October 7, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

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Thursday, October 7, 2010

October 7, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 1:30 PM :: 9708 Views

Maui Gubernatorial Debate: Myth vs Fact

Djou: “Our internal polls show us with a narrow lead”

KOS Poll UPDATE: Aiona, Abercrombie statistically tied

Sol Kaho'ohalahala Endorses Alan Arakawa for Maui Mayor

Rep. Djou to name Irene Anzai as “angel in adoption”

VIDEO: Hanabusa claims she plans to leave Ko Olina for First CD

Abercrombie pledges to protect criminals at DoE from Audit

Aiona also has called for an independent financial and management audit of the department to identify waste and inefficiency.

Abercrombie said he does not need an audit, but rather an opportunity to work with educators.

A new poll by Public Policy Polling for Daily Kos, a national liberal website, found that the governor's race was a statistical tie with Abercrombie at 49 percent, Aiona at 47 percent and 4 percent undecided. The margin of error was 2.7 percentage points. The survey was taken on Saturday and Sunday among 1,326 likely voters statewide.

Abercrombie pledges to create ANOTHER State department, let drug criminals off easy

Abercrombie said he would like to form an energy authority to speed development of renewable energy. Aiona said an energy authority would only add another layer of bureaucracy and actually slow things down.

And here is what they said when asked how to deal with crystal meth use.

"What's needed is being pro active and preventive. I know for a fact that it's easier to build strong children than fix broken adults," Aiona said.

"Adjust the idea that because someone has been involved with criminal activity with drugs (notice he did not say 'personal use amounts' here) they need to be sent away to prison for a long long time," Abercrombie responded. (In other words, if you kill somebody while high on drugs, we understand your plight and we are going to sentence you to counseling and maybe probation.) "They need to get into programs that address the conditions and circumstances from which they've come." (And get them back into those conditions so they can commit more crimes.)

Restaurant Association Backs Aiona: Group Makes Its First Political Endorsement

The restaurant association members own or operate 3,500 restaurants across the state and employ more than 82,000 people.

Restaurant officials said they are making their first gubernatorial endorsement ever because they think Aiona will support their issues such as increasing Hawaii's tip credit.

CB: Duke Compares Plans, Neil Plans For Plan

On Tuesday morning, Duke Aiona and running mate Lynn Finnegan released a 14-page document comparing how the Republicans' platform "stacks up" against that of Neil Abercrombie and running mate Brian Schatz. (Hint: Duke ’n Lynn say they're looking pretty good.)

That afternoon, the Democrats unveiled a 12-page plan on how they will implement the 43-page "A New Day for Hawaii" plan….

KITV’s Denby Fawcett spins it for Hanabusa, fails

But this is what Hanabusa actually said at the January forum, her entire answer.

"I will tell you right now I don't think there is waste per se. I think Gov. Lingle has cut that budget as much as she can, and here you have a Republican governor, and believe me this is an opportunity of a lifetime -- To come in and cut government. I am talking about the state. We didn't have any more to cut. We can start cutting departments which probably the next the next discussion we will have to have. And that is going to be a discussion, because you either have to cut or you are going to have to raise taxes for revenue," said Hanabusa.

(And so Hanabusa is clearly arguing that State government has been cut to the bone and taxes must be increased.)

Djou said nothing was taken out of context in his ad because he was talking about government waste in general, not just waste at the federal level but also at the state and city levels.

(And so all Fawcett and Hanabusa have to hang their hats on is that maybe Hanabusa was saying that STATE government has no waste? Pathetic even by Denby Fawcett’s standards.)

School board debate draws small crowd

HAWAII KAI (Hawaii News Now) - A crowd of fewer than 30 people attended a debate at Hahaione Elementary School Tuesday night on whether Hawaii's Board of Education should continue to be elected or whether it should be appointed by the governor.

Here is the question voters will be asked in the General Election November 2.

"Shall the Board of Education be changed to a board appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, as provided by law?"

If a majority of voters answer "yes," the state constitution will be amended and the board will be appointed by the governor.

If a majority vote "no," or the "no" votes added to blank votes make up a majority, the school board will continue to be elected. Blank votes count as "no" votes on questions of constitutional amendment.

(The low attendance is an indicator that this ballot measure will fail.)

Only 53% approve of Obamunism in Hawaii

One of the most amazing things in our polling over the last month has been how dreadfully bad Barack Obama's approval numbers are with likely voters in a lot of states that he won by large margins in 2008. We've polled 12 states since the beginning of September that Obama won by at least 9 points and in all but 3 of those states- Hawaii, California, and New York- his numbers are under water….

(This is what happens when a Manoa Liberal is allowed to have authority.)

Prosecutors withdraw extended sentencing request for teen who murdered neighbor

The judge acquitted him of sexual assault, saying prosecutors didn't prove the victim was still alive when the sexual acts took place. (Read that sentence again very slowly.)

Prosecutors say Ertell's family agreed to the sentencing deal. Bartley will formally receive his life sentence for the murder and a 10-year prison term for the other counts at a hearing October 18th.

