Hawaii's top radio hosts dissect Abercrombie's $37,500 blowup.....

Dela Cruz (rejected) the idea that Takase was fired, saying that her term had ended Friday.  In fact, according to state law, while the governor does indeed appoint OIP's director, that appointee does not have a set term length....  (ooops!)

Nine states had underemployment rates of 21% or higher.

Governor Abercrombie has until April 1, 2011 to submit his nominees for boards and commissions to the Senate for confirmation this legislative session.

“This bill primarily affects property crimes and takes repeat offender status away from those kinds of crimes.  As a police officer I’ve dealt with this many many times where we’ve had people that have gone out and habitually burglarized homes, stolen cars all to fuel their drug habit….  And I feel that we need to have that repeat offender status for these kinds of crimes because of the fact that we do have these people that are just habitual criminals….”  -- Rep George Fontaine (R-Kihei)

House Bill 1529 seems to give hope to the idea that there should be an overall plan for state government. Unfortunately, the idea is to set up a task force to be convened by the governor and made up of mostly lawmakers to review and report on what is going on with the state.

A behind the scenes knock down drag out fight between Abercrombie and Inouye over how and when to push Akaka under the bus would explain the Palafox DoH dismissal—Inouye forced Abercrombie to dump Palafox--and would explain Clayton Hee’s bizarre attacks on Abercrombie’s DNLR nominee William Aila.

“I think she would make an outstanding United States senator,” Djou says. “The best illustration of Governor Lingle’s abilities is 2006. In 2006, it was a highly toxic environment for the GOP nationally, but she managed to win reelection not only by a large landslide but by the largest margin in the history of the state.”

Speaking to KHON yesterday, Caldwell said not a word about Akaka.  Instead he tractors both Mazie Hirono and Colleen Hanabusa into the Senate race, and then transports himself into Congress--CD1 or CD2 no matter—all in one sentence....

PRINCETON, NJ -- While no state exhibited strong economic confidence in 2010, the people of Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Iowa, and Maryland had the highest economic confidence. At the other end of the spectrum, residents of West Virginia, Idaho, and Rhode Island were the least confident.

One day, the mother of a 12 year-old girl I mentored called me asking for help after they had become homeless....

None of the Democratic names being tossed around as a replacement for Akaka are pro-life. At the top of the list are pro-abortion Lieutenant Governor Schatz and pro-abortion Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. Regarding the open Hawaii Senate seat, former Democratic Rep. Ed Case, also pro-abortion, told Politico, “I have been interested and I remain interested.”

As the Cook Report's Linda Duffy noted in a National Journal piece, there is a potential cloud on the horizon for Hawaiian Democrats. She is Linda Lingle, the relatively popular former Republican governor of the Aloha State....

I worked closely with the Senator to gain support for the Akaka Bill and I still have hopes that this important legislation will come to fruition during the remainder of his term. -- Gov Linda Lingle

While some may be curious, there will be plenty of time to discuss my own personal plans in light of his announcement.

For those who've asked, I remain interested in serving Hawai‘i in the U. S. Senate.

An email sent in June 2008 with regard to teachers who were late in making the paybacks reads: "Brother Veli wants to have all the “salary returns."  And he says to withhold future salaries from those who have not made them."

More incriminating still is an email dated June 13, 2007...which recommends "increasing the number of teachers from Turkey ... to acquire more money."

The White House may be the most convenient punching bag, but it is not that simple.  The DoJ’s point man on the Akaka Bill, Deputy Associate US Attorney General Sam Hirsch, in not an Obama loyalist.  His ties are to Inouye.... 

Not a word about the Akaka Bill....

"Hirono and Hanabusa voted against this resolution that was supported by almost all Republicans, a majority of the Democratic caucus, President Obama, and both of Hawaii's Senators.  Only the far left wing of the Democratic Party opposed this measure.”

The Grassroot Institute's outstanding board of directors, led by Dick Rowland, the man who started GRIH and allowed me to serve all these years, already has begun an extensive search for my successor. I trust they will find someone capable of carrying on this vital work....

Kick-Off Rally on Sunday, March 6 @ State Capitol from 4:00PM - 5:30PM

Being Human Documentary to Air March 8-11 on KALO-TV

House Bill 1407 would require birth parents' names be written next to adoptive parent names on finalized official adoption birth certificates. This means women wanting anonymity will not be allowed to go through the regulated adoption process, but will be left with nothing to do but to abandon their babies on doorsteps or revert to abortion.

The Hawaii Meth Project announced today the launch of a $2.0 million campaign to support its statewide prevention program focused on reducing Meth use among Hawaii’s teens and young adults.

Abercrombie lashes out “Against global forces of carbon-based energy that are out there right now victimizing us….”

Slom: Legislators, Governor will turn to GE Tax in the waning days of this session….

