Lt Gov Aiona announces 1,000 summer jobs for youth
Vote counting begins as candidates make final pleas
Djou sent a message to supporters pointing to the defeat of incumbents in Utah, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Arkansas over the past two weeks as proof that Americans are "tiring of insiders."
"People want their government back and my candidacy is proof of just that," Djou said.
ADV: Hawaii congressional election could put gap in council, Legislature
HFP: Special Election Polls close Saturday: Djou pushes voter turnout
KITV: Candidates Gear Up For Special Congressional Election
KHON: About 48% of U.S. House ballots returned
DePledge: Turnout (Still repeating the atheists’/Oahu Co. Democrat Org line that more turnout benefits Democrats.)
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ADV: Reviewing rail, jamming up the mayor (Abercrombie rag tries to pit Mufi vs Lingle after Cayetano attacks)
Back in October, Mayor Mufi Hanneman held his "State of Rail Transit" event, part speech, part pep rally. One of the spectacles was a video, featuring the mayor riding the train of the future. "This is not a virtual dream, folks, " he said. "This is our reality." He added that the city was "poised to break ground on the project"
Now, seven months later, that's starting to look like Hannemann's "Mission Accomplished" moment.
But even if Hannemann got ahead of himself, the closer we move to election time the more it seems like Hannemann's political opponents are doing everything they can to jam up the rail approval process so they can jam up his gubernatorial aspirations.
(Yes, yes. Hannemann is innocent in all this. And who do they blame? Abercrombie/Cayetano who just challenged all rail procurement??? No, of course not. They blame LINGLE.)
Gov. Linda Lingle is sticking to her plan to hire an expert to conduct an independent analysis of the rail system's finances, a redundant and time-consuming process that won't even start until the city completes its own financial plan and gives it to Lingle.
(Obvious strategy. The SB/ADV supports Abercrombie so they intend to use Lingle against Mufi. And they intend to use Mufi against Lingle/Aiona. Its triangulation in a proxy information war. Not very imaginative they are--over there at UHM/ACLU/OahuDems/Unitarian/atheist/gay marriage club.)
Related: Hannemann campaign official says mayor will run for governor, not Senate
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City Re-evaluating Parking Practices
Earlier this week a former parking manager was indicted for stealing a quarter of a million dollars from two city parking lots. Recent complaints about a Kaimuki self pay parking lot are forcing the city to consider changes to make the system less frustrating for motorists.
The city lot, which is at the top of the hill in Kaimuki, switched to a self pay system that the city hoped could be used as a model for other areas around town.
Dorie Bautista who uses the lot on weekends says she has found the machines to be inconsistent.
“Sometimes it doesn't work,” Bautista said.
“The machine was often on the blink so that forced people to go to the attendant and of course that caused long lines getting out,” Wayne Yoshioka said.
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Hawaii Charter School Review Panel Lifts Moratorium on New Charter School Applications
Last week, the Hawaii Charter School Review Panel (CSRP) voted 10-1 to lift a moratorium on new charter school applications after intensive lobbying by the Laupahoehoe community on the Big Island to allow the CSRP to revoke charters….
Now, Laupahoehoe has a chance to convert their K-12 school into a charter school. Under current State law, 23 slots for conversion charters remain available.
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DOE officials say public schools safe despite Kalani High stabbing
The 16-year-old victim continues to recover from his injuries at the hospital.
A stabbing inside a classroom. A bloody scene. Department of Education officials say Kalani High's response to the unexpected violence was textbook….
Police arrested a 17-year-old boy after he allegedly stabbed his 16-year-old teammate from the swim team multiple times. Fellow students say the dispute was over a girl.
KHON: Stabbing leads to online chatter
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The state of meth: Hawaii's ice epidemic has been driven down
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - 'Not Even Once' - It's the raw and intense ad campaign by the Hawaii Meth Project. Thirty second spots showing teens addicted to 'ice', it's almost painful to watch.
"Feedback I have received from kids. Feedback I have received from families, and feedback I have received from recovering addicts has been that they believe it's this making a difference," said Cindy Adams of the Hawaii Meth Project.
The Hawaii Meth Project came on the scene last June, blanketing airwaves and schools, driving home the dangers of a drug that has plagued Hawaii for years.
RELATED: Hawaii Meth Project
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SB: Health-subsidy jobs initiative full of positives
In approving the Lingle administration's request for federal funds, Medicaid officials praised the initiative as one that would create jobs and expand affordable health coverage -- priorities that in Hawaii transcend party lines.
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OHA’s Water shakedown: USGS releases report on Na Wai Eha
WAILUKU - A U.S. Geological Survey study 4 years in the making and released this week describes the effects of taking millions of gallons of water daily from "the Four Streams" of Na Wai Eha that originate in the West Maui Mountains.
Maui News: Water panel to take up E. Maui stream petition
HFP: OHA Trustees claim ownership of your drinking water
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Astronomic cash cow? OHA’s $50M shake-down continues
"We submitted a proposal almost 10 years ago that suggested that the telescopes collectively pay 50 million dollars," mused Kealoha Pisciotta. "If they had been paying that for the last 10 years, it would have amounted to more than half of the state budget."
As explained: OHA driving Hawaiians out of Hawaii, Thirty Meter Telescope Selects Mauna Kea -- Let the looting begin, Telescope: The Shakedown begins
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CB: Clean Energy Splits Environmentalists
"All these other issues that we care deeply about — protecting wildlands, species protection, clean air and clean water — all that is academic if we don't figure out the energy problem," says Jeff Mikulina, executive director of the Blue Planet Foundation, a clean energy advocacy group. "The car is about to go off the cliff and we're arguing about which radio station we're listening to.
(Follow the money: Which wind developers contribute to the Blue Planet Foundation?)
Read Article: Wind Energy's Ghosts
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KIUC indicted for endangered species law violations
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative was informed Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Justice has obtained an indictment of the cooperative for violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
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CB: Civil Unions will make us rich, rich, rich!!! (well not quite)
The report, expected to be released this week, is an update to an April 2009 report by La Croix titled "The Impact of Civil Unions on Hawaii’s Economy and Government."
In essence, the 2010 report validates the findings of the 2009 report — namely, that civil unions in Hawaii will generate "small positive impacts on tourism arrivals and government revenues" but is unlikely to have a major impact on government spending, agency workloads, or employer spending on health plans.
Gay strategy explained: The Overhauling of Straight America
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Legal threat delays ethics vote
HILO -- Faced with the threat of a lawsuit from an attorney representing a company owned by a county employee, the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday postponed action on a strengthened ethics code proposed by Mayor Billy Kenoi.
"This absolute prohibition based on mere employment status has no utility and will expose the county to significant liability," said Brian De Lima, attorney for Kamaaina Pumping, a company partially owned by a Department of Public Works division director.
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Pickup truck resolution rejected
"We got into this with seat belts. We went into cars with cell phones. We just went into cars with the smoking ban," said Ka'u Councilman Guy Enriques. "And now we're going into cars with this particular situation. The feedback I'm getting is, where will we stop?"
Other council members worried about what families who owned a pickup truck as their only vehicle would do in this rural county.
Hamakua Councilman Dominic Yagong said he doesn't let his children ride in the back of pickup trucks, but he understands why other families do. He said he personally favors the resolution, but he has to listen to his constituents.
"Some people, this is the only vehicle they do have," Yagong said, "whether it's safe or not, that's the only vehicle they have."
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