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Environment
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Saturday, April 16, 2011 |
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HGEA Contract: Government Workers get Paid to Stay Home Three Months
By News Release @ 3:32 AM :: 6911 Views :: Energy, Environment
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State government workers currently get 13 paid holidays, 21 days of paid vacation and 21 days of sick leave each year. And in 2012 they will get 14 days vacation—since government workers don’t have to work on election day.
“On top of these 55 paid days off a year, Gov. Abercrombie has given HGEA workers 9 more days of paid administrative leave,” Rep Gene Ward of Hawaii Kai pointed out. “This equals 64 days, or almost three months a year.”
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Saturday, April 16, 2011 |
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VIDEO: House GOP speaks up on Pension Tax, GE Tax, Internet Tax, Fees, and Special Funds
By Video @ 12:38 AM :: 5864 Views :: Energy, Environment
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SB570: Provides for the taxation of certain pension incomes. Eliminates the deduction for state taxes paid for taxpayers with income above specified thresholds. Places temporary limitations on claims for itemized tax deductions. Delays the standard deduction and personal exemption increases....
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Friday, April 15, 2011 |
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SB756: Satellite TV Tax in omnibus Tax Bill
By Video @ 11:50 PM :: 6089 Views :: Energy, Environment
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The Hawaii Legislature wants to raise your taxes by imposing a new tax on 28,000 Hawaii families – including YOU – that choose satellite for their television programming.
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Friday, April 15, 2011 |
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Fontaine Factor: Judges speak up on Drug Courts
By Video @ 11:13 PM :: 9533 Views :: Kauai County, DHHL, Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment
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Representative George Fontaine discusses Hawaii Drug Courts with Chief Judge, Judge Shackley Raffetto from Maui and Judge Michael D. Wilson from Oahu....
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Friday, April 15, 2011 |
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Creative Accounting 101: Special Fund Raids
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:45 PM :: 6249 Views :: Energy, Environment
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After the second crossover this week, 393 bills are still alive at the Legislature as lawmakers are trying to find every means possible to come up with a balanced budget, even ways that stand a good chance of being challenged in court....
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Friday, April 15, 2011 |
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Akaka’s Whistleblower Bill cited as example of Over-criminalization
By Heritage Foundation @ 10:00 PM :: 7080 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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the legislation would suspend the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals sole jurisdiction over federal employee whistleblower cases for a period of five years....
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Friday, April 15, 2011 |
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Hawaii sends 24 teams to Florida robotics World Championships
By News Release @ 9:45 PM :: 5500 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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Hawaii’s VEX Robotics students will join more than 570 robotics teams representing 14 different nations to compete for the World Championship.
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Friday, April 15, 2011 |
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No New Taxes! Rally April 15--Honolulu, Kona, Hilo, Kahului, Lihue
By News Release @ 8:27 AM :: 23059 Views :: Hawaii County , Akaka Bill, Honolulu County, Democratic Party, Kauai County, DHHL, Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment
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Hawaii has one of the highest State Tax Rates in the United States, and yet the State Legislature is considering many new increases in taxes including income, excise, and other fees. Are you Taxed Enough Already?
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Thursday, April 14, 2011 |
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HGEA Negotiators: Hide furlough days, recoup losses after Legislature adjourns
By Andrew Walden @ 9:04 PM :: 9581 Views :: Energy, Environment
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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.
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Thursday, April 14, 2011 |
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When "Tolerance" Trumps Freedom: The Growing Threat to Conscience Rights
By Heritage Foundation @ 6:45 PM :: 5248 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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In an effort to save their careers, two pro-life pharmacists have fought an extensive legal battle asking the state to respect their religious objections to providing Plan B, an abortifacient drug. Last Wednesday, a circuit court upheld the rights of the two professionals....
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Thursday, April 14, 2011 |
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Marumoto: Pension Tax is a foot in the door towards taxing moderate, low income Pensioners
By News Release @ 1:13 PM :: 7727 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment
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If we pass this measure today, we will have our "foot in the door" to start taxing the pensions of all our seniors. We may end up taxing pensions at $10,000 or $5,000 or maybe at no threshold at all. If we returned to the Governor's original proposal of a $37,500 threshold, it will be harmful to our low-income seniors.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011 |
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How They Voted: SB1329 House passes Motor Vehicle tax Hike
By Grassroot Institute @ 7:26 PM :: 5984 Views :: Energy, Environment
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Senate Bill 1329 in its current form will increase the cost to register an average car, which weighs up to 4,000 pounds, from $30 to $70 per year.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011 |
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Honolulu Councilmembers reject Berg resolution, cite fear of retaliation
By News Release @ 7:05 PM :: 7950 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment
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Berg’s proposed resolution – adopted unanimously in the Council's government affairs committee two weeks ago – was voted down six to three amid concerns that most council members found the timing of Berg’s “message sending” resolution too risky ....
