On November 30, Ralph Nader asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his ballot access case from Hawaii.  The case number has not been assigned yet.  The case originated in 2004, and challenges the Hawaii policy that requires six times as many signatures for an independent presidential candidate, as for an entire new party.

Activist, masquerading as academic, argues for his preferred changes in society....

The site exposes details for more than $12 billion in state spending and transfers since 2008. Using open records requests, GRIH procured spending data from every state agency and has placed it online in an easily searchable database. Site visitors can browse contractor payments, spending by agency, and even salary ranges for state government positions.

The campaign to paper over President Barack Obama’s big government tax-and-spend record with symbolic political triangulation has begun.

A leading American Muslim charity routed millions of dollars illegally to Hamas. An international convoy and flotilla campaign to deliver aid to Palestinians supports the Hamas government in Gaza.

Their advocates insist they want nothing more than to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people.

A review of Hamas' actions since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, however, shows the group is creating suffering.

HONOLULU, HI – Governor-Elect Neil Abercrombie today announced three key communications positions in Governor’s Office: Josh Levinson, Communications Director; Laurie Au, Deputy Communications Director; and Donalyn Dela Cruz, Press Secretary.

Governor-Elect Abercrombie’s appointments are William J. Aila Jr. as the Chairperson of the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Richard Lim as the Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; Jodie Maesaka-Hirata as the Director of the Department of Public Safety; and Alapaki Nahale-a and Bobby Hall as the team leading the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands as its Director and Deputy Director, respectively.

Better Government Dec 2010 with Representatives George Fontaine (R-Kihei), Arron Ling Johanson (R-Aiea), Gil Riviere (R-North Shore) and Gene Ward Ph.D (R Hawaii Kai). 

This has not been a good month for the Obama Doctrine: The President came home empty-handed from Asia, North Korea fired artillery at South Korea just days after revealing nuclear facilities no one knew they had, and Obama failed to get the G-20 to take any action limiting trade imbalances. It was not supposed to be this way. After apologizing for all of our nation’s sins, the world was supposed to swoon at President Obama’s unparalleled charisma.

Charges and counter charges over carpet-bagging and eligibility are proliferating in the December 9-29 Special Election for the Honolulu Council District 1 seat being vacated by Todd Apo.

...within five years, a tiny 15 percent of the unmarried couples had actually taken wedding vows, while a whopping 60 percent had split up. At the five-year mark, only 36 percent of the children lived with their fathers, and half of the other 64 percent hadn’t seen their dads in the last month. One-half to two-thirds of the absent fathers provided little or no financial support....

Two companies and several individuals were being tried (in early 1960s Honolulu) for price fixing, a felony under the Sherman Antitrust Act. My star witness was an executive in one of the companies on trial — he turned state’s evidence in order to receive immunity from prosecution.

I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

The attached letter is a "voter challenge" that was filed with the City Clerk of the City and County of Honolulu Nov. 24, 2010 at 11:57 AM. It suggests that Mr. Michael Keoni Dudley has falsified voter registration and candidate registration information so that he can run in the District 1 Special Election for Todd Apo's old council seat.

UPDATE: Dudley calls LoPresti “Obsessed Voyeur” suggests job is at risk

LoPresti: “This multi-millionaire is now threatening me”

The General Election may be over, but Republicans have the chance to help elect a fellow Republican next month.  Three Republicans, Tom Berg, Bob McDermott and John Roco are vying for the City Council Seat.  

Georgina Kawamura, Director of the Hawaii Department of Budget and Finance stated:  “I believe this agreement makes sense for Hawaii.  Our goal in these negotiations has been to assure that our taxpayers will not receive less than par on these investments, and this agreement provides for that.”

“We’re pleased to provide this liquidity solution to the State,” said Alexander Samuelson, Director, Citi Public Affairs. 

As described by Plymouth Colony Governor William Bradford in his diary Of Plymouth Plantation, the first Pilgrim winters in America were tough. The colonists failed to produce adequate food and shelter, and as a result, many did not survive. But eventually the colony rebounded. The Pilgrims did build sufficient homes and did plant enough crops to feed the entire colony. So great was their bounty that they celebrated with a harvest feast that eventually became the Thanksgiving holiday that we celebrate today. But what was the key to the colony’s turnaround? What drove them from poverty to prosperity? The answer may surprise you.

In lieu of flowers, the Lt. Governor’s family suggests a donation to the Reid J.K. Richards Foundation, which was Frances Aiona’s favorite charity. The foundation was established on behalf of the Lt. Governor’s nephew Reid, who passed away at the age of 33.

Let us also take a moment to express our appreciation for our men and women in uniform, serving both at home and abroad, who have volunteered to sacrifice time with their families to serve our nation and provide a warm blanket of safety for all of us.

The Associated Press reported yesterday that “cabinet secretaries, top congressional leaders and an exclusive group of senior U.S. officials are exempt from toughened new airport screening procedures when they fly commercially with government-approved federal security details.” The article goes on to report that while the rest of the public is still subject to either a body scanner or “an intimate personal pat-down,”....

Aiona said his decision to run for governor again will be based on the 2012 elections. He said he'll be looking at his party support, the presidential elections and the success or failure of governor Abercrombie's administration.

