Entries for February 2012

When Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.) asked Chu whether it's his "overall goal to get our price" of gasoline lower, Chu said, "No .... "

"Her comments on the atmosphere in Washington are sadly true and with the challenges America faces today, we can no longer afford political gamesmanship and partisan gridlock." -- Linda Lingle

House Bill 1033 would establish the Clean Economy Bank of the State of Hawaii to provide financing support and risk management for qualifying clean economy projects to aid in the development of Hawaii’s clean energy economy ....

Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives is pleased to announce the online publication of three important resources for researching 19th-century Hawai‘i: The Friend, 1843-1954; the Levi Chamberlain Journal, 1822-1849; and the Mission Station Reports, 1822-1865....

The Obama administration’s proposed defense budget calls for military families and retirees to pay sharply more for their healthcare, while leaving unionized civilian defense workers’ benefits untouched....

With Testimony running 100 – 1 against House Bill 2874 which would freeze Community Television funding on all islands for five years – the House Finance Committee voted unanimously to PASS the bill with amendments ....

Romney wins with 41% in Michigan and 47% in Arizona ....

These plans unconstitutionally exclude 108,000 residents of Hawaii in order to give Malama Solomon a Senate seat....

...manufacturing employment is over 30 percent higher in right-to-work states....

HB 679 has been scheduled for a hearing in the state House Judiciary Committee this Thursday, March 1, at 2:00 p.m. in House Conference Room 325 ....

Hawaii again led the nation in overall well-being in 2011 with a Well-Being Index score of 70.2, scoring highest on emotional health (84.1) and healthy behaviors (68.9).

“Nearly every states taxes services, however, states like Hawaii, New Mexico and Washington take taxing to a new level,” said Bob Williams, State Budget Solutions President....

"The (armed) services will lead the nation in the wide-scale deployment of alternative energy installations, establishing ... our national commitment to non-petroleum energy sources ...."

In January and February of this year, the Internal Revenue Service began sending out letters to various local Tea Parties across the country. Mailed from the same Cincinnati, Ohio IRS office, these letters have reached Tea Parties in Virginia, Hawaii, Ohio, and Texas....

The Tax Foundation of Hawaii cautions that this tax money is not "free money" and would come directly out of the pockets of Hawaii consumers....

Only two European countries, Greece and Ireland, have larger budget deficits as a percentage of GDP.  Just four European countries have larger national debts than we do -- Greece and Ireland again, plus Portugal and Italy .... 

... the White House engaged with enemies and undercut allies, apologized for American exceptionalism, and favored the "soft power" of treaties and international organizations. Today we are seeing the disastrous results ....

• Mission Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday, February 29 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Kapolei Hale on Tuesday, February 28, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The 2011 version of the 10-cent bag tax failed at the end of the legislative session when enviros stabbed business in the back by amending the bill to eliminate retailers’ portion of the fee-split....

... why is Hee suddenly trying to put Hawaiian opihi pickers out of business?

Using the same closed door tactic employed on the eve of Super Bowl weekend, House Committees on Finance and Legislative Management announced late Friday evening that they will hold a hearing at 10:00 AM Monday morning on HB2874....

Projects 537MW of wind energy which history shows will be abandoned before 2030 ....

...there is a way to collect more revenues without raising a single tax rate or adopting an increase in user fees. It merely involves collecting the taxes that are already due under current law....

“We don’t ever quote the exact amount,” Skinner says....

Rhode Island, Washington, Tennessee, Florida and Idaho each have attempted efforts to change the system, and their experiences may prove insightful....

Grabauskas, a Romney appointee, was forced to resign in August 2009 after the Patrick administration publicly questioned his leadership ....

... Candidates seeking recommendation completed a vigorous review process that included research of voting records, written responses on education issues, and an interview with teachers on the HSTA Government Relations Committee ....

He’s expected to campaign for Paul, the libertarian-leaning congressman and GOP presidential contender, for five days in the run-up to the Aloha State’s March 13 caucuses....

After catching flack from both fiscal conservatives and the transit lobby, House Speaker John Boehner has postponed consideration of a transportation bill.

Do not be fooled by words like "Oahu" and "Waikiki." This is all (almost) business. March 3rd is one county convention and March 13th is the Hawaii Caucus....

Mayor Carlisle talked about his record of being honest, transparent and fiscally responsible. But the truth is, he is none of these....

The author, Hemmings, also had some exposure to land battles. She’s a descendant of George Norton Wilcox, who owned Grove Farm—Hawaii’s first sugar plantation—and left it to his nieces and nephews when he died in 1933....

The bank's board of directors is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the Governor....

Today, the city and county of Honolulu stands at a crossroads between being stuck in the paralysis and gridlock of the past, and taking assertive, responsible steps to propel this great city into the future.... 

Heritage Senior Legal Fellow Robert Alt gives an example of how a “weaker” Congress leads to a “stronger” judiciary involving the very law at issue in Citizens United....

"Five weeks from now, the Supreme Court is taking up the most important case it's had since Brown vs. Board of Education."

...

HB1707 and SB2089 will require "nonresident" property owners who rent their property for thirty days or less (transient vacation rentals) to use a licensed real estate broker to rent the property, and to employ a property manager to operate it....

...federal involvement in education, reaching their peak during the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, have yielded minimal returns....

Hawaii can learn a great deal from European countries' experiences....

The President's best friends get access to second trap door leading to even lower rates. Who slides on through? Those who qualify for tax incentives designed to "encourage investment in clean energy."

House Bill No. 2417 (HB 2417) will limit the availability of the Hawaii Renewable Energy Technologies Income Tax Credit from one credit per system to one credit per property for both residential and commercial projects.... (GOOD!)

According to Mr. Heu's message, KPD Chief Perry may be held restrained on leave--refused ability to return to duty as our chief of police any where from 60-90 days, and without any further explanation whatsoever

House Bill 679 passed in the state House Public Safety and Military Affairs (PBM) Committee with no amendments, and is now pending in the state House Judiciary Committee. For this bill to survive, it must get a hearing by next week!

Obviously the purpose of BOTH Hawaii responses is to present the weakest possible defense while still preventing outside pro-marriage lawyers from taking control of the defense ....

Health care spending increased continuously since the 1970s, consistently outstripping inflation and economic growth…. However, this trend has since turned negative with the rate dropping almost every year since 2002, reaching a low of less than 4 percent in 2009....

This week, two more Christian colleges joined other religious institutions in fighting back against that attack when they filed lawsuits against the Obama Administration for imposing an anti-conscience mandate under Obamacare....

Strike at Tesoro's refineries still negotiating contracts could shut down 500,000 barrels a day of refining capacity ....

• Senate: Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act
• House: Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security Act
• House: Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act