October 12, 2009 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Monday, October 12, 2009

October 12, 2009 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 11:08 AM :: 6455 Views

Hawaii evangelical churches plan election push

Catholic and evangelical Protestant leaders hope to push Hawaii politics rightward, preparing an election-year effort in 2010 to organize their parishioners into voting blocks that can help elect like-minded candidates. And they are hoping to use the issue of civil unions to get them there.

The state Legislature next year is expected to reconsider a proposal to allow gay and lesbian couples to form civil unions. The measure, which is on hold in the state Senate, generated some of the largest rallies ever seen at the normally placid Capitol earlier this year. (BTW: Couldn't find this article in Hawaii, except for the HTH which ran it yesterday.)

READ: Churches Are Key to Creating Two-Party Political System for Hawaii

Gays march ~~for equality~~ to change marriage into what they want

The reasons varied among the estimated 150 marchers who walked around the state Capitol yesterday chanting slogans urging equality for gays and lesbians. Some wanted to be able to marry. Others wanted to be able to have their partners immigrate to the United States as a spouse.

Democrats tell Gays to stay off streets: Barney Frank says DC gay rights march misses mark... , Gays question Obama 'don't ask, don't tell' pledge...

Red Cross seeks tsunami aid

The American Red Cross has two donation drives: a Disaster Relief Fund helping victims in American Samoa and an International Response Fund helping those in Indonesia, the Philippines and Samoa. To donate call (800) RED-CROSS or visit www.redcross.org.

Judge to decide on church digging

Kawananakoa's suit, filed in July, alleges that trenching work disturbed the graves of her ancestors — Queen Kapiolani and her family. The suit names the church and various state agencies as defendants. It alleges a violation of public trust, along with manipulation of state law, desecration of graves and gross negligence, among other charges.

In August the church's attorney, Crystal Rose, filed a motion to dismiss the suit, saying that the historic burial laws do not apply to a widely known cemetery.

George Van Buren, Kawananakoa's attorney, filed a response last week, saying Kawaiaha'o Church's history as an ancient native Hawaiian burial site subjects it to the state laws....

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which gave the church a grant for the center, also wrote a letter in May, saying the remains should be reviewed by the burial council. OHA said it was not too late to put the project back on a proper course.

(Meanwhile on Kauai, OHA operatives are attempting to steal an single family house from its owner by using iwi as an excuse. The activists claim the house is similar to building on Arlington Cemetery. And what are the real Hawaiian Arlingtons? Nuuanu and Kawaiahao. Can you smell the hypocrisy?)

Hawaii making it hard to dodge your taxes

The state collected more than $50 million in delinquent excise taxes since June 30, 2008, thanks to a computer program that links data from federal tax returns to state tax filings.

The state Department of Taxation has been checking federal tax returns of Hawai'i residents to see if they claim business income. If they do, the state then looks to see if the same residents filed state excise tax returns. Those who didn't were sent warning letters and many responded by paying what they owed.

(No mention of how many were Senators like tax cheat Gary Hooser)

SB on plastic bags: Let's see how bans fare

While most states and municipalities across the country are fearful (If you oppose this you are ruled by feeeear) to impose fees or bans on plastic bags during the economic abyss, Kauai and Maui counties are bravely (this is bravery? no it is mindless cult following) poised to impose prohibitions next January. Honolulu's City Council should look upon those ventures as pilot projects (plastic bag ban coming to Honolulu) for reducing street litter, ocean pollution and carbon emissions.

REALITY: Paper vs. Plastic: An environmental comparison

Shovel ready? WHT Polls Road Construction

What are the county's chance to get the Ane Keohokalole Highway, the planned midlevel connector road, ready to bid in time for federal stimulus funding deadlines?

68% voted -- "Poor. Some sort of protest will come up in the next 30 days that will stop the road for another 30 years."

(Attention candidates: Hawaii voters are hungry for political leaders who will stand up to small groups of protesters blocking progress.)

Relic of Blessed Damien of Molokai to visit Our Lady of Lourdes Church

The Relic of Blessed Damien of Molokai will be at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Honokaa next week.

Battle bots

Haili Christian third-grader Chris Hatakenaka-Miho exults as his brushbot shoves back its opponent, belonging to St. Joseph fifth-grader Jasmine dela Cruz, to win the elementary division jousting finals of Saturday's inaugural Thirty Meter Telescope Big Island Brushbot Tournament at 'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii.

NOTE: 1) The DoE isn't doing this, it comes from the Governor's STEM initiative, Imiloa, and TMT. 2) OHA is litigating to shut down or extort TMT.

Rising rent worries Hawaii Kai farmers

A dozen farmers on 87 acres of leased land in the back of Hawaii Kai fear they will soon be displaced by soaring lease rents from Kamehameha Schools.

To call attention to their situation, the farmers and political leaders staged a rally yesterday in the undeveloped Kamilonui Valley.

Gov. Linda Lingle and Sandra Kunimoto, state agriculture department director, attended the rally, although Lingle only said she hoped that Kamehameha would consider the farmers.

State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, who also attended the rally said the state's laws protecting important agriculture offer tax credits to large owners to dedicate the property to agriculture.

(Landlordism is one of the forces holding back Hawaii's economic diversification.)