Aiona’s Akaka Bill statement spins out of control
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Rasmussen survey shows Aiona losing to Democrats
Rasmussen Reports says Lingle's job performance is viewed unfavorably by 52 percent of Hawaii voters. The poll also shows that 45 percent approve of the way she has done her job and 3 percent are not sure.
According to the poll, Abercrombie would take 54 percent of the vote to Aiona's 31 percent, if the election were held today, and Hannemann would beat Aiona 50 percent to 34 percent.
In the poll, Abercrombie, a former U.S. representative, is viewed very favorably by 30 percent of the voters. (So Lingle is 150% more popular than Abercrombie) Abercrombie is viewed very unfavorably by 16 percent. Hannemann is viewed very favorably by 21 percent and very unfavorably by 19 percent.
Aiona has a 15 percent very favorable rating and 19 percent very unfavorable. (And why does he want to separate himself from the Gov again?)
Lingle is viewed very unfavorably by 33 percent.
(So how did they slant the poll? By asking about national issues and thereby associating the Gov and Lt Gov with unpopular national Republican party positions instead of popular Hawaii Republican State issue positions….)
In other data from the poll, President Barack Obama enjoys a 77 percent approval rating among Hawaii's likely voters.
The Rasmussen Report notes that the GOP will have difficulty in Hawaii because of how voters feel on several questions about the national health reform plan.
Most voters across the country oppose it, but in Hawaii 66 percent support it. Also, 59 percent of the voters in Hawaii think the state should not sue to prevent the national health plan from being adopted.
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Health care hovers over race: Three U.S. House candidates debate reforms at a forum
Although Djou said he would have voted against the bill, he stopped short of saying he would join GOP efforts to repeal it.
"I think if we do not dramatically reform it and introduce a number of reforms ... then yes, we do need to repeal," Djou said. "But let's try to work on dramatic reform first."
"It is very clear that there is great unfinished business," Case said.
Both Case and Djou said they support medical malpractice and tort reform to bring down providers' costs, as well as increased competition in the insurance market.
"I believe that we need to create alternatives for people to come into insurance where they're not captive to one particular insurer or one particular plan," Case said.
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Lingle Calls HSTA Vote ‘An Insult’ (HSTA to vote on fake deal Wednesday—even Leg has not signed off)
Governor Linda Lingle said Friday she’s disturbed by HSTA’s insistence on having teachers vote on a supplemental agreement to end public school furloughs when she's already said she won’t fund the deal.
“Just taking their offer out to the teachers I think is such an insult to the teachers because they know it won’t be funded,” the governor told KHON2.
The HSTA has scheduled a statewide vote on the union’s deal with the Board of Education next Wednesday.
Teachers will cast ballots on whether to accept the $92 million agreement which ends all 21 of the remaining furlough Fridays.
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Lingle demands apology of Mizuno
Lingle said according to people in the audience, Mizuno was asked about the state Human Services Department contracts with local social service agencies.
"Reportedly you responded that the department does this to 'give contracts to their friends,'" Lingle said in her letter.
"If indeed you said this, then I must ask for the factual basis for such assertion or demand a written apology from you for such unfounded and patently false accusations.
"Baseless allegations damage the reputation of state employees who manage our procurement process and ensure that we abide by standards of fairness and impartiality," Lingle said.
"I expect to hear promptly from you regarding this unfortunate matter," she concluded.
(Was Mizuno expressing his envy?)
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Governor lashes out at lawmakers: claims they 'lost focus'
"They have focused on establishing marijuana stores," Lingle said. "They have focused on fois gras. They focus on things like gambling."
The governor told members of the Kona Kohala Chamber of Commerce, Rotary clubs and other community members the Legislature's focus should have been on creating jobs.
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One frog in Manoa and Hawaii lawmakers vote to support eradication
Lawmakers want to give counties the option of using dollars from their share of the hotel room tax to eradicate coqui.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources supports coqui control but stops short of endorsing the idea of using tourist taxes to fight a single invasive species.
(So who planted the million dollar frog?)
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House, Senate Committees Propose $1 to $5 Barrel Tax Hike on Petroleum
While the $1.05 hike is considerably higher than the .05 tax on each barrel currently in place, earlier this week, three Senate committees passed an increase of $5 per barrel, with the support of environmental groups like Sierra Club and Blue Planet, who testified that the tax would discourage the use of fossil fuels and punish those who use them.
(People who work for a living will be paying more at the pump to line the pockets of billionaire wind farm tax scammers.)
That $5 per barrel proposal, which still has momentum, would increase the cost of gasoline by 12 cents per gallon and the cost of electricity substantially. Hawaii already has the highest gasoline taxes in the nation and the highest costs for electricity. The current proposal of $1.05 per barrel would add as much as 2.5 cents per gallon and could go even higher with other tax proposals pending.
EXPLAINED: Advertiser sides with “sustainability” billionaires
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Hawaii close to raising car rental fees
The House Finance Committee passed a bill Friday raising daily car rental fees from $1 to $4.50.
