October 14, 2009 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

October 14, 2009 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 1:32 PM :: 11460 Views

"Furlough care" stalls due to lack of interest

As of Tuesday, there had been no sign-ups at the Hilo Armory or Waiakea Uka Gym for the day-long program of arts and crafts, sports and other activities designed to keep school children busy while their parents are at work.

Democrat Borreca: Furloughs could be key 2010 issue

(This is Borreca's 2010 Democrat propaganda game plan.)

No one figured out that by 2009 we would be 10 days away from shutting the schools every Friday this year and every other Friday next year and still calling it an education system.

If furloughing teachers serves as the solution to Hawaii's budget shortfall, then curtailing other government services could be in the offing.

Before it was ruled unconstitutional, Gov. Linda Lingle had a plan to shut down all of state government three Fridays a month for two years.

Newton was talking about physics when he said, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction," but there will also be a political toll to pay.

If furloughs turn out to be just too politically unacceptable, the next step could make 2010 Hawaii's most important election.

(If only the media could convince the public to forget layoffs and believe this is just a plan by the 'evil' Lingle. Certainly the DoE/HSTA had nothing to do with it. Everyone else is a blameless victim. Bla bla bla. The Democrats must be grateful to have their own propagandist on staff at the SB.)

Strategy to promote tax increase predicted and explained: Hawaii budget crisis: Adult Supervision vs Team Chaos , Furloughs vs Layoffs: The union no-solution strategy

Borreca's strategy in action? See next article....

~~Community fights Friday furloughs~~ Union patsies demand tax increases

A new organization, Hawaii Education Matters, (being promoted in the pages of the SB) is planning a march at the Capitol from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 23, the first scheduled "Furlough Friday" for public schools. Its Web site is hosting a petition drive to "Stop Furlough Fridays." The petition is addressed to the governor, Legislature, Department of Education, school board and teachers union. (But this is aimed entirely at the Leg. It is a demand for more taxes and a raid on the hurricane fund.)

"None of us are political activists," (Uh huh) said Jennifer Moy, volunteer coordinator for Hawaii Education Matters, formed three weeks ago in response to the furloughs. "We're pretty new at this. We just want a better education for our kids. Our goals are to have the class time restored and to give parents a voice in the debate."

Some are considering legal action. Attorney Eric Seitz sent a letter to Attorney General Mark Bennett dated last Thursday saying his office had received "an overwhelming number of requests for representation" from individuals and organizations seeking to block the furloughs.

Click here to see Eric Seitz's letter to Attorney General Mark Bennett.

http://www.hawaiieducationmatters.org

Petition calling for State to "find the resources" ie raise taxes and/or raid Hurricane Fund: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/hawaiieducationmatters

Strategy to promote tax increase predicted and explained: Hawaii budget crisis: Adult Supervision vs Team Chaos , Furloughs vs Layoffs: The union no-solution strategy

Isles' hospital death rate among worst

The report found that 11 of the hospitals it researched here in 2008 had average performance, falling into a group with 70 percent of the medical centers studied. None of the local hospitals made the top 15 percent nationally, while four fell into the bottom 15 percent.

The report is available through the www.HealthGrades.com Web site.

ADV: Council must stay the course on ~~rail~~ Mufi election plans

The City Council plans a public briefing at the next juncture: release of the city's final environmental impact statement. Chairman Todd Apo said this is to make sure the council is grounded on the project before issuing the bonds to finance early construction. That's fine, but elected officials must keep the discussion focused there.

Some critics have faulted the EIS for lacking information on some impacts or alternatives that could be considered, despite the strong case the city has built for its present course for an elevated rail system. (And what $$$ has been done to prevent a lawsuit from shutting this whole thing down?)

Endlessly revisiting past decisions on technology puts critical federal funding at risk. Political bickering, ignoring the analysis already performed, wastes time and money. The council has a fiduciary duty to taxpayers to avoid needless delays.

Why Hawaii Lost the Superferry

SB: Rail seems to be on track

Mayor Mufi Hannemann celebrated reaching "the home stretch," but other benchmarks are as critical. The city awaits final federal approval of an environmental impact statement, which is expected to be completed this month.

The city also might face threats by state legislators to reach deeply into a fund created by a tax surcharge to pay the city's share of the cost. They will be pressured by powerful state employee unions whose members face layoffs or days off from work without pay for the state to achieve a constitutionally required balanced budget during the economic crisis.

The city also could face a legal challenge from environmental groups that have opposed the project and recently maintained that a street-level system would be preferable to the elevated system.

U.S. District Judge Helen Gilmore also has asked the City Council to move the rail away from Halekauwila Street, next to the Prince Kuhio Federal Building, to Queen Street because of security concerns; it would be at the same level as the windows of three judges' chambers.

...none of those issues should be allowed to prevent Honolulu's train from running on time.

