Today, Moody's Investors Service just put a price tag on the failed leadership of the Democratic Party in Hawaii.  According to Moody's, Hawaii has the highest debt burden in the nation.  Because the Democrats keep spending beyond our means, every man, woman and child in Hawaii now owes the State $7,987.00. 

The Hawaii Meth Project today announced its inaugural Teen Advisory Council, formed to promote and facilitate peer outreach.  Members of the Teen Advisory Council are playing a key role in the Hawaii Meth Project’s community action plan by encouraging teen volunteerism and identifying peer outreach opportunities at school and in the community to raise awareness about the dangers and risks of methamphetamine use.

SB 712 would require the Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture to make public the location of field tests of genetically engineered plants.

SB 713 would require a label that says "Genetically Engineered" to be placed on whole foods sold in Hawaii.  Since the transgenic papaya is currently the only produce that would be targeted by this law, its passage would have catastrophic economic consequences on Hawaii's papaya farmers since the label is intended to scare people from purchasing the fruit.

The DOT has a bill in both the Senate (SB1131) and House (HB1531) that calls for $4 billion for a 6-year plan to provide safer and well maintained roads and bridges statewide. This is a far cry from the current $250 million funding per year the department gets to pay for the $7 billion in infrastructure and program needs it says currently exist.

While some may find genocide morally repugnant, environmentalists had a different concern:  Would re-forestation be enough to overcome the greenhouse gases released by all those decaying bodies?  Julia Pongratz, who headed the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology research project from the Institution’s Stanford University campus offices, provides the answer ...

Honolulu—Today the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii released the “The Real State of the State: An Uncensored Look at the Fiscal Challenges Facing Hawaii.” Responding to Governor Neil Abercrombie’s recent “State of the State” address which only scratched the surface, this illuminating expose dives deep into the evidence and causes of the state’s financial crisis.

"The State House of Representatives needs to address the lack of transparency and public participation in the legislative process by using the technology we have at our disposal today by immediately communicating to the public through video, webcasting and audio transmission," said Representative Thielen.

...that could imperil a cherished practice of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii.  Inouye, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has long defended earmarks as a constitutional prerogative. He once called himself the "No. 1 earmarks guy" in Congress.

Do you think that gay marriage advocates just want ‘equality’--they just want to have same-sex marriages made legally equivalent to traditional marriage? 

According to the activists themselves, you’re wrong....   

Moody's says that the evaluation of current and projected pension liabilities is an important area of focus in its rating reviews.

• Gregory Jackson, Director of the Office of Veteran Services
• Jesse Souki, Director of the Office of Planning
• Russell A. Suzuki, First Deputy Attorney General
• Keith Kamita, Deputy Director of Law Enforcement for the Department of Public Safety
• Martha Torney, Deputy Director of Administration for the Department of Public Safety

Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirmed that our nation simply can’t afford President Obama’s failed leadership for much longer. This new CBO 10-year budget baseline shows an unprecedented $1.5 trillion deficit for this fiscal year—an increase of $95 billion over their last estimate. This will be the third consecutive year of trillion-dollar deficits.

This information also applies to Native Hawaiian firms, many of which are doing exactly the same thing.

Governor Abercrombie’s nominee to head the State Department of Health, Dr Neal Palafox MD, has suddenly withdrawn his name from consideration. HNN and the Star-Advertiser report that Palafox may be “involved in a medical reimbursement investigation.”  Palafox was picked over Senator Josh Green MD of Kona.

Hawaii lacks the most basic protections for women, unborn children, and the terminally-ill. The state fails to provide for informed consent for abortion, to require parental involvement in a minor's abortion decision, or to ensure that abortion clinics maintain minimum health and safety standards. It also fails to ban destructive embryo research, human cloning, and assisted suicide.

In going through your bills and the other priorities you outlined in your speech, we have a few questions that will help us as we move forward. While we understand more questions and answers will arise as we go through the legislative process, these are the top 10 questions we would like to have discussed as soon as possible.

