It isn't easy being Arizona these days, especially when President Barack Obama puts politics before Americans' interests, a foreign head of state before the United States, and an agenda of apology before much-needed, sensible reforms.

But that's just what happened this week when Mexican President Felipe Calderon visited Washington, DC. President Obama extended a warm hand to Calderon and demagogued Arizona’s illegal immigration law all in the name of politics.

The final tally will become clearer later this month, when Bank of Scotland, now part of Lloyd's Banking Group PLC, completes an auction for the debt on the property on the west side of Hawai'i, or, as it is known to locals, the Big Island. The price is expected to be in the $50 million-to-$100 million range, according to people involved in the process.

In 2006, at the height of the real-estate boom, a private appraiser valued the property, known as Hokuli'a, at between $600 million and $800 million, according to people familiar with the matter. The owner, Lyle Anderson, a Phoenix-based developer, has sold about one-third of the lots. But in early January, he defaulted on its debt, which was in the form of a $1 billion Bank of Scotland mortgage on Hokuli'a and five other less-valuable properties, according to people involved in the project's sale.

How this happened: Hokuli’a Settlement Exposed

“This trip to China is another important component in our ongoing effort to expand long-term economic development and business opportunities for Hawai‘i in the emerging China market,” said Governor Lingle.  “It is vital that our state continue to build and strengthen relationships in Asia, especially China, that will position Hawai‘i businesses and residents to capitalize on future economic and investment opportunities and strengthen our cultural and educational partnerships.”

On Saturday, you can also drop your ballot off at the State Capitol near the Father Damien statue until 6pm. 

On Sunday, columnist Ross Douthat described the Dodd bill as just one example of "the real story of our time. From Washington to Athens, the economic crisis is producing consolidation rather than revolution, the entrenchment of authority rather than its diffusion, and the concentration of power in the hands of the same elite that presided over the disasters in the first place. ... If Robert Rubin’s mistakes helped create an out-of-control financial sector, then naturally you need Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers — Rubin’s protégés — to set things right. ... But their fixes tend to make the system even more complex and centralized, and more vulnerable to the next national-security surprise, the next natural disaster, the next economic crisis. Which is why, despite all the populist backlash and all the promises from Washington, this isn’t the end of the 'too big to fail' era. It’s the beginning."

Bob Wiesel is a pseudonym that has a long history in Honolulu and been passed around quite a bit.  I am one of many Bob Wiesels...collectively we amount to a poor man's Publius. There are blog entries that go back to before 2001 still online from Robert D. Wiesel, BobW, BWiesel and every other variant that you can dream up.  Some of the "Bob's" work for, or had worked for both the city and state at some point. 

Blog participation at City Hall tapered off after Dave Shapiro started publishing IP addresses in an attempt to suppress his critics.  Several individuals at City Hall asked Charles Totto (ethics commission) for a reading on whether it was "against the rules" to participate during our lunch hour, breaks etc.  He recommended that we play it safe and just not do it at all from the city network and it pretty much stopped at that point.  Bob Wiesels live on, however, on their own time and own internet connections. 

HONOLULU, Hawaii -- Approximately 200 Soldiers assigned to the 307th Integrated Theater Signal Battalion (ITSB)’s Headquarters, Headquarters Company (HHC) and Bravo Company, are deploying to Afghanistan for one year to provide signal support as part of the Operation Enduring Freedom surge.

This is the 307th's first deployment into combat since the Vietnam War.

HONOLULU - Lt. Governor Duke Aiona today announced more than a thousand jobs that pay $8 or more per hour are available immediately for young people, ages 14 through 23, from low-income families through the new 2010 Summer Youth Employment Program.

Savvy liberal political strategists and worried Democratic primary voters, moreover, have had ample time to adapt to the demands of an angry and increasingly conservative electorate. Few Democrats in swing or conservative districts will run as Pelosi or Obama liberals. Instead, expect their rhetoric to morph the populism of Joe Sestak into the conservatism of Mark Critz.  As Rand Paul said last night:

I have a message, a message from the Tea Party. A message that is loud and clear and does not mince words: We’ve come to take our government back.

We are reprinting excerpts from an April 23 letter to Honolulu Councilmember Ann Kobayashi from Honolulu Attorney John C. McLaren who wrote “on behalf of former Governor Ben Cayetano and other unidentified people” according to the May 6 Advertiser.  Kobayashi and Cayetano are key supporters of Neil Abercrombie.    The allegations contained in the letter have been forwarded to the State procurement office for investigation.  

  Obama doubles down on book burning....

On March 26 the White House released a fact sheet on the New START Treaty. It claimed that the agreement signed by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev "does not contain any constraints on testing, development or deployment of current or planned U.S. missile defense programs."

But the Russians seem to have a different interpretation of the document they signed.

As of April 30, 2010, actual tax revenue collections indicate the revenue decline for the current fiscal year will be smaller than forecasted by the Council on Revenues.  For the first 10 months of FY10, actual tax collections were down 1.0 percent.  In contrast, the Council on Revenues has forecasted negative revenue collection growth of 2.5 percent.

“The fact that the decline in actual tax collections is less than what the Council on Revenues projected is an encouraging sign,” said Governor Lingle. 

Lt. Governor Aiona on Thursday announced at a news conference at the State Capitol that Hawai`i residents will soon be able to save money on new energy-efficient refrigerators when they replace their old models, as a result of $2 million in federal stimulus funds allocated to the State of Hawai`i to be used for Energy Star appliance rebates.

Whereas marriage is a fundamental institution of society, which must be protected and reserved for the unique and complementary union between one man and one woman; it is in the interest of the Government to accord special rights and privileges to the institution of marriage in order to foster and support marriage between one man and one woman so as to maintain society in the optimum family setting providing benefit to the couple and a father and a mother for any resultant offspring; no other human relationship provides that optimum setting for a child;

The Democratic Gubernatorial Primary features a confrontation between Neil Abercrombie and Mufi Hannemann.  Whether one sees this as a replay of Democrats’ 1986 Abercrombie vs. Hannemann demolition derby or as an echo of the current Case vs. Hanabusa CD1 cage fight, it is not difficult to see what Matsuura might mean by “politics or special interests.”

But what about the song?  “For the sake of the children” is a cry which has been used to justify many things.  Why might it now mean “Aiona for Governor”?

"Charles Djou is scared to death, desperate and knows his campaign is slipping. He's a fraud, a charlatan and the political equivalent of a 'Rick Roll' and the voters of the district can see that," said Jason Burke, Case's campaign manager....

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced this week that it was pulling out of the district after spending more than $250,000 on TV ads blasting Djou.

CBS News' Chip Reid points out: "Mr. Obama's been president for nearly 16 months. Does he get at least a little piece of the blame?" Pointing to President Obama's staunch defense of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Reid answered his own question: "Not a bit. ... He portrayed his administration as valiantly fighting the good fight against the oil companies from day one. ...So while the president is pointing the finger of blame, he's also working hard to make sure that over time the finger doesn't do a 180."