October 4, 2009 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Sunday, October 4, 2009

October 4, 2009 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:36 PM :: 5281 Views

ADV: Furlough challenge to take concerted push

Hawai'i's public school parents have just taken a big sucker punch with the news that their children are due to lose 17 instructional days on the academic calendar, days that teachers will be furloughed as a result of their new union contract. (And the DoE is the only school system nationwide to have scheduled ALL furloughs on instructional days--in a way which maximizes the inconvenience to families and the chaos needed for a Dem. victory in 2010.)

SB Oi: Lingle can be obstinate or show some leadership

(Funny, everybody but Oi knows that it is the Legislature and Abercrombie who has failed to show even an iota of leadership. And just as Lingle's negotiation strategy appears to be paying off in ways that Cayetano's never did, the SB's Oi comes out with this silly piece of Democrat CYA....)

University of Hawaii faculty vote on contract offer

Members of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, which represents professors in the 10-campus system, will vote on a contract offer from administrators beginning Monday.

Hawaii's Sen. Inouye defends earmarks for his home state

That was especially evident in the last week during debate over a $636 billion military spending bill flush with money for Hawai'i.

In the defense bill alone, Inouye has 31 earmarks worth $178 million, and four earmarks worth $28.5 million in concert with other members, according to Washington-based Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

(No mention of the criticism of Inouye's non-Hawaii earmarks. Fortunately HFP readers can see it here: Inouye's DoD Pork: "Paid for by raiding Iraq and Afghan maintenance, food, & fuel" )

Hawaii Seed Industry flourishing

Corn seed companies have had a presence in Hawai'i for more than 40 years, initially as a home for winter nurseries. But advances in breeding work to give hybrid plants desirable traits helped grow the industry from $1 million in annual spending in the early 1970s to $10 million in the early 1990s.

In the past decade, industry growth has soared from about $30 million to $177 million last year as molecular breeding technology has became cheaper and faster, and more companies have set up or dramatically expanded local operations.

Totally Related: The Future of Fraud (debunk of anti-GMO hype)

More: http://www.hciaonline.com/

(Therefore OHA is working to shake down the seed industry...see next article)

Council approves ban on GMO taro

The taro bill prohibits anyone from testing, propagating, growing or introducing genetically engineered or modified taro, or kalo, within Maui County. Council members voted 9-0 to approve the ban, saying they believed taro's cultural and spiritual significance to Native Hawaiians was more important than any other factor.

In other council business, a bill banning alcohol at Kamaole Beach Park I received initial approval.

(Funny, no mention here of the Maui Council's action on the bill to SECEED FROM THE UNION. Typical Hawaii media--protecting Democrat politicians from their own stupidity.)

In defense of taking land for public use

Suzette Kelo should have won. Taking a perfectly good single-family house in order to "economically revitalize" a neighborhood is neither good policy nor good law. However, neither that case nor the Hawaii case that preceded it should have resulted in the recent Hawaii case overturning a government taking for a very public road. Nor are any of the three quite as described by Rob Thomas in his recent review of the book "Little Pink House" ("Story behind court ruling resonates in isles," Star-Bulletin, Sept. 20).

Maui Catholics traveling to Rome for ‘once-in-a-lifetime moment’

Damien ministered to people afflicted with Hansen's disease for 16 years on Molokai, where he died at the age of 49 from the same disease.

In December 1999, the Vatican approved May 10, the day Father Damien arrived on Molokai, as his feast day. Last year in July, Pope Benedict signed a decree accepting the unexplained cancer cure of retired Hawaii schoolteacher Audrey Toguchi as the miracle required for Blessed Damien's canonization.

The moment of canonization is now less than a week away.

Now a civilian, Watada leaves military, headlines behind

(Now that it is Obama's war, Democrats want Watada to disappear just like Cindy Sheehan has been told to disappear.)

Aloha Medical mission sends supplies

The Aloha Medical Mission is sending medical supplies to tsunami victims in American Samoa and Tropical Storm Ketsana victims in the Philippines.