October 23, 2009 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Friday, October 23, 2009

October 23, 2009 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 11:22 AM :: 8694 Views

Democrats go all-out to steer parents into demanding tax increases, DoE admits it can't keep track of furlough savings

Furlough Friday rally to be broadcast live online: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/99999999/MOGULUS02/399990001&template=mogulus

ADV: This morning, hundreds are expected to gather at the state Capitol for a rally to protest the furloughs.

About 800 parents and children alone will arrive on buses, and scores more are expected to come on their own.

Jo Curran, who helped organize the rally, said the protest is not just about "furlough Fridays."

"This is about turning around and re-evaluating our attitude to education in Hawaii," said Curran, whose child attends Kahala Elementary.

(And the Democrats and Unions are going all-out to make this about a tax increase)

In an opinion piece running in The Advertiser today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said he is disappointed in the state's decision to cut class time to save money.

"Sure, students may like the three-day weekends now, but I know they also realize that they will lose out in the long run if they don't receive the education they need and deserve," Duncan wrote in the column. "There has to be a better solution than cutting more than three weeks from the school year. Even in these difficult financial times, we have to invest in our children's education."

Yesterday, state Department of Education spokeswoman Sandy Goya said the department cannot yet say how much the furlough days will save.

(And the never will because--as Randy Roth has pointed out--their financial controls are so poor that they have no idea how much anything costs.)

Randall Roth: In Hawaii Education, The Buck Stops Nowhere

Randall Roth dissects Hawaii's failed Department of Education

Advertiser polls cause of furlough "chaos" (DoE, BoE not among choices)

Who do you think is to blame for the 'chaos' the state is in now that Judge David Ezra has denied a TRO request to halt the furloughs?

1,387 votes (results not scientific)

(Ezra is a choice, but the DoE and BoE are not? Even so, 68.7% blame Democrats for Friday furlough chaos. This is almost as obvious as the Advertiser poll for the congressional vote where Charles Djou was not a choice.)

Randall Roth: In Hawaii Education, The Buck Stops Nowhere

Randall Roth dissects Hawaii's failed Department of Education

UPW workers will be at schools even if classes canceled on 'furlough Friday'

The UPW members at schools include cafeteria workers, custodians, electricians, masons and other general laborers.

Judge Ezra (initially) rejects effort to keep schools open (Cites "chaos")

He said it was too late to try to call teachers and staff back to campuses tomorrow.

However, he said, he has not decided on the merits of the arguments and set a hearing for Nov. 5 to consider the two lawsuits that are trying to stop the state's effort to cut 17 days from the school year. There will be two "furlough Fridays" before Nov. 5.

"I am not saying for a minute that the court has reached any conclusions," he said.

Video: Pat Hamamoto responds to denial of TRO request

Video: HSTA president responds to denial of TRO

ADV: Judge Ezra denies TRO request to halt Hawaii teacher furloughs

Furlough Frustration Turns Into Anger, then Action

At Noelani Elementary, anger has turned into action. Parents are planning a walk-in Friday morning at the school when the first bell would have rung.

"It just seemed like it was this edict from above and there was nothing we could do about it,” said Vernadette Gonzalez, one of the organizers of the walk-in. “Then we decided, ‘Hey we start where we are. We start with our school, our teachers, our community.’”

Group looks at reshaping government

That kind of cash is needed now more than ever as Hawaii faces an estimated $1 billion budget shortfall over the next 20 months. The deficit has led to new union contracts causing schools to close 17 days a year -- starting today -- and most other state government employees to take 18 unpaid days off this year and 24 next year.

"Hopefully, we'll come up with some ideas that make sense, but nobody has ready answers," Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau President John Monahan said.

(How about this: Convert every school into a Charter School. Privatize HHSC Hospitals, Abolish the CON, Abolish OHA, rewrite Hawaii Environmental laws so the Superferry would be allowed without an EIS. None of these geniuses can even THINK of such simple and obvious proposals? Why? Because they are all a bunch of special-interest Democrats protecting their own while pretending to be an authoritative effort to rethink government. This is just another effort to co-opt public anger. Don't feed the hand that bites you!)

(But wait! There ARE some 'ideas'.)

Tax increases also might be discussed, although the focus is on prioritizing government services and identifying areas that could be cut.

"If we want these same services to keep being provided, we're going to have to ante up and pay for them," said Randy Perreira, executive director for the Hawaii Government Employees Association and a task force member.

Agreement on reducing rail's impact not ready

State and federal agencies this week failed to finalize an agreement on how to mitigate the impact of a planned elevated commuter rail project on Honolulu historical resources. A delay in completing the agreement could jeopardize plans to start construction of the $5.5 billion project in December.

The city planned to finalize the agreement Wednesday, then hold back-to-back City Council meetings next week. At both meetings, council members were expected to pass a resolution authorizing the city to execute a "programmatic agreement" with the Federal Transit Administration, Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division, National Park Service and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

However, on Wednesday the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation said it wasn't ready to sign the agreement, which is required under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. That act requires federal agencies to take into account the impacts of their projects on historic properties.

The slow motion train wreck continues . . .

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Sol Kahoohalahala Should Repay Taxpayers

Micronesian plan extends as state explores options

A temporary restraining order halting the state from switching Pacific islanders to a health plan without dialysis or chemotherapy coverage has been extended pending completion of a rule-making process.

'Dangerous' Hurricane Neki to pummel remote islands tonight

The storm is not expected to threaten the main Hawaiian islands. At 11 a.m., the center of Neki was about 545 miles west of Honolulu and about 215 miles south of French Frigate Shoals in the northwestern islands. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from Neki's center, while tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles.

(So, it must be OK to raid the Hurricane Fund now....)

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STIMULUS: Feds help Hawaii with heating bills

HONOLULU —The federal government has released $1.5 million to Hawaii to help low-income residents with their heating bills during October, November and December.

(Read that again...very slowly. Clearly this confirms the seriousness of the global cooling problem.)

More information:

http://hawaii.gov/health/disability-services/neurotrauma/key-services-finance.html

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/about/factsheet.html