During the recent economic downturn, 20 states (Hawaii is #21) increased health provider taxes to take advantage of federal matching funds....

The decision facing them is whether they will continue to attempt to create state-run exchanges (despite the financial pitfalls) or if they will run partnership exchanges with the federal government....

The President and his team have been blaming "European headwinds" for some of the U.S. economy's woes. But the truth is that the policies pursued by Washington and Athens are frighteningly similar....

For the first time in decades, Catholic education is showing signs of life....

CEO Grabauskas tells us that the cost of the planned extensions to UH, Waikiki and to Kapolei Town will bring the total to $9.03 billion .... 

...the entire listing of HART people and companies on staff includes over $3M of "public involvement' and 'multimedia' contracts....

Whenever some policymaker comes up with a proposal to grant a tax preference to a certain group of taxpayers, one has to take that proposal with a grain of salt ....

"Hirono is, well, either living in a fantasy world or pandering to the electorate."

The entire former MCAS Ewa was designated as National Register eligible during the BRAC transfer process and significant historic sites have already been discovered since the original BRAC 1999 surveys were done....

...sustainable job growth is not going to come from a few big corporations hiring hundreds of people. Job growth is going to come from lots and lots of small businesses....

Here’s the breakdown of how well green energy is actually doing....

FSM is commanding the attention and money of both China and the US....

Abercrombie June 13 signed three bills giving 'Favored Nation' money to HGEA and UHPA.  

“I cannot believe this is happening at 1:30 on Friday afternoon, when all our vendors have already picked and prepared their products for the Sunday market."

... a solar energy products and services company, natch ....

a person complaining about a vacation rental cannot circumvent the City's enforcement procedures and the administrative appeal process by instituting an original jurisdiction lawsuit....

Home Care Aide is projected to be the fastest growing occupation in every county in Hawaii through 2018....

Union members who have been led to believe rail would put them back to work can now see that it simply isn’t happening....

“We have to be proactive in trying to line up debt or lease financing for the 2013 aircraft deliveries. The funding for three of those five [planes] is already taken care of. Staying ahead of this is the biggest risk....

"I've said that this is a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and I believe it," President Obama told an Ohio crowd yesterday. Indeed it is—because in a sluggish economy, American taxpayers are about to be clobbered by the largest tax increase in history....

Under Article VI, Section 3 of the Hawaiʻi State Constitution, the Commission was duty-bound to make an appointment after the Governor’s office failed to do so within 30 days....

“Hawaii looks forward to working collaboratively with CMS in order to ultimately obtain approval for State-Based Exchange and to ensure the Connector’s operational readiness for 2014,” stated Governor Abercrombie.

If enacted, it would be difficult, perhaps impossible, for these small businesses to comply with the bonding and registration requirements.

Oahu has several large, dammed reservoirs, all of which could provide continuous power ....

The glorious Jones Act at work ....

This plan would impact more than 164,000 military service members, retirees, and family members who live on Oahu.... Commissary shoppers in Hawaii save 50.7% with annual savings for a family of four of $7,360.

Says visa process is now smoother....

In Honolulu, the Planned Parenthood counselor “Rogue” tells the woman it is okay to have multiple abortions of girl pregnancies so long as the abortions are spaced far enough apart....

... today we have voices suggesting that America's best days are behind her ....

Last week Mazie Hirono skipped a key vote on Rail funding to campaign in Rhode Island at the Netroots nation liberal bloggers conference. Now her work is beginning to bear fruit....

In the late 1950s he became the first Hawaii-born organizer for the United Public Workers of Hawaii....

SPI Solar to Become the Largest Utility-Scale Solar Developer in Hawaii with 68 Projects across 3 Islands ....

President Obama told the United Auto Workers (UAW) in February not to listen to critics of the auto bailout who said union members "made out like bandits—that saving the auto industry was just about paying back the unions."

Workers in the area observed two males knocking over the trees and striking at the fruit and branches with sticks. The males left the area on bicycles and were last seen getting into a blue Toyota 4-door pickup truck.

... Completion of the project is expected to take one year....

Just remember: these are the professionals. Abercrombie fired all the amateurs last year....

...two special campaign messages during KITV's "When Disaster Strikes: 2012 Hurricane Season."....

...the state Department of Health is expected to increase the deposit container handling fee by 50% on September 1 – to 1 ½ cent per container....

Does solar energy—specifically photovoltaic (PV) panels—ever produce as much energy as the energy that was initially invested in their manufacture?

In some cases, producing electricity by solar panels releases more greenhouse gases than producing electricity by gas or even coal....

Total expenditures from businesses at NELHA were $81.0 million, of which about $50 million was paid to Hawaii entities in 2010. UHERO estimated the total economic output to the greater Hawaii economy was $87.7 million, which generated $4.5 million in state tax revenue for 2010....

Germany's Renewable Energy Feed-in Act of 2000 requires electric utilities to buy renewables from all producers at fixed, exorbitant rates and feed it into the power grid for 20 years, raising rates and undermining industrial competitiveness....

...the North Koreans "jumped" at the opportunity to get into carbon trading....

...most employees will not get to vote; only shoe salesmen will cast ballots. Not all shoe salesmen, however. Only those selling women's shoes....

Tuesday June 12 from 5pm to 6pm on business talk radio KGU--AM760....

We've asked you to look past rumors, mainland money, slick ads, and other folks telling you how to vote....

• Senate: Wage Discrimination
• Senate: Farm Bill
• House: Energy-Water Appropriations
• House: Medical Device Tax Repeal
• House: Homeland Security Appropriations
• House: Legislative Branch Appropriations

The ad highlights Governor Lingle's ability to listen to the people of Hawaii and garner positive results on behalf of the State....

LaFrance is a retired contractor, Alarm Company Operator, a lifetime Farmer, and Real Estate broker for 30-years. Has a degree in Hospitality, Human Resource Administration, Agricultural Science, and an MBA.

Recently, the FCC issued a number of major reforms to the Fund, capping the subsidies that rural service providers are eligible to receive....