Gay Civil Unions has four vote margin in Hawaii House
After Tuesday's election, civil unions supporters picked up at least one vote in the Senate and lost a vote in the House, which is still four more votes than the 26 needed for a bill to pass, according to Equality Hawaii, which advocates for the legislation….
Religious groups - especially evangelical Protestants, Catholics and Mormons - will continue their efforts to convince lawmakers to vote against civil unions through letters, e-mails and possible demonstrations against the legislation, known as HB444.
"Despite the election, there are still a large number of people who oppose the kind of civil unions described in HB444," said Francis Oda of the Hawaii Family Forum. "The best thing to do is to have the community decide this issue, and put it up for a vote."
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Business leaders will keep watch on Abercrombie’s pledge to hold down taxes: "If one public-sector job may be lost, we won't do it."
Taxes top the list of concerns among business owners as the state shifts from eight years under Republican Gov. Linda Lingle to a new Democratic administration. The prospect of more government regulation, an unwillingness to confront public-sector unions and the absence of any check on the Democratic-controlled state Legislature have business leaders worried.
While the new governor might adjust some of his goals, Slom said he expects Abercrombie will eventually raise taxes to safeguard public union jobs and pay for new programs.
As for Abercrombie's promise to review government rules to make them more supportive of entrepreneurs, Slom said he has heard many candidates pledge to cut red tape only to run into entrenched government workers, who resist any change that could reduce their numbers.
Lagareta agreed: "If one public-sector job may be lost, we won't do it."
Lingle held the line on excessive government regulation of business, and with her departure the Democrats will want to "make a rule for everything," she said.
(There is ONE group of “business” men who are totally thrilled about Abercrombie's arrival. Act 215/221 scammers.)
"The people I know feel this is going to be a breath of fresh air," said Jay Fidell, (ACT 215/221 $787M subsidy king) a longtime business lawyer, founder of ThinkTech Hawaii and Abercrombie supporter. "Everyone has the feeling that this governor is going to be much more accessible ... For the first time in eight years they will be able to get into Washington Place."
(And now we will be able to dip our greedy little snouts into the public trough again ca-ching!)
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SA Editors back Kaauwai, Nonaka GOP candidate recruitment efforts
In the wake of what they must see as a disappointing outcome on the home front, Hawaii Republicans need to confer on ways to groom new candidates who show potential to run competitive races and get elected….
it doesn't help that Democratic leaders at the Capitol keep such a tight grip on power; it's hard to entice someone to run as a Republican with such meager hope for effecting change. But that remains the proper mission of the GOP organizers. They must draw on supporters with experience in the business sector or community groups, or bright young contenders who show potential as an officeholder at the entry level.
The current leaders of the Hawaii GOP -- principally party Chairman Jonah Kaauwai and Executive Director Dylan Nonaka -- aggressively recruited candidates and succeeded in contesting more offices statewide than their predecessors. Unfortunately, many were weak contenders, either because of a thin resume or a nearly single-minded focus on what was seemingly the central social issue among Hawaii conservatives: defeating any renewed effort to pass a bill legalizing civil unions for homosexual couples.
While the issue is a legitimate rallying point that energized a base of supporters, especially from churches, the successful candidates were the ones who appealed to a broader constituency. (Note: The SA editors are NOT suggesting the GOP abandon opposition to HB444 as so many progressive snakes are now advising.)
A review of the vote breakdown from the Nov. 2 election shows a growing number of pockets where the GOP is ascendant, especially in Leeward and Central Oahu. With the right candidate who can attract moderates as well as conservatives, Republicans could begin to build their numbers.
Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Djou, who won the 1st Congressional District's special election in May, lost the seat last week to Democrat Colleen Hanabusa -- but grew solid support in his bid. Party affiliations aside, Hawaii's electorate must realize the need for intellectually agile, issue-oriented and articulate candidates like Djou and Lynn Finnegan.
The 2010 election should be instructive to the GOP that there is a viable political constituency here. Hawaii has elected Republicans who have contributed capably to the debate over public policy, and there seems to be a growing number of voters who could put more of them in office in the future.
(I had to read this over three times until I believed my own eyes, but in fact every word of this is good advice for the GOP. Amazing.)
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Sole GOP senator, Slom plans program to keep public informed about bills in Legislature
A four member minority staff will help him run his one-man band.
"We are going to surprise a lot of people because we are going to have an aggressive and proactive program basically to bring more information to the public to know what is going on at the Legislature before we pass their bills. Gee, what a concept," said Slom.
Slom said he will conduct weekly news conferences and improve the senate minority website to keep the public better informed.
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Borreca: Slom communications onslaught can start GOP rebuilding
(You have to read thru a lot of smug Democrat Borreca triumphalism to get to the last two lines which actually contain wisdom…)
With the big defeats, there is a tad of optimism glowing in the state Senate where Sam Slom is the lone Republican. He plans a communications onslaught to give a view different from the majority.
Talking is always better than name-calling (as if this was what Djou and Aiona did), and if the Hawaii GOP can learn that (as if the GOP doesn’t already know this), then they can start rebuilding.
(Borreca is so arrogant that he assumes that any rational look at information will cause the GOP to back Obama and Abercrombie and become Democrat-lite. Through this blind arrogance, he has actually stumbled into supporting Slom’s move in the right direction. Hilarious.)
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Guard salutes Lingle, Lee: “Two of Hawaii’s most deserving figures”
Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, also praised the two. "What a fitting ceremony and salute for two of Hawaii's most deserving figures," he said.
KITV: Hawaii National Guard Bids Farewell To Lingle, Lee
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Manga Tropica takes look into Hawaii’s future under Abercrombie, Dems
Clapes, a Honolulu tech-head and lawyer, has cobbled together a thinly disguised "alternate reality" meditation on Hawaii's future, and he finds it wanting because kids aren't into studying science and technology, and the people in charge would prefer that Hawaii's citizens be uneducated and undemanding. Sorry, make that Tropica's citizens.
This is tough talk, and Clapes likely is right on the mark here.
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Maui: Molester’s underling and failed Dem HD11 candidate keeps agitating against new jail
Netra Halperin is a social worker. Her work has included being a substance abuse counselor supervisor at Maui Community Correctional Center. She lives in Kihei. She failed to defeat molester-friendly Joe Bertram in the Dem primary. Part of the leg experience she touts includes a stint staffing Rep. Rida Cabanilla’s office as an underling of convicted child molester (and gay rights pioneer) Leon Rouse.
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SA: More HGEA hires can protect Hawaii from rampaging lunatic murderers
The Conley case is the latest example of what critics say is the failure of the state to adequately monitor and treat former criminal defendants who are on conditional release from the Kaneohe hospital.
Roughly 450 of the former patients are living in Hawaii under supervision of probation officers and mental health professionals, and must abide by specific conditions, such as getting regular mental health treatment, staying sober and taking prescribed medications. If they violate the conditions, they can lose their freedom and be re-admitted to the hospital.
All the patients were originally charged with crimes ranging from petty theft to murder, acquitted by reason of mental defect, (Need to allow a verdict of “guilty but insane” so criminals can go to prison after treatment) treated at the hospital and eventually released. Some have been on conditional release for decades. (So obviously what we need to do is put criminals in prison)
A judge approved each release based on the experts' assessments … (And so what we need to do is replace the ‘experts’ with ones who value public safety over their misplaced ‘compassion’ for murderers.)
But in the wake of steep cuts in adult mental health services the past two years and intense governmentwide budget pressures, patient advocates, prosecutors and others increasingly are questioning whether the state is able to provide sufficient oversight for the conditional-release population. Some say the public is at greater risk because of monitoring gaps and inconsistencies or because patients are being released prematurely from a hospital that is perennially overcrowded.
(So what Abercrombie WILL do is … hire more HGEA members. What a surprise.)
MORE OF THE SAME: Red flags missed
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Tesoro profit up; Hawaii production down
The San Antonio-based company, which has most of its operations on the West Coast, said its profit improved because of, among other things, a wider discount for heavy crude. Tesoro owns no oil wells….
Tesoro's refinery at Campbell Industrial Park reported third quarter throughput of 53,000 barrel a day, down from year-ago levels. Gross refining profit margin tripled, but remained much lower than Tesoro's larger refineries on the West Coast. Tesoro also has a refinery in Alaska.
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Hawaii Governor Commends Pearl Harbor Shipyard for Support of Innovation Initiative, STEM
Abercrombie’s DoE will kill STEM. Watch.
Maui: Future plans built with Legos
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KGI: We’re counting on you
HTH: Enthusiasm wanes for HPP park
Fla's first black GOP rep says effort to paint Tea Party as racist failed...
Will join all-Dem Congressional Black Caucus