before the committee. In the past such testimony has given clues about divisions among the thieves attempting to steal the Hawaiian patrimony for themselves.

Election Day is November 6, 2012.  It’s a redistricting year: All 76 will be up for reelection.

We’ll be making a list. 

Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald has appointed Edmund D. Acoba as District Court Judge in the Fifth Circuit (Kauai).  Acoba fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Calvin Murashige.

According to sources at Honolulu Hale, Mayor Carlisle is pushing for Todd Apo, former Honolulu County Council Chair, to be one of his nominees to serve on the newly-created Transit Authority.  Apo is making the rounds speaking to his former colleagues.  But before Carlisle acts, he may want to ask himself why Apo so suddenly resigned from the Council last year.....

Abercrombie's DoE is already trying to postpone the 180-day school year law, balance its budget on the backs of disabled children, end testing until after Abercrombie faces reelection, delay Race to the Top reforms, sell off schools to rake in bucks from the real estate market, and boost Matayoshi’s salary....

“The explicit sovereign immunity and exemption from regulation provisions in the present bill allow the Native Hawaiian governing entity, and its leaders, to conduct activities anywhere in Hawai‘i (and potentially any other state) in a way that is inconsistent with State criminal statutes.... It is not clear how the State could enforce its interests against unlawful or irresponsible actions by the governing entity or its elected leaders or employees."  - Gov. Linda Lingle, March 24, 2010

(L-R): Abercrombie, Broken Trust, Sandwich Isles/OHA (From Broken Trust, pg 202)

On one hand, Section 4(a)(4) of the Senate Akaka Bill states: "Native Hawaiians have an inherent right to autonomy in their internal affairs (and) and inherent right of self-determination and self-governance (and) the right to reorganize a Native Hawaiian governing entity...."

But Section 8(a) recognizes only: "The right of the qualified Native Hawaiian constituents to reorganize the single Native Hawaiian governing entity...."

Who are allowed to become "Qualified Native Hawaiian Constituents" will be determined by a "commission" of nine members.  There are exactly nine OHA Trustees.

In February, 2010, GAO was asked by eight members of Congress representing Hawaii, Arkansas, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa to review issues related to the migration of citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands(RMI), the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of Palau (ROP) to the U.S....

We at Hawai`i Free Press would like to take this opportunity to speak up on behalf of “pessimism and civic decline” – they are better than tax increases.

After decades of drug-running, extortion and prostitution, the Mafia appears to have found a rather more ecological way of laundering their money: green power....

Full Tilt Poker, one of the world’s top Internet poker sites—and potentially a key beneficiary of SB755--is now under Federal investigation for money laundering.

For years the Hawaii Republican organization has been controlled by Lingle loyalists—even Lingle herself.  But in 2009 Republican delegates elected Jonah Kaauwai GOP Chair.... 

Information required on the application for a casino license will include: 

A statement listing the names and titles of all public officials or officers of any unit of state government or county government in the jurisdiction in which the casino facility is to be located, and the spouses, parents, and children of those public officials or officers who, directly or indirectly, own any financial interest ....

Rep Tom Brower (D-Waikiki) says Hawaii is an “intolerant place” which needs to “create a market to attract progressive, educated individuals..."

For purposes of reality appreciation, we have added background info on the appointees....

...today’s Star-Advertiser says “nothing to see here, just keep moving.”  The SA’s in-house DoE flack Mary Vorsino claims it is the Terra-Nova test which would be eliminated....