August 6, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Friday, August 6, 2010

August 6, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 1:58 PM :: 13584 Views

Mufi does it again in Debate: “Screaming, yelling, ranting, raving, finger pointing, name-calling” Abercrombie: I am Dan Inouye

Politico: Abercrombie leans on Pelosi for help

WaPo: As Hawaii Democrats battle, RGA goes up with ads

RGA ad for Duke Aiona: “People want their leaders to be positive, not divisive and negative”

Djou, Micronesian Ambassador: “Status quo is not working”

CB “Mostly True”: Neil's Congressional Performance "Dead Last"

"The non-partisan group Congress.org rates the performance of national legislators using a scale from 0 to 100," a female announcer states in Mufi Hannemann's newest radio advertisement hammering at Democratic rival Neil Abercrombie. "How did Abercrombie rate? Neil got a 16.3. Among those who had been in Congress as long as him, Neil was dead last."

…But if we take "as long as" literally and only include those who entered Congress with Abercrombie in 1990 and remain in the Capitol today, then he is in fact bringing up the rear — "dead last."

But why read Johnny-come-lately imitators when you can read the original: Congress.org: "Abercrombie is a follower"

Katherine Leonard fails to get support of Hawaii Senate Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations

In its 4-1 “no” vote, the committee has recommended that the full Senate disapprove Lingle’s nominee of Leonard, currently an associate judge on the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, who stood to be the first woman to serve as Hawaii chief justice.

Meanwhile, the committee voted to approve Lingle’s nominations of Honolulu district judges Faauuga Tootoo, Colette Garibaldi and Jeannette Castagnetti for judicial vacancies in the 1st Circuit Court in Honolulu.

In a prepared statement, Lingle called the committee’s denial of Leonard’s confirmation “inconsistent and flawed,” and said she is confident the full Senate will confirm Leonard.

SA: Panel OK's To'oto'o despite poor rating

KITV: Committee Votes Against Chief Justice Nominee

SA: Committee rejects Leonard's court bid

HR: Katherine Leonard Voted Down by Senate Committee for Chief Justice, but Women Lawyers and Other Advocates are Unhappy

Borreca: Moon was right about bar's role in picking judges

In December of 2008, Moon delivered a comprehensive and well-thought-out speech on the perils of selecting judges, warning that if Hawaii doesn't clean up its act, we could wind up with elected judges -- something he and most people agree is a lousy idea.

The chief justice fears that without more transparency in the process, voters someday would change the state Constitution to allow either for the direct election of judges or a vote on retaining a judge.

What was needed, Moon said, was a way "to determine how our current process can be improved to enhance public confidence in the way we select and retain judges."

Since then nothing happened and now the state Senate is faced with voting on the confirmation of two judges who the bar association said were "not qualified."

Why are they not qualified? The bar association won't say. Who said they were not qualified? The bar won't say. How many lawyers said the two were unqualified? Ditto.

Case Family Star Advertiser: Legislature should be undeterred in recognizing same-sex civil unions

But with the case likely to draw out as it winds toward the U.S. Supreme Court, next year's Hawaii Legislature should be undeterred in recognizing same-sex civil unions….

That a majority of California's voters may harbor that opinion "is irrelevant," he added, "as 'fundamental rights may not be submitted to (a) vote,'" quoting a 1943 case.

(Yup. In the entire history of the human race going all the way back to the Rift Valley in Africa, there has never been gay marriage until it was invented in 1993 by the “Broken Trust” Hawaii State Supreme Court. Now it is a “fundamental right”. So says the gay judge Vaughn R. Walker.)

(Check out how the judge rules –- and the Star-Advertiser cheers -- on the opinions of the electorate…)

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker struck down California's controversial Proposition 8 as unconstitutional because it was based on factual error, assumptions about gay and lesbian relationships that are widely held but are mistaken. The proposition mandated "that men and women be treated differently based only on antiquated and discredited notions of gender," he ruled.

Instead, the judge wrote, the proposition was improperly based on "a private moral view that same-sex couples are inferior to opposite-sex couples." …

Specifically, Walker stated, beliefs that "denial of marriage to same-sex couples protects children" and that "the ideal child-rearing environment" requires a marriage between a man and a woman are moral comparisons that are not factually based. The factual record in the ruling was based on extensive testimony by experts.

(In other words all of humanity and all of human history is homophobic and one gay judge has ruled all of you and all of your history irrelevant while the Star-Advertiser cheers.)

REALITY FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT SUBMIT: The Obama Elite vs The American People

Hawaii's unemployment claims down 7.7%

Hawaii’s initial unemployment claims decreased by 7.7 percent in the week ending July 31.

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism released a report Thursday showing that a total of 2,348 claims were filed statewide in the past week, compared to 2,543 during the same week in 2009.

Scared straight: The Hawaii Meth Project educates isle students about the horrors of using "ice" through real-life anecdotes

The 11th-graders in Kaleo Akim's first-period class sat with their jaws agape yesterday as they stared at photos of how crystal methamphetamine can ravage the teeth, gums and mouths of teenagers like them.

"That gets their attention," Jennifer Phakoom, program manager for the Hawaii Meth Project, said before her presentation to 19 students at Kaimuki High School. "Kids are very concerned with their physical appearance, and scabs, sores and 'meth mouth' definitely make an impression with them."