The College and Career Indicators Report is an annual collaboration between the State of Hawai‘i Department of Education (DOE) and the University of Hawai‘i, coordinated by Hawai‘i P-20 Partnerships for Education. Hawai‘i P-20 issues this report each spring for the previous year’s graduating class.

We commend the legislature for improvements in public access in recent years. However, we feel there is a lot more that needs to be done.  It is still very difficult for ordinary citizens to keep up with what is happening at the State Capitol if they cannot be there regularly in person.

At 2:43 PM local time today, North Korea fired artillery rockets at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong setting dozens of residential homes ablaze, wounding three civilians and fifteen soldiers, and killing two South Korean Marines....

...the greatest gift he gave them was their transformation from a disordered, lawless throng exiled in desperate anarchy into a living community built on Jesus Christ, a community in which they learned to care for one another.

November 22, 2010 Recent Congressional Votes:

• Senate: Cloture Motion; Paycheck Fairness Act
• House: Telework Improvements Act
• House: Emergency Unemployment Compensation Continuation Act 

HONOLULU – The Hawaii State Board of Education will hold an induction ceremony on Monday, Nov. 29, for seven candidates elected on Nov. 2 to serve a four-year term as members of the Board.

 President Obama’s New START contains at least five sections that limit missile defense, including....

When Hawaii became a state, the Department of Justice sent two attorneys to enforce the antitrust laws. I was one of them....

In spite of the GOP’s losses at the top of the ticket, re-integrating faith-based voters into the GOP has produced gains at the ballot box for legislative campaigns and made all the difference in 2010 candidate recruitment. 

It is sad to see Gary Okino leave the Democratic Party. I happen to be a life long Democrat, but I don't put the party ahead of what is morally necessary for our community to thrive. To be truly Democratic, as its name implies, the party should welcome divergent views.

According to Council committee agenda, “The purpose of the proposed bill is to lower the home exemption from $300,000 to $200,000, for tax years beginning on or after July 1, 2011.”

The result of such a move would be to sharply increase residential property tax bills.  Calculated as a percentage, the tax hike would fall disproportionately on those whose homes have lower real estate values.

The proposed price hikes came in response to Act 26, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Linda Lingle in 2009. It mandated the Department to set breakfast and lunch prices at no less than half the cost of preparing the meals due to escalating food, energy and labor costs.

Board Chairman Garrett Toguchi called for the Legislature to repeal Act 26, and provide sufficient funding for the school food program....

...if the Obama Administration keeps selling their GM stock at the IPO price, the U.S. taxpayer will lose $10 billion on the deal, and that does not include the loans GM still owes, cash for clunkers, the Chevy Volt subsidies, or the millions of unseen costs the unprecedented intervention has inflicted on our economy.....

Complete list of Hawaii State Senate Leadership and Committee Assignments 2010-2011.

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle announced today that the State of Hawai‘i Department of Transportation – Harbors Division successfully sold $201.39 million of Harbors System Revenue Bonds to fund various capital projects for the State’s Harbors Modernization Plan and to refinance existing bonds for debt service savings. 

Since 2005, at least 479,000 personal records have been breached in the state of Hawaii – records on one out of every three residents – according to a report by the Liberty Coalition.

The Hawai‘i County Charter (Section 3-17) provides for the empanelling of a Reapportionment Commission every ten years, beginning in 1991, which means 2011 is a “reapportionment year.” Nine citizens (one from each Council district) will be nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the Council by March 1, 2011.

Our long national nightmare is over. Phusion Projects, the makers of Four Loko brand caffeinated malt beverages, announced yesterday that it will remove the caffeine from its products. Phusion’s decisions came just one day after Senator Chuck Schumer (D–NY) pushed the Food and Drug Administration to ban “these dangerous and toxic drinks.” ...

In the formally non-partisan winner-take-all race, Kahele, a Democrat, will face former GOP State Rep Bob McDermott, and Democrats Matthew LoPresti and Christopher Lewis.  But Kahele’s chances may hinge on voters, media, and opposing campaigns not having time to do research.  Kahele carries a lot of baggage, including a metaphorical steamer trunk loaded with the fragrant burden of Waimanalo Gulch.

What a disappointing start for Carlisle. It is too obvious now that he does not know anybody other than a group of downtown lawyers. So he made Managing Director a deputy prosecutor and reappointed the Mufi cabinet!

A new version of the Akaka Bill was introduced yesterday in the US Senate by Sen. Dan Akaka (D-HI).  In accordance with Senate rules, the new bill, designated S. 3945, was read twice on the Senate floor and then referred to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.    A text of S. 3945 is not yet available.

WSJ: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut its rating on Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (HE) and its electric utility subsidiaries by one notch to the brink of junk.

Today, Tuesday November 16th, the Maui County Council will be accepting public testimony regarding a big proposed property tax increase. If you can make it you can sign in to testify by 1:30 pm on the 8th floor of the County building.

So much for Neil Abercrombie’s “more federal funds” refrain, eh? If this holds, Inouye will no longer be able to buy off his cronies and the corporatist state will starve.  Hawaii Democrats will be relegated to peddling marijuana, assisted suicide, and gay marriage as substitutes for pork barrel projects.

If a group of Honolulu city council members has its way, nonprofits that are exempt from paying more than $300 a year in property taxes will see their bills go up. Sparking the push to raise more revenue from nonprofits—as in other municipalities around the country—is an expected $100 million-plus gap in the city's budget.