Entries for March 2015

Even in his latest pet project: the election of the new prime minister of India, he has been eclipsed by the other Samoan in the House, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) ....

Eating Ben and Jerry’s apparently can make a person morally superior to regular folks who can only afford Meadow Gold....

...Hawaii Appleseed is making solid progress advancing important legislation to benefit low-income people in our state....

Fixed costs for debt service and retiree benefits comprise a high and growing share of general fund spending....

This translates to an additional $191.4 million in anticipated revenues to the state general fund for fiscal biennium 2016-17....

Sex-selective abortions typically target baby girls for death, based simply on their gender....

...IRS is seeking volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, a federal advisory committee that identifies major taxpayer concerns and makes recommendations for improving IRS service....

...county and state salary and overtime records, as well as retirement, health insurance, budgetary, and other data....

This is all part of a scheme hatched by two lawyers famous for helping OJ Simpson get off on his 1994 double murder rap in Los Angeles....

The Department of the Attorney General released its annual report detailing statewide and county firearm registration statistics for calendar year 2014....

...House bills will now move through Senate committees and Senate bills will move through House committees....

Only eight states saw increases under 15 percent: New York, Virginia, Mississippi, North Dakota, Hawaii, Maine, Connecticut and West Virginia....

NELHA currently accommodates 37 tenants ranging from companies bottling deep sea water to solar and biofuel companies....

...Ten open government bills are still alive after First Crossover....

$100 million in bonds to unabashedly promote a motorsport center on parkland determined eligible to be declared a National American Battlefield by the National Park Service....

All three nominations are subject to confirmation by the Senate....

...2015 Edition of Facts and Figures: How Does Your State Compare?...

...25 are in shelter; 43 are receiving homeless prevention assistance; seven were placed directly into housing; and another six have been assisted with airline funds which have enabled them to be reconnected with families in the U.S. mainland....

...Obama Hawaii Christmas vacations over the past three years have cost taxpayers $15,540,515.10 in travel expenses alone....

...HHC will not be self-sufficient for at least 8 years ["if ever" adds Senator Slom]....

The commission highlighted several areas for special recognition....

...What Rhoads is proposing, together with the Attorney General’s Office, is a setback for hard won court cases by the news media over the past 30 years....

..."just compensation and damages" are required by the constitution....

It costs $2 a barrel to ship Texas crude to Europe or Asia and $7 to ship it to Philadelphia....

In Hawaii a number of us are fascinated with gambling....

The House today passed over a hundred bills....

...The loss of an arm, for example, is worth up to $48,840 in Alabama, $193,950 in Ohio and $439,858 in Illinois....

How did your Representative and Senator vote?

... U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) quote "Unfortunately, very few commercial ships with high military value have been constructed in US shipyards in the last twenty years." ....

...monitoring report praises progress in Hawaii's public school system, from the implementation of high academic standards to supports provided to educators and students....

Hidano’s nomination is subject to Senate confirmation....

...the economy is still not creating as many new firms as it did before the recession....

...And the poorer you are, the more of your income goes to GE Tax....

"...my goal is to elevate our status as a Board of Trustees...."

...The data set ranges from median earnings for female workers to women’s preventive health care....

During floor session today (March 5th, 2015) after 1:00 PM, House Finance Chair stood up and requested a waiver of the 48-hour requirement to hear an agenda of bills with just one hour of notice....

Watchdog Group Files Information Request Regarding Chairman's Claim that 99% of Native Hawaiians Added from Other Lists Asked to Remain on Roll....

Evangelical Protestants are becoming less white....

"...inappropriate behavior and bribery that could happen during legislative session and when legislators fund raise during session.”

Interested persons should submit an application along with a resume and three letters of recommendation (attesting to the applicant’s character and integrity) postmarked by March 13, 2015....

"...In the light Lawrence v. Texas and Reliable Consultants v. Abbott, the State can no longer simply say that morality is a sufficient reason...."

...For the first time, educators and parents will be able to compare the performance of students in multiple states based on common standards and assessments....

...five gun-related bills on the move in the Hawaii Legislature....

...a nonpartisan effort to make the state budgeting process accessible to the public by putting state budget facts and figures online, in real time....

Neighborhood Board elections will be held in April and May of this year....

...In 1950, 43 percent of global shipping was done by US-flagged vessels. According to a 2009 Department of Transportation report that percentage has fallen to 1.5 percent....