The seminar also provided potential investors with detailed information on how Chinese students can enroll in local educational institutions, how to retire in Hawai‘i and buy a place to live, and business opportunities in areas such as medical clinics, golf and tennis facilities, and retailing.

In her remarks, Governor Lingle noted that Hawai‘i can serve as an entry point for the U.S. mainland and is an excellent location for a headquarters operation for Chinese companies because of our language and cultural ties, as well as being a safe place to do business and live.

HONOLULU – Top women leaders from seven nations will gather in Honolulu, Hawai‘i this fall to share their personal and professional stories at the 7^th annual International Women’s Leadership Conference (IWLC).  Hosted by Governor Linda Lingle on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at the Sheraton Waikīkī Hotel and Resort, the conference will build on the success and growth of the past six years.

Online conference registration is now available at www.hawaiiwomensconference.com.

According to one Dutch newspaper, European firms could complete the oil spill clean up by themselves in just four months, and three months if they work with the United States, which is much faster than the estimated nine months it would take the Obama administration to go it alone. The major stumbling block is a protectionist piece of legislation called the Jones Act which requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens. But in an emergency this law can be temporarily waived as DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff did after Katrina.

HONOLULU -- The State Commission on Water Resource Management (Commission) issued its final decision and order in the contested case to set interim instream flow standards for four west Maui streams –Waihe‘e, Waiehu, ‘Iao and Waikapu -- known together as “Na Wai ‘Eha.”

Washington- The nation’s chief economist warned yesterday that America’s fiscal path is unsustainable and called for swift action to manage a growing national debt crisis, but Democrat candidate Colleen Hanabusa's Washington friends still refuse to do the necessary work to lead the country back to fiscal stability. While Democrats still refuse to create a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified to the House Budget Committee yesterday that it’s time for Congress to act....

Honolulu, Hawaii—June 8, 2010—The Hawaii Meth Project today announced the second wave of its public education campaign, unveiling a new series of television, radio, online, and outdoor advertisements that will launch statewide this week. The high impact campaign will reach Hawaii teens three to five times per week throughout 2010 with four television commercials, nine radio spots, and six print and online ads that graphically communicate the risks of using Meth.

Today the Governor is in Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, where she will address Chinese business executives at the “Experience Hawai‘i – A Place for Vacation, Education and Business” forum sponsored by Bank of Hawai‘i.  Governor Lingle will also participate in an “Invest in Hawai‘i” seminar coordinated by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.  The seminar is designed to provide potential investors with information on Hawai‘i’s economic outlook and investment climate, as well as the “State’s EB-5 Immigrant Investment Program” in which foreign nationals who invest $500,000 or more in Hawai‘i and create 10 or more full-time jobs can obtain permanent residency. 

“Charles Djou built his career fighting for limited government and against raising taxes.  In his first major act as Djou's replacement on the City Council, Lee Donohue voted to dramatically expand government spending and increase taxes.  Councilmember Donohue's votes are so typical of politics as usual in Hawai'i and a perfect example of how unique, important and needed Congressman Djou's voice is in our government."

Rep. Djou: Second series of questions, Dr. Bernanke, and that is I have been frustrated and disappointed that there have been a number of free trade agreements languishing in Congress. Do you believe that were the Congress to pass free trade or expansion of free trade, it would help the economy?

Bernanke: Yes I do. I think we need to be part of the globalized economy, I think trade is an important source of demand for our goods and also a source of materials and imports as well. So I think that generally speaking, you ought to push forward on the DOHA round and on the free trade agreements that we’re looking at.

Congressman Djou was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives last month after seven and a half years on the City Council. To date, Lee Donohue has never spoken to Congressman Djou on issues concerning the council district, or any other matter since retiring as police chief nearly six years ago. 

WSJ: It took Charles Djou, the new Republican Congressman from Hawaii, to put it bluntly to Bernanke. Should there be “additional fiscal stimulus?” 

And Bernanke answered as bluntly as a Fed Chairman ever will, “If you (Congress) decide to do more fiscal stimulus, then it would be very helpful to combine that with a plan for a fiscal exit strategy.”

