Entries for February 2011

The March edition of Mission Houses Museum’s “Talking Story”, which focuses on themes of myths, legends, and fables in 2011, will take place on Wednesday, March 9^th at 7PM in the Kana‘ina Building on ‘Iolani Palace grounds.  Admission is free.

Senate Bill 120 was originally written to repeal 148 special funds. Although there were 800 pages of testimony submitted on the original version of the bill, no action was taken at the public hearing on Feb. 10, 2011. Then, on Feb. 25, the Ways and Means Committee (WAM) rewrote the bill....

Sadly, the most widely exploited document used by perpetrators of elderly abuse is the Power of Attorney because it can give the perpetrator immediate access to the victim’s bank accounts, real estate, and other valuable property unlike a will, trust, or estate planning document that may not take effect for many years.

According to an analysis of the 111th US Congress published Friday by the National Journal, among Republicans Hawaii Representative Charles Djou was out-moderated only by Rep Joseph Cao of New Orleans. 

A Gallup Poll of Hawaii adults released today shows that Hawaii has the fewest self-identified conservatives of any state in the nation—but Hawaii’s 27.9% of conservatives still outnumber the Aloha State’s 23.6% of self-identified liberals.

It has been a busy two months in office. So far there have been floods in Kihei and Maalaea, rockslides on the pali, a ban on plastic bags and a push for a major film production studio. And that was just January.

Ariyoshi, as editor of the ILWU’s communist line Honolulu Record weekly paper between 1948 and 1958, employed a columnist named Frank Marshall Davis--also a Communist party member--who would in the mid-1970s become a mentor to a kid named Barack Obama....

We'd have to check the archives to see if the Honolulu City Council ever did issue a condemnation of Mao Tse-tung for the genocide of Chinese people back when the cultural revolution, the great leap forward and all that stuff took place. 

“Daniel K. Inouye has spoken.”

...how is that 9 years have lapsed since the legislative directive to transfer the funds was given? Who is supposed to be overseeing these kinds of funds and how many more dormant funds from repealed laws exist?

Despite our strong opposition, Hawaii Senate Bill 218 relating to emergency contraception PASSED out of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. We were also disappointed to learn that when the senate judiciary committee approved the bill with a vote of 3 to 2, they also rejected our request for a "healthcare right of conscience" exception.

 The word change can simply mean, “something becomes different.”  Like a car tire that runs over a large pothole, and becomes flat.  But change can also mean “something is transformed.”  Transformation is an evolutionary process.  Like a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.  “Transformation” is a concept that will be discussed several times today as we review the challenges facing our city.

The U.S. Census Bureau today released more detailed 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics to the governor and leadership of the state legislature in Hawaii.

It didn’t really seem anyone was in a great rush to pull out the paint and scrub-brushes for the arrival of the world’s media, business chiefs and heads of state for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum meetings in November. At Honolulu’s wonderful, breezy, open-to-the-elements airport there’s little to suggest this is a city that wants to be in the same league as the likes of Seoul, Sydney and Osaka.

Within the last two-years, over 200 cities and 14 counties in California have banned or passed a moratorium on pot shops.  And now the dopey Hawaii Legislature wants to follow California's failed experiment.

...it is quite likely the 113th Congress that convenes in 2013 will find an even greater percentage of Senators who have yet to complete a full term than in the 112th - should at least five more senators announce their retirement or get defeated in their reelection bids.

Despite the member upheaval that the Senate has experienced over the past few election cycles, there are certainly still several state delegations with a wealth of experience in the nation's upper legislative chamber....

"The civil union bill here in Hawaii possibly contains some loop holes whereby undocumented people could in fact enter into a civil union here in Hawaii. I'm looking at that option for me and my partner possibly," Campbell said.

According to Abercrombie's proposal, the pension tax is expected to raise $112.3 million in revenues per fiscal year. At the yesterday's briefing, Ward asked Abercrombie how many citizens will be taxed by this measure. Abercrombie said the tax would hit 43,520 pensioners. The math says $112.3 million spread amongst 43,520 senior citizens amounts to $2,580.42 per person. Of course, the actual payment per person will be more or less depending on income.

"That’s why it is egregious for you to indicate that what I’m saying is that somebody with a sole total income of $37,500—that that is their sole income—that they would be asked under those circumstances to pay that.  But if anybody wants to try and manipulate the numbers for a personal political agenda in order to  try and score political points, let me tell you—this is one Governor that’s not going to put up with it." -- Abercrombie

Census 2010 Hawaii Data has been released.  See it here....

Beard: Hello. This is the Governor speaking.

Inouye: I know who you are, Neil. I put you there.

PRINCETON, NJ -- Residents of Hawaii gave native son President Barack Obama the highest average 2010 job approval rating (66%) of any of the 50 states, surpassed only by the 84% Obama received in the District of Columbia. Obama's lowest average state approval rating in 2010 was 28% in Wyoming.

