December 4, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

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Saturday, December 4, 2010

December 4, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 3:31 PM :: 11099 Views

How Inouye sabotaged Akaka Bill

Another Akaka Bill sneak attack? GOP Senators tell Inouye to back off

Full Text: Rail Financial Plan Assessment Report

Panos on Rail Analysis Report: Carlisle doesn’t know what he is talking about

Governor Lingle announces direct China-Hawaii fights for Chinese New Year

Governor Lingle announces 44 pardons

Home of Hawaiian language books to go digital

Djou welcomes US-South Korea Free Trade deal

Koller announces online processing for Medicaid applications

“Computer study of computer studies” -- UH Manoa Climate research questioned

UHERO assesses first year of Obama Economy

NRO: Lame Duck the Akaka Bill?

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D., Hawaii) tells NRO that he would like to bring it forward, but “it depends on if we can work out something with amendments.”

“We’ve been working on this for over a decade now,” Inouye says, listing the bill’s numerous past committee hearings. “No one can say that we’ve been hiding this.”

NRO: The Discriminatory Akaka Bill: ‘Infamous’ Indeed

U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner and Corner regular Peter Kirsanow calls it “the worst piece of proposed legislation ever reviewed by the Commission.” The purpose of the bill is to shore up the Hawaiian government’s ability to discriminate in favor of — and confer special benefits on — those it considers to be “ethnic” Hawaiians.

Akaka Bill: More than 73% of Hawaiians not "Qualified" for membership in Akaka Tribe

Predictable news: Mayor claims state's rail review is flawed

Carlisle also criticized the report because he says Prevedouros was contacted for his input. (How dare they speak to people with an opinion on the issue.) Prevedouros admits he was asked about some information and provided a link to his blog, but overall spent less than an hour on the report.

Not everyone who listened in on the mayor's comments was as convinced.

"If we're going to be stuck with some of these bills it's going to be really tough," said Ann Kobayashi, Honolulu City Councilmember. "Money is still a concern."

"We must not believe the city's numbers," said Panos Prevedouros, University of Hawaii, Manoa engineering professor.

Panos Prevedouros says if the figures in the report come true the rail would cost nearly $10,000 per person to build. He and others worry the project could bankrupt the state.

SA: Mayor calls report an 'appalling waste'

HFP: Panos on Rail Analysis Report: Carlisle doesn’t know what he is talking about

Party Unity? Mufi still Lost in Space

“I’m just putting together a lot of the scenarios and finishing touches on my next move. I should have something to say shortly. Right now I’m just putting it all together.

“I’m looking forward to saying something about it when I’m all done putting it together.”

Gay molester stalks UH Manoa

A male student reported being propositioned for sex and grabbed by a man while walking near the East-West Center's Jefferson Hall at the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus on Sunday night.

The student was walking on the Diamond Head side of East-West Road, in front of Jefferson Hall, when he was approached, UH campus security said.

Gay-Atheist Civil Beat continues to obsess about Duke Aiona’s religion

by Chad “Hawaii elections are not totally God-free” Blair

An essay by the Republican candidate that didn't emerge during the campaign provides a much deeper perspective on how his views on God, government and prayer would have shaped the next four years.

The essay, published in a book by Transformation Hawaii, makes clear that Aiona believes prayer should permeate government. The book also includes a chapter by Gary Okino, a conservative Democrat who failed to unseat the champion of civil unions, a hot-button issue for the Religious Right.

Transformation Hawaii, which today goes by the name of Hawaii Hee Nalu — roughly, "catch the wave" in Hawaiian — remains active. Its belief, namely that God and government are part and parcel, lives on.

With a new civil unions bill to be introduced in the Legislature early next year — and with a governor who has said he will sign it — it's highly likely that Hawaii has not heard the last of the age-old battle between church and ~~state~~ our enlightened conscious and progressive religion.

Akaka, Inouye support ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal

I fought alongside gay men during World War II, many of them were killed in combat.

Really? Name one.

Lingle's Administration Moving Out

"Some people are surprised when I tell them over 48 percent of all the bills the governor recommended became law in one way or another. Remarkable, when you consider there were very few Republicans in the Legislature," said Smith.

Director of the state Department of Health, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, was spending her final day attending a blessing ceremony of the state hospital's new long-term care facility in Kaneohe.

It was a tearful goodbye party during lunch for the chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Laura Thielen said for the next few months, she plans to be a farmer on some land she bought in Waimanalo.

Lingle will advise bipartisan think tank

"It is an honor to be invited to join former colleagues to work together in a bipartisan manner to address some of the most significant issues facing our nation and our states," Lingle said in a statement. "Serving on the governors' council will provide an opportunity to highlight at the national level the successful initiatives being undertaken in Hawaii, such as the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative and our focus on STEM and robotics education. At the same time, we can also learn from the successes of other states."

