July 22, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

July 22, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:23 PM :: 10894 Views

AtomicMonkey Reincarnated, picks up Abercrombie DSA story: Abercrombie supporters--“Its just going to get nastier”

Secret "DSAer"? Abercrombie’s Denial Raises More Questions

States That Pay The Most Taxes: Hawaii is #1

Featured on Glen Beck: Wallbuilders’ David Barton to speak at Maui, Oahu events

In DC: Hanabusa not invited to White House, lectures National Democrats on “Bum Information”

Djou on Fox News: “Every single dollar the government spends comes from a family”

GOP Senate candidate Cam Cavasso launches “Crazy” TV ad

Ka’auwai: Democrats shocked to face “Republican candidate in 95% of the legislative races”

Prevedouros: Mayoral election “a referendum on way City has been run”

Abercrombie accepts 4 debate invitations

Abercrombie said Wednesday he will participate in debates sponsored by KHON, KITV, PBS Hawaii and Hawaii News Now that are to air before the Sept. 18 primary.

He says former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann wants changes in one station's plans that could scuttle that debate.

Hannemann on Tuesday says he is more than willing to debate.

A spokeswoman said Wednesday that Hannemann is reviewing debate invitations.

(No mention of Duke Aiona. Typical Democrat media appear to be setting up Democrat-only debates as part of their usual strategy to shape the election as if it were limited to a choice between two Democrats.)

Council to set date of mayoral election

At a meeting this morning, the Honolulu City Council will consider whether to hold the election on the same day as the primary, Sept. 18, or along with the general election on Nov. 2.

Likely candidates include Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Prosecuting Attorney Peter Carlisle, Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz, engineering professor Panos Prevedouros and Councilman Rod Tam.

It's not clear yet if Tam and Dela Cruz will vote on the resolution to set the election date.

SHAPIRO: No need to delay mayoral election

Hawaii's major gubernatorial candidates address high tech at venture capital forum

(ACT 221 gets unanimous political support—you know, like the Akaka Bill.)

HONOLULU (AP) - The three major gubernatorial candidates, seeking to woo an increasingly visible sector of Hawaii's economy, on Wednesday promised to foster partnerships with the high-tech industry and improve the state's information systems.

Former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, both Democrats, and Republican Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona told the Hawaii Venture Capital Association they will be consistent friends to high tech.

Each had warm words for a controversial high-tech tax credit the Legislature tried to alter earlier this year. And each promised to champion high-tech projects and improve the state's public school system so more of its graduates can compete for jobs in that sector.

There was no verbal jousting among the candidates at the forum, held a day after candidate filings closed.

(ACT 221 tax credits sure do produce a LOT of campaign contributions—and very hard to trace)

CB: Mufi, Neil and Duke Talk Tech

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GOP still has chance to field candidate against anti-Superferry protester Rep Herminia Morita

Morita’s Republican challenger withdrew so the Party has an extension to name a replacement.

Morita said this afternoon that she has been told by state elections officials that Republicans may get an extension to field a candidate after all. She has drafted a letter opposing the move.

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Politico: National Republicans plan boost for Djou, 8 others

House Republican leaders are organizing a series of fundraising call sessions to boost a group of endangered incumbents, in an effort to minimize losses that could hamper their odds of taking Congress’s lower chamber.

Starting on Thursday afternoon, House Minority Leader John Boehner, GOP Whip Eric Cantor, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions and a group of other Republican higher-ups will make personal fundraising appeals for the nine lawmakers the party has judged most at risk of losing.

In that group are Louisiana Rep. Joseph Cao, Pennsylvania Reps. Charlie Dent and Jim Gerlach, Nebraska Rep. Lee Terry, Washington Rep. Dave Reichert, California Reps. May Bono Mack and Dan Lungren, Hawaii Rep. Charles Djou and Ohio Rep. Pat Tiberi.

The NRCC has placed all nine members into its “Patriot Program” for protecting incumbents.

AP: Djou placed on GOP's endangered list

Schools to move to online testing: Students can take an exam three times with best results counted to meet federal standards

The state is spending about $12 million on the online test (plus “infrastructure”) -- about $2 million more than the paper test -- but expects the annual cost to drop by half by 2012.

At least seven other states administer assessments online on secure browsers, according to the Education Commission of the States.

The commission could not say how many of those states allow students to take tests multiple times, but said it was not unheard of.

The U.S. Department of Education also did not have those figures, and said how assessments are administered is up to states….

…She added, though, that moving to online tests is "complex" because it requires schools to have infrastructure in place.

The Department of Education worked this spring to make sure schools had the computers needed for online tests. Students also tried their hand in a pilot project aimed at spotting potential problems.