... the House Finance Committee heard bills that would tell a business how much it can pay its executives, prohibit a deduction of business travel expenses, impose fees on repeat visitor accommodations, tax creative entrepreneurs who write music or movies, tax their death benefits when a key employee dies; and reverse the state’s long standing position of encouraging investment in high technology firms.

“This State run bank would be governed by persons without a banking background including Governor Abercrombie and the State Director of Labor. I cannot see how Governor Abercrombie, who would be designated as Chairman of the Bank, and three of his political appointees could operate this bank while also managing the entire State, ” noted Rep. Gene Ward, House Republican Leader.

Governor Neil Abercrombie announces the appointment of Deputy Director for the Department of Public Safety and Department of Health Deputy Director of Behavioral Health.

The March edition of Mission Houses Museum’s “Talking Story”, which focuses on themes of myths, legends, and fables in 2011, will take place on Wednesday, March 9^th at 7PM in the Kana‘ina Building on ‘Iolani Palace grounds.  Admission is free.

Senate Bill 120 was originally written to repeal 148 special funds. Although there were 800 pages of testimony submitted on the original version of the bill, no action was taken at the public hearing on Feb. 10, 2011. Then, on Feb. 25, the Ways and Means Committee (WAM) rewrote the bill....

Sadly, the most widely exploited document used by perpetrators of elderly abuse is the Power of Attorney because it can give the perpetrator immediate access to the victim’s bank accounts, real estate, and other valuable property unlike a will, trust, or estate planning document that may not take effect for many years.

According to an analysis of the 111th US Congress published Friday by the National Journal, among Republicans Hawaii Representative Charles Djou was out-moderated only by Rep Joseph Cao of New Orleans. 

A Gallup Poll of Hawaii adults released today shows that Hawaii has the fewest self-identified conservatives of any state in the nation—but Hawaii’s 27.9% of conservatives still outnumber the Aloha State’s 23.6% of self-identified liberals.

It has been a busy two months in office. So far there have been floods in Kihei and Maalaea, rockslides on the pali, a ban on plastic bags and a push for a major film production studio. And that was just January.

Ariyoshi, as editor of the ILWU’s communist line Honolulu Record weekly paper between 1948 and 1958, employed a columnist named Frank Marshall Davis--also a Communist party member--who would in the mid-1970s become a mentor to a kid named Barack Obama....

We'd have to check the archives to see if the Honolulu City Council ever did issue a condemnation of Mao Tse-tung for the genocide of Chinese people back when the cultural revolution, the great leap forward and all that stuff took place. 

“Daniel K. Inouye has spoken.”

...how is that 9 years have lapsed since the legislative directive to transfer the funds was given? Who is supposed to be overseeing these kinds of funds and how many more dormant funds from repealed laws exist?

Despite our strong opposition, Hawaii Senate Bill 218 relating to emergency contraception PASSED out of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. We were also disappointed to learn that when the senate judiciary committee approved the bill with a vote of 3 to 2, they also rejected our request for a "healthcare right of conscience" exception.

 The word change can simply mean, “something becomes different.”  Like a car tire that runs over a large pothole, and becomes flat.  But change can also mean “something is transformed.”  Transformation is an evolutionary process.  Like a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.  “Transformation” is a concept that will be discussed several times today as we review the challenges facing our city.

The U.S. Census Bureau today released more detailed 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics to the governor and leadership of the state legislature in Hawaii.

It didn’t really seem anyone was in a great rush to pull out the paint and scrub-brushes for the arrival of the world’s media, business chiefs and heads of state for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum meetings in November. At Honolulu’s wonderful, breezy, open-to-the-elements airport there’s little to suggest this is a city that wants to be in the same league as the likes of Seoul, Sydney and Osaka.

Within the last two-years, over 200 cities and 14 counties in California have banned or passed a moratorium on pot shops.  And now the dopey Hawaii Legislature wants to follow California's failed experiment.

...it is quite likely the 113th Congress that convenes in 2013 will find an even greater percentage of Senators who have yet to complete a full term than in the 112th - should at least five more senators announce their retirement or get defeated in their reelection bids.

Despite the member upheaval that the Senate has experienced over the past few election cycles, there are certainly still several state delegations with a wealth of experience in the nation's upper legislative chamber....

"The civil union bill here in Hawaii possibly contains some loop holes whereby undocumented people could in fact enter into a civil union here in Hawaii. I'm looking at that option for me and my partner possibly," Campbell said.

According to Abercrombie's proposal, the pension tax is expected to raise $112.3 million in revenues per fiscal year. At the yesterday's briefing, Ward asked Abercrombie how many citizens will be taxed by this measure. Abercrombie said the tax would hit 43,520 pensioners. The math says $112.3 million spread amongst 43,520 senior citizens amounts to $2,580.42 per person. Of course, the actual payment per person will be more or less depending on income.