Sierra Club Vice Chair: “Killing TMT will cause another drop in Sierra Club membership and stature; it is the Superferry all over again”
Rep. Djou to host Honolulu Job Fair Sept. 9
Shapiro: Mufi and Neil debate like Big Time Wrestling
The “showdown” hype, razzmatazz and cheering that Hawaii News Now favors in its debates is distracting and creates an annoying WWE atmosphere. Allowing booing and jeering by partisans in the audience without trying to control it until it was too late was unconscionable….
Hannemann’s measured tone had some success in defanging himself after Ed Case’s description of him as a bully and “the most dangerous politician in a generation,” but it was partly undone by his supporters’ rude heckling of Abercrombie. Hannemann could have scored points by telling them to cool it when the moderators didn’t….
CB: Audience Disrupts TV Debate
KITV: Mufi, Neil Face Off In Debate
SA: Rivals spar in spirited duel
KFVE: A showdown breakdown of Hannemann ..., State Showdown: the debate - watch the clips, Democrats quick with the comebacks ...
FALSE: Abercrombie: It's Love-Hate With Congress.org, Hannemann: Environmental Impact Statements Average 14 Years
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Cachola and Kobayashi helping Abercrombie attack Hannemann?
Honolulu City Councilman Romy Cachola, a critic of former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, held a news conference the day before the first televised debate in the Democratic primary for governor calling attention to residents upset with higher tax bills because their properties were reclassified by the city from residential to commercial.
Former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Hannemann’s opponent, raised the issue at the debate and chided the former mayor for not taking responsibility….
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Recktenwald a solid choice
Democratic legislators have indicated that they don't believe a Republican-appointed judge is likely to steer the high court in a direction different than that taken by his Democratic-appointed predecessors. Senate Judiciary Chairman Brian Taniguchi appears comfortable with that. (Of course maybe he just head-faked those three decisions in order to snag the big chair….)
The committee is expected to approve Recktenwald's nomination on Wednesday, and the full Senate should confirm the nomination the next day. (Which is exactly what will happen with little fuss and little fanfare….)
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Settle DOE autism case now
Instead, the girls' family maintains that from 1994 to 1999 they "were warehoused and put in a classroom with somebody who sat on the other side of the room and did very little." (This sentence defines the DoE. Do not forget this when you vote on abolishing the elected BoE this fall.) In 1994, at least three Department of Health autism specialists were available and providing for the needs of public school children with the disorder, according to LeGoff.
When Michelle and Natalie first were diagnosed as autistic, their family maintains, they were capable of "learning effective speech and communications skills" through appropriate teaching. Today, the court panel observed, "The girls are essentially non-verbal and have a limited ability to have meaningful interactions with others."
The 9th Circuit panel agreed that the evidence supports the family's allegation that the DOE "was on notice" that the girls needed autism-specific services that were made available to other children. The appeals court ruled in 2004 and reiterated last week that the family should win its lawsuit if it can prove that the school system violated federal law "intentionally or with deliberate indifference."
This case has been in court for a full decade, costing untold tax dollars to prolong an argument that should have ended once it became clear that the state broke its promise to fill a need required by federal law. That is long enough.
TOTALLY RELATED: HSTA demands candidates oppose funds for disabled students
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Can Hawaii Student Test Scores Be Trusted?
Dave Rolf, a business owner and father of two public school graduates, voiced concerns to members of the Hawaii State Board of Education's committee on curriculum this month that the current state test, implemented in 2007, was manipulated during its development to make it easier to pass.
The charges that Rolf levels at the board and the Hawaii Department of Education are serious ones. Members of the public rely heavily on the state test scores to tell them what is happening in our schools, and the federal No Child Left Behind mandate uses them to determine whether schools are meeting annual progress benchmarks. Every public school's standing under federal requirements is determined by the percentage of students who meet proficiency levels on the state's assessment. Schools that don't measure up face severe consequences, up to and including restructuring.
