Entries for February 2013

They enter the store with reusable bags and can more easily conceal items they steal.  It's tough to tell what a customer has paid for and what they may already have brought with them....

Transcript of letter from State employees attacked by Rep Faye Hanohano....

Total expenditures by visitors who came to Hawai‘i in January 2013 rose 5.7 percent (or $77.3 million) from January 2012....

The company is seeking to add up to 50 megawatts (MW) of geothermal energy from geothermal resource developers at prices not tied to the cost of oil ....

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HSEA commends the Senate Ways and Means Committee for passing out SB 623 SD 1, which will close (reopen) renewable energy tax credit loopholes (that DoTax already closed)....

Between 2011 and 2012 Hawaii jumped from 44th to 1st in “Work Environment” but fell from 4th to 14th  in “Basic Access"....

...it is difficult if not impossible to overturn a land use district boundary amendment as contrary to IAL designation, when it does not yet exist...

Zero Dark Thirty actors Jessica Chastain and Jason Clarke called for the release of Dr. Shakil Afridi, who helped the U.S. track Osama bin Laden....

"...300 of the families receiving assistance will be affected...."

...Councilmember Pine worked with the new administration to fill a vital need by improving bus service in the wake of cuts made last summer....

Jim Cramer Mad Money CNBC addresses the Jones Act and its negative impact on liquid fuel prices and supply....

When you ram ships; hurl glass containers of acid; drag metal-reinforced ropes in the water to damage propellers and rudders; launch smoke bombs and flares with hooks; and point high-powered lasers at other ships, you are, without a doubt, a pirate, no matter how high-minded you believe your purpose to be.

... agencies cannot give a clear answer on how they arrived at their numbers. Congressional appropriations committee aides say they cannot fact check the administration's estimates ....

AECOM, announced today that it is working on a US$43.9-million contract from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation....

...liberalism is not an ideology at all; it is a sociology. The same may be said of conservatism....

Today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Shelby County (AL) v. Holder, the case raising the question of Section 5’s constitutionality....

SSI, SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, or other government assistance....

About 38 percent of all nursing homes in Hawaii earned an overall five-star rating....

What they aren't telling you is that people with obesity and/or diabetes are going to lose out big under the Hawaii Health Exchange and the 'Pay for Performance' plans being negotiated between Hawaii hospitals and Hawaii Insurers....

$12,500 to $100,000 as a reward for schools that have made significant academic progress for two consecutive years, and ranking in the top five percent in reading and/or mathematics....

Question: Are these criteria written to discourage bids?....

23 middle and high school VEX Robotics teams have qualified to compete at the VEX World Championships in California, April 17-20....

“If President Obama were making the decision for your family… he’d tell you to stop buying gas for your car and explain how you could only eat five days a week.”

...higher minimum wage is unlikely to accomplish the stated goal of raising the living standards of the working poor....

Here is a point-by-point comparison of the White House numbers for Hawaii and Sen. Harkin’s numbers for Hawaii. 

We are testifying in strong support of S.B. 286, which amends Hawaii Revised Statutes § 25-2 to define “permanent resident” for purposes of state reapportionment and redistricting as any person counted as a “usual resident” of Hawaii by the U.S. Census....

Abercrombie today announced the release of $113 million for various capital improvement projects (CIP) at airports and harbors ....

There is a way to use health insurance exchanges to both reform our health care entitlements and reduce premiums for those with private insurance. This transition could take four steps....

...the largest digital records companies like Allscripts, Cerner and Epic Systems have generated enormous profits and Wall Street-style executive pay because of the legislation they supported financially....

After running for President supporting traditional marriage, he “evolved” to support same-sex marriage—and now his Justice Department has officially urged the Supreme Court to overthrow the law of the land....

...organizations such as labor unions, political action committees, social clubs and credit unions, are eligible for these grants....

Defines "permanent resident" for legislative reapportionment as any individual counted as a usual resident in the last preceding U.S. census within the State of Hawaii....

...look at the issue from an economic and financial well-being stand point instead of the emotional and social welfare perspective....

Obama personally approved of the plan for Lew and Nabors to propose the sequester to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). They did so at 2:30 p.m. July 27, 2011....

As many as 75 DOE schools have been selected to participate in the pilot of the Smarter Balanced assessment system, which will be launched statewide in the 2014-15 school year....

NFIB/Hawaii Small Business Day at the Capitol Wednesday, March 27 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m....

...Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) predicts a stronger economic growth in 2013, outpacing the national growth rate....

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...examining standardized definitions and payment approaches for patient-centered medical homes and care management services....

The reduction in foreclosure sales helps sustain Hawaii sky high real estate prices, thus benefitting the large landowners' development schemes....

Despite a surplus of LNG, the Department of Energy (DOE) is delaying the authorization of export licenses....

On Pennsylvania Avenue, right near the end, there lived a President who wanted to spend....

Ratepayers could be on the hook for as much as $3.5B of HECO's so-called "stranded costs" if SB120 becomes law....

The Ball Corporation is the only manufacturer of metal cans in the islands. The company employs 45 people and the beverage tax places their jobs directly at risk.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013 from 7:15 - 8:30 p.m., at the University of Hawaii Law School ....

The Obama administration issued its long-awaited final rule on essential health benefits that insurers must offer consumers in the individual and small-group market beginning in 2014....

“When you’re home, we’re more than a family. We are a nation that is whole again.”

Approximately 11.4 percent of Hawaii’s graduating class scored a 3 or higher on an AP exam, compared with 19.5 percent nationally....

... 6:30 PM Thursday, February 21, 2013 ....