Thanks to the high cost of motor vehicle fuel--which in Hawaii includes the second highest gasoline taxes in the country at 63.5 cents per gallon--people have started buying alternative cars and cars which get better fuel mileage. The unintended consequence of increasing the cost of motor vehicle fuel is that there is less money going into the state coffers....

I’d like to address several issues with you this morning: our mission, our caseload, our programs, and our needs that have been impacted by the economic downturn.

Republicans expect states and local governments to beg Congress for relief from their underfunded pension programs sometime soon. But unlike Congress' haphazard, expensive responses to the Wall Street and automaker crises, GOP lawmakers intend to be ready this time.

Their plan has three parts: First, a nonbinding resolution that Congress will not bail out the pension programs; second, a bill to codify that into law and require transparent public pension accounting; and finally, a managed bankruptcy bill for the states.

Last night, in his State of the Union, President Barack Obama claimed, “We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. ... That’s how our people will prosper. That’s how we’ll win the future.” This is true. But then he went on to say: “We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time.” No. No, he doesn’t. The rest of the President’s speech made it very clear that he has no idea what makes America the best place on earth to do business.

In this very room, the House will produce, debate, and advance a budget. Last year — in an unprecedented failure — Congress chose not to pass, or even propose a budget. The spending spree continued unchecked.

We owe you a better choice and a different vision.

...for many, the change has been painful.  I've seen it in the shuttered windows of once booming factories, and the vacant storefronts on once busy Main Streets. I've heard it in the frustrations of Americans who've seen their paychecks dwindle or their jobs disappear -- proud men and women who feel like the rules have been changed in the middle of the game. 

They're right. The rules have changed.....

The Senate Judiciary committee voted today 3 to 2 to pass the civil unions bill (SB 232) out of committee.  The bill will now move to the full Senate for a vote.  The vote in committee today was as follows:

• Senator Clayton Hee (SUPPORT)
• Senator Maile Shimabukuro (SUPPORT)
• Senator Mike Gabbard (OPPOSE)
• Senator Les Ihara, Jr. (SUPPORT)
• Senator Sam Slom (OPPOSE)

Introduced by Sen. Wil Espero (D) on January 21, 2011, to require the Department of Public Safety to establish a pilot program on Oahu that electronically monitors committed persons who are permitted to live and work in the community, in lieu of continued incarceration; and to appropriate funds.

Hawaii scores high in categories which measure money spent and low in categories showing the results of those expenditures.  Notably Hawaii scores 6th in “Net Formation of High-Tech Establishments per 10,000 Business Establishments 2002”—this reflects the large number of fake “hi-tech” companies being formed to sop up ACT 215/221 tax credits.

Justice Alito's most "Hawaii-centric" opinion was in Hawaii v. Office of Hawaiian Affairs, 129 S. Ct. 1436 (2009), where he authored the opinion for a unanimous Court. In that case, the Court held that the United States held "absolute fee simple" title to Hawaii's ceded lands, and that Congress' 1992 Apology Resolution had no legal effect.

Judge McKenna, 53, has been serving in First Circuit Court since 1995 and currently serves as the Senior Judge of the Family Court.

While Hawaii reported total assets of $19.6 billion, the Institute’s review of the state’s 2009 financial report revealed that there are $11.9 billion of off-balance sheet retirement liabilities. More than $15.6 billion of the State’s assets cannot be easily converted to cash to pay State bills of $22.2 billion as they come due. These assets consist of capital assets, including infrastructure, buildings and land, and assets the use of which is restricted by law or contract. The State does not have the funds needed to pay for almost $18.2 billion of state obligations.

Dr. Ahu Isa, an assistant professor at Hawaii Pacific University and former state representative, decided to resign to allow Governor Neil Abercrombie to fill her vacancy by making his first Board appointment. Last year, voters approved a constitutional amendment that ended Board elections and gave the governor the authority to appoint members. The state Legislature is crafting a new law specifying the appointment process.

If our legislators no longer pray inside the state capitol, then we citizens need to pray in their stead every day that they are in session, preferably on the steps of that building. When election time comes around again, let us all remember who among them thinks we no longer need God in our government. 