Here’s the real story: DoE spends $50M for free software

“The DoE has turned to the Washington D.C. based Advanced Institute for Research to design our online Hawaii State Assessment test. DoE has paid to develop a "secure" web browser for Tech Coordinators to install on every testing computer. Free and secure browsers already exist, yet we are paying to develop our own web browser for only one years' use. DoE Tech Coordinators are investing countless hours doing the testing and debugging that we have paid a mainland vendor for. The HSA browser will not support the most common screen size in the DOE - the Netbook, thus requiring the purchase of new hardware at a time when our schools have little.”

ALSO: Hawaii DoE: Cost of waste, fraud, and corruption between $191M and $431M per year

Former HSTA Director: Furloughs Should Have Been on Paid Holidays Rather Than Fridays

The scene: Zippy's dining room on Vineyard Street. Over coffee and apple pie, Husted shared some historical perspective on collective bargaining issues, and shared with me her shockingly simple yet practical solution that could have prevented Furlough Fridays: Furlough teachers on paid holidays instead of school days.

(A lot of other people thought of that a year ago. Where were Husted and CB then?)

May congressional special election cost $670K

The special election that Hawaii held in May to fill the vacant 1st Congressional District seat cost the state's coffers $670,000.

State Office of Elections spokesman Rex Quidilla confirmed the figure on Wednesday.

State elections officials initially estimated the cost would be closer to $1 million.

Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann has accused his rival for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, of wasting nearly $1 million by resigning in February. The resignation triggered the special election.

(This old-news article exists solely as an Abercrombie campaign attack on Hannemann, via the Case family’s Star-Advertiser.)

Higa Ordered To Spend 200 Years In Prison

Prosecutor Peter Carlisle asked the parole board to give Higa 200 years, in order to ensure he would never be freed.

On Wednesday, in his last act before resigning as prosecutor to run for mayor, Peter Carlisle praised the tough sentence.

"The reason we asked for that was because we're absolutely certain there are no circumstances that would ensure he would remain drug free when he got out, so it's our hope that with this sentence he will expire while he's in prison," Carlisle said.

Senate Special Session to consider Lingle’s judicial appointments

The state Senate will hold a two-day special session on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6 to consider judicial appointments….The Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee plans public hearings on Lingle’s appointments on Aug. 2 and Moon’s appointments on Aug. 3.

Councilman Rod Tam Center Of Criminal Investigation

(This makes him perfectly qualified to become mayor….)

KHON: HPD investigating Rod Tam's use of city funds

HNN: HPD opens criminal investigation into mayoral candidate Tam's spending

Carlisle resigns post to join mayor's race

First Deputy Prosecutor Douglas Chin will serve as acting prosecutor until a new prosecutor is elected, Carlisle said.

The City Council is expected to discuss today the timing of the special elections to fill the remaining two years of Hannemann's term and the two years of Carlisle's term.

Options include holding the special elections with the Sept. 18 primary or the Nov. 2 general election.

Carlisle said he appointed Franklin Pacarro Jr., a candidate for the prosecutor's post, as the first deputy prosecutor to ensure Pacarro would take over the acting post in the event Chin was not able to head the office.

Carlisle said he picked Pacarro because he is running for the prosecutor position. Carlisle said another reason is he has the "utmost confidence" in Pacarro.

Carlisle has made it known that he plans to vote for Pacarro to succeed him.

Darwin Ching is also a candidate for prosecutor. Ching resigned earlier this year as director of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to run for the office.

Chin said he does not plan to run for prosecutor and does not plan on any major changes at the office while he is the acting head.

Carlisle reflects on career as City Prosecutor

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - For over a decade Peter Carlisle has been a voice for victims.

When he took over the Honolulu Prosecutor's office in 1996, reported crimes numbered 59,000.

"We're now down to something like 32,000 or 33,000 reported crimes. So there has been a dramatic decrease in criminal activity," he said.

During his tenure Carlisle prosecuted highly publicized cases and criminals….

Hawaii Democrats squabble over naming post office after Cec Heftel

Mrs. Heftel copied her letter to Hawai’i's senior U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, who is expected to be sure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is made aware of it. Don’t expect to buy stamps anytime soon at the Cecil L. Heftel Post Office Building.

Meantime, a day after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ripped Djou for trying to raise funds off of a little attention he’s gotten from the national media, his Democratic opponent Colleen Hanabusa is in Washington trying to do the same thing.

In a communication to supporters, she said she’s met with the Huffington Post and is trying to line up interviews with other media to counter Djou’s views on the Jones Act and other issues.

All tied to a solicitation for donations, of course.

Word is that Djou’s office had contacted the Heftel children regarding his resolution and received their approval for naming the Makiki Post Office after their father and their thanks for the honor.

