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.

President Barack Obama returned from Asