March 8, 2009 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Sunday, March 8, 2009

March 8, 2009 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 7:26 AM :: 11695 Views

Enviros vs Clean Energy: Wind, wave energy platforms proposed in Hawaii whale waters

The proposal has many environmentalists, fishing enthusiasts, government marine officials and others alarmed.

"Great project, wrong location," said Irene Bowie, (anti-Superferry protester) executive director of Maui Tomorrow, a citizens planning and environmental group.

(No surprise here, enviros are always for clean energy until someone tries to actually build it.)

As many as 100 raised off-shore platforms would be erected over a roughly 80-square-mile area between O'ahu and Moloka'i to harness up to 1,100 megawatts of electricity from waves and wind, according to Grays Harbor Ocean Energy Co. documents filed with the federal government and a company official.

O'ahu's peak power demand typically is about 1,200 megawatts.

Star-Bulletin: 200 Rally For Civil Unions

Supporters of civil unions in Hawaii vow to return to the Capitol every year until the state legalizes same-sex partnerships. (But with every newspaper in the state pushing their rallies, only 1/40th as many people showed up as at the anti-gay civil union rally.)

KITV: says it was 2,000

Members of several unions were also at the event, including some in the 11,000-member hotel and restaurant union Local 5. Local 5 spokesman Cade Watanabe said civil unions for same-sex partners means economic justice.

Several religious groups also expressed support. "I would love to see the religion taken out of the argument for a change," said Father Richard Shields of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii. (Which has lost most of its membership.)

Gays protesting against Prop 8 last November after voters in black and Hispanic precincts backed the measure:

MUST READ: West Hollywood: "the 'blame the blacks' meme is being commonly accepted by some so-called 'progressive' gay activists. A number of Rod 2.0 and Jasmyne Cannick readers report being subjected to taunts, threats and racist abuse at last night's marriage equality rally in Los Angeles....It was like being at a klan rally except the klansmen were wearing Abercrombie polos and Birkenstocks."

Jimmy Pflueger's Manslaughter Trial Delayed Until August 2009

The manslaughter trial for retired auto dealer James Pflueger, 82, originally scheduled for June 15, 2009, has been postponed until the week of August 24, 2009, according to a letter from the state attorney general’s office sent to the victims’ families yesterday.

Hawaii stabbing victim's husband says God prepared him

Yamashita, a social studies teacher at Nanakuli High School, does not know what will come out of his wife's death. But he believes it will be good and it will be grand.

"Where 99 percent of people would be bitter and angry, Bryan is just so positive," said his friend, Elton Kinoshita, one of the vice principals at James Campbell High School where Yamashita once taught. "He's just so unusual. I've never known him to get angry."

Asa's three sisters are helping Yamashita with his daughters, and he has been talking to his brother, a pastor, nearly every day since Asa's death.

But there is no escaping the sadness that hangs over Yamashita and his two daughters, Katie, 7, and Tori, who turns 5 tomorrow.

In many ways, Yamashita feels that he has been preparing for this time in his life almost since birth, when he learned early on that good things can come from bad times.

Medicaid breakdown

Since the launch date of Feb. 1, 2009, QExA has been plagued with problems. At its third legislative briefing last week, covered by Star-Bulletin reporter Kristen Consillio, DHS reported that the state and health plans received 34,750 calls from clients and providers over the past three weeks due to computer glitches, enrollment issues, disruptions in patient transportation services, patients being incorrectly charged a copay for prescriptions, lengthy wait times and busy signals at health plan call centers. The largest percentage of these calls were made by beneficiaries who wanted to switch plans, most likely due to unhappiness with their current plan.

Thousands of Medicaid recipients still have not been assigned a primary-care physician, and others have been turned away from their longtime doctors who have chosen not to participate in the program. Others also are being told incorrectly by these health plans that they can no longer receive health care at some of the community health centers because these centers have opted not to participate in the program....

Molokai Bills Reach Senate Floor

(The island's largest private employer is pau and look what their elected officials are focused on.....)

Maui Council pushes back on Tavares' war on small business

Mayor Charmaine Tavares' administration also has taken some flak from residents, who say her inspectors unfairly have targeted people who just are trying to get by.

"It's just another form of economic stimulus and is especially helpful to entrepreneurs starting a business who can't yet afford to rent space," Victorino said.

Council Member Jo Anne Johnson, who holds the West Maui residency seat, called it "no brainer" legislation. "We're basically legitimizing what many people already need to do in order to get by," she said.

Government, church, business ‘together in one spirit’

“One of the motivations of putting this together was connecting with Hawai‘i Island Ministries in Honolulu to order to bring more people to Kaua‘i to give the island the same opportunities that the cities have,” he said, in regards to guest speakers such as Lt. Gov. James ‘Duke’ Aiona and Jeff Kemp, president of Families Northwest.

Lost cause: Borreca tries to teach Abercrombie how to be appealing

(Lets have some fun by splicing the good parts together.)

...the 5-foot, 8-inch mound of towels and sweatshirts in front of me takes a towel off his head to get a drink....it will take more than me to pull the 185 pounds of weighs off his neck.

...since 1970 when he first ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against the late Republican Hiram Fong....It seems like the only elective office he has not run for is pope.

Because of spending so much time in Washington instead of Hawaii, Abercrombie has ... no big political machine....

Along the way, his has developed a distinct speaking style...bombast and froth....

Abercrombie says he has reached the "zenith" of his political power, (a promotion from his previous job managing the House gym) chairing the House Armed Services Committee's air and land forces subcommittee, meaning the Army and Air Force are under his direct supervision (well except for that Commander in Chief guy and the Joint Chiefs, etc, but the Navy did name a TUGBOAT after Neil). Veteran Neil-watchers always shake their heads at that because during the Vietnam War, Abercrombie was one of the most vocal protesters at the University of Hawaii....

...you get more done with a little honey in the lemonade.... (btw: 270-185=85)