The Hawaii Family Forum | Hawaii Catholic Conference surveyed candidates running for the US Congressional districts, Governor and Lt. Governor, House and Senate and the Board of Education.  These are their answers ...

He will propose legislation to place time limits on the issuance of permits and approvals that will increase efficiency and effectiveness in state government. If a permit or approval is not issued within the allotted time period, the application will be automatically granted.

He will post online all updated permitting and approval guidelines and procedures, create an online tracking system, put all state permits and leases online in a searchable database and subject all tax credits and public grants to public quarterly reporting.

The three names submitted by the Democratic Party to fill the vacant Senate District 22 (Mililani Mauka, Wahiawa, Hale‘iwa, Mokule‘ia, North Shore) seat are:  Laura Figueira, John Kampfer and Lei Learmont.

The three names submitted by the Democratic Party to fill the vacant Senate District 7 (Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau) seat are: Ronald Kouchi, Barbara Robeson and Sandra Wright.

Complete grade-by-grade results for math and reading in all DoE schools.  Some schools have grades in which ZERO students exceed expectations.

Since taking office the Obama administration has used the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and other initiatives to buy one car company, give another to union allies, punish non-union workers, undermine the bankruptcy code, enrich Wall Street at the expense of Main Street, bail out Mickey Mouse, keep unionized zombie firms from dying and generally terrorize the world economy. That is why, for the first time ever in 2010, the United States fell from the ranks of the economically "free," as measured by The Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom.

Standing out in the ratings are the “Dirty Dozen,” which include states that have not addressed the crime of human trafficking at all (Hawaii, Massachusetts, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming). The remaining states (Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Ohio, South Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia) criminalize only sex trafficking or labor trafficking but not both, only include human trafficking as a mere sentencing enhancement, or have laws that are too weak or so narrowly drafted that investigations and prosecutions of human trafficking cannot proceed. Conversely, states that have taken the most action to combat human trafficking in a comprehensive way include Connecticut, Minnesota, Texas, and Washington, among others.

Editor’s Note: In other words, if Mufi Hannemann is the Democrats’ nominee for Governor, he will become the next Dan Inouye and  Hawaii will be under his thumb for the next 20-30 years.  Without a Hannemann victory, there is no Democrat ready to become the next Inouye and Hawaii will become a two-party democracy.

FACT: Since Senator Inouye took control of Government Spending as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in 2007, the Federal Debt has grown 50% and the Federal Deficit has grown 900%!

FACT: Twice in the past year, Senator Inouye voted to increase the Debt Ceiling by a total of $2.1 TRILLION.

FACT: Senator Inouye has voted AGAINST a balanced budget amendment four times.

Regardless of whether one agrees with the result, structurally sound opinions always confront binding legal precedent. Walker's is a clear exception because the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken on whether a state's refusal to authorize same-sex marriage violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th Amendment. In 1972, Baker v. Nelson, a case over whether Minnesota violated the Constitution by issuing marriage licenses only to opposite-sex couples, was unanimously thrown out on the merits, for lack of a substantial federal question. The Supreme Court's action establishes a binding precedent in favor of Proposition 8. But Judge Walker's ruling doesn't mention Baker, much less attempt to distinguish it or accept its findings.

On every issue, the left has only two answers: more federal spending and more federal control. Conservatives have not, and should not, shy away from opposing these policies. But conservatives also must offer an alternative vision of America's future; one that is consistent with our nation's founding principles and empowers the people to compete in the 21st century. Today, The Heritage Foundation is releasing just such an alternative: "Solutions for America".

 $3M demolition job?

I am the child of immigrants, a citizen by birth, and at age 39 I proudly placed my hand on the Bible and swore to protect our Constitution as a member of the U.S. Congress. My story is not unique. For more than 200 years our ancestors abandoned their homes and risked their lives to come here, work hard, and provide a better life for their families. The opportunity to do so is part of what makes our country the greatest on Earth.

I understand that our immigration system is broken and share the frustration of so many Americans with our porous borders. America needs comprehensive immigration reform; it is critical to our nation's future. But it is simply unrealistic to believe that we can fix the problem by amending the Constitution.

Here is the Gay-Athiest Lobby campaign target list. 

It took 15 months, but the Advertiser has finally slipped up and mentioned the possibility that the scheduling of Hawaii Islam Day had something to do with celebrating Islam on September 11.  Even better, Volcanic Ash columnist David Shapiro August 11 ruefully admits:

“state Rep. Lyla Berg is still taking grief in her campaign for lieutenant governor for a resolution she sponsored declaring last September 24 as Islam Day.”

If confirmed by the results of the September 18 Democratic Primary, this will be good news.  It is also a teachable moment. 

Justice Recktenwald has served on the Hawaii Supreme Court since May 11, 2009. Prior to that he served as Chief Judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeal from April 30, 2007 until his confirmation to the Hawaii Supreme Court.

The following is a brief run down of the cases Justice Recktenwald authored during his time on the Hawaii Supreme Court ....

In County of Hawaii v. Ala Loop Homeowners, (July 9, 2010), the Hawaii Supreme Court held that certain state zoning laws are "environmental" laws that may be enforced by private plaintiffs. The court held "[w]e further conclude that article XI, section 9 of the Hawai'i Constitution creates a private right of action to enforce chapter 205 in the circumstances of this case."

Companies including AIG, Lehman Brothers, Wachovia, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Union Bank, Wells Fargo and others essentially buy tax benefits from solar (and wind) companies that don’t have enough taxable income to use those credits on their own. Tax-equity investors get to use those tax credits as part of a strategy to shelter otherwise taxable income. (Sounds just like Hawaii ACT 215/221)

In both of his prior confirmation proceedings, Recktenwald was unanimously confirmed by the State Senate (25-0 for chief appellate judge and 22-0 for associate justice).

Prior to his appointment to the Intermediate Court of Appeals, Recktenwald served as the director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (2003-2007).  During his tenure, he focused on expanding protections against identity theft and enforcing Hawai‘i’s consumer protection laws, including guarding against unfair and deceptive trade and business practices, and insurance and securities fraud.  He also worked to make the department’s services more convenient for the public by expanding and enhancing on-line services.

“My responsibility is first and foremost to represent the people of Hawaii and that is absolutely what I have been doing. I think what you saw in the special election is that the majority of the people didn’t vote against me. The overwhelming majority of the voters voted against the establishment. They didn’t like the status quo and felt that the current representation in Congress needs a fundamental change. That’s what I’ve been doing, and that’s who I’m representing. I look forward to the judgment of the voters again in November.”