Abercrombie pledges to add another State department to oversee your children
Former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie said yesterday that if elected governor he would create a state Department of Early Childhood and restore funding (INCREASE TAXES) for Healthy Start, a child-abuse prevention program, while Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona said he would propose a tax credit (CUT TAXES) to help middle-class families afford preschool for their children.
(Great. Abercrombie wants to create ANOTHER DoE.)
Abercrombie, a Democrat, said the new department would integrate early-childhood services now spread across several state departments. His campaign has not said how much creating a new department would cost (because they can't count that high), but has said it would not involve a substantial increase in state spending. The department would likely merge existing preschool and child-care services and build on the structure of an Early Learning Council established by the state Legislature.
Aiona said the state needs pragmatic answers, not what he described as "pie in the sky" or "silver bullet" promises.
Aiona challenged Abercrombie to explain how he would pay for a new Department of Early Childhood or a fully financed Healthy Start.
And who will run Abercrombie’s new department? Well here’s the BoE candidate backed by most of Abercrombie's key campaign workers: The transsexual agenda for Hawaii schools
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Djou opposes income all tax hikes, Hanabusa doesn’t
Djou, a Republican who won a May special election, insists that everyone's tax rates should remain the same.
Hanabusa, the Democratic state Senate president, just as strongly favors retaining current rates for everyone except the wealthiest top 2 percent of Americans.
RELATED: 100 days to largest tax hike in history
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Leau campaigns on DOE audit promise (HD6 Kona)
Hawaii's Department of Education is long overdue for a full audit, and laws need to be passed to ensure school furloughs never happen again, Republican Rebecca "Becky" Leau told supporters Saturday in Kona….
With the state's education system ranked 47th in the nation, leading only Mississippi and Alabama, Leau said something needs to be done to ensure students and teachers have the tools they need.
"We spend more on education than any other state and these are our results?" she asked.
Leau also wants to see more opportunities for district residents by getting a long-promised West Hawaii university opened. The 20 years spent talking about building a 500 acre university on state land in the district has gone on long enough, she said.
"Enough. Kona first," Leau said. "It is time for us to realize if we are going to get our economy up and going we've got to see this university built."
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Abercrombie’s tech industry boss still whining because Lingle vetoed fuel tax hike
Abercrombie lovin’ Jay Fidell spreads some last minute disinformation: Linda Lingle's clean energy initiative could be her most notable legacy. Both gubernatorial candidates have committed to do more, but we'll see how that plays out, especially considering the hot reception James "Duke" Aiona got on Energy Day last June when he tried to distance himself from her veto of the barrel tax a few weeks earlier.
What this is about: Furloughs: Advertiser sides with “sustainability” billionaires against “Save our Sports” (They want $100/barrel)
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Rich politically connected Manoa liberals avoiding property taxes
Owners of historic homes on Oahu are getting substantial tax breaks to help offset the cost of preserving their properties, yet they are not required to reinvest the savings into the dwellings.
The idea of providing publicly subsidized assistance to homeowners to preserve Hawaii's historically significant residences was a key reason the property tax exemption program was established in the early 1980s.
But the program does not establish any formal link between the 10-year exemption and a plan to preserve the residences.
(They want you to pay more, but they don’t pay themselves.)
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Urban Zones Proposed to Keep Sidewalks Clear of Homeless
Exactly the right policy. The homeless must be forced into shelters if their homelessness is to be ended.
RELATED: Defeating the "homelessness industry" before it gets a grip on Hawaii, Kapiolani Park: Homelessness industry takes Hawaii tourism hostage
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Kauai Planning Department seeks ability to fine
Under current law, the department notifies violators that they have to comply with zoning ordinances. If the violator refuses to take action, the department then refers the case to the county attorney or to the prosecuting attorney, for civil or criminal action.
These agencies still have to contact the violator and give him a chance to comply. If the violator still refuses to do so, then a suit can be filed, and it’s up to the judge to fine the violator. The current law calls for a $500 maximum fine, according to Costa.
The entire process could take years from beginning to end, he said.
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Progressives obsess over flu shot
The progressives like this story because it allows them to stroke their delusions of god-like grandeur.
Behind lucrative deals, a disconnect
Washington Post investigates Alaskan native Corporations and finds that the profits are not going to natives. This is an Akaka Bill preview.
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19 Charter Amendments on this year’s Hawaii County ballot
The 2009-2010 County of Hawaii Charter Commission is proposing the following 19 Charter Amendments for the Nov. 2 General Election.
The ballot question for each amendment appears first, followed by the Charter Commission summary, followed by pros and cons written by the Hawaii County League of Women Voters (which has been taken over by progressives and 9-11 truthers).
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American Samoa governor off to Hawaii in bid to seal cannery deal
American Samoa’s Governor Togiola Tulafono is heading a delegation of cabinet members to Hawaii to complete negotiations wth Tri Marine International, which plans to set up a fish canning operation at the former Chicken of Sea tuna plant in Atu’u.
The governor says he hopes that at the end of their discussions this week, a lease agreement will be signed between the American Samoa Government and Tri Marine.
SA: Recovery is slow for Samoan residents
RELATED: The Tsunami and Mufi’s Samoan Connection
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HELCO seeks developers for Kahe Valley “clean” energy projects
Scott Seu, Hawaiian Electric vice president for energy resources, said: “Kahe Valley has potential for projects that support Hawaii’s clean energy goals and renewable portfolio standard, which requires the state to reach 40% renewable energy for electricity by 2030.
“We are issuing this solicitation of interest so we can allocate space to projects that best help meet these goals and are compatible with the surrounding community, cultural sites, and operations of the Kahe Generating Station.”
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Family fights disabled son's deportation
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is moving to deport a 26-year-old Hawaii resident with Down syndrome and his younger brother -- despite the fact that his parents are here legally and there would be no family in Korea to take care of him.
The family arrived in Hawaii in 1993 and overstayed their original tourist visa. Eleven years ago a relative petitioned for the family to be granted permanent residency in the United States via a 1998 provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
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State proposes land purchase for Kalaeloa Harbor expansion
The property, owned by Campbell Hawaii Investor LLC, is under license to Grace Pacific Corp. for stockpiling of imported sand and aggregate and operation of a hot mix asphalt plant, according to the state.
Officials said that with Honolulu Harbor already fully utilized, Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor serves an important role in alleviating congestion.
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Captive audience: A look at Hawaii’s Con Air
"This is no different than loading tourists on a plane to go to Hawaii," said Thor Catalogne, owner of PTS. "Most of the inmates coming over to Hawaii are coming back for parole or to get a Hawaii work release, so they're more than happy they're coming over. ... A lot of the guys (going to Phoenix) have never been on a plane and have never gotten off the island. Just the plane ride is a new experience."
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