Everyone in that hearing room got the joke. Congress not only has no plan for a fiscal exit strategy. It can’t even be trusted to come up with one. That’s why we now have a presidential bipartisan debt commission.

Washington Democrats continue to push forward with their reckless spending agenda. Just last week, they passed another spending bill that will increase the deficit by an additional $57.4 billion. Now, economists are warning that an additional one million jobs are at stake and that the country is venturing on an unsustainable path. Instead of creating a budget to address the country’s economic crisis, Hanabusa's would-be Democrat colleagues continue to push full-speed ahead with their runaway spending.

HONOLULU — Lt. Governor James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr., as acting governor, today vetoed Senate Bill 2401, which would have suspended the Act 221 investment and infrastructure renovation tax credits for three years....

“This bill would damage Hawai‘i’s reputation as a place to do business,” said Lt. Governor Aiona. “It will discourage individuals and companies from investing in our state by changing the rules with little notice or rationale.”

It is not every day we get to agree with the Obama administration. But after Sen. Blanche Lincoln defeated Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter in the Arkansas Democratic Senate primary runoff election, after the AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME poured millions of dollars into Halter's campaign, a senior White House official told Politico: "Organized labor just flushed $10 million of their members' money down the toilet."

But it wasn't just "their members" money that those unions were wasting....

We, the undersigned, call upon those seeking to represent us in public office to sign the Contract from America and by doing so commit to support each of its agenda items, work to bring each agenda item to a vote during the first year, and pledge to advocate on behalf of individual liberty, limited government, and economic freedom....

Waianae Coast residents, upset that all of Oahu is literally "dumping" on them, have been fighting for years to close down Leeward Shore landfills. But, the Honolulu City Council Planning Committee, with the support of many residents on the Waianae Coast, has cast a vote which may very well keep Waimanalo Gulch Landfill open.

the latest Pew poll shows that for the first time ever, more Americans now believe that the president's economic policies have made economic conditions worse than made them better.

HONOLULU — Lt. Governor James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr., as acting governor, today signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 2441, making it a felony to harm a Hawaiian monk seal, which is on the federal endangered list....

Numerous environmental groups testified in support of this measure, including the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaiian Humane Society, Hawaiian Monk Seal Response Team, Conservation Council of Hawai‘i, Save our Seals, Animal Rights Hawai‘i, Audubon Society, KAHEA-Hawaiian Environmental Alliance, Ocean Law and Policy Institute, Earthjustice, and Maui Tomorrow.

Eighty-five pieces of testimony from individuals were submitted in support of SB 2441, which had no opposition.

For Reps. Mark Critz and Charles Djou, the Washington axiom of a “permanent campaign” has never been more apt.

The capital’s newest congressmen have been in office less than a month, but the looming November election has forced them to begin their legislative careers in full campaign mode.

As typical Islamist-leftist theater to delegitimize Israel, late May's Turkish-sponsored "Free Gaza" flotilla was tediously repetitious. As an illustration that Israelis don't understand the kind of war they now must fight, the outcome was drearily predictable. But as a statement of Turkey's policies and an augur of the Islamist movement's future, it bristled with novelty and significance.

In a June 3 Maui Time interview, former Rep Neil Abercrombie tells Maui Time readers he wants marijuana to be utilized, he thinks TEA Parties are manipulated “by cynical sociopaths”, and he “helped to keep sugar alive in this state for 20 years.”  And Charles Djou’s Congressional victory…well see for yourself.  

Today (Tuesday in China) is “Hawai‘i Day” at the USA Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.  Governor Linda Lingle, legislative leaders, representatives from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, the visitor industry and entertainers will officially kick off “Hawai‘i Week” at the Expo.  The Expo is expected to attract more than 70 million visitors, 86 percent of whom will come from China.

Yesterday (Monday in China), Governor Lingle spoke to over 300 members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AMCHAM) at its Distinguished Speakers Series.  The Governor covered a wide range of topics including Hawai‘i's progress in promoting clean energy, the status of direct flights from China to Honolulu, and the steps her Administration has taken to improve travel visa issuance procedures with the assistance of U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman.

