October 10, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Sunday, October 10, 2010

October 10, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:30 PM :: 12090 Views

Full Text: Aiona campaign releases Agenda for Justice

WaPo: Spineless Congress’ school funding boondoggle looted food stamps to boost teachers’ union

Djou running better than 1/3 of Congressional Dems

Rep. Charles Djou, elected in an upset special election in Hawaii’s First District in May of this year, is arguably the second most endangered Republican incumbent.

The DCCC references the Djou seat, in Obama’s birth state, as one of its best pick up opportunities. If this is true, then the DCCC is figuring to lose about 80 seats.

Here’s why:

In 80 races in Dem-held districts, the Democrat is polling below 50%.

This breaks down as follows:

one race with the Dem polling in the twenties,
thirty races with the Dem polling in the thirties, and
forty-nine races with the Dem polling in the forties.

Contrast this with Rep. Charles Djou. In an August survey, Djou out-polled his Democratic opponent 50% – 42%.

One of the DCCC’s best pick up opportunities is polling better than about a third of the Democratic caucus.

Wooley supporter Ian Lind attacks Fale over deployment

First they steal Richard Fale’s signs, then Ian Lind spews this:

I was surprised to get a mailer in which Republican Richard Fale, candidate for House District 47, claimed credit for serving on the task force “that saved Kaaawa Elementary School from being closed earlier this year.” …

While it’s true that Fale was appointed to the task force, which began work in March 2009, I think it’s fair to say that he had nothing to do with its success. (So ILind admits that Fale’s claim of “serving” is accurate. He then invents a straw claim and defeats it.)

Task force minutes show Fale served only briefly. He attended just three meetings before he dropped out when his National Guard unit was deployed.

Fale was present at the third meeting of the task force, held on June 4, 2009, where he promised to “give a more detailed report at the next meeting on consolidation study.”

But that report was never done. This turned out to be the last task force meeting Fale attended before being deployed.

Here’s the arrogant eco-religionist Ian Lind is supporting: Rep Jessica Wooley admits her van involved in thefts of campaign signs, blames volunteers, VIDEO: Rep Jessica Wooley tries to shut down videographer at Ahuimanu Elementary school forum

RELATED: http://richardfale.ning.com/

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Aiona in better position than Hirono in ‘02

Aiona now is in a better position than Democratic Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono was in 2002 when she was trying to succeed Gov. Ben Cayetano, whose popularity had deteriorated. Moreover, Democrats generally were hampered by a string of high-profile corruption cases.

Lingle, with Aiona as her running mate, beat Hirono and Matt Matsunaga by 4-1/2 percentage points.

As LG, Finnegan would advocate for Charter Schools

If Republican James "Duke" Aiona wins, his right-hand woman Lynn Finnegan would contribute to his decisions as a member of his Cabinet, a role Aiona took on as the current lieutenant governor under Gov. Linda Lingle.

"That's a base we can work upon that was unprecedented in the previous administration," said Finnegan, 39, as she was campaigning on the Big Island.

She said she'd also like to work as an advocate for charter schools and as a liaison to the Legislature.

AP claims continuation of tax cuts will increase debt

Djou, the incumbent Republican who won a May special election for the urban Honolulu seat, insists that everyone's tax rates should remain as they have since President George W. Bush pushed through cuts in 2001 and 2003 from levels set during the Clinton administration.

Hanabusa, the Democratic state Senate president who finished second in May, just as strongly favors retaining current rates for everyone except the wealthiest top 2 percent of Americans.

But either plan will inflate the nation's long-term debt. (Is this an article or an editorial? As voters start paying attention in the last weeks before Election Day, the reporters are dropping the cloak of “unbiased reporting” and letting their true role play itself out. Do not forget this on Nov 3 when they go back to pretending to be unbiased.)

(WRONG. By stimulating business investment the Djou plan would obviously REDUCE debt by increasing economic activity and thereby increasing tax revenues.)

Carlisle will hit the ground running

"The first and foremost question is: Who's going to be running the city starting on (October) the 11th?" he says. "And the people who run the city are, obviously, the directors and deputy directors, as well as the secretarial staff."

Toward that end, Carlisle insists there will not be any drastic changes.

"I would say right now, it looks like the majority of the people who are here are staying," Carlisle said Friday in an interview. "Talking to deputy directors and secretaries, the answer is the overwhelming majority are staying."

SA: Keep corporate contributors at bay in Hawaii elections (but not unions and eco-lawyers)

In a preliminary ruling just weeks before the general election, a federal judge on Thursday struck a blow against a Hawaii cap on individual political contributions to non-candidate committees, to conform with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. Even broader challenges to state laws guarding against the corrosive effects of campaign spending in politics are pending.

State legislation may be needed in next year's session to conform with the high court's ruling while protecting the public's interest in curbing political corruption.

(Expect the progressives to continue their push for “voter-owned elections” and hear lots of complains about “corporate” donations but none about unions and none about rich eco-lawyers.)

Rigid Rules, Weak Commitment Hurt Local Farming

While the state's physical climate is ideal for growing food to fill the void, farmers say the political climate is anything but.

In Hawaii, they say, land is too often viewed as a place to harvest a "real estate" fortune rather than as a foundation on which to build a system to feed the islands. And food safety and labor regulations threaten to make farming even more draining than its long hours and hard work might suggest.

