The hidden story of the third Thanksgiving: 1623--giving thanks for freedom
VIDEO: Senator Slom and former State Rep. Barbara Marumoto talk about Hawaii business
Early Education: Gay Activist Seeks 'Sweet Spot' to 'Drive Parents to Send us their Children'
SA: Earlier this year, lawmakers scaled down the Abercrombie's early-education initiatives and converted a $25 million school readiness proposal into a $6 million expansion of Preschool Open Doors, an existing child care program under the Department of Human Services.
The nonprofit PATCH, or People Attentive to Children, has been awarded a multiyear contract to administer the subsidy child care program. The law establishing Preschool Open Doors as the state's school readiness program also calls for learning assessments and new reporting requirements for participating preschools.
State officials and early-education advocacy groups are now looking at ways to try to make preschool more affordable for families who need the most help.
The average cost to attend an accredited preschool in Hawaii is $803 a month, and only about 40 percent of 4-year-olds here attend preschool.
Gay-Atheist activist Jacce Mikulanec, policy director for the Good Beginnings Alliance, (and treasurer of the mis-named 'Equality Hawaii') said the new age requirement is already prompting plenty of questions among parents....
One idea to help bring down the cost of preschool for needy families involves reconfiguring the Preschool Open Doors subsidy co-payment system....
Mikulanec, whose organization campaigned for the universal preschool plan as part of its advocacy work for early education, said finding the co-payment "sweet spot" will be critical.
"I think the intent is to offer meaningful assistance, and finding that sweet spot to drive parents to send their child to a high-quality (religion-free) early-education program," Mikulanec said. "Right now only the lowest of the low tiers are able to qualify for financial assistance."
Bhanot said families are encouraged to apply for subsidies even if they don't think they'll qualify. He said the department may be able to use the data to gauge demand and inform future decisions about financial assistance.
State Sen. Jill Tokuda, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Education, said such data will be key to helping lawmakers make funding decisions.
"Part of the onus is really going to be taking a look at what the demand is out there and what the Legislature will be able to do with limited resources," said Tokuda (D, Kailua-Kaneohe).
Increased access to preschool education could also get a boost if voters approve a proposed constitutional amendment next November to allow spending public money on private early-education programs.
Background: Temptation: Offered Millions, Catholics Reject Abercrombie's Attempt to Re-Write Curriculum
read ... An article titled: 'Easing fiscal burden a priority for officials'
UH Campus feels effects of legalizing same-sex marriage
KL: ...a continual effort is necessary for a more LGBT-friendly campus.
“We have to continue to make sure that our campus is a safe place for everyone, regardless of who they love, who they’re dating or what their sexual orientation or gender identity is,” Miyamoto said.
Not everyone is sure that the passage of SB1 in the islands is the sign of true equality for the LGBT community.
“In a society that has issues that affect so many people I don’t think it’s realistic to say that just allowing same-sex marriage to pass will automatically solve all LGBT issues,” UH Mānoa junior Tyler Braekevelt said. “In order for there to be true progression people need to change how they think, and I don’t think we’re there yet.”...
This notion of continuing to create a community of respect and “’ohana” via the support at the LGBT Center has been instrumental in Cota’s personal development.
“We do a lot of networking, and I've met a lot of people off-campus and on-campus so it has exposed me to a lot of people who are very open.” Cota said, “And I've learned from a lot of people. It's been a very positive experience to have a family away from home.”
read ... New Family Structure Headed by Political Group
Mainland Homosexuals all a Flutter over Gay Marriage Lawsuit Appeal
UK Guardian: Feds Should Attack Mormon Church
UKG: ...the Mormon church is back fighting same-sex marriage. We discovered (discovered? They were published online) two letters that were read to all Mormon church members in Hawaii as the state was considering whether to legalize same sex marriage. The letters signed by high-ranking Mormon leaders asked church members to give of their "time and means" in order to defeat a bill....