The Bipartisan Policy Center was founded in 2007 by former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker (R-Tenn.), Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and George Mitchell (D-Maine).

http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/

Ramsay Wharton returns to Sunrise!

Ramsay threw her hat into the Republican nomination for Hawaii's Second Congressional District. Even though she lost, she says the experience was unforgettable. Ramsay will be the new anchor for Sunrise Early Edition at 4:30 a.m. and live reporter for Sunrise on KGMB/KHNL and KFVE. Her first day is December 6, previewing the inauguration of Hawaii's Governor-Elect Neil Abercrombie.

Abercrombie campaign raised $4.5M to defeat Aiona

Abercrombie, who is set to be sworn in as the state's seventh elected governor on Monday, collected the maximum of $6,000 from 244 donors since March 2009, according to campaign financial reports submitted late Thursday.

More than 3,800 other contributors gave $1,000 or less to the former 10-term congressman.

In contrast, Aiona raised $3.6 million since January 2007, including $6,000 maximum donations from 90 contributors. About 3,600 others gave $1,000 or less….

Abercrombie received maximum contributions from a plethora of labor unions, including those representing dockworkers, electricians, public school teachers, firefighters, state employees and plumbers.

But business owners and executives added to Abercrombie's bankroll as well. Some of his largest donors included the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Pukoa Scientific LLC, Diamond Resorts, Young Brothers Ltd., Signature Cab Holdings, and political action committees representing optometrists and financial advisers.

Almost 500 of his donations came from out of state, including MillerCoors beer company in Wisconsin, which gave $6,000; New York's PepsiCo Inc., $5,000; and Enterprise rental cars and Boeing Co., which gave $2,500 each. Several of Abercrombie's former congressional colleagues also donated.

Warning: Abercrombie coming to Sister islands

Abercrombie and his incoming lieutenant governor, Brian Schatz, will leave for Molokai on Wednesday, two days after their inaugurations Monday.

The Democrats will then move on to Lanai on Thursday, followed by Maui on Dec. 11 and the Big Island on Dec. 12-13.

Their travels conclude on Kauai on Dec. 15.

A statement from Abercrombie's office said the trips will include islands outside Oahu in inaugural events through a series of "confirmation ceremonies." (Is this like being a “confirmed Episcopalian?”)

The theme of the celebrations is "To Protect Hawaii."

VIEWPOINT: Fontaine: It’s time to look ahead, not back

The voters of state House District 11-South Maui didn't elect me to the state House because they want to endlessly rehash the history of Rep. Joe Bertram and his child-predator friends. Yet, the community awoke Nov. 28 to find a Viewpoint dedicated to the self-serving rationalizations of Bertram's former legislative staffer Leon Rouse, who was convicted of child molestation in the Philippines.

Molester Rouse: Fontaine has to learn facts before passing judgment

Complete debunk: Child molester back at work at Hawaii Legislature

Haleakala: Attorneys for shake-down activists could still sink or delay project

"December 1 was an important day with a very important decision," said UH Institute of Astronomy Director Rolf-Peter Kudritzki. "This is a milestone for the future of astronomy in Hawaii."

There is a big "if," though, about whether the project will proceed, said Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. attorneys Alan Murakami and Sharla Manley. The attorneys for Kilakila O Haleakala, a group of Maui County Native Hawaiians and their supporters, have filed a lawsuit and said they plan to submit a request for a contested case hearing, either of which could, at the very least, delay the project longer, if not sink it altogether.

For more information about the project, go online to atst.nso.edu.

Arakawa names four to serve in county planning, parks positions

WAILUKU - Mayor-elect Alan Arakawa has appointed Will Spence to be planning director for Maui County and Glenn Correa as head of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Observers praised Spence as a good choice to lead the department. With a history of working on small, family projects, rather than large, controversial developments, several noted that Spence would come to the department without major baggage….

Arakawa also announced the appointment of Michele Chouteau McLean as deputy planning director Friday.

Arakawa announced his appointment of Correa as the incoming head of the parks department he led from 2003 to 2006. And, he named the department's chief of planning and development, Patrick Matsui, as the new deputy director.

Farewell, mayor: Council members recognize Tavares’ accomplishments

Community College Job-skills program let go

The Employment Training Center program will end operations at the end of the year. It conducts classes at Honolulu and Windward community colleges and at a satellite site in Kalaeloa.

It recently had as many as 1,200 students. But when the state Department of Education and Vocational Rehabilitation Division suffered budget cuts in 2008, the tuition subsidies it provided the center shrank from $375,000 per year to zero.

