October 20, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

October 20, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:34 PM :: 12313 Views

Early Voting open TODAY: Find your polling place

Shapiro looks at Dan Inouye’s losing streak

When he's attempted to exert influence in local politics in recent years, elected officials and voters alike have made clear that Inouye's stature in Washington doesn't entitle him to call the shots at home.

He was treated rudely by local House Democrats when his office tried to intervene in their organizational battle, and his active support of Hillary Rodham Clinton for president didn't keep her from getting swamped by Barack Obama 3-to-1 in local Democratic caucuses. Inouye couldn't even get his Hawaii chief of staff elected as a delegate to the Democratic convention.

He's been skunked so far in the 2010 elections, with the candidates he backed for governor and Honolulu mayor - Mufi Hannemann and Kirk Caldwell - soundly defeated.

His determination to block maverick Democrat Ed Case from returning to Congress by backing Colleen Hanabusa against him caused a Democratic split that resulted in Republican Charles Djou winning the special election to replace Neil Abercrombie.

Inouye gets a do-over on that one in the general election, but a race that should be a slam dunk for Democrats is neck and neck.

Many voters still resent Inouye's attempt to anoint Hanabusa, who lacks ties to the district and carries the baggage of leading the ouster of attorney general Margery Bronster during the Bishop Estate investigation, pushing a $75 million tax credit for a nonexistent Ko Olina aquarium and defending the Legislature's 36 percent pay raise at the height of the recession.

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Djou catches Hanabusa flatfooted on bipartisanship

When given the opportunity to question each other, Djou asked Hanabusa to name one member of the Republican caucus with whom she would seek bipartisan cooperation.

Hanabusa did not name a specific person, saying it would depend on the issue.

"I can't answer that question because I've never been in the position of actually doing that," she said. "However, I believe that the people look at my record -- how I've acted in the Senate."

She noted that her colleagues had voted her to various leadership positions, including Senate president the past four years and before that as majority leader. "It shows you a level of confidence that transcends not only Democrats, but also Republicans," she said.

Djou countered that when a similar question was posed at a mainland debate last week, Democratic U.S. Rep. Walter Minnick of Idaho named Djou as someone he could work with. Djou also noted his co-sponsorship of legislation with Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.

"There is talking about bipartisanship, and there is actually doing something about it," Djou said.

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Star Advertiser finally acknowledges that Abercrombie’s position on Appointed BoE was “inconsistent”

SA: Former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie said yesterday that he voted for a constitutional amendment calling for a state school board appointed by the governor instead of elected by voters.

The Democratic candidate for governor has supported the concept of an appointed school board but has made inconsistent statements about the constitutional amendment on the November ballot. (That’s as close as the Hawaii Democrat Advertising Bulletin will ever get to the truth.)

REALITY: Aiona hammers Abercrombie’s opposition to appointed BoE, Star-Advertiser lies about it

KITV does the same thing: Abercrombie Votes For Appointed School Board

Last week, the former congressman said he conceptually supported the idea. However, he had said he was concerned because Gov. Linda Lingle had vetoed a bill that detailed the appointing process.

AP gets it right, is nearly banished from Hawaii media: Abercrombie flips, votes for school board proposal (This AP article is on the front page of HTH, in KGI, but nowhere else in Hawaii.)

Star-Advertiser endorses transsexual BoE member for reelection

For Oahu's three at-large seats, we endorse Kim Coco Iwamoto, Randall Yee and Melanie Bailey.

» Iwamoto, a lawyer seeking her (sic) second term, was an early and vocal opponent of the state budget cuts that eventually resulted in Furlough Fridays (no, he is just a hack demanding more money poured down the DoE sinkhole) and has earned a reputation as a strong advocate to students as well as teachers.

REALITY: Dump the Incumbent

MORE REALITY: The transsexual agenda for Hawaii schools

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VIDEO: Hawaii governing philosophies clash at Kona forum

The Aiona team was critical of Abercrombie’s position – or change in position – in an email blast immediately following the forum. “He flip-flopped again”, the message said, “to say, after being asked a second time in one night, that he supports the ballot proposal for an appointed school board. This latest flip-flop comes on the heels of a news conference Duke and Lynn held to point to our opponent’s inability to show he is willing or able to stand up for education reform.”

DANGER: Hooser looking for ‘opportunities to serve’ (Abercrombie’s DLNR Chair)

Tax cheat and anti-Superferry protester Gary Hooser is pushing hard to become Abercrombie’s DHHL chair. Just like Clayton Hee is rumored to be Abercrombie’s DHHL Chair. You have been warned.