Fishermen concerned about ocean access

LIHU‘E — Hundreds of residents converged this week at the Kaua‘i Community College cafeteria to learn more about possible new federal limits on their cultural, recreational and commercial uses of the ocean.

The meeting was organized by citizens concerned about the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s possible plans for the future. Attendees heard a panel speak about the proposed changes.

Hawaii County blows through $9M on still-unopened recycling center

(Hawai`i Free Press predicted EXACTLY this result years ago when the eco-scammers were pushing this idea thru the idiot council. Private companies were offering to build the facility for free as part of contract deals.)

Also unresolved is whether county employees or a private contractor will be used to run it, said Kenoi, who prefers the work be done in-house.
"We're still looking at what is the most cost-effective and efficient way to do it," he said.

(Clue: a private company would PAY the County for the right to sort out recyclables from the trash. County workers will COST the county. The real issue: maximizing UPW positions. Duh.)

Hawaiian Superferries sell for $25 million each

Price: $25 million each. Buyer: the U.S. Maritime Administration.

The administration repossessed the ferries in July 2009 after a bankruptcy judge ruled that the owner - Hawaii Superferry Inc. - could abandon them to lenders. The administration, which guaranteed the loans, moved them to Norfolk.

At that time, lenders were owed nearly $159 million, Bloomberg News reported. Former Navy Secretary John F. Lehman's J.F. Lehman & Co. controlled Hawaii Superferry Inc. and lost its entire $85 million investment.

(Opportunity lost for Hawaii. Think anybody is going to be stupid enough to blow ANOTHER $85M?)

HMSA Cracks Down On Colonoscopy Anesthesia

Carson said patients who received general anesthesia are usually more satisfied with their experience, making them more likely to get their next screenings on time -- perhaps saving lives. He also said it makes things more efficient for the doctor, who can see more patients.

But a colonoscopy with the patient fully asleep costs hundreds of dollars more than the procedure under conscious sedation. Hawaii’s largest insurer, HMSA told KITV it has seen a very small number of physicians performing colonoscopies using the services of an anesthesiologist a large percent of the time. The company is trying to discourage the practice, according to a written statement: “Per national guidelines and our policy, it should only be used when the patient is in the high risk category.

SA: City weak on Waikiki planning

As the visitor industry took off and land values skyrocketed, state and city governments have tried to find the balance between spurring economic growth and preserving a shoreline with some breathing room between Hawaii's natural attractions and highrises. The decision to allow a 282-foot tower pushed up against the beach, as planned by Kyo-ya Co. Ltd., shows how weakly Honolulu politicians maintain that balance.

Kalapa: Helping the poor help themselves

A couple years ago when the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands announced it was issuing 3,000 new leases in the Kapolei area as a result of a land swap, it had all the potential of becoming a ghetto that once built would be out of sight and out of mind….

Man Accused Of Human Trafficking Allowed Bail: Israeli Citizen Must Remain In Honolulu Halfway House

Mortechai Orian, the chief executive officer of the labor-supply company Global Horizons, is accused of coercing and abusing hundreds of foreign workers through the immigrant labor visa program. He has pleaded not guilty.

He has been in federal prison for a month because, as an Israeli, he was considered a flight risk.

A judge on Friday said he can be released on $250,000 bond with electronic monitoring. However, the Los Angeles resident must stay in a Honolulu halfway house.

Advocates for sex trafficking victims call for safe house in Hawaii

Non-profit organization "Courage to Be You" is hoping to create resources and a safe house for victims.

The organization says they will appeal to the government for assistance and the community for donations to create a "Courage House", which is safe and offers therapy along with education opportunities for young victims.

A public meeting to discuss the proposal will be held Saturday in Waipahu at Calvary Chapel.

Sentencing delayed in child porn case

At a Sept. 28 hearing, Seabright granted a request by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Olson to withdraw a written motion asking that Perry's sentencing hearing be held the week of Thanksgiving. According to a court document, the prosecutor requested the delay to allow two girls who live on the mainland to travel to Honolulu to testify that he sexually abused them in 2002. The document states the girls are "now approximately 15 and 17 years" of age. According to the filing: "The government has provided to Probation copies of police reports from Hawaii County from 2002, documenting interviews of two young girls regarding sexual abuse by defendant Perry."

(So the Hawaii County Police did not act on the allegations about sex abuse on 7 and 9 yr old girls in 2002? It took the feds stepping in to bring him to justice. Oh his lawyer? The alleged slavers’ defender Eric Seitz who led the charge to block Leonard as Chief Justice.)

Maui Council: Hopefuls spar on familiar themes, generate sparks

KAHULUI - Job creation, water, affordable housing, eliminating injection wells and streamlining government remained comfortable, familiar themes among Maui County Council candidates appearing last week in head-to-head debates.

Kauai Charter amendments: Questionable

Perhaps the most substantial decision voters must decide this election is if the Kaua‘i County Charter should be amended to allow council members to serve two consecutive four-year terms?” Council members currently serve two-year terms with a four-term limit. It was only in 2008 that voters placed a limit on the number of terms council members could serve. Why we are already revisiting the council term question at the very next election is beyond us. The voters of Kaua‘i spoke loud and clear just two years ago.