The Hawaii parole board will ultimately decide how much of the life sentence he must serve before he can be considered for release. Prosecutors say they may ask for a 100-year minimum term.

Feds Threaten To Take Over Workplace Safety

State Rep. Karl Rhoads (D-Downtown, Chinatown), who chairs the House Labor Committee, worries public safety could be in jeopardy.

"I think they [the state} have tended to be less intrusive in their inspections than probably the federal government would like them to be," Rhoads said.

(KITV is running this piece as a campaign commercial for Andy Mirkitani associate Karl Rhoads)

Culture clash as Honolulu's partial fireworks ban passes

in the past couple of weeks, Honolulu Hale has been flooded with calls and emails from residents who say fireworks restrictions hurt their cultural identity.

The Chinese lion dance association of Hawaii performs more than 100 times a year, mostly during the new year holiday season. Members say restricting firecrackers is more than just bad for business.

"The culture dies, " says Jeffrey Lam, head coach of the association. Lam has been lion dancing all his life and says fireworks are engrained in the Chinese culture and religion, especially during the new year. "People in the past have based the whole year on the first day of the year," explains Lam.

BIW profiles Fred Blas Hawaii Council - Puna

Puna's Fred Blas is a retired tire-store owner, a former Republican candidate for the state House of Representatives, who's running this time on his record as a community volunteer and financing his campaign with private donations.

Kau Councilman Guy Enriques is courting the media

"When you read the articles," in the island newspapers, "you already know what side the reporter is on," Enriques said. "A lot of times I was fixing things created by the paper -- because of the misinformation printed in the paper. " Enriques referred to Kamaoa Road specifically. "People are calling me up saying by closing down Kamaoa Road I'm going to prevent access to Green Sand Beach, to hunting, to the beautiful vistas. Department of Public Works, the Planning Commission, and the Planning Department all recommend that the road be closed because it serves no public purpose. It deads ends onto private property. Five landowners want to buy it. One landowner is disgruntled about the proposed purchase." Still, in the newspaper, the headline about Kamaoa Road read something to the effect of, "Battle Brewing In Ka'u."

"Since then, it became a battle brewing in Ka'u," Enriques noted. "I spend a lot of time emailing and calling to clarify the issue."

State ID cards valid for flying but not after May, 2011

For now, your state ID card is accepted by the Transportation Security Administration as a valid government-issued card that can be used for identification purposes when flying, or for federal and out-of-state services, said Liane Moriyama, administrator of the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center.

The center oversees the state ID office, which is continuing to work toward complying with the federal Real ID Act by the extended deadline, May 11, set by the Department of Homeland Security, Moriyama said.

Sandwich Isles wins partial victory from FCC in cable dispute

Sandwich Isles Communications Inc. won a partial victory from the Federal Communications Commission in its fight to have consumers help pay for an undersea fiber-optic cable connecting Oahu to the Neighbor Islands.

The Honolulu-based telecommunications company appealed to the FCC after another federal agency rejected Sandwich Isle’s request to draw $15 million a year from a special fund to pay for the lease on the 358-mile cable network.

Campaign contributions: Inouye pushing for more Sandwich Isles Communications funding?

Sandwich Isles Communications: Political Connections Pay Off

Washington Times: Sandwich Isles Communications poised to go into bankruptcy

Drug companies to pay $82M to settle Hawaii suits

HONOLULU - About 40 pharmaceutical companies accused of inflating drug prices will pay the state of Hawaii $82 million to settle the claims, Attorney General Mark Bennett announced Wednesday.

The companies allegedly bumped up the prices of their drugs bought for Medicaid prescriptions from 1993 to 2006, resulting in the state overpaying for medications for tens of thousands of patients.

In an extreme example, the Medicaid program paid $1,480 for an ulcer medication that was available for $27.70.

SA: State could net $40 million from drug firm settlements

HUD to help more struggling homeowners in Hawaii

Hawaiian families experiencing unemployment or a reduction in income can receive a zero percent loan to help with mortgage payments. This would be funded through the department's new Emergency Homeowners Loan Program.

Hawaiian Electric Co. to offer lower rates for recharging electric cars

And higher rates for everybody else….

Hero pilot of United Flight 811 dies at age 81

David Cronin, the hero pilot who successfully landed a crippled United Airlines Boeing 747 in Honolulu 21 years ago, died Monday at his home in Minden, Nev. He was 81.

Cronin was the captain on United Flight 811, which left Honolulu bound for Auckland, New Zealand, on Feb. 24, 1989. The 747 was 22,000 feet over the Pacific when a forward cargo door blew out, creating a gaping hole in the side of the aircraft.

American Samoa signs new deal with major tuna supplier

The Chairman of the Tri marine group, Renato Curto, says the company’s long term plan is to produce tuna of very high quality, which it intends to bring to the US market.

“One thing we one to make sure people understand in American Samoa is that this is not happening in a few days, it’s a long process and we have to redesign the plant and we will get where we want to get little by little.”

Down to Earth promotes Non-GMO food labels

This is designed to promote the moronic idea that there is something wrong with GM foods. Marijuana is genetically modified, and anti-GM protesters don’t seem to mind that…

REALITY: The Future of Fraud

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