Environment

The HSTA is currently in contract negotiations.  Thus it is plainly false to claim that the 180 days “come without compensation.”  Have HSTA leaders been negotiating on the assumption that Act 167 was not going to be enforced this fall?  If so, perhaps the membership should dismiss them for incompetence.

Why should private sector struggling businesses become cash cows for an irresponsible Governor and spineless Legislature? 

Because the constitution requires that the Commission be constituted by May 1, 2011, the Supreme Court has only five working days to make a selection.

The ERISA Federal law of 1974 clearly stated that if Hawaii changed its health insurance law in any substantive manner, such as what is being proposed in HB 1134, then the Federal law would take over and Hawaii's health care program would no longer be in effect.

Is the City is hiding a politically damaging increase in rail cost projections by placing the money in the Handi-van account and using inflated census numbers to justify it?  At a future date, will the moneys be quietly transferred back to rail?

Fiscal 2011 Spending Agreement - Vote Passed (260-167, 6 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill to fund the government through the end of the current fiscal year. Based on the agreement negotiated to prevent a government shutdown, the bill provides $1.055 trillion in federal spending. The Senate passed the bill later in the day, clearing it for the president. 

Rep. Mazie Hirono voted NO.....(Hirono alone voted for Federal Gov’t Shutdown.)

PUC--"This bill would make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for companies to gain entry into the water carrier market in Hawaii….”

Wednesday, April 20 10:00 – 11:30 AM

Hawaii State Capitol Auditorium 415 S. Beretania St.

But it is a reflection of some of the concerns she’s voiced, and I think she’s supportive. The general concept, she’s for it.

‘When I get agitated and irritated, I might act up.'

Together, we are facing a 1.3 billion dollar deficit.  If we are going to raise taxes, which we must ....

 Seizure notice posted on Full Tilt Poker

"They are doing a good job," said Lance Holter, chairman of the Sierra Club Maui Group.

Working in the complex world of submerged electronics, students and their mentors created remotely operating vehicles (ROVs) which are driven from a control system above the water's surface.

In heart-stopping non-stop action, each of the four Hawaii teams competed with precision in the quarter final matches, but ultimately fell points short of playing in the semi-finals.

The man behind Donald Trump's possible 2012 presidential campaign is a registered Democrat who voted for Barack Obama in 2008....

State government workers currently get 13 paid holidays, 21 days of paid vacation and 21 days of sick leave each year.  And in 2012 they will get 14 days vacation—since government workers don’t have to work on election day.

“On top of these 55 paid days off a year, Gov. Abercrombie has given HGEA workers 9 more days of paid administrative leave,” Rep Gene Ward of Hawaii Kai pointed out.  “This equals 64 days, or almost three months a year.”

SB570: Provides for the taxation of certain pension incomes. Eliminates the deduction for state taxes paid for taxpayers with income above specified thresholds. Places temporary limitations on claims for itemized tax deductions. Delays the standard deduction and personal exemption increases....

Reps Ward and Pine Address SB 41 Prepaid Health Care Act ....

The Hawaii Legislature wants to raise your taxes by imposing a new tax on 28,000 Hawaii families – including YOU – that choose satellite for their television programming.

Representative George Fontaine discusses Hawaii Drug Courts with Chief Judge, Judge Shackley Raffetto from Maui and Judge Michael D. Wilson from Oahu....

After the second crossover this week, 393 bills are still alive at the Legislature as lawmakers are trying to find every means possible to come up with a balanced budget, even ways that stand a good chance of being challenged in court....

the legislation would suspend the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals sole jurisdiction over federal employee whistleblower cases for a period of five years....

Hawaii’s VEX Robotics students will join more than 570 robotics teams representing 14 different nations to compete for the World Championship.

Hawaii has one of the highest State Tax Rates in the United States, and yet the State Legislature is considering many new increases in taxes including income, excise, and other fees.  Are you Taxed Enough Already?

An internal HGEA memo sent to the membership earlier this week ties the HGEA’s tentative settlement to the Legislative agenda and promises that HGEA will enjoy “equity with other unions” who will likely settle their contracts after the Legislative session is over. 

 In an effort to save their careers, two pro-life pharmacists have fought an extensive legal battle asking the state to respect their religious objections to providing Plan B, an abortifacient drug. Last Wednesday, a circuit court upheld the rights of the two professionals....

If we pass this measure today, we will have our "foot in the door" to start taxing the pensions of all our seniors. We may end up taxing pensions at $10,000 or $5,000 or maybe at no threshold at all. If we returned to the Governor's original proposal of a $37,500 threshold, it will be harmful to our low-income seniors. 

Senate Bill 1329 in its current form will increase the cost to register an average car, which weighs up to 4,000 pounds, from $30 to $70 per year.

Berg’s proposed resolution – adopted unanimously in the Council's government affairs committee two weeks ago – was voted down six to three amid concerns that most council members found the timing of Berg’s “message sending” resolution too risky ....

 This is the old-boy response to Ed Case claiming to have made up with Inouye.

While much of this has been in the national news, what most journalists and commentators have overlooked is the decisive role a handful of pro-market think tanks and Tea Party activists played in putting these projects in the morgue.

The bill reduces funding for transit by a total of $991 million ....

Winston criticizes in particular the now-under-construction Dulles Airport rail line that will become a part of the Washington, D.C.–area transit system, noting that the route is not cost-effective. He characterizes cost overruns on the Dulles rail line and the soon-to-be-under-construction Honolulu rail line as “inevitable”....

This article is obviously planted in POLITICO by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to foster the illusion that Ed Case has it all wrapped up.

• Consolidated Theatres Kahala 8 4211 Waialae Avenue #3080, Honolulu, HI 96816
• Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 735 B Iwilei Road, Honolulu, HI 96817

Human life advocates have achieved yet another victory in state public policy. On April 1, the Hawai'i House Health Committee deferred HCR 71 regarding universal human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.

• Senate: Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011
• Senate: To ban EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions
• House: Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011
• House: Net Neutrality Disapproval
• House: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011

I would have thought this track record would have been enough to put an end to Case's political ambitions, but ambition is what defines Ed Case—ambition, and douchiness.

The last time Hawaii had a real conversation about reforming the civil service system was in 1999 lead by then Democrat Governor Ben Cayetano.

Sen. Sam Slom on Friday proposed eliminating about 1,500 jobs and about 500 vacant positions as a way to reduce government costs....  Slom's bare-bones budget would cost $4.4 billion in general funds, a $500 million decline from the current year's budget and $1 billion less than the House's proposal.

This video of Abercrombie announcing the HGEA contact April 7 looks like a news conference, and was billed by the Abercrombie administration as a news conference, but it wasn’t. 

Obama declared the damage sustained from the March 11, 2011 tsunami a major disaster, which enables the State of Hawai'i to receive federal funding for repairs

April 5, 2011 Behind the News - Becky Norton Dunlop of the Heritage Foundation on Obamacare and America's Future….

The new agreement with the HGEA will increase state labor costs by at least $65 million a year, the House Republican Caucus announced. And the agreement gives state workers up to 9 additional paid days off of work per year.  This comes on top of 13 days paid vacation and 21 days of sick leave per year.

Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle says the Comp Time and the elimination of scheduled furloughs counterbalance the 5% wage cut and amount to a 1.5% raise.  The Grassroot Institute estimates the cost at more than $100M over the course of the contract.

But “Comp Time” is not Abercrombie’s only omission....

The HGEA contract, which will not be made available to the public until long after it is passed, does not reduce the state budget, but based on what the union representatives and the governor have reported thus far, it will increase the cost of government by more than $100 million.