Enrollment is now about 400 students.

Decreasing Fights Leads to One School's Success

In 2010, kids have stepped up against the violence. Rather than almost a dozen fights each day, Dela Cruz says he maybe sees one a week, and that's been a big factor in changing test scores."We went from pretty much zero percent in HSA scores, to right now, it's on our board, our current percent in 80% in reading and 50% in math, which is phenomenal. Our percentile gain is amazing," Dela Cruz explained.

He says fewer fights on campus means kids are in classrooms and ultimately learning a lot more.

Other schools around the island are also doing great things, and seeing changes. Waianae High School has slam poetry. Nanakuli has run a peacemaker's club, and various other schools have successful student-driven movements to stop the violence.

Principals from across the state say, as the fights decrease, student achievement goes up, and scores are written proof.

Electronic cigarettes: Are they safe?

This is coming up because Hawaii-based companies lead US sales & production of e-Cigarettes.

LINK: http://www.volcanoecigs.com/

http://vaportokers.info/

The corporatist State is not getting a big enough cut of its profits. Advice: relocate to Nevada before they get you.

New Age Scam #1: Herbalife Millionaire Claims Marriage Con--State Supreme Court Considers Voiding Her Divorce

Geri Cvitanovich said she married George Patrick Dubie not realizing he was not legally divorced from another woman.

Attorneys for Cvitanovich said Dubie, who died three years ago at age 52, has a history of conning people that goes back to a commune he founded on Kauai, where he served time in jail in the 1990s. He also fathered many children with many women.

“He was very charismatic,” Cvitanovich said outside the courthouse where the Supreme Court convened Thursday. It was her first interview since her case became public three years ago.

Attorney Mike Green said, “The man was a psychopath. He had no heart. He could convince people of anything. He had no conscience.”

Cvitanovich became a millionaire as one of the founding salespersons for Herbalife products (itself a scam).

(Remember: These people are smarter than you. they are enlightened, conscious, and progressive.)

http://www.findkristen.com/

http://gpdubie.wordpress.com/

Margaret Crane is being held in a Thai jail after alleged cult leader killed

New Age Scam #2: Implicated in death of child, Hawaii’s Oklevucha Native American Church Appeals to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for Ceremonial use of Cannabis

I met yesterday in Honolulu with Micheal Rex “Raging Bear” Mooney the Medicine Man for the Oklevucha Native American Church of Hawaii, and his attorney Michael Glenn.

Raging Bear and the Oklevucha Native American Church of Hawaii decided to take an offensive posture instead of the usual defensive strategies we have seen here in Hawaii in the past when the federal government seized the church’s sacramental cannabis.

Raging Bear and the Oklevucha Native American Church of Hawaii filed a civil suit in federal district court in the District of Hawaii in July of 2009. The suit seeks injunctive and declaratory relief as well as the return of about one pound of cannabis that had been seized from the church by federal agents.

Oklevucha midwife charged with negligent homicide

(Remember: These people are smarter than you. They are enlightened, conscious, and progressive.)

WHT publisher Asbach to retire

West Hawaii Today Advertising Manager Tracey Fosso, who joined the paper's staff in 2003, will take over Jan. 1 as the new publisher.

WikiLeaks cables reveal how US manipulated climate accord

Hidden behind the save-the-world rhetoric of the global climate change negotiations lies the mucky realpolitik: money and threats buy political support; spying and cyberwarfare are used to seek out leverage.

The US diplomatic cables reveal how the US seeks dirt on nations opposed to its approach to tackling global warming; how financial and other aid is used by countries to gain political backing; how distrust, broken promises and creative accounting dog negotiations; and how the US mounted a secret global diplomatic offensive to overwhelm opposition to the controversial "Copenhagen accord", the unofficial document that emerged from the ruins of the Copenhagen climate change summit in 2009.

Negotiating a climate treaty is a high-stakes game, ~~not just because of the danger warming poses to civilisation but also~~ because re-engineering the global economy to a low-carbon model will see the flow of billions of dollars redirected.

(And yes, amazingly there still are a few benighted morons who actually believe in global warming. How sad for them to learn the truth. The temperature measurements were made up, the CO2 measurements were made up, the climate models were made up, the sea level rise does not exist, Al Gore just wanted a massage, and US intelligence agencies manipulated the entire thing for the benefit of money grubbing 3rd World elites’ Swiss bank accounts at the expense of the poor.)

SA: UH professor honored by EPA for work on island climate policy

Hawaii Marine Dies In Afghanistan

Department of Defense officials said Sgt. Matthew Abbate, 26, of Honolulu, died Thursday in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

Officials said he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.