REALITY: Sen. Gary Hooser campaign website linked to Holocaust deniers

Bob McDermott Declares for City Council

Former Hawaii State Representative Bob McDermott announced he will be running for the City Council seat being vacated by *Todd Apo on November 8^th, 2010. McDermott, age 47, has previously served 3 terms in the State House.

RELATED: www.realcandor.com

Conference will go on despite Abercrombie’s Hilton labor dispute

The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans will hold its annual conference in Oahu this fall despite an ongoing labor dispute between (Neil Abercrombie’s) Unite Here Local 5 workers and their hotel owners.

The Wisconsin-based group, who counts the International Brotherhood of Teamsters among its largest clients, had threatened to cancel its Nov. 14-17 event after some 1,500 union workers at the Hilton

Mayor's inauguration set for Friday

Although he has been on the job for several days, new Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle is to be formally feted at the end of the week.

An inauguration ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at the Mission Memorial Auditorium, adjacent to Honolulu Hale.

The one-hour event is open to the public, although seating is limited, a city spokeswoman said.

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Inouye: Hanabusa would win appropriations spot (no he didn’t, but the headline writer put the lie front and center anyway)

Inouye's effort comes a week after House Minority Leader John Boehner announced that Hanabusa's opponent, Republican Rep. Charles Djou, would earn a spot on the committee if he wins re-election.

Inouye, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told the audience of about 100 people that "I've been told that she will get on the Appropriations Committee."

He clarified in an interview that the House leadership "didn't say no" to his request. (In other words, this is just election time BS for the ignorant.)

“We've had this same super majority in office for over 40 years. It's brought us the highest tax burden in the United States”

"It's time that we start bringing some balance into our government," Henderson said. "We've had this same super majority in office for over 40 years. It's brought us the highest tax burden in the United States. ... We can't keep going like we're going."

Henderson several times noted the bureaucracy in Hawaii's government, adding that bureaucracy's main end is to be self-perpetuating, not efficient or effective. He said he supported removing the general excise tax on medical care, food and rent. The money the state is collecting through fees and taxes like the transient accommodations tax aren't being effectively employed, either, to fix infrastructure problems, he said. Henderson said he favored putting Honokohau Harbor under the auspices of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, which has a plan to expand the harbor to include two docks.

Kauai: $1 fine for attempted theft of single family home

“So we won. It’s done,” said Edens, who celebrated at a Lihu‘e bar with friends and some co-defendants in the trespassing, conspiracy and slander-of-title case involving Brescia’s Ha‘ena property where he built a home over and around the graves of at least 30 Native Hawaiians (with the approval of the Burial Council).

Edens, Andrew Cabebe, Dayne Gonsalves and Hale Mawae were the remaining defendants. Edens said she was not sure if each were on the hook for 25 cents, or $1.

Andrew Salenger of the Honolulu law firm Cades Schutte represented Brescia via telephone at the hearing. He offered no comment Tuesday when asked why he made the settlement offer.

(I can’t wait until they go after Kawaihao Church over ITS burial problems… … …. Hypocrites.)

Dole Middle School first in state to earn school distinction award

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Only 14 schools across the nation earned the 2010 "School of Distinction" title from the National College For Every Student Program. And one Hawaii middle school managed earn it.

On Tuesday, Dole Middle School was presented with the School of Distinction Banner for making strides in preparing students for college.

'Hawaii Five-0' traffic jam fobbed off on permit typo

No. 5-0 is such a big money spinner for the State and the City that the City gave them the permit they wanted and made up this story to excuse it. They were earlier given a freeway and you can count on more of the same upcoming. The State and City are a business, the customers are HGEA, UPW, HSTA, and UHPA--and profits come first before your inconvenience. Time to get a bicycle.

See: Town-bound motorists advised to avoid Nimitz Highway during filming

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$56M bond bill advances: More than half of money slated to go to West Hawaii

Should the general obligation bond be approved, Crawford said the county's debt service would stand at 14 percent….

Vog gets thick, people get sick

For the study's authors -- and those who live in the state's voggiest corridor -- the findings are no surprise.

Residents have long been reporting increases in upper respiratory problems, and clinics have often said that they see more patients complaining of cough, sore throats, headaches and watery eyes when the vog gets bad.

But researchers say the study shows the magnitude of the vog's effects on the population, especially children, who are more susceptible to air pollution.

And they hope the research will trigger more assistance for communities near the volcano. ($$$)

HHSC’s magnificent Ka’u Hospital: Hawaii Hospitals: Not Quite Catching Up To Africa

ProPublica report lists Hawaii doctors getting drug company fees, resisting foreclosures, etc.

NPR and other media teamed up with ProPublica in an investigation of drug company payments to doctors. NPR ran a story yesterday, citing the ProPublica report.

Here’s a link to the list of payments going to doctors in Hawaii, according to the database compiled by ProPublica.

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