Hawaii parents may sue over furloughs (Could destroy HSTA contract)
An attorney representing parents of special needs students may ask the court to stop public school teacher furloughs that are to begin Oct. 23. Honolulu attorney Eric Seitz warned of the possible legal action in a letter to state Attorney General Mark Bennett last week, and the two will meet this week to discuss the plan to close schools on 17 Fridays this school year. (Which is EXACTLY why the DoE/HSTA decided to put them on Fridays)
We predicted this here: Hawaii budget crisis: Adult Supervision vs Team Chaos
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Religion risky for GOP (Gay-Democrat Bulletin FEARS defeat)
SB editors denounce Duke Aiona as "intolerant" and "mix(ing) politics and religion" suggest his supporters are somehow "hijacking" the GOP. But the SB's pro-gay-marriage editorial board is so very concerned about the future of the GOP.
All of wrapped up in laughably display of false concern that the 80-80 vision of registering Church-goers to vote will fail and "marginalize" the GOP. Besides Lingle, the Hawai GOP can't get any more marginal than it is now. And Lingle terms out in 2010.
The un-challenged assumption is that this voter registration drive will benefit only the GOP. Obviously in the Dem. primary campaign of Gary Okino vs Blake Oshiro, it may very well benefit the anti-gay-marriage Democrat, Okino. And this also causes fear among SB editors. Republicans can only benefit from this at the top of the ticket. To benefit in legislative races, they need to field candidates which appeal to the new voters brought into the process by 80-80.
One thing is very clear. The SB FEARS increased voter participation and FEARS the creation of a counter-weight to the one-party system and the union voter blocs.
Good. That shows that church leaders trying to register their church goers to vote are on the right track.
THIS is what they are responding to: Hawaii evangelical churches plan election push , Churches Are Key to Creating Two-Party Political System for Hawaii
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ADV: Hawaii pilgrims celebrate as Damien finally gets his due
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Rail project gets federal OK
Acceptance of the city's application was expected, after a report prepared earlier this year by a federally approved consultant, Jacobs Engineering Group, indicated the project should move forward....
Hannemann said yesterday he remains hopeful the city can break ground in December on the initial phase of the 20-mile rail route from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center.
He said the city is awaiting final state approval of an environmental impact statement and then a federal record of decision before ground can be broken.
ADV: Honolulu rail gets federal OK
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Isle workers should be used for public projects (ie Rail)
Let's take, for example, a transit station for the rail project. If a construction company is awarded the contract for this station but goes to sources on the mainland for cheaper labor, how does that help stimulate our local economy? The economic stimulus of rail is primarily the creation of jobs. What have we accomplished if our local labor force is not utilized? We are providing jobs for workers from other states, like those working on refurbishing Aloha Stadium.
I would like to see a standard PLA be used for all public works projects that go out to bid. Simply put, project labor agreements mean local jobs go to local people.
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Panel meets to get a grip on elections
With less than a year before the primary election, the state Elections Commission will discuss today the troubled preparations for that event and the performance of the state's chief election officer....
Cronin's performance will be evaluated in a closed-door session. "It could be a condemnation. It could be support," Marston said. "But I think we need to come to some unified conclusion about it."
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Tax scofflaws face Thursday deadline
State taxpayers who haven't reported income from offshore bank accounts have until Thursday to declare the income with less chances of criminal prosecution.
The state started the program in August and patterned it after the program offered by the Internal Revenue Service for people who haven't reported the offshore income on their federal taxes.
The federal program requires people amend six years of tax returns and pay back taxes and some penalties. It also ends on Thursday.
(Legislators? Judges? Union officials?)
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Kalapa: Ups and Downs of Those Hawaii State Revenue Collections
As reports of the state’s general fund revenue collections last month sparked another call by the administration to further tighten the state’s spending belt, there were others who looked at the negative 5% growth rate as an indicator that the economy was improving as it was less of a decline than the negative 9% growth rate reported for the first month of the fiscal year.
While that may appear to be logical, reading the revenue collections report based on month-to-month comparisons this early in the fiscal year is somewhat like guessing what color socks you just pulled out of the drawer in the dark of the morning.
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New Report Compares State and Local Government Tax Revenue Sources
The 10 states that depend heavily on general and selective sales taxes (levied on motor fuel, tobacco, insurance premiums, public utilities, amusements and alcoholic beverages) are Washington (62.1%), Nevada (58.2%), Tennessee (56.8%), South Dakota (54.1%), Arkansas (53.2%), Louisiana (53.0%), Hawaii (51.7%), Florida (49.0%), Arizona (48.4%) and Alabama (47.8%).
RELATED: Hawaii G.E. Tax to be model for national Value Added Tax?
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Panel considers 6-person jury
Hawai'i lawmakers may consider legislation next year that would reduce the standard size of a jury from 12 to six people for civil trials and minor criminal trials in state courts.
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‘Furlough Friday’ program providers may need child care licenses
State Department of Human Services leaders concluded those wishing to organize events for children on the several Fridays the rest of this school year when school is not scheduled for budget-cutting measures might need to be licensed as child-care providers, said Kelly Robinson of the DHS on Kaua‘i.
(One more hurdle)
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Children and Youth Summit Tuesday at State Capitol
The 2009 Children and Youth Summit will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It is sponsored by the Legislature's Keiki Caucus....Following the summit, a reception will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Washington Place. Summit participants can meet planners for the 2010 World Youth Congress in Turkey.
(Be sure to ask the youth how many plan to leave Hawaii.)
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Maui County council defers ban on polystyrene plate-lunch containers
On the side of the ban, Brooke Porter, conservation director of the (whale-killing, anti-Superferry hypocrites) Pacific Whale Foundation, shook up a gallon jug of water mixed with tiny particles of polystyrene. One of the problems, she said, is that the microscopic bits attract oily chemicals in the ocean, acting as "bioaccumulators of hydrophobic toxins." (Whooo THAT bit of agit-prop sure is designed to sound scary) After shaking, the water and the hydrophobic bits separated.
Polystyrene can also be burned as a boiler fuel, as is accepted by H-POWER, but there is no trash-to-energy plant in Maui County. (So the ecos opposition to Waste-to-energy allows them to exert control over your life and business in another way)
Joe Souki, speaking for the American Chemistry Council and not, he told the committee, as a state legislator, said: "Simply banning polystyrene will not reduce litter. It just changes the type of litter." (Wow! Somebody talking sense on Maui!)
RELATED: Paper vs. Plastic: An environmental comparison
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