Council panel bows to snobs OKs proposal to ban fireworks

Several members of the Chinese community spoke in favor of including an exemption for cultural and religious ceremonies.

Lauren Zirbel, a representative for the Hawaii Food Industry Association, said people would be "forced to break the law" to practice their religious and cultural beliefs if a ban is implemented.

But (snob) Ann Freed, (Co-chair, legislative committee, Hawai'i State Democratic Women's Caucus) who supports the ban, said the dangers and health issues associated with fireworks should not be subjugated by cultural and religious concerns. "When culture impedes on health and safety, culture needs to go," Freed said. (Where was she on Islam Day?)

(These arrogant elitist snobs want you to begin the New Year cowering in he dark instead of celebrating with fireworks. It IS all about culture—them imposing their culture on us.)

County Drops Trespassing Charge Against Census Worker

In court Thursday, the county prosecutor announced that the county was dismissing the charge after negotiating Wednesday afternoon with the Census Bureau and Butrick. But the prosecutor did not conceded police were wrong to charge Haas.

“I don't think anything went wrong, per se, in this particular matter,” said Deputy Prosecutor Kevin Hashizaki. “It was really a balance of resources.”

Hashizaki said continuing to pursue the case would have cost the county thousands of dollars. He said even with the charge dismissed, the goal of bringing the difficult balance between conducting a census and private property rights would still be met.

Molokai vets group might take dispute to courtroom

The latest dispute centers around a conditional use permit, which Helm maintains would resolve only an issue dealing with a water pipeline, but leave the veterans group vulnerable to other possible lawsuits dealing with the construction of the center. Helm is executive director of the nonprofit organization Molokai Veterans Caring for Veterans, whose membership accounts for more than half of the 600 veterans living on the island….

Last month the veterans said they believed the issue was resolved when the county proposed an ordinance that would give the Fire Department the responsibility of dealing with fire protection matters in building permits. However, the Maui County Council Water Resources Committee deferred action on the legislation Tuesday.

On the same day, Helm said the mayor's office asked the veterans to sign a conditional use permit, which a mayor's spokeswoman said would enable them to start construction.

Leprosy Patient Admits Smuggling Drugs: Drugs Would Have Been Distributed At Kalaupapa

The amount of "ice" Palea smuggled hidden in boxes was relatively small, a total of less than one ounce, but after his guilty plea he faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

Palea was convicted in 1993 in a similar case, but attorneys familiar with crystal methamphetamine prosecutions said because the prior conviction is more than 15 years old and Palea hasn't disputed the new charge, he could be eligible for a sentence even lower than the five-year mandatory minimum.

SA: Kalaupapa patient admits he toted meth

Hawaii DHS rated high in helping disabled get high-paying jobs

The U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration said DHS clients with disabilities earned an average of $41,067 in annual wages during 2009. That was nearly 67 percent of the average wage in Hawai‘i’s workforce. Only six states had a better performance last year, DHS said in a news release.

Hawaii senators say state would get $39 million from federal aid legislation

In joint news release Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye said Hawaii is in line to receive $39,311,983 to fund teacher salaries and benefits.

The bill passed today 61-39 with Inouye and Senator Akaka voting in favor of the measure. The U.S. House will take up the measure next week. If approved by the House it will go to President Barrack Obama for his signature.

UH-Manoa completes work on pair of residential towers

According to Kaptik, the renovations on all four towers cost $24.5 million, an estimated $1.5 million less than was allotted by the Legislature for the project in 2006. The university hopes to use any surplus funding toward planned upgrades at the Johnson Hall dormitory next year, Kaptik said.

With the completion of the final two dorm towers, 1,800 of the university's 4,000 beds are in new or renovated rooms. Kaptik said UH hopes to have 85 percent of its beds in renovated rooms within the next few years.

SA: The University of Hawaii athletics director hopes to build a sustainable future with a balanced budget and fans in the seats

Hoku Corp.'s losses tied to spending on Idaho polysilicon plant

Your ACT 221 tax dollars at work.

NYT: Governments Go to Extremes as the Downturn Wears On

Plenty of businesses and governments furloughed workers this year, but Hawaii went further — it furloughed its schoolchildren. Public schools across the state closed on 17 Fridays during the past school year to save money, giving students the shortest academic year in the nation and sending working parents scrambling to find care for them.

(Actually furloughs were part of a joint labor-management political strike against the State in an effort to shake more money out of the General Fund. The NYT contributes to the political effort by deliberately obfuscating this and referring to “Hawaii” instead of the DoE/BoE/HSTA. )

DMZ Hawaii teams up with North Korean front groups in DC

In contrast to U.S. militarism, the focus of the art installation was bojagis, patchwork bags traditionally used by rural poor people as backpacks in which they carry their belongings. They are closely associated with the experience of refugees during the war who were fleeing the U.S. bombing of their villages and towns….

Organizations that helped make this powerful national action a success included DMZ-Hawaii, Ubuntu Works, Korean-American National Coordinating Council, Korea Policy Institute, the International Action Center, Vets for Peace and the ANSWER Coalition.

REALITY: http://dailynk.com/english/index.php