The money raised would go toward construction of a $230 million rental car facility at Honolulu International Airport and an overflow vehicle storage facility at Kahului airport on Maui.
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Hawaii legislators considering 'safe zones' for homeless
Langi, of Next Step, pointed out that the safe zone proposal isn't a new idea. And, he added, it has failed before, including in Honolulu in the 1990s, when then-Mayor Frank Fasi set up a tent city in A'ala Park. The area became a haven for drugs and crime and was shut down.
But Langi said that managed well, safe zones could work.
"There has to be rules," he said. "And they have to feel safe in there."
Meanwhile, there could be opposition to the plan from residents surrounding whatever designated areas are chosen as homeless safe zones.
A tent city proposal in Wai'anae in 2003 was quashed because of community opposition. More recently, a city plan to build an affordable housing project for chronically homeless stalled last year after Chinatown merchants and residents came out against it.
And Saito said the state wouldn't support putting a safe zone on state land. State parks, he said, are intended for "many different uses, but not as campgrounds for the homeless."
And other state properties have no infrastructure, he said, "and the health and safety issues are a show stopper."
PDF: House Resolution
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Mauna Kea plan wins approval: Astronomy backers turn out in force
The University of Hawaii can now begin the process of establishing administrative rules for Mauna Kea, following Thursday's approval of a comprehensive management plan.
(At the end of the process, the activists will file a PASH suit and demand $50/million per year in rent.)
ADV: Mauna Kea summit plans approved
RELATED: Thirty Meter Telescope Selects Mauna Kea -- Let the looting begin!
Telescope: The Shakedown begins
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Grove Farm prepares to launch Wailani subdivision as 'green' neighborhood
"You've got to credit Grove Farm for being one of the few companies doing urban subdivisions on Kaua'i," said county Councilman Tim Bynum.
(Who owns Grove Farm? Oh that’s right, Steve Case. And who is the head of the Hawaii Nature Conservancy? Oh that’s right, Suzanne Case. And how many eco-activists are turning out to denounce this development? Zero. Objectively we must recognize that anti-development protests are a means for one developer to gain a competitive advantage over another. Ditto for A&B and the ALEXANDER Gerbode Foundation—a huge contributor to the Sierra Club etal….)
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Amid budget crunch, Hawaii County spends $400K for new furniture (replacing broken barstools, perhaps?)
The explanations don't satisfy Hamakua Councilman Dominic Yagong, who was chairman of the council Finance Committee when the money was appropriated.
He said council offices received all new furniture four years ago when they moved to temporary quarters, and when they moved back to the County Building, they got all new furniture again. He said he asked what happened to the old new furniture and was told it went to the administration.
"Just because the money is available, doesn't mean they have to spend it," Yagong said. "Everyone would like to have new carpeting, new furniture, all new stuff. But it seems that this is not the time to do it."
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Central Pacific CFO Hirata resigns (5 days ‘til possible FDIC takeover)
Dean Hirata has resigned as vice chairman and chief financial officer of Central Pacific Financial Corp., the parent company of Central Pacific Bank said Friday.
Hirata’s resignation is effective May 31, the company said in a news release.
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Medical marijuana in Kau: Pot guardian gets 20 years for slaying
Metcalfe shot and killed 44-year-old Larry Kuahuia in the back at about 10:30 p.m. May 6. Police and prosecutors said Kuahuia -- whose criminal record included five convictions for felony burglary and two for felony theft -- was on Metcalfe's property to steal marijuana from a greenhouse....
Deputy Prosecutor Rick Damerville said Metcalfe's medical marijuana certificate had lapsed when the shooting occurred. He accused Metcalfe of lying when registering the shotgun by swearing he wasn't addicted to marijuana or using the drug unlawfully.
ADV: Big Island shooting over marijuana leads to 20-year sentence
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Proposal for special cemetery section draws opposition
However, at a hearing yesterday by the House Committee on Economic Revitalization, Business and Military Affairs, Takai's resolution was opposed by Mark Moses, director of the state veterans cemetery; Gene Castagnetti, director of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific; and several veterans.
Castagnetti said such a move is not allowed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provided partial funding for the $25 million Kaneohe cemetery. He said the state could end up having to repay the federal government $12 million for failing to follow the terms of its agreement, which forbids establishing segregated sections for certain categories, such as rank, race, military component, religion gender, military skills, war period or cause of death.
Action on the resolution was deferred. At Takai's urging, the committee will write to the Department of Veterans Affairs seeking an exemption from the existing policy.
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SB demands censorship: Hawaii-based general out of line on gay issue
The “enlightened, conscious, and progressive’ editors of the SB have a message for you: “Don’t ask about ‘Don’t ask Don’t tell.’” Or else!
Imagine that, a newspaper editorializing against the free speech of military officers. I sure don’t recall them complaining about Bush-era military personnel who spoke out against the position of their commander in chief.
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