Environment

“It was an extremely productive trip that will benefit Hawai'i as we look to strengthen our economy,” Governor Abercrombie said.

The Office of the Governor is pleased to announce it has submitted its application today for the “Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge” grant competition, a new federal funding opportunity by the Obama Administration.

If the 1909 statute made assisted suicide legal, which it does not, then Hawaii would quickly become a breeding ground for abuse of those at the worst time in their lives – those who are sick and contemplating suicide.

She took the opportunity to relay her decision to run, the reasons behind it as well as priority issues she will focus on if she becomes Hawaii's next U.S. Senator to enthusiastic residents on Kauai, Maui and Hilo and Kona....

Linda Lingle's image has rebounded over the last 7 months after she left office unpopular, and it looks like she might be able to make the Hawaii Senate race competitive. 

Horizon Lines completed a complicated $652.8 million refinancing that saves the largest U.S. domestic ocean carrier from bankruptcy and will leave bondholders with most of the company's stock. 

In Hawaii Cain is at 36% to 24% for Romney, 8% for Gingrich and Perry, 6% for Bachmann, 4% for Paul, and 1% each for Huntsman, Johnson, and Santorum. 

Lingle is at 88% approval in the GOP Senate Primary.

 ...

Kathryn Tucker, Director of Legal Affairs for Compassion & Choices, claims that physician-assisted suicide, which she terms "aid in dying," is already legal in Hawaii.  Her claim, based in part on a 1909 statute, fails for the reasons set forth below.

Thursday, October 13, on Public Television's KHET Channel 10, Governor Cayetano and Cliff Slater were part of an Island Insights discussion of rail. They were joined by former Honolulu City Councilmember Gary Okino and Drew Astolfi, head of FACE....

The Star Advertiser report on jobs associated with the rail project is pure editorial posing as reportage....

According to the most recent U.S. Solar Market Insight report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association, installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in Hawaii grew to 7.2 megawatts in the second quarter of 2011.

Prior to joining DBEDT, Glick headed operations and economic development for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs....

The group of taxpayers now seek review in the U.S. Supreme Court. Cato, joined by the Pacific Legal Foundation, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, the Goldwater Institute, and Professor Paul M. Sullivan, filed a brief urging the Court to take the case ....

United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act - Vote Passed (278-151, 4 Not Voting)

The House passed this trade agreement with South Korea. The Senate approved the bill later in the day and the president is expected to sign it into law.  (Hirono voted NO.)

Law enforcement officials have reported an influx of criminal groups and independent growers from the West Coast who are relocating to Hawaii .... they often find medical marijuana certificates while serving search and arrest warrants but seize far greater amounts of marijuana than allowed by law, in addition to other illicit drugs and weapons….

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan's former Chief Administrative Officer claims she was fired for protesting that the putative nonprofit was "funneling funds to related for-profit Kaiser entities ... (and) using its fraudulently obtained tax-exempt status to fuel its market expansion/dominance."

The bulk of the $14 trillion debt the nation has borrowed is from other nations.

Saturday Oct. 15 Kona, Sunday Oct. 16 Hilo

If rail transit becomes a reality, what will be its effect be on Hawaii real estate?

We averaged the Runway Incident Rate-the total number of runway incidents divided by the total number of runway operations (takeoffs and landings)-over the five years covered in our survey period.

Residents of Hawaii’s largest public housing facility began returning to renovated units this month. They enjoyed the fruits of a public-private partnership that supporters worry will not be replicated in the future because of threats to the status of tax-exempt bonds that underpinned the project’s financing.

...with former Gov. Linda Lingle’s announcement this week that she would run for the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Dan Akaka, this race moves from the Solid Democratic column to Toss Up....

Little noticed outside financial circles, a tax increase in the bill would have sharply increased the cost of borrowing for state and local governments nationwide.

Latest "millionaire surtax" proposal would put Hawaii tax rates above Denmark, Sweden, California, and New York....

The DOE public schools enroll 172,104 (+2,117 from last year) students, about 95 percent of the total; while charter schools have 9,109 (+907), or 5 percent of the total.