This is only President Barack Obama's second State of the Union, but his failed economic agenda has already forced him into early reruns. After more than $800 billion in Keynesian economic stimulus spending, our nation is still mired in a post World War II record 20th consecutive month of near double digit unemployment. Our national deficit stands at $14.06 trillion and we may hit the $14.29 trillion debt ceiling as early as this spring. Our country desperately needs a change direction, but that is not what we will get tonight.

The Governor wants to create taxes for soda, beer and retirement income, he wants to cut funding to Medicare, social services, the Hawaii Tourism Authority and let Aloha Stadium fall apart, just so public sector unions do not have to face furloughs ....

Governor Abercrombie referred to Hawaii as an “under-resourced and often dysfunctional democracy”. In the coming days the Grassroot Institute will release a report we call “The Real State of the State” detailing how the state government is far from under-resourced and extremely inefficient in its use of those resources.

Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act - Vote Passed (245-189, 1 Not Voting)

The House voted to repeal the 2010 health care law. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has vowed to block the bill in the Senate.

Rep. Marumoto wants to keep passengers of all ages from riding in pickup truck beds (HB 15).  Several years ago she was successful in restricting those under 13 from riding in truck beds.  This year she will once again attempt to extend that ban to Oahu riders (counties over 300,000 population). 

• I will be filing a bill to modernize the terms of our employee retirement system....
• I am proposing that we end the current practice of state funded reimbursement for federal Medicare Part B benefits for Hawaii government employees.
• The other fix is to implement the recommendation of the Tax Review Commission to treat pension income like all other income for tax purposes....
• I am proposing what is an overdue increase in the alcohol tax and will also propose a fee on soda and similar drinks.
• ...bringing the impact fees paid by the increasing number of timeshare occupants into alignment with hotel room occupants who pay the transient accommodations tax.
• I will also reallocate funds from the Hawaii Tourism Authority to basic government services such as environmental protection, improvements to public facilities, and advancing culture and the arts. The amount we are spending in the name of marketing Hawaii has grown disproportionate to the amount we need to spend on Hawaii’s own infrastructure....

The first-ever National School Choice Week is underway! This week, January 23rd - 29th, school choice advocates from across the country will host events and highlight the benefits of educational freedom.  More than 150 organizations are hosting events in nearly every state.

The State of Hawaii reported liabilities of only $10.2 billion. IFTA’s detailed analysis discovered that retirement liabilities of $11.9 billion were unreported by the State. When these liabilities are included, the State’s bills total $22.1 billion.

“There must be transparency in government so people know that their economic interests are being represented, not just the interests of a powerful few.” -- Neil Abercrombie, “A New Day in Hawaii”

He did it.  Neil Abercrombie has finally made birtherism mainstream. 

A multitude of special funds (see list below) are slated to be on the chopping block with the introduction yesterday of Hawaii Senate Bill SB120, to repeal certain special funds and transfer balances to the state general fund.

SB 232 Relating to Civil Unions: Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee January 25, 2011 (Tuesday) @ 10:00 a.m. in room #016

Speaker of the House Calvin Say today announced the House of Representatives leadership team and the Committee chairmanships for the 26th Legislature.

Alexander will be the lead person on Governor Abercrombie’s efforts to end homelessness. Alexander will work with state and federal agencies, community programs and foundations, and the business community to find opportunities and solutions to address homelessness collaboratively.

Rep Rida Cabanilla last October told the audience at a candidates’ forum: “You ride the rail so I can drive my car.”  

In DC, 106 miles of subways have been built--how do the regal V-8 carriages of Cabanilla's DC bretheren fare now that the the peasants have been removed from underfoot? 

Today marks a very critical juncture in our state’s history.  We have a $800 million state deficit to fill, jobs to create, and an economy to turn around and a new system of educational governance to establish.   It is going to be a busy and intense session, but I am confident, optimistic and quite positive – if we work together, it will be a very good session.

“Now that the House has organized and the official start of the legislative session has begun it is imperative that District 45 have representation,” said Governor Abercrombie.