Duke Aiona at Gina’s BBQ in Honolulu

This morning on MSNBC, former Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-FL) pressed prominent Keynesian economist and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University Jeffrey Sachs on whether it was too early to declare President Obama's stimulus a failure. Scarborough had to ask the question twice, but Sachs finally relented: "Obama’s stimulus failed."

In its final edition, the Advertiser’s editors reprinted the 154 year old first editorial of the first edition of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser.  Apparently they thought about censoring it but relented.

As the official story goes, David Black, majority owner of the Star-Bulletin initiated negotiations for the purchase of the Advertiser on February 25, 2010. 

But a whois search for StarAdvertiser.com shows that Black’s Oahu Publications reserved the domain name www.StarAdvertiser.com over one year earlier--on February 14, 2009.

VIDEO: On the boat, the “peace activists” chant the popular Islamic battle cry, "khaiber khaiber ya yahood jaish muhammed saya'ud".

Khaibar was the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad's army in 628. The battle marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia.

Remember, they’re just piece activists.  Some are two-pieces activists, and others are many-tiny-little-pieces activists.

“Hawaii needs legislators that understand that the States created the Federal Government and that the Tenth Amendment exists to ensure that Hawaii is run by the people of Hawaii and not entrenched politicians half a world away. Hawaii needs leadership to say that we will not give up our state sovereignty and individual liberty for a few dollars more and courage to make hard decisions like cutting taxes and admitting that government shouldn’t be responsible for every aspect of our lives from cradle to grave."

“This is a great day for East Honolulu,” said Rep. Ward.  “In the beginning, we were told that such a reclassification couldn’t be done due to a lack of resources and time, plus it hadn’t been done anywhere for more than a decade.  But we all worked together as a community with the Governor’s office and now the preservation of the Ka Iwi coast has become a reality.”

Cam Cavasso, a former Hawaii State Representative and small businessman from Oahu, has announced that he will challenge Senator Inouye in this upcoming November election....

I believe that Hawai`i is on the path to a clean energy future, and I am committed to a long-term vision of making Hawai`i the greenest place on Earth - the greenest environment, the greenest energy, and the greenest economy - in a way that keeps down our cost of living, increases our quality of life and, of course, includes all of our citizens.

This weekend, however, the forces who want Hawaii's government to maintain the failed status quo consolidated their opposition to our campaign at the Democrat Party convention.  This is not unexpected. We never thought the establishment would simply give up without a fight - they have too much to lose.

I personally wish Ed Case well.  However, with Ed gone from this race, we are alone in being the voice for the mainstream across Hawaii. I look forward to this critical fight for Hawaii's families against entrenched special interests.

Washington- A temporary boost in government hiring has padded jobs numbers for the month of May, but the 9.7 percent unemployment rate belies just how badly the runaway spending agenda pushed by Colleen Hanabusa’s Democrat friends has failed Hawaii families. The spike in jobs is simply a reflection of over 410,000 new census workers being added to the government’s payrolls at the taxpayers’ expense.

This Wednesday in Pittsburgh, President Barack Obama defended his administration's economic policies telling the audience at Carnegie Mellon University: "Now, I've never believed that government has all the answers. Government cannot and should not replace businesses as the true engine of growth and job creation." But that is exactly what the President's big government policies are doing.

Congressman Charles K. Djou (R-HI) reacted to the Honolulu City Council Executive Matters and Legal Affairs ("EMLA") Committee's recommendation of attorney and former HCDA Chair, Jonathan Lai, to succeed him on the City Council.

Case: "Hanabusa has to understand the deep disillusionment and frustration that many of us of any political party or no political party feel in the system of politics in Hawaii today and in our country. We don't want power to be trumping principle and people. We don't want division, we want unity. We don't want extremism, we want consensus. We don't want exclusion, we want inclusion. And those are the things that we all want desperately." 

(In other words, she has to stop being Colleen Hanabusa.)

Meeting in convention at the Hilton Hawaiian Village May 15, Hawaii Republicans voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution expressing opposition to House Bill 444—gay civil unions.  The smattering of opposition came from a surprising quarter: Paul Smith and his Hawaii Republican Assembly (HiRA).

