February 1, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Monday, February 1, 2010

February 1, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 5:03 PM :: 10551 Views

LINK>>>>Opponents of Kubo nomination tied to Pali Golf course shooters’ mob

Djou tops in cash on hand after Hanabusa gets old boy boost

Djou reported having almost $334,400 on hand as of Dec. 31. That is more than Hanabusa, who said she had $218,700 on hand as of Dec. 31, and Case, who reported $139,300.

Naturally, the Democrat-Bulletin’s headline is “Hanabusa leads race for cash in Congressional contest”

Fascinating. Here is an article which might explain where some of Hanabusa’s support comes from: Opponents of Kubo nomination tied to Pali Golf course shooters’ mob

Hannemann leads Abercrombie in campaign funds (and Duke??? Advertiser no say, but Hawai`i Free Press does)

E Hoomua Hannemann, Hannemann's gubernatorial exploratory committee, said it raised more than $1 million in the last six months of 2009 and had more than $2 million as of Dec. 31, 2009. (Note phrase “rail contactors” not used in article)

Abercrombie's campaign said it had raised $860,000 in the last six months of 2009 and had more than $1 million available.

Typical Advertiser template--Discuss the “exciting” race between Democrats, then finish with this final line: “Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona also has announced plans to seek the seat.”

So here are Aiona’s numbers: $2,228,111.28 raised during campaign period -- $865,996.58 Cash on hand

KHON: Abercrombie’s Campaign Raises $1.3 Million , Hannemann's Gubernatorial Committee Raises $2 Million (No KHON article about Aiona’s numbers—so typical and predictable)

Hawaii public utility commissioners clash

On Jan. 4, one of the three commissioners, Leslie Kondo, accused fellow commissioners Carlito Caliboso and John Cole of excluding him from the decision-making on a Hawaiian Electric renewable energy case. Kondo said in a filing with the PUC that his exclusion violated commission rules and made the order invalid. He added that HECO could end up refunding money to consumers as a result….

The boardroom dispute comes as the PUC has put a high priority on Lingle's clean energy agenda, which aims to cut the state's dependence on imported fossil fuels by 70 percent by 2030 and calls for the construction of a $1 billion undersea cable connecting O'ahu to Neighbor Island wind farms.

The PUC currently is handling 34 separate cases involving the clean energy initiative….

The case that Kondo complained about, which was filed in December 2007, will allow HECO to recoup millions of dollars in costs for investing in smart meters, storage batteries and transmission lines that connect its grid to outside renewable energy providers such as wind farms.

Substantive filings in the case were completed in July and commissioners Caliboso and Cole issued a final decision on Dec. 30 that allows HECO to be reimbursed for its renewable energy infrastructure costs.

Kondo wrote that he still had questions about the case at the time his fellow commissioners issued the order.

He said the PUC's actions sends the wrong message to HECO's bond rating agencies who "may question the stability and integrity of the regulatory environment."

(HMMMMM. VERY INTERESTING)

Be sure to check out THIS TOTALLY RELATED information: National Wind Watch

ADV: Pointless rail spat wastes public resources (flacking for Mufi, again)

To sum up: Gov. Lingle has signaled that she won't sign off on the environmental impact statement for the city's rail project until she commissions an independent analysis of tax revenue projections for the project, revenues that have slowed during the economic downturn.

She points to FTA documents in which the feds tell city officials that they'll have to refine their financial plan to pass muster during a later phase of development that has stricter fiscal rules.

"Some elements of the current financial plan may not fare well in the stress tests that FTA will apply to evaluate robustness" once the project begins final design, wrote Leslie Rogers, regional FTA administrator.

Mayor Hannemann knows all this — he said as much during one of the press conferences — and rightly points out that the city is already preparing to refine that plan with projected savings from lower contract bids. When jobs are scarce, contractors are ready to deal.

(Summation of Editorial: “Ok, if Mufi sez so.”)

SB: Court budget cuts cost the taxpayers

In last week's State of the Judiciary address to the Legislature, Moon told how the furloughs have resulted in a setback from 160 to 130 defendants allowed to be free while subjected to treatment by Oahu's Adults Drug Court. The entire yearly amount to run the Drug Court is $877,000, Moon explained, while the executive branch's expense to keep 30 defendants behind bars comes to $6 million.

A similar penny-wise, pound-foolish scenario is causing a setback for Circuit Judge Steven Alm's nationally heralded Hawaii Opportunity Probation and Enforcement program. Under HOPE, which Alm started in 2004, probationers are given short notice of drug tests and incarcerated for a short time if they fail. They quickly learn to be drug-free to remain free. It has been a model for recent programs in other states.

Civil unions: A political boon, or boondoggle?

LIHU‘E — The most recent version of civil unions legislation was likely dealt a death blow by the state House of Representatives Friday, but the divisive issue could still play a major role in the primary and general elections later this year.

Conventional wisdom holds that civil unions are considered politically unattractive in election years, but Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser’s outspoken leadership could help distinguish himself from a crowded Democratic field as he runs for lieutenant governor, according to a political expert.

“It depends upon whether this is an issue that is split by party, and there’s some evidence that it is,” said (Antonio Gramsci enthusiast) Jonathan Goldberg-Hiller, an associate professor of political science at the University of Hawai‘i-Manoa. His comments came after the Senate passed its version of the bill 18-7 but before the House voted to indefinitely postpone action, effectively killing it.

“Some people are going to hate it, but it’s not Democrats that are going to hate it. The only thing (Hooser) really has to fear is people crossing over,” Goldberg-Hiller said. “There is nothing to indicate that it’s going to be dangerous for him.”

(So leftist Jonny Goldie of UH Manoa wants us to believe that the average Democrat Primary voter—excepting crossovers—is for gay marriage, against the Super Ferry and reads the Holocaust-denier website WhatReallyHappened.com, just like tax cheat Hooser? Well, if Democrats want Hooser to represent them they better get rid of those cross over voters by enacting a closed primary, eh???)

UH system enrollment hits record 55,761 for spring semester

UH said it is the third consecutive year in which enrollment at all 10 campuses has increased.

Preliminary figures indicate opening credit enrollment for spring increased by 4,809 students, or 9.4 percent, compared to spring 2009 and by 7,515 students, or 15.6 percent, compared to spring 2008….

Enrollment at UH community colleges rose to 31,333, an increase of 3,972 students, or 14.5 percent.