Entries for September 2013

Hawaii is the first sub-national government to sign onto the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership, presented Friday by the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum to the United Nations Secretary General....

Nominations and self-nominations for task force members should be sent by email to president@Hawaii.edu....

Schatz’s own office has indicated that 25,000 federal workers throughout the state would be left without pay....

...thanks to a Christmas Tree Clause in 13-33, developers and wealthy individuals with 10 acres or more have been given an easy out for upzoned properties....

• Senate: Continuing Resolution
• House: Continuing Resolution – Medical Device Tax Repeal Amendment
• House: Continuing Resolution – Defunding of the Affordable Care Act Amendment

If policymakers are committed to reducing global carbon dioxide emissions, then they will have to get serious about promoting sources of electricity production that can compete with coal on price....

GMOs are likely saving tens of millions from starvation in underdeveloped countries....

Over the weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to delay the unpopular law’s implementation by one year....

It is amazing how pages like this will have such vile, hateful commentary and then always end it with truth, love, peace, and unity!....

Last night I got a tweet from Christy Demuth, biotech opponent on Kauai.  She's always a delight.  She says that she's found the link between me and Monsanto....

Reps Hanabusa and Gabbard voted against funding the Federal Government....

Apparently when one is an elected official, one has to make sure that their concerns reflect the concerns of their constituency and obviously the concerns of seniors is right up there at the top of the list....

...we heard recently that they are recruiting candidates and working to elect a GOP Senator in Hawaii....

As the Hawaii County Council considers an anti-GMO bill which would require farmers to "register" the locations of their GMO crop fields, another GMO Papaya field in Puna has been attacked by machete-wielding vandals....

The issue first came to light last month when constituents contacted my office, and on August 19th we brought the issue to the Administration....

President Wil Okabe shares HSTA’s “Three Priorities” for 2013-2014....

The report acknowledges, finally, that the temperature has plateaued for 16 years now, which the scientists admit they can’t explain....

The State of Women in America: A 50-State Analysis of How Women Are Faring Across the Nation....

DHHL has recently received inquiries from beneficiaries as well as the media regarding its loss mitigation and foreclosure prevention programs....

The only thing resembling a 'cancer cluster' consists of surfers in Hanalei who spend too much time in the sun....

Reading Wonders, the first K-6 reading program built on the Common Core State Standards....

Today, Senators face a choice on the fate of Obamacare....

...listen to Dr. Akina further discuss the problem on HPR’s “The Conversation”....

A student survey being administered in Hawaii’s public schools through Oct. 18 will provide educators with critical classroom feedback aimed at improving teaching and learning....

The Oliver Wyman consultants expect individual premiums to average $346 in Hawaii in 2014, up from an average of $231 today....

In an embarrassing move, Councilwoman Brenda Ford, whose Bill 109 would ban all GM crops outright, had former yoga instructor and anti-GMO crusader Jeffrey Smith Skyped in to the meeting to give his testimony....

...students from Campbell High School came in force today to the State Capitol to demand air conditioning for their oven-like classrooms....

Using the power of the state to equalize political outcomes, in a district where most citizens think one way, is a dangerous idea....

She was angered when she got an inquiry from the IRS in 2012 demanding she provide detailed information on Honolulu tea party activities, materials, pictures, videos, names of speakers and attendees, as well as copies and recordings of speeches made during events....

Congress has added $43,000 in debt for every American household in just the last four years....

...ratepayers complaining of bills as high a $1600 and frequent power outages caused by termite-ridden overhead power poles are suing the State of Hawaii ....

Meanwhile—purely in the interest of saving time and money for fellow investigators--this writer will be obligated to search through the files and make a complete list of the criminal records of all Hawaii’s elected officials and post it online....

Monday October 28th from 4 PM to 7 PM at the State Capitol....

Barclays will provide crude oil and feed stocks to the refinery on a real time basis....

Since 2000, the United States has fallen from a rating of 8.65 to 7.74....

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) wants to use procedural tricks to strip the House-passed bill of the provision that would defund Obamacare....

Hawaii’s small business owners with 50 or fewer employees with existing health insurance coverage don’t need to make any changes when the Hawaii Health Connector launches Tuesday....

"...stand with patriots like Senator Ted Cruz, who stood today with Senators Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Marco Rubio, on the floor of the US Senate for every American who will be affected by ObamaCare...."

C. Mike Kido as legislative advisor, effective immediately, and Yvonne W.M. Lau as education policy analyst, effective Oct. 1....

The indictment alleges that the USO Family is the dominant prison gang in Hawaii and operates both inside and outside the State of Hawaii prison system....

Barca says. "For me, I can’t sit here and do that. It’s like seeing someone beat up a chick in a parking lot or something. Me, I’m going to go and grab them and tell them, ‘Brah, you can’t do that over here.’ Basically these guys are committing murder on our natural resources. I’m not going to let someone do that to my home. I can’t sit around and let that happen. It’s so personal to me because it’s in my backyard. There’s just no way."

The Heritage Foundation has been talking about defunding Obamacare for some time now, and people may be wondering why....

the state’s growing population of residents of Mexican origin stood at approximately 38,700 based on analysis of 2009-2011 American Community Survey data....

Recent Congressional Votes

• House: Mineral Development Bill
• House: Nutrition Assistance
• House: Continuing Resolution