Legislators, take voluntary pay cuts, too
Lingle said she hopes the agreement by 42 executive branch officials, including Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, "shows to the public that we are leading by example. To the extent that the unions are part of the community, they should recognize that as well." The public-employee unions have rejected furloughs — resulting in pay cuts similar in percentage of those accepted by the executive officials — but accepted a 5 percent wage reduction.
The six Republican members of the Legislature issued a statement saying they decided "to take a voluntary pay cut equivalent to a two-day furlough." Democratic lawmakers should do the same.
The Judiciary should keep arm's length from the issue during the Lingle administration's appeal of a ruling that the issue of furloughs for organized public employees should be subject to collective bargaining.
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Short deadline looms for City Council race
Fourteen candidates have three weeks to get their message out to the voters of City Council District 5.
Ballots for the special mail-in vote went out Friday, with a deadline of Aug. 7 to return ballots to the City Clerk's Office.
Best Quote -- candidate Butch Sims:
Q: "What qualifies you to be a City Council member?"
A: "I am a lifetime resident of District 5, without a felony record."
(Sorry Butch, but you just won't fit in at Honolulu Hale without a felony or two.)
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Oil tax debate overrides debut of Clean Energy Day
Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona took the stage at the inaugural Hawaii Powered Clean Energy Festival at Aloha Tower to declare yesterday Clean Energy Day in Hawaii.
But some environmentalists at the event say they are disappointed with the Lingle/Aiona administration and state Senate for failing to pass an oil tax to support alternative energy. (Thus showing the inherent instability of any attempt to ally with these anti-capitalist operatives.)
Bill 1271, which Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed, would have raised the per-barrel tax for oil distributors, costing drivers about two to three cents a gallon and raising $31 million annually for alternative energy and food safety programs.
State senators failed last week to override Lingle's veto.
Jeff Mikulina, the executive director of the Blue Planet Foundation, which sponsored the fair, said money from the oil tax would have created (sic) jobs and eased the state's dependence on fluctuating oil prices. (Destroyed jobs for normies. Created eco-crony jobs for otherwise unemployable eco-activists.)
"This is exactly the time we should be doing this," he said. (Because) "We are totally at the mercy of imported oil." (so we've got you if we tax you on it.)
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State jobs expected to fall 'pretty hard'
In the mid-1990s during the previous major slowdown for Hawai'i's economy, public-sector employment fell by about 2,000 jobs before recovering by decade's end, according to data provided by the University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization. Those public-sector reductions came about two years after overall statewide employment peaked.
There are signs that state public-sector employment already is falling. From January through May, the number of state public-sector jobs fell by 1,500 jobs, or nearly 2 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis, according to local consulting firm TZ Economics.
There were about 75,000 state workers in Hawai'i, and they represent about 12 percent of the overall workforce, according to the University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization.
Pay and benefits for state workers makes up about 70 percent of the state's annual $10 billion operating budget, according to Gov. Linda Lingle.
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Maui Wipeout Continues
HA: No Child needs fixes to fulfill its mandate get DoE off the hook
Even granted that last week's report on the "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) goals is "only" (Only? These clowns are working to eliminate even that?) a snapshot, schools in Hawai'i and other states need a more meaningful picture than the AYP marks provide. (Wrong. There IS no more meaningful measure.)
RELATED: Going public: Professionals resist the peer pressure to send their kids to private school (choices available to the rich)
"Bayer's work is no rose-colored defense of the Department of Education." (The denial is ALWAYS the clue to the truth.)
Best line: "'I'm going to private school, you're going to public school. Clearly, whatever I do is better than what you do.' That's assumed." — Professor
(A short quick insight into who and what liberals are.)
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Crystal meth arrests in Honolulu decline 30% since peak in 2005 (Cocaine up by 30%)
Honolulu police say crystal meth arrests are down by about 60 percent and that seizures of ice statewide have dropped by 30 percent since 2005, when the state's ice problem was among the worst in the nation.
Last year, about 66 pounds of cocaine were seized statewide — an increase of about 30 percent from 2007.
Related: Pahoa woman coke pusher who attempted to drive over police officer pleads guilty to drug charges
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Air Force reduces plans to develop 400 Bellows acres (ceded lands)
On Monday, Waimanalo resident Joseph Ryan proposed a resolution asking the U.S. Air Force to give the land back to the state, saying it is no longer being used for critical military purposes. (OHA wants $$$ and more acreage included in the 'ceded' land for the Akaka Tribe)
The military has used Bellows for recreation and training since 1951, said Air Force Capt. Christy Stravolo.
"When it came up for a vote on the resolution, there was a lot of verbal comments by Hawaiians talking about sovereignty and land titles, and I guess the whole room got caught up in discussing Hawaiian issues," said Ho. (Thanks, OHA)
He added that the board does not have the power to force the Air Force to give up the land, but if the resolution passes, the decision will be forwarded to the congressional delegation.
"What kind of concerns me is that we're a larger community of multiraces and multicultural people. The military is part of the community, and we still have to work with them," Ho said.
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Hawaii County prepares to sell land
Located above Paauilo, those 16 properties total 737 acres and are currently valued by the county, for tax purposes, at a combined $8.2 million, according to information she supplied. They range from a 12.8-acre parcel valued at $257,800 to a 109.7-acre property the county feels is worth $1.1 million.
A 2007 survey found that 95 percent of the 276 Big Island respondents wanted the land kept for farming, affordable homes and other uses. (And how is that going to happen if the properties are not sold?)
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Lava claims Royal Gardens home
Death of an old-boy land scam written up in "Land and Power in Hawaii"
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Kauai Planning Commission ‘consents’ to more TVRs
The commission granted its consent for 16 non-conforming use certificates outlined in the meeting agenda by way of a unanimous 6-0 vote, and later denied an appeal by North Shore citizens group Protect Our Neighborhood ‘Ohana, also by a 6-0 vote.
“They’re basically asking you folks to condone an illegal activity, an unlawful activity,” former County Council member Mel Rapozo, who worked on the TVR ordinance last year, told the commission before the votes.
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