Hanabusa calls Lingle an "extremely good politician" and a "formidable candidate" with an uncanny ability to connect with voters.

"Because assisted dying is legal, it won't be a clandestine practice any longer. Physicians will be able to openly discuss the best practices.... Hawaii is a prohibition-free state.”

Lingle stressed that one of her strengths is getting people to work together regardless of party affiliation, a concept that she believes is in short supply in Washington.

“Hawaii is taking another bold step forward to accelerate education reform, raise accountability, and ensure all students graduate college- and career-ready,” Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said in a news release, displaying her ability to say exactly the opposite of the truth with a straight face.

A Lingle-Hirono campaign would be a rematch from their 2002 gubernatorial face-off.  Lingle, who outraised Hirono in that contest, won that race by five percentage points.

United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act - H.R.3080

The House is scheduled to vote on implementing a trade pact with South Korea.

Abercrombie and officials from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA) ... met with representatives of various Japanese agencies that are key partners in the visitor industry.

it's vitally important to quickly enact the three pending U.S. trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. These FTAs have been sitting on the President's desk since 2007 for no good reason. President Obama has finally made them a priority by sending them to Congress last Monday night....

The Hawaii Christian Coalition would like to thank Jonah Kaauwai for his dedicated service to the Hawaii Republican Party. Although we accept the party's change of leadership, we hope that their platform of honoring life and families will continue....

The Center for Island Climate Adaptation and Policy (“ICAP”) at the UH Sea Grant College Program has prepared this paper to examine the interactions among climate change, the regulation of shoreline development in Hawai‘i, and Constitutional law regarding unpermitted takings of private property for public benefit

According to senior Democrats, Abercrombie has been getting almost every single thing wrong—”batting 1.000”—but can get his act together by firing his staff and placing the Fifth Floor under the control of old-boy political operator Bruce Coppa.

 ... The news is all the more shocking because Levinson is the son of ex-Justice Stephen “Broken Trust” Levinson, the inventor of gay “marriage”. Sporting a newly-trimmed Mohawk, Rep Blake Oshiro remains in denial ....

Abercrombie will travel to Asia from October 9 – 21, 2011 ....

Just substitute “Hawaiian” for “Alaskan” and you can see what CNHA is all about.)

Suicide law proponents are using a 1909 Hawaii law as a basis for their assertions, claiming the law allows doctors to administer lethal drugs upon patient request. In fact, this law was written to allow doctors to administer non-traditional/herbal drugs in battling such illnesses as Hansen's Disease (leprosy), tuberculosis, and asthma.

“What I am going to do? Am I going to just sit around and do nothing? I was hurt,” he said of his reaction to Case’s challenge to Akaka.

“He hasn’t given me any explanation, and if that’s the way he’s going to deal with me, I don’t want to deal with a person like that.”  

Precluding pre-enforcement judicial review buttresses a regime where EPA has assumed the authority to enjoin development by issuing unreviewable compliance orders. Such a result is repugnant to the core principle in the Due Process Clause that "[n]o person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

... Coppa was chief operations officer of Communications Pacific and executive director of Pacific Resource Partnership, an organization representing contractors and the carpenters union. Unlike Asselbaye, he's well connected in the local community, especially with labor ....

A Request for Proposal to contractors to build the PV facility was released this week. “We are on a very short timeline to qualify for the federal incentives,” said Brad Rockwell, KIUC manager of production.

Rep. Pine introduced HB 1465, relating to powers of attorney, which is still alive in the legislature. HB 1465 requires that anyone seeking power of attorney for an elderly person must have at least two signatures.

Each of the two high-rise towers at the Kuhio Park property, which together include 555 units, is expected to be renovated in 12 months. During renovations, residents moved into an “on-site hotel” at Tower B.

In case you missed it, the campaign got some great media coverage on Sunday. Governor Lingle helped us with a successful fundraiser and Stacey shared an update on what Charles is doing in Afghanistan.

A series of student-produced public service announcements promoting safe schools will be hitting the airwaves in a statewide video campaign announced today ....