Mrs. Heftel issued a further statement to the effect that a wife knows her husband’s wishes best, but these appear to be family issues that need to be resolved there.

SA: Post office might honor Heftel

Report: Hawaii new-car sales basically flat for first six months

New vehicle registrations in Hawaii for the first half of the year are up only 1.4 percent compared to the previous year.

SA: Auto sales up on a bumpy road to recovery

Lack of hot water persists for years at public housing

Fetu Taua Kolio, the 43-year-old president of Mayor Wright's tenant association, tracks the problem back to eight of the 10 years he has lived there.

He can rely on hot water in his two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in Building 34 only between 1 and 2 p.m. every day, "but that's not a normal time to take a shower," Kolio said.

"It is very frustrating," Augafa said. "It's been like this for years already, and they never do nothing. They always come back with, 'No money, no money, no money to take care of it.' Why did they even put it up there with no Plan B in case something happened? If I don't pay my rent, they threaten me with eviction. But they don't do their part and fix things."

Some residents, such as Nite Kristoph, receive hot water regularly, except on dark, rainy days.

"And even then at least it's lukewarm," she said. "Our building doesn't have the problems that other buildings have."

But Rhoads was still surprised at the scope of the lack of consistent hot water at Mayor Wright.

"I knew there have been problems for years," he said. "I just didn't realize how many buildings were affected. In the morning when a lot of people take their showers, there's simply no hot water. It's not just that there's no hot water. It's that it's really cold water."

(This article exists only because Rhoades needs a campaign boost. Afterwards, they will keep ignoring for another 8-10 years.)

New City Bus Route To Serve Homeless at Barber's Point/Kalaeloa

The Kalaeloa Shuttle begins Aug 9, with stops at the four area homeless shelters and takes riders to the Kapolei transit center about two miles away.

"It's about helping them get back on their feet and back into their community," said acting Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. "The only way you can do that is by connecting them with the broader communities."

There are some 600 homeless currently being housed in the four Kalaeloa shelters. Catching the bus is a hardship for shelter residents. Those who are currently staying at Onelauena say it's a 20 minute walk through the bushes to the nearest city bus stop.

HNN: New shuttle service to start for Leeward homeless

SA: Shuttle bus will help homeless connect

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Ballot Access News: Hawaii Candidate Filing Closes; Five Parties Will Have Nominees

Filing for the Hawaii primaries closed on July 20. The Libertarian Party will have candidates for US Senate, US House 2nd district, and state house 5th district. The Green Party has a candidate for US Senate. The Free Energy Party has candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

The Free Energy Party also appeared on the Hawaii ballot in 2002, when it ran Daniel Cunningham for Governor. Cunningham is also the Free Energy Party’s gubernatorial candidate this year.

Also, independent candidates filed for U.S. Senate, U.S. House 2nd district, Governor-Lieutenant Governor, and state house districts 4 and 5.

BIW: HB444 -- needed to pass

HB444 -- it was a good dream that Hawaii might forge its own way and allow people to live freely with whomever they chose to have a life with….I want to know what gives people living in a free society the right to legislate love and companionship?

Same argument: Beyond Marriage The Confession: Hawaii Gay marriage advocates let the Polyamorous Cat out of the bag

Hawaii #2 in percentage of foreign-owned farmland

The states with the highest proportions of foreign owned agricultural land to all privately owned agricultural land: Maine has the largest amount of foreign held U.S. agricultural land at 2.82 million acres, or 15.7 percent of the privately held agricultural land in the state; Hawaii has 8.8 percent of private agricultural land held by foreigners; and Washington (7.6%), Nevada (5.2%), and Alabama (5.1%) have the next largest proportions of foreign held land.

A bizarre extortion tale of the South Pacific

Why would the federal government fly a U.S. Navy officer, his Samoan wife and her unemployed sister thousands of miles from Hawaii to Minnesota to appear in a small St. Paul courtroom?

Would you believe an alleged extortion plot involving Mexican hit men hired by Wal-Mart, the Samoan mafia, an exotic dancer from Guam, her love child and a fearful farm family from Granite Falls, Minn.?

No, really, that's the reason.

AL GORE SEX SCANDAL SHOCKER POLICE INVESTIGATE TWO MORE!

"The therapist claimed that when they were alone, Gore shrugged off a towel and stood naked in front of her.
"He pointed at his erect penis and ordered her, 'Take care of THIS.'"

(You know. There are still some people who actually believe in global warming.)

This story FINALLY makes it into the Star-Advertiser: Al Gore Sex Attack!

(Democrats spent 8 years undermining the US in wartime because they were bitter that this man was not elected President.)