May 9, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Sunday, May 9, 2010

May 9, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 1:18 PM :: 8971 Views

House GOP leader Finnegan set to run for lieutenant governor

State House Minority Leader Lynn Finnegan is expected to announce today that she will run in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor.

Several prominent Republicans, including aides to Gov. Linda Lingle, are behind Finnegan and believe she would be a strong complement to Aiona if they both reach the GOP ticket in November.

Jonah Ka'auwai, the state GOP chairman, said the party will stay neutral between Finnegan and King until after the September primary.

"I believe I'm a voice for the average person in Hawai'i," said Finnegan, who has scheduled a news conference this morning at Kaka'ako Waterfront Park. "I'd like to connect the public to the Capitol in a more meaningful way."

"She has legislative policy experience. She has political savvy, no doubt about it," Ka'auwai said of Finnegan.

Finnegan, 39, said her campaign will be based on economic recovery, improving public education and greater transparency in government.

She opposes new state tax increases and believes that tax hikes discourage consumer spending and slow job growth. She has called for a management and financial audit of the state Department of Education to determine whether central bureaucracy is preventing more money from reaching the classroom.

She has also been an advocate for charter schools —one of her children attends the Voyager charter school in Kaka'ako, the other is at Punahou School — and has sought more state funding for charter-school students and facilities.

"Furlough Fridays was just a symptom of a deeper-rooted problem," Finnegan said. "And this session, I believe, we didn't get to any of those deeper-rooted problems."

ADV: Hawaii governor may shape legacy with civil union decision

(And the Democrat Advertiser is doing everything it can to pressure her to sign or allow 444. They know that Democrats electoral chances will be boosted immensely by her signature.)

REALITY: The Overhauling of Straight America

SB: Lingle's move still a mystery despite '02 campaign promise

(And the Democrat Bulletin is doing everything it can to pressure her to sign or allow 444. They know that Democrats electoral chances will be boosted immensely by her signature.)

REALITY: The Overhauling of Straight America

SB Oi: Judge candidates by more than 1 issue (just ignore their position on Gay marriage)

In the standard playbook for political office, Democrat Neil Abercrombie and Republican Duke Aiona similarly want to create better conditions for small businesses, improve education, increase public safety and government services while reducing bureaucracy and boost the economy. (Anyone who believes that needs to get brain enhancement injections.) They both favor the fuzzily encompassing matter of sustainability. (An empty and meaningless word.)

What sets them apart is civil unions, the single issue that too many voters will apply when choosing one or the other. (And Oi wants you to ignore this so you will vote for Abercrombie.)

REALITY: The Overhauling of Straight America

Kalapa: Dunning all taxpayers product of 2010 session

Although some lawmakers seem to understand the gravity of the situation facing the state and the community as the impact of the national and global recession is played out in Hawaii, others seem to be oblivious to the fact that at least for the next few years, it cannot be "business as usual."

But then again, did state lawmakers want taxpayers to notice what they were doing? Well, taxpayers should pay attention as lawmakers quickly discovered this session there was hardly anything left to mine for additional tax revenues. Perhaps fearing a backlash at the ballot box -- after all it is an election year -- cooler heads prevailed despite some lawmakers who wanted to foist a massive increase in the general excise tax.

Makua Valley: Anti-American war activists keeping combat soldiers away from their families between deployments

New Army Secretary John McHugh supports the continued use of Makua Valley for military training, emphasizing that closing it would mean the 11,000 soldiers stationed here would have to spend more time away from their families preparing for wartime deployments….

McHugh said retention of Makua allows the Army to offer the "full spectrum of training" here without having to send soldiers to southern California….

McHugh said 25th Division soldiers now spend several months at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin in the Mojave Desert to complete their training for Iraq or Afghan combat missions.

"Coming out of Hawaii, that's like another deployment," McHugh added. "It impacts very significantly on the amount of time soldiers have to recover and spend with their families."

Maui Proposal aims to implement district voting

WAILUKU - Sixty-five percent of Maui County voters would favor changing the current system of electing County Council members to one that would create "nine single-member districts," according to a recent poll commissioned by a group supporting the idea.

Proponents said the intent of their proposed charter amendment is to make sure County Council members are actually voted into office by the constituents in their districts. But they also said the plan would eliminate the need for candidates to run expensive countywide campaigns and help attract fresh faces to the council.

A number of current and former members of the council were elected to office by receiving a majority of the vote countywide - but lost the vote in their home districts.

"We feel single-member districts would allow the different communities to have more control over who their council member is," said Gordon Cockett of the West Maui Charter Working Group, which hired QMark Research for the poll of 503 county residents from April 20 to May 1.

(This is a move by the anti-Superferry protesters and enviro extremists such as Maui Tomorrow to take over the Council. Which eco-billionaire paid for their poll? Hmmmmm.)

Superferry protester: Who us? Anti-Superferry Lawyer defends Maui ‘Single Member District’ scheme

Power plant fans, foes to square off: Contested case hearing slated for Pepeekeo proposal

The company wanting to reopen the former Pepeekeo power plant and its opponents will get to argue their respective positions during an coming trial-like process.

Anti-meth project reaches thousands of teenagers

"Teens without exception are watching the TV ads and listening to radio ads," Adams said. "Some on the way to school in the morning are stopping conversation with parents to listen to an ad when it comes on."

She said the goal is to reach 70 to 90 percent of teens four or five times a week with the ads and, based on a show of hands in classes, "we definitely are accomplishing that."

The TV ads are shown between 7 p.m. and midnight, which broadcast stations say is the best time to reach teens, Adams said. A parent occasionally tells her the TV ad is too graphic for a 5-, 7- or 9-year-old, but even for children that young, she said, "It's not too early to start having a conversation with them" about risky behavior.

RELATED: Hawaii Meth Project

Test Run For Special Election: Sample Votes Counted To Check Machines

They put test ballots through the machines. Some were purposely given over votes, with two candidates marked, to see if the machines will count accurately and find the mistakes.

Observers were on hand to monitor the test.

“Seeing how it's sealed, seeing how each of the machines works, how they have the checks and balances, and how we are able to detect is one of those tests is not working properly,” said observer Debi Hartman.

“Everything is working really well and I hope it's going to run this smoothly when we do the counting the following week,” said observer Dennis Kam.

As of Wednesday, officials had received 60,000 mail-in ballots. Officials said they expect a big turnout in the special election.

SB: Waste contract has turned out to be a waste

Distribution of curbside recycling bins was not completed on the island until last month. After July 2012, only ash and residue from the HPOWER waste-to-energy facility will be allowed at Waimanalo Gulch. The landfill may have to stay open for 15 years, as the city administration (who?) has suggested, while alternative technologies are developed for dealing with Oahu's trash.

(The words “Mufi Hannemann” appear nowhere in this editorial.)

Abercrombie honored for his support of U.S. troops

(Is this a joke headline?)

REALITY: Neil Abercrombie 2009: A year of corruption