Entries for October 2015

...Obama has been refusing to label terrorist group ISIS as “Islamic extremists,” instead opting for “violent extremists,” a choice Maher called “crazy” on his HBO talk show. “Words do matter,” he said....

"We made significant changes to reduce the amount of testing in our schools this year," stated Superintendent Matayoshi....

The Group met on October 13, 2015 and discussed possible Charter amendment topics, which included the consolidation of the TheBus, TheHandi-Van, and rail into one entity....

...homeowners of flex units face the challenge of having their entire property classified as 'Commercial', which equates to approximately 254% more in taxes....

...without government subsidies, the major S. Korean shipbuilders would have to raise their prices by around 20%. That of course pales in comparison with the 500% premiums to build a oceangoing self-propelled ship in a major U.S. shipbuilding yard....

...as it develops and adopts rules for its operation and administration....

Sponsored by the Hawaii Navy League....

...one-party rule in this state can easily lead to a corrupt 'old boy network'....

Despite decades of exhortations and mandates, it's still typically more expensive for municipalities to recycle household waste than to send it to a landfill....

Grassroot Institute President Keli'i Akina launches a one-hour program on Maui's 1110AM KAOI....

Lutts mentions the Jones Act in the context of the Puerto Rico financial crisis, the loss of the EL FARO, and the distortions it causes in the economy....

...at least 134 deceased persons received over-payments from the Employee Retirement System, with some over-payments in excess of $50,000....

The WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities is an international effort launched in 2006 to help cities prepare for rapid population aging and the parallel trend of urbanization....

Honolulu County had average weekly wages of $918 ranked near the middle (172nd) of the national ranking among the 342 largest counties. Nationally, the average weekly wage was $1,048 in the first quarter of 2015....

...an increase of 4.7 percent to 652,616 visitors....

...by the end of first grade, the achievement scores for both groups were again equal and by third grade the scores of children who participated in the pre-K program were lower than those who had not....

...don't be too surprised if the Ninth Circuit sees it a different way....

“Compared with NAEP, Smarter Balanced more directly measures what we expect our students to know and be able to do...."

Undercover video shows Ala Moana construction workers paid in cash....

...a partial-birth abortion procedure to terminate living, late-term fetuses which she hopes will yield intact fetal heads for brain harvesting....

State Department of Taxation officials have pointed to a lag in processing tax returns as a key reason for the swings....

Commissioner of Financial Institutions, Iris Ikeda, presented considerations for banks and other financial institutions when dealing with marijuana related businesses at the Hawaii State Bar Association....

...despite multiple efforts, many individuals decline help....

...Today, the Plaintiffs in Akina v. State of Hawai’i filed an appeal from the Order of Judge Michael Seabright denying their motion to halt a race-based election to establish a Hawaiian tribe in violation of the Constitution....

...Genetic Testing--Lease Transfer--Subsistence Farming...

Under the legislation, the DOI’s controversial recognition rules, also known as Part 83, would have no force and effect....

PUC Chairman Randy Iwase seems confident that the ruling will stand....

An investigation by Hawaii's state auditor into the state's Department of Health....

..."reestablishing a government-to-government relationship with the Native Hawaiian community" does not refer to reestablishing a relationship with the Hawaiian Kingdom....

...for participating in a price-fixing conspiracy....

...PV already installed on a home is worth about $4,000 more than the median value of a PV permit....

The Dole fruit and Dow chemical companies must face a lawsuit from migrant farm workers who claim they were harmed by a pesticide, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled....

...today, the federal tax code is roughly six times as long as it was in 1955, while federal tax regulations are about 2.5 times as long....

Completed applications must be received by December 22, 2015....

With a Master's Degree in Social Work, abortion survivor Melissa Ohden has worked in the fields of substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence/sexual assault counseling, and child welfare....

The Hawaii State Supreme Court courtroom was filled with supporters of the five U.S. veterans who completed the intensive two-year program.....

If confirmed by the State Senate, McWhinnie will serve a term of six years....

Hawaii has grabbed tens of millions of dollars from Honolulu County taxpayers and diverted it to the general fund, rather than using it for a mass transit rail project as intended....

"The state will negotiate in good faith to secure the best possible outcome for our citizens and for employees of the facilities involved,” said Gov. David Ige....

....the effort to stop the state's unconstitutional Native Hawaiian election is far from over....

"This is about $500 million dollars of OHA money in exchange for surrendering Native Hawaiian rights."

The Department of the Interior will conduct four meetings by teleconference....

Hawaii ranks 44th at $58 per person ....

The Hawaii GOP Caucuses will be held Tuesday March 8, 2016 from 6PM to 8PM at dozens of voting locations statewide....

...This is a question for Congress to decide, not a small band of lawyer-activists inside the Obama administration....

Sylvia Luke wants it as a slush fund to purchase Ali’i Place. Ernie Martin wants it to build affordable housing....