Environment

The federal renewable energy production tax credit, which allows wind producers to take a 30 percent investment tax credit or receive a 2.2-cents-per-kilowatt-hour production tax credit, has been around since 1992. The tax credit expires at the end of 2012 ....

“It’s just unfortunate, and unworthy of the people of Hawaii, that Ed Case lets those frustrations with his own candidacy get the better of him,” Nielsen said.

Thirty seven states will be affected by these reductions with the majority of personnel cuts occurring in those states with the largest military and Army civilian populations.

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Case fired back. "While Mazie's been selling her candidacy to the DC insiders, I've taken mine straight to Hawaii's voters, who aren't too interested in Washington telling them how to fix Washington."

...public finance experts agree that general obligation bond issuance should be invested in capital construction projects....

Two women claim Hawaii unconstitutionally denies them the right to marry, in violation of Attorney General Eric Holder's February letter to Congress stating that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act "is unconstitutional as applied to same-sex couples married under state law".

On this day 70 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress and requested a declaration of war against Japan following the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor the day before.

Only six years after Mother Marianne Cope was beatified, the New York-bred collaborator of St Damien deVeuster on Hawaii's Molokai leper colony has cleared the final hurdle to sainthood.

We have now filed a Freedom of Information Act request ... and will update this story as appropriate.

...President Obama is not vacationing in Hawaii with his wife and children while the extension of the payroll tax holiday remains in limbo....

Hawaiian Air doubled the price of inter-island tickets since Aloha Airlines and the ferry was forced out of business. There are no longer discounted kama'aina, senior, or youth rates, and no more coupon books for frequent travelers....

These cuts have been put forth with little consideration for their long-term impact....

The goal is to review and determine applicant eligibility within the federally-mandated period of 30 days.... “Families arriving at our offices need help now, not months down the road.” (And we don’t want to lose federal funding just because of the HGEA.)

Mr. Yost expressed the plaintiffs’ concern that an "irrevocable commitment" of resources may occur if construction takes place, with significant impacts and no prudent alternatives, before the case is heard on the merits ....

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... the Battleship Missouri Memorial will proudly host a mass band performance featuring more than 650 performers from a dozen high school, college and community bands ....

According to the 22nd Edition of America’s Health Rankings, Hawaii is No. 4 this year compared to fifth in 2010 when compared with the health of other states.

...root cause analysis undertaken by Clipper regarding the blade skin crack, an update of the resolution relating to gearbox timing, structural blade remediation, as well as other data regarding Clipper's Liberty turbine....

• Senate: National Defense Authorization Act, FY2012
• House: Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act
• House: To reduce Federal spending and the deficit by terminating taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns and party conventions and by terminating the Election Assistance Commission
• House: Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011
• House: Regulatory Accountability Act

On November 28, 2011, CAlifornians for Renewable Energy (CARE) and Michael Boyd filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to challenge more than two dozen federal loan guarantees illegally issued by the U.S. Department of Energy....

... Hawaii Republican Party is organizing March 13 Presidential voting sites for all 51 State House Districts as well as Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Hana ....

“Most worrisome has been the steady decline in visitors from the US mainland.”

Representative George Fontaine (R-Kihei) speaks with Kim Gennaula of Aloha United Way and Major Edward Hill of the Salvation Army about opportunities for Volunteering and Giving during the Holiday Season....

 The Star-Advertiser calls this 'progress'....

NOAA's extensive and overly aggressive rulemaking effort will effectively kill ocean-based clean energy initiatives in Hawaii....

...no public events are scheduled during the trip.... (But will AG Holder survive to the New Year?)

...Democratic establishment is coalescing around Rep. Mazie Hirono in her primary against ex-Rep. Ed Case....

MISSION MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM
6:00-8:30 P.M.
DECEMBER 6, 2011

The $1.28 billion in bonds included $800 million in new debt.... The Bond transaction now allows the State to recapitalize the Hurricane Relief and Rainy Day Funds ....

“Governor Neil Abercrombie’s willingness to implement aggressive solutions, totaling $1.32 billion, to balance the fiscal 2011-2013 biennial budget .... "

It is unfortunate that Governor Abercrombie finds it more expedient to cast blame for his failures, missteps and inability to effectively manage the state's fiscal situation in his first year in office than accept responsibility or accountability for his own failings....

Full analysis from Shared Hope International....

We calculated suicide rates and unemployment rates. Then we tapped SimplyMap for the percentage of households that use antidepressants....

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OHA will be holding a series of public meetings to hear from the public about Abercrombie’s proposed Kakaako land deal ....

The project, called SolarStrong, aims to install these projects over five years. SolarCity has already begun installations at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii....

Honolulu (29) and San Francisco (30) are the highest-ranking US cities....  

Hawaii ranks 3rd in the nation in funding programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit, spending $10.7 million a year on tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which is 70 percent of the $15.2 million recommended by CDC ....

Instead of 15% of peak, the limit is now 50% of noontime usage....

Total expenditures by visitors who came to Hawaii in the first 10 months of 2011 grew 14.8 percent, compared to the same period in 2010, to $10.3 billion....

Republicans have landed prominent women candidates too, with former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle and former New Mexico Rep. Heather Wilson best positioned for victory next year....

American was forced into bankruptcy when the airline pilots union refused to budge on its demands for massive signing bonuses and wage increases.

ROME: Finmeccanica: signed a contract worth USD 1,334 million for Honolulu driverless metro.

Hawaiian Telcom announced today that, through the efforts of a federal mediator working with bargaining representatives of both the Company and the Union, the Company made an updated collective bargaining agreement offer to the Union....

The State Commission on Water Resource Management is seeking nominations for two positions on the Commission....

"... the seals are doing better in the main islands without a habitat designation .... "

Treasury and municipal bonds rallied Thursday as fears of European contagion spread ... Yields on the Hawaii bond deal were lowered as much as nine basis points, compared with levels offered earlier in the morning....

...perhaps this will mark the rise of the paleolibs?

• UH Richardson Law School- Classroom 1
• Wednesday, November 30, 2011 11:45am-1:15pm
• Free Lunch & Speaker, Hon. Peter N. Kirsanow