HiRA, founded in 2009,  bills itself as “The Republican wing of the Republican Party” and the casual observer may view HiRA as a conservative group.  But HiRA’s website refers to the group specifically as “A home for Hawaii fiscal conservatives.” (emphasis added)

Any doubt that this week's "Freedom Flotilla" to Gaza was about politics – and not about providing aid to needy Palestinians in Gaza – was erased Wednesday when Hamas leaders refused to let the flotilla's cargo in.

The Governor’s order establishes the Duke Kahanamoku Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks bounded by the Ala Wai and the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium, as well as the North Shore Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks from Ali‘i Beach in Hale‘iwa to Sunset Beach.  Both surf reserves are located off the waters of O‘ahu. 

"Ann is so inspirational," said Carolyn Hadfield (Leader of Maoist Revolutionary Communist Party and “Not In Our Name” NION). "She has that military background, so she must have soberly assessed the risks and decided it was worth it."

Michael Rivero, webmaster of the activist (Holocaust denier and 9-11 trooother) website whatreallyhappened.com, said Wright is "a very well-liked, very well-respected peace activist." He likened the Israeli raid to piracy and called it "an act of war."

Early Monday morning in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, helicopters lowered Israeli Commandos onto a Turkish-flagged ferry carrying 600 passengers determined to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Beset by activists armed with poles, knives and guns, the Israelis defended themselves, and the resulting violence left at least nine dead. Hours later, the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report claiming that Iran now has enough nuclear fuel, with further enrichment, to make two nuclear weapons. These two stories are not unrelated. And they ought to serve as a signal to the Obama administration that it is time to change its approach to the region.

Was it, as some suggest, the plan of flotilla organizers all along?

It's worth remembering why the aid was being transported by sea in the first place. A convoy led by then-British MP George Galloway (Bought and paid for by Saddam Hussein via oil for food scam--AW) ended in violence at the Egyptian-Gaza border in early January after authorities delayed their entry into Gaza.

An Egyptian police officer was shot and killed by Hamas gunmen. Egypt deported Galloway, made it clear he was unwelcome there again, and told the convoy it could no longer enter through its crossing. Galloway's partner in that convoy was the Turkish-based International Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), which helped lead the flotilla.

It is in our hands to make certain their sacrifice was not in vain, and to honor their service by ensuring their memory lives on.

Today, we thank all of our service members and their families, and for the many families and friends whose loved ones did not return, it is with a heavy heart that we pay tribute to them now.

May we be so fortunate that the next generation lives with the purpose and conviction of our fallen heroes.

Just as in the 2006 Senate Primary race, Ed Case has once again been forced to abandon any hope of achieving change within the Hawaii Democratic Party.

HONOLULU—Today the Democratic Party of Hawai’i held its State Convention and clearly displayed that they are out of touch with the people of Hawai’i.  Instead of addressing issues of importance to the people of Hawai’i, they focused on passing resolutions supporting physician assisted suicide, gay civil unions and increasing taxes on people who grow the economy and create jobs. 

All of us in Hawai‘i have been deeply impacted by the global recession. We’ve had to make tough decisions and sacrifices– in government, in business and in our households – to deal with the impacts that began hitting our economy in mid-2008.

In true Hawai‘i fashion, our state pulled together to tackle these difficult issues.  It has not been an easy task, and there have been disagreements, even heated debate, along the way.  But for the most part, we have remained focused on being fiscally responsible, turning our economy around, getting our residents back to work, and setting the foundation for a stronger future.

Over the past few weeks, we have been seeing the positive results of this collaboration and sacrifice. ...

“Hannemann has had months to formulate an opinion on one of the state’s most pressing issues.  In the past Hannemann dodged taking a stand on HB 444 because he wasn’t an official candidate.  Now that he’s announced and all the fan fare is over, he continues to skirt the issue.  It is clear Mufi lacks the courage and backbone to speak to his values."

“With O‘ahu residents being the greatest beneficiaries of the Superferry, it is curious that Mayor Hannemann was noticeably absent from the discussion at the time.  Yet now, as is his nature, he wants to blame others. 

“The fact is that the decision to stop the Superferry was the result of a Supreme Court ruling which was a far-reaching interpretation that heretofore had never been applied to any new maritime operation in the state.”