I sent a letter to the Hawaii Ethics Commission asking them to investigate whether there were Mormon church employees who had worked over five hours in a month to defeat the bill, or if the church had spent more than $750 on lobbying expenses. If the church met either threshold, they would be required to register more of their employees as lobbyists. We are awaiting the results of that investigation.
The Mormon church even pulled out its top law professor, Lynn Wardle, from church-owned Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. They flew him (really do you know who paid for the ticket?) to Hawaii to testify against the gay marriage bill.
The recently released official Mormon church documents published by Mother Jones, show ... They have had up to 23 lobbyists in 23 states all over the country working to pass laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage and opposing each and every marriage equality bill....
Perhaps it's time that the US Department of Justice and the IRS take a closer look at the Mormon church's political activities....
As Explained: Ethics Commission Gives Instant Response to Demand Hawaii Mormon Church ‘Register Every Paid Employee’
read ... Gay Marriage is an Elite Attack on the People and their Institutions
Star-Adv: Inouye Cronies Should Pay for Inouye Center
SA: Before making any budgeting decisions affecting the University of Hawaii construction program, it ought to be mandatory for lawmakers to tour facilities, in Manoa particularly, taking stock of what's already there.
The sight of deteriorating buildings at what is supposed to be the state's flagship campus should reinforce their resolve to prioritize repairs and maintenance over new construction. It also should drive them to strengthen the "moratorium" the UH Board of Regents has proposed now — specifically, to make a longer-term commitment.
At issue is the freeze on new building projects for the next three years while the university attacks, as it should, its mountainous backlog of repairs, now amounting to $487 million....
if money for repairs is as scarce as officials contend, private donors should be sought to eliminate the $5 million in seed money for the Daniel K. Inouye Library. Few on Capitol Hill were more influential in bringing economic stimulus and program funds to their home states than Hawaii's late senator, who does merit the recognition of a permanent institute.
However, in the short term it's incumbent on the private-sector beneficiaries of Inouye's largesse to be the first to give back....
read ... Strengthen UH building freeze
New bipartisan caucus aims to get young voters involved
SA: Hawaii Future Caucus members said in a news conference at the state Capitol that they hope to work on "common-sense" legislation to make the political system more inviting and accessible for younger generations.
"Things like voter participation, things like government accessibility and transparency — those are issues that aren't exclusive to one party, and that's why we're here today as a bipartisan group to address those," said state Rep. Takashi Ohno (D, Nuuanu-Liliha-Alewa Heights), a caucus co-chairman.
State Rep. Beth Fukumoto (R, Mililani-Mililani Mauka-Waipio Acres) and City Councilman Stanley Chang round out the caucus' leadership team.
THE CAUCUS — which members have been pondering for about a year — is officially recognized by the House and plans to prepare a package of legislation to introduce at the beginning of the upcoming 2014 session.
Chang said the caucus plans to tackle issues such as broadcasting more public hearings and upping the 48-hour notice requirement for hearings, along with improving early-voting options and the voter registration process to better attract young voters.
read ... Futures Caucus
Former BISAC worker sues over firing
WHT: The civil lawsuit, seeking unspecified general, special, compensatory and punitive damages plus back pay and attorney’s fees, was filed Tuesday in Hilo Circuit Court by attorney Ted Hong on behalf of Raylynn Carvalho. The suit claims that Carvalho, who had been executive assistant to former BISAC CEO Dr. Stephen Zuniga, discovered on July 21, 2011, that Zuniga “had unlawfully used (BISAC) funds for personal reasons” and “had reported the unlawful misconduct” to Patricia Engelhard, BISAC’s board president.
Carvalho claims that after reporting the alleged misappropriation of funds, Zuniga “began a campaign to intimidate (Carvalho) and force her to resign or have her terminated.” She also alleges that after Zuniga “separated from” BISAC and was replaced by Dr. Hannah Preston-Pita on June 5, 2012, she was told that her position as executive assistant was being eliminated and that she could apply for an executive secretary or office assistant position. Carvalho alleges she did so and didn’t land either job....