Why Hawaii Lost the Superferry

Kauai agency to review permit process for home on burial grounds (Burials pt 1)

LIHUE — Almost two years after originally granting approval for Joseph Brescia to construct a controversial single-family home on burial grounds at Naue, the Kauai Planning Commission yesterday set a January hearing date to determine if terms of that permit have been followed.

(Will OHA operatives including convicted drug dealer Ralph Palikapu Dedman steal Brescia's house from him?)

Hawaii court allows lawsuit over Kawaiahao Church graves (Burials pt 2)

Kawaiaha'o Church's plans for a new multipurpose building suffered a setback in state Circuit Court yesterday.

State Sen. Bunda to run for lieutenant governor

Bunda (D, Wahiawa-Kaena-Pupukea) has served in the state Legislature 28 years, including 15 in the Senate.

From 2001 to 2006, Bunda was Senate president and was the first Filipino-American to serve as president of any U.S. legislative body.

Isle eighth-graders improve in math, national report card says

In Hawaii, fourth-graders showed slight improvement from 2007 (though not statistically significant, the report said), while eighth-grade scores improved by five points. (DoE will now claim credit--wash, rinse, repeat.)

4 county clerks blast chief elections officer

All four county clerks, in a public display of solidarity, told the commission yesterday that Cronin has not adequately consulted with them or sought their expertise in planning for the 2010 elections. Cronin oversees statewide elections, but the county clerks handle the vote in each county, and the clerks warned there has been little progress on preparations.

The criticism from the county clerks follows an informational briefing last month in which two top Senate Democrats said they had no confidence in Cronin after he had difficulty answering budget and legal questions regarding the state Office of Elections.

Inmate punished for whistle-blowing, supporters say

(More union propaganda. Here's the answer...)

Hawaii Public Safety Director Clayton Frank denied the allegation and said Tauala was transferred to the facility in Denver because of "maximum custody" classification and two assaults on inmates.

"The other inmates were not in maximum custody," Frank said.

Tauala, 35, was serving a 20-year sentence for manslaughter when she was allegedly sexually assaulted in prison.

She was convicted for fatally shooting Hayward Julio in his car on Waipio Point Access Road in August 2002.

Tauala was distributing "ice" and was on parole for a 1994 case in which she was driving drunk and crashed, killing her passenger, according to a deputy prosecutor.

Hawaii shakeup: Mokulele, go! airlines merge

The parent companies of Mokulele Airlines and go! announced Tuesday they have formed a joint venture that will create the state's "only low-cost carrier, ensuring a strong competitive presence in the inter-island market for the benefit of consumers."

The company will continue flying under both brand names.

ADV: Hawaii interisland carrier Mokulele will merge with go! airline

SB: Mokulele Airlines and go! reach a pact to combine their interisland operations

Dole's Public offering puts worth at $1.2 billion

The large decline in the value of the Westlake Village, Calif., food company was disclosed in Securities and Exchange Commission documents filed in conjunction with Dole's efforts to sell a 41 percent stake in the company to the public for about $14 a share.

The offering values Dole at about $1.2 billion.

Analysts immediately began to ask if the Dole offering would be a good deal for investors. They expressed concern over the terms of the offering, which leaves Murdock, an 86-year-old billionaire, firmly in control of the business.

Fidelity is main Hawaiian shareholder

FMR LLC, which is known as Fidelity Investments and is the world's largest mutual fund company, has become the biggest shareholder in Hawaiian Airlines' parent company, according to a regulatory filing.

HRA complains about GOP's New Campaign

The State GOP works harder than it has in years to recruit legislative candidates, and so the complaining begins. When the Party lacks candidates, the obvious step for pressure groups within the party is to recruit their own supporters to run as candidates and gain influence within the Party by that means. But no.

Key mathematical formula needed to understand this phenomenon: "Infighting is inversely proportional to party building."

Hawaii Co. Audit critical of Public Works

The county's legislative auditor, who found in a 115-page report that the Department of Public Works is ripe for misappropriation and malfeasance because of inadequate controls over its $27.5 million highway fund.

The audit covers the two-year period ending June 30, 2008. It's scheduled to be discussed by the Hawaii County Council's Finance Committee on Oct. 20.

Hawaii Co. Sunshine Law suit settled, county to pay legal fees

"The court never found that there was a violation," Corporation Counsel Lincoln Ashida said. "If there was a violation, any violation was inadvertent."

"It was clear, by the court's landmark granting of a temporary restraining order against the county for violating the Sunshine Law, that our elected representatives were guilty," Editor Reed Flickinger said.

(Another Akinskyite machination to pit W vs E.)

More of the same: http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/articles/2009/10/13/opinion/columns/column01.txt

Smoke, but no fire over "Cannibis College" in Hilo

Downtown Hilo business owners are being asked to oppose the pro-marijuana "cannabis college" that recently put up its shingle on Kamehameha Avenue.