CB: Hawaii Test Standards Compared
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Aiona responds to email calling him the only 'righteous' candidate
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – In the wake of an email sent by the head of the Hawaii Republican Party calling GOP Lt. Governor James "Duke" Aiona the only "righteous" gubernatorial candidate, the Republican frontrunner said that the chairman's comments are viewed by many as divisive….
HFP: Aiona: “Chairman Ka’auwai’s personal comments are seen as divisive”
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AP: Aiona is lone "righteous" candidate
Hannemann's and Abercrombie's campaigns chose not to comment Monday. There was no response to requests for comment from the Hawaii Democratic Party and the office of Gov. Linda Lingle, the highest-ranking Republican in the state….
Neal Milner, a University of Hawaii political scientist, said the terminology Kaauwai used is comfortable to many people, but could upset others not familiar with it.
"It's not the language so much," he added. "It's the way that it gets used in such a pointed, negative way against a candidate."
Rob Boston, senior policy analyst with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a Washington D.C. group, said Kaauwai's e-mail "looks like a document you would receive from your church pastor, not like something that would come from a party official." …
(These are indications that the gay-atheist lobby sees more downside than upside in this issue. They have chosen wisely.)
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ILind: Be very afraid: Campaign Spending law faces major legal challenge
In any case, the plaintiff: A-1 A-lectrician Inc.
Chairman and CEO, James Yamada Jr., took over the company his father started.
From an author’s note on his book, “God’s Hand in the life of an Electrician“:
Jimmy experienced a radical conversion to Jesus Christ after an intense “God directed” search. He is married to Diana. They are members of First Assembly of God, Red Hill. Jimmy is the Chairman of the Board of Hawaii Youth For Christ, Surf the Nations, Mission China and is on the Advisory Council of Jesus Christ Is Calling You, Inc. He is also the a pastor of at Hawaii Cedar Church in Honolulu, Hawaii.
…In my view, the suit is very likely to strike down the ban on contributions by contractors who do business with the state because it appears broader than necessary to achieve the stated goal of controlling “pay to play”.
(Of course it will. The Legislature purposefully defected this law so it could be struck down without leaving any legislative fingerprints. They will neglect to step up with a new law.)
MORE: Documents from latest campaign spending lawsuit
AP: Community groups blast lawsuit challenging Hawaii's political donation law
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Homeless Safe Zones were a disaster in Honolulu 20 years ago
"When Aala Park was designated a Safe Zone unfortunately that idea failed because there was a lack of organization a lack of management," said Major Moses.
The Honolulu Police Department says it does not support nor oppose the plan, but experienced what it was like working with a Safe Zone 20 years ago.
"No security and it basically all it did was create a huge public safety issue for us to deal with," said Major Moses.
MORE REALITY: Homeless tent cities: Seattle’s decade-long nightmare coming to Honolulu?
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A new national policy promises to untangle the maze of laws and regulations that currently govern our precious marine resources
… President Barack Obama recently signed an executive order establishing a new, unified national ocean policy. This new national policy has the potential to dramatically improve the state of our oceans -- providing us with an invaluable tool to untangle the maze of laws and regulations that currently govern everything from reefs to offshore energy resources.
(This “unified” national policy will be used to quietly impose the environmentalists’ command, control, and tax agenda.)
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Students given chance to remove names from schools' list given to military recruiters
Students and parents at state middle, intermediate and high schools have until Sept. 15 to remove their names from a national list given annually to military recruiters by the Department of Education under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
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Developer feuds with Kauai County over huge Kealia project
LIHU‘E — Kealia landowner Canpartners says Kaua‘i County is turning its back on an offer of $3 million and 16 acres of land.
Officials in the mayor’s office countered Friday that the developer admitted it is in default where subdivision obligations to the county are concerned. With utmost caution the county said it has no intention of granting Canpartners’ request to “draw down” on letters of credit the developer says is a necessary move by Tuesday or else the 2,000-acre project can’t proceed.
(Geee. What a surprise. A competitor to Grove Farm is having its project shut down. Duh.)
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