Carvalho alleges that after she went to the board to report the alleged fiscal misconduct, Zuniga started a campaign of systematic harassment. Allegations include that he twice ordered her to clean medical records of Kona Outpatient Clinic clients “that had been stored for a number of years and covered in rodent and insect feces and urine,” that he angrily confronted her and yelled at her that she couldn’t contact Englehard over internal matters, that he denied her an ergonomic chair for a “known disability involving her back, spine and neck,” that he would come up behind her, unannounced, “and verbally threaten, yell at and/or harass” Carvalho, and that he threw dog hair on her, knowing that she “was severely allergic to dog hair.”
The suit claims that while the alleged harassment occurred, Carvalho was aware that Zuniga “was the subject of a financial audit” by BISAC, and that Zuniga had improperly told another employee that the employee was the subject of an internal investigation due to whistle-blowing by Carvalho.
Neither Zuniga nor Preston-Pita are defendants in the suit. Zuniga, a psychologist, is now executive vice president of ClaimTrakCQ, an electronic health records firm in Gilbert, Ariz.
Hong said he doesn’t believe that Carvalho has found employment.
read ... Former BISAC worker sues over firing
Hawaii Exporting Jet Fuel to China
R: At least two jet fuel cargoes are being shipped to China from the United States, reversing the usual direction of trade in the product, as U.S. refiners make use of cheap domestic crude oil from shale to ramp up runs for export.
Oil major BP is shipping jet fuel from the U.S. West Coast to China while oil trader Vitol is shipping the product from Hawaii to Shanghai, industry sources said. They declined to name the vessels carrying the cargoes.
Such shipments are very rare as jet fuel is normally shipped from Asia, which is usually over-supplied with middle distillates, to the United States.
read ... Jet Fuel
Hawaii Presidential Library Bid Hinges on Obama Change Foundation
Borreca: At a Hawaii Tourism Authority meeting, one authority member, Lorrie Stone, according to a Pacific Business News report, said the decision had already been made for Chicago. Others today are saying still no decision, but it does appear that something is jelling.
There is some question about who gets what, where, because last week the University of Illinois at Chicago announced that it had up to five sites available for a presidential library and museum. So if a decision has been made, the folks at the University of Illinois at Chicago don't appear to know about it.
Also in the running are Chicago State University and the University of Chicago, where Obama taught.
The president has not commented on either the search or his preferences.
Back here in Hawaii, Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui is on the local team. He also says no decision has been made, but he hinted that perhaps the decision will be a split.
"While President Obama has made clear that he has not made any decisions about the placement of his presidential center, it's possible that the president will choose to establish a base of operations in two cities. President Clinton has done so; his foundation is headquartered in New York and his library is in Little Rock. Therefore, we may end up collaborating with Chicago," said Tsutsui.
read ... Sea Levels not Rising at Kakaako
2000 at Salvation Army Thanksgiving Dinner
SA: More than 2,000 hungry people gathered Thursday at the Neal Blaisdell Center to ring in the holiday season with the Salvation Army's 43th annual Thanksgiving dinner.
Attendees entered the exposition center at about 11:30 a.m. on a red carpet and were welcomed by a long line of smiling greeters offering hugs and handshakes. The Salvation Army's Island Brass Band blared out "Joy to the World" as people began to fill rows upon rows of long banquet tables draped with white tablecloths and decorated with place mats made by keiki from around the island.
"I haven't been served for a long time!" Robin Pires of Kalihi said with a laugh and a smile as she waited for her meal with her 4-month-old in a carrier on her chest and her four other young children playing with family members nearby.
read ... Dinner fulfills need for food and fellowship
QUICK HITS:
North Korea 'restarts' nuclear reactor, atomic watchdog warns
China's Latest Territorial Moves Renew Fears In Philippines
China scrambles jets in air zone to monitor US and Japanese planes
Hawaii High School Athletic Association director believes sports are an important part of education
HawTel’s phone-pole boxes are ‘hubs’ for fiber network
Laser sweep of copter draws investigation