Entries for March 2014

Upcoming Congressional Bills

• Senate: Medicare “Doc Fix”
• Senate: Unemployment Benefits
• House: Ukraine Aid
• House: Health Care Reform

"...OHA is not seeing resistance from Kamehameha Schools and Howard Hughes Corp., the two major developers in Kaka'ako Mauka, as suggested in the editorial...."

Today is kinda-sorta the deadline to sign up for Obamacare....

At June 30, 2013, ERS had an “unfunded actuarial accrued liability” of about $8.4 billion. For EUTF, the number was about $18.2 billion....

...If you are not politicized, you are not Hawaiian....

“Numerous food truck owners have written to say that if this bill were to become law, they would not be able to operate within the capital special district."

$38,213,000 – Honolulu Community College Advanced Technology Training Center, Oahu....

...highlighting those bills that champion taxpayers and residents; and bills that affect our rights and freedoms....

...highlighting education proposals, spending, and reforms....

The Hawaii Election Commission has released its candidate report for the week ending March 28, 2014....

New condo towers in Kakaako are spurring double-digit growth in permits for residential construction. A sharp rise in commercial construction, much of it in resort areas, is on the horizon....

...request for the Government Accountability Office to review the taxpayer dollars used to fund the Hawaii Health Connector....

It’s a world where we can’t act like we did yesterday....

Despite the high risk and Hawaii's inability to open its exchange for two weeks after October 1, 2013, CMS allowed Hawaii's exchange to connect to the data hub....

"This is going to be a party of diversity and inclusion where those who are not at the extreme left or right of the political spectrum can come and voice moderate views that they feel will move Hawaii forward."

...as amended by the Senate Water and Land Committee, it has now been stripped of its purpose and instead only creates a hunting advisory council....

“At the present time, Chair Morita has business before the Board of Land and Natural Resources, which must be addressed...."

"The extremely high cost of utility power in Hawaii has made it one of the most attractive markets...."

Regulation: It’s a mostly hidden drain on the economy....

The Obama family 2013-2014 vacation to Honolulu cost $210,877 per hour for travel alone; at 36.9 total hours....

...350 individuals and 17 businesses last week signed up for the Hawaii Health Connector with one week to go....

...in households spending a high share of their income on medical care....

The life of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole tells the story of how Hawaiians came to be Hawaiian-Americans.

Working in secret and overflowing with liberals....

...pushing it beyond this year's congressional elections....

There was no delay…until there was. The Washington Post reported last night that March 31 is not, in fact, the final word....

The federal civil case against Global Horizons has dragged on for years....

The three-day program will highlight information warfare and cyber activities; leveraging training with technology; partnerships with nongovernmental organizations; humanitarian assistance and disaster response; and changes, challenges and opportunities in the Pacific strategic security environment....

We can only hope that after 12 years of continuous military engagement, the U.S. military and the Hawaii ‘ohana may begin a period of peace....

A group of Hawaii lawmakers are proposing a resolution that, if passed, would try to get Congress to allow foreign-built ships to carry cargo to Hawaii from the Mainland....

Constitutionally, the state can only engage in annual deficit spending as long as there are enough cash reserves to absorb these deficits....

The Chapter Launch Ceremony will be held at the Hale Koa Hotel, 2055 Kalia Road, Honolulu, on Friday, April 4, 2014.....

The Hawaii Health Connector seeks proposals from qualified bidders to provide professional marketing and communication services.... 

This spring, legislators in more than 20 U.S. states will consider proposals to mandate special labeling of genetically-engineered (GE) foods....

...consumers could see double-digit price hikes next year in states that fail to draw large numbers of [ACA] enrollees for 2014....

Today at the Supreme Court, some courageous Americans are standing up to Obamacare’s trampling of religious freedom....

Out of Reach 2014 reveals the drastic difference between what renters need to earn to afford rent and what the average renter actually earns....

Hawai‘i Health Connector is urging individuals and families to submit applications for health care coverage in a final push before the March 31 deadline....

Watch our six minute movie and decide for yourself....

Lloyd Lim details the pitfalls of organizing a 'Single Payer' healthcare insurance system in just one state....

Since his call for transparency, McDermott says the secrecy has gotten worse....

In 2004, Judge Steven Alm had a Howard Beale moment in his Honolulu courtroom....

Kobayashi cited examples of physical abuse, exploitation, and barbaric security measures at Maui Pineapple Company's historic pineapple plantations and old worker dormitories where the Thai workers were forced to live and other abuses throughout Hawaii.

Video traces a bill through Hawaii's legislative process....

Like price fixing, 'thought leadership' is a pretty good gig...until you get caught....

Obamacare is now four years old. But unlike most 4-year-olds, it still can’t walk on its own....

Your first reaction may be "well, duh." But....

Two dozen civil lawsuits have been filed during the past two years in what state lawmakers initially intended as a one-time opportunity....

If they do not have the votes, they will keep deferring the bill until they get the right mix of senators to pass the bill....