The Governor’s proposal will require Hawai’i citizens, particularly our seniors to fork over more than $100 million, at a time when their families are struggling to make ends meet.  In total his budget will increase taxes by over half a billion dollars in the next two years.

Hawaii’s elected officials are ready to tackle every issue - except job creation and the deficit.  The first major action taken by the Hawaii State Senate was to become the only legislative chamber in the United States to eliminate the invocation.  The legislature has confronted issues ranging from decriminalization of marijuana, civil unions, bingo on Hawaiian Homelands and banning the sale of toy guns. 

If you search the word “label” on the Hawaii state legislative Web site, 30 results show up, thus confirming the fact that our lawmakers are definitely in the “label” business.

Math problem:  $844M deficit + $728.6M new spending = $1.5726 Billion dollars in new taxes, fees, and/or costs to government employees and retirees.  Cost of Abercrombie: Over $1000 per person in Hawaii.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters agree more with the Republican governor in his dispute with union workers. Thirty-eight percent (38%) agree more with the unionized public employees, while 14% are undecided.

This bill does not provide a healthcare right of conscience exception for hospitals or individuals who object to offering emergency contraception for medical, ethical, moral, or religious reasons. Those who refuse face penalties by state government and could risk discipline from their own employers. This sets a dangerous precedent by allowing the government to mandate what healthcare providers must do, violating individuals' constitutional rights and in effect practicing medicine.

In a survey of 1016 adults during 2010, Gallup found 50.0% lean Democratic while 30.4% lean Republican.   Every US state saw voters walking away from the Democratic Party since the 2008 election of President Barack Obama.   Hawaii Democratic numbers enjoyed the fourth largest decline.

Manufacturers' News reports Hawaii is now home to 1,200 manufacturers employing 21,922 workers.

After campaigning on a promise not to raise taxes and specifically not to raise the GE Tax, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie this week has promised to sign any GE Tax hike approved by the Legislature. 

The Winter 2011 issue of The People's Pulse is based on statewide telephone interviews among a random sample of 700 adult citizens (400 Oahu, 100 each on Hawai‘i, Maui, and Kauai) from January 4-16, 2011.

The message to shut up and sit down is not being heeded by the Hawaii Family Forum. 

 US Rep David Wu (D-OR)

In his February 11 American Thinker article “The Real ‘Birther’ Conspiracy Theory”, Cashill admits: “The more (Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie and the liberal media) talk about Obama's origins the more attention they focus on that story.”  Cashill's admission comes in his response to my February 6 article, “Hawaii's Governor Manipulates Birthers.”

Cashill is the author of a newly released birther book "Deconstructing Obama."

In its first quarter 2011 economic report, the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) forecasts a strong recovery in Hawai‘i’s economy in 2011 and economic expansion in 2012. DBEDT expects that continued growth in tourism and the recovery in construction in Hawai‘i will help the economy to head on to the expansion path.

KITV reported that the accusations against Dr. Palafox may have been false and driven by two DOH employees he was about to lay off. Information I have confirms that the Federal Government does not view Dr. Palafox as one under any investigation.

The target is to have the three weekly flights operational sometime in 2012 in a three-class format of First Class, Business Class, and Deluxe Economy. The service level must be top-notch in order to attract this market, according to the China-based investor. The investor's vision is to begin operations using two Boeing 767/300 aircraft that would be serviced at Shanghai PVG airport at a special VIP Aloha section only for these Hawaii flights.

Another big winner today was Indiana Representative Mike Pence, whose amendment to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood passed 240-185. The move will cost Planned Parenthood more than $75 million per year, a shortfall it will need to make up by dramatically increasing the prices it charges to pimps for business consulting services….

Undercover videos from six Planned Parenthood locations in three states and DC.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will be headlining the Hawaii GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner.  The Party fundraising event will be held tonight at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Judge Browning’s assignment is effective March 4, 2011. He will succeed Judge Sabrina McKenna, who will be sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court on March 3 at 4:15 p.m. in the Supreme Court Courtroom.

The rating agency, which used data from 2009, said there was cause for near-term concern about “a number of” pension plans and pointed to the “considerable pressure that these obligations will place on many government budgets”. The greatest risk would come at the local level since labour-related costs were a higher percentage of local government budgets, Fitch said.

Our legislators have been busy this session introducing many bills that ban unusual items, or impose taxes, fees, restrictions and mandates on specific product choices for the people of Hawaii.

Neighborhood Commissioners Brendan Bailey and Sylvia Young are pointing to the Carlisle administration as the source of efforts to cancel upcoming Honolulu Neighborhood Board elections. 

What you are observing below is the beginning of what will become a sustained campaign to re-write the history of “The Good War” and “The Greatest Generation” to fit the mold of social-democratic propaganda.  BTW: Dan Inouye is paying for all of this….