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011 |
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Hanabusa: Lingering resentment toward Case among “Multi-cultural base”
By Selected News Articles @ 1:28 PM :: 5594 Views :: Environment
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This is the old-boy response to Ed Case claiming to have made up with Inouye.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011 |
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How Think Tanks, TEA Party killed Rail Boondoggle
By Heritage Foundation @ 12:18 PM :: 5587 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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While much of this has been in the national news, what most journalists and commentators have overlooked is the decisive role a handful of pro-market think tanks and Tea Party activists played in putting these projects in the morgue.
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011 |
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Brookings: Honolulu Rail Cost Overruns inevitable
By Heritage Foundation @ 8:37 PM :: 9215 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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Winston criticizes in particular the now-under-construction Dulles Airport rail line that will become a part of the Washington, D.C.–area transit system, noting that the route is not cost-effective. He characterizes cost overruns on the Dulles rail line and the soon-to-be-under-construction Honolulu rail line as “inevitable”....
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011 |
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POLITICO claims Sen. Daniel Inouye goes silent on Hawaii Senate race
By Selected News Articles @ 2:29 PM :: 7033 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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This article is obviously planted in POLITICO by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to foster the illusion that Ed Case has it all wrapped up.
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Monday, April 11, 2011 |
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Atlas Shrugged to Open In Honolulu April 15
By FreedomWorks @ 8:49 PM :: 10196 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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- Consolidated Theatres Kahala 8 4211 Waialae Avenue #3080, Honolulu, HI 96816
- Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 735 B Iwilei Road, Honolulu, HI 96817
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Monday, April 11, 2011 |
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HCR71: HPV Vaccination Mandate Deferred
By Janet M. Grace @ 7:51 PM :: 6427 Views :: Energy, Environment
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Human life advocates have achieved yet another victory in state public policy. On April 1, the Hawai'i House Health Committee deferred HCR 71 regarding universal human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.
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Monday, April 11, 2011 |
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April 11, 2011 How Hawaii’s Congressional Delegation Voted
By News Release @ 2:21 PM :: 6407 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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- Senate: Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011
- Senate: To ban EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions
- House: Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011
- House: Net Neutrality Disapproval
- House: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011
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Monday, April 11, 2011 |
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Daily KOS: I had really hoped we were done with Ed Case
By Selected News Articles @ 10:44 AM :: 7595 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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I would have thought this track record would have been enough to put an end to Case's political ambitions, but ambition is what defines Ed Case—ambition, and douchiness.
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Monday, April 11, 2011 |
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Djou: Hawaii needs Civil Service Reform
By Rep Charles Djou @ 12:15 AM :: 10248 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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The last time Hawaii had a real conversation about reforming the civil service system was in 1999 lead by then Democrat Governor Ben Cayetano.
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Sunday, April 10, 2011 |
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VIDEO: Sen. Slom introduces Balanced Budget with no tax hikes
By Video @ 4:04 PM :: 8032 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment
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Sen. Sam Slom on Friday proposed eliminating about 1,500 jobs and about 500 vacant positions as a way to reduce government costs.... Slom's bare-bones budget would cost $4.4 billion in general funds, a $500 million decline from the current year's budget and $1 billion less than the House's proposal.
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Sunday, April 10, 2011 |
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VIDEO: Abercrombie holds fake news Conference to Announce HGEA's fake 'sacrifice'
By Video @ 1:20 AM :: 6342 Views :: Energy, Environment
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This video of Abercrombie announcing the HGEA contact April 7 looks like a news conference, and was billed by the Abercrombie administration as a news conference, but it wasn’t.
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Saturday, April 9, 2011 |
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Tsunami: Obama signs Disaster Declaration for Hawaii
By News Release @ 3:28 AM :: 7463 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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Obama declared the damage sustained from the March 11, 2011 tsunami a major disaster, which enables the State of Hawai'i to receive federal funding for repairs
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Saturday, April 9, 2011 |
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VIDEO: Heritage Foundation Leader interviewed in Hawaii
By Video @ 2:58 AM :: 5311 Views :: Energy, Environment
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April 5, 2011 Behind the News - Becky Norton Dunlop of the Heritage Foundation on Obamacare and America's Future….
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Saturday, April 9, 2011 |
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House GOP: HGEA Settlement is expensive, unfair
By News Release @ 2:55 AM :: 5445 Views :: Energy, Environment
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The new agreement with the HGEA will increase state labor costs by at least $65 million a year, the House Republican Caucus announced. And the agreement gives state workers up to 9 additional paid days off of work per year. This comes on top of 13 days paid vacation and 21 days of sick leave per year.
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Friday, April 8, 2011 |
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Abercrombie’s $100M omission: HGEA settlement tied to other secret labor agreements
By Andrew Walden @ 10:09 PM :: 10982 Views :: Energy, Environment
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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....
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Friday, April 8, 2011 |
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Government workers’ agreement to add more than $100 million to state deficit
By Grassroot Institute @ 3:50 PM :: 6375 Views :: Energy, Environment
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The HGEA contract, which will not be made available to the public until long after it is passed, does not reduce the state budget, but based on what the union representatives and the governor have reported thus far, it will increase the cost of government by more than $100 million.
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Friday, April 8, 2011 |
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VIDEO: Lanai Wind Fall Out
By Video @ 12:13 PM :: 10966 Views :: Kauai County, DHHL, Energy, Environment
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This project uses tax and rate payer money to enrich a privately held corporation. It bills itself as “green” when it is actually a corporate boondoggle to put a billion dollars every four years into one man’s pocket.
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Thursday, April 7, 2011 |
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HGEA: Contract Agreement includes Paid Time Off
By Andrew Walden @ 10:19 PM :: 9394 Views :: Energy, Environment
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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.”
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Thursday, April 7, 2011 |
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Abercrombie Announces $300M in new CIP Spending—“This is just the beginning”
By News Release @ 9:19 PM :: 6094 Views :: Energy, Environment
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Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced that more than 50 Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) have been initiated as part of his New Day Works Projects to create jobs and stimulate the economy....
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Thursday, April 7, 2011 |
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Full Results: Daily Kos Hawaii Poll
By Andrew Walden @ 6:39 PM :: 8036 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment
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Daily Kos Hawaii Poll Public Policy Polling, 898 Registered Voters, MoE 3.3%, Mar 24, 2011 - Mar 27, 2011. Do you approve or di...
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Thursday, April 7, 2011 |
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Hirono, Hanabusa vote for Government Shutdown, stop paying troops
By News Release @ 6:01 PM :: 9198 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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Hanabusa, Hirono oppose House continuing resolution which keeps the federal government operating and ensures federal employees will receive a paycheck, including those of our military men and woman serving in harm’s way ....
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Thursday, April 7, 2011 |
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GOP: Abercrombie Approval rating down to 48%
By News Release @ 5:48 PM :: 6512 Views :: Energy, Environment
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A poll done for the Daily Kos by Public Policy Polling showed that Abercrombie is down to a 48% approval rating. This is after receiving almost 58% of the vote last November. In addition, this poll seems to have under-sampled Republicans ....
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Thursday, April 7, 2011 |
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How They Voted: Senate Ways and Means votes to hike GE Tax by eliminating exemptions
By Andrew Walden @ 3:26 PM :: 9291 Views :: Energy, Environment
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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.
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Thursday, April 7, 2011 |
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SB1363 10-cents-per-bag Tax: Greens, Big Business, Big Government team up to Rip Off Consumers
By Andrew Walden @ 1:07 AM :: 20618 Views :: Hawaii County , Akaka Bill, Honolulu County, Democratic Party, Kauai County, DHHL, Energy, Environment
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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.
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 |
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Chief Justice Recktenwald Appoints Four District Court Judges on Oahu
By News Release @ 6:30 PM :: 7132 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment
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Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald appointed Lanson K. Kupau, Melanie Mito May and Dean E. Ochiai to the District Court and Catherine H. Remigio to the District Family Court of the First Circuit (Oahu).
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 |
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SB1363: Bag Tax to be heard Today
By Grassroot Institute @ 1:42 PM :: 4847 Views :: Energy, Environment
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At 4 p.m., the House Finance Committee will be hearing testimony on Senate Bill 1363....
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 |
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HTA: Canada, Korea, Australia to offset Japan travel decline—Golden Week to bring 5,000 visitors
By News Release @ 11:57 AM :: 10255 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics, World News, Family
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The HTA forecasts moderate growth in total scheduled nonstop air seats to Hawaii in the second quarter .....
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 |
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Senate Indian Affairs Committee to vote on Akaka Bill Thursday
By Andrew Walden @ 11:17 AM :: 7576 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics
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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.
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 |
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Ward: 100s of alternatives to tax hike
By News Release @ 2:18 AM :: 7194 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment
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Rep. Gene Ward (R-Hawaii Kai – Kalama Valley) today issued a warning to the public not to believe the latest threats by the Senate as well as the Hawaii’s public labor unions that an increase in the general excise tax (GET) is the only option on the table.
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 |
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House GOP Calls on Abercrombie to Cut Spending
By News Release @ 2:13 AM :: 5138 Views :: Energy, Environment
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Lingle froze most state hiring, put a stop to state travel and told her department heads to refrain from non-essential equipment purchases and supplies.
Urging Abercrombie to do the same, House GOP also recommended Abercrombie delay his proposed budget increases, which would bring the state’s two year operating budget to $23 billion.
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 |
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SB570: Hawaii Pension Tax Bill Alive and Well
By News Release @ 2:11 AM :: 6541 Views :: Energy, Environment
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Despite the efforts of the American Association of Retired Persons, Rep. Barbara Marumoto and dozens of individuals, bills to tax pension income continue to progress through the Hawaii State Legislature.
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 |
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GE Tax Showdown in Senate—A vote to remember in November
By Andrew Walden @ 1:11 AM :: 6606 Views :: Energy, Environment
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Election Day is November 6, 2012. It’s a redistricting year: All 76 will be up for reelection.
We’ll be making a list.
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 |
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Recktenwald appoints Acoba Kauai District Court Judge
By Andrew Walden @ 12:28 AM :: 9467 Views :: Honolulu County, Democratic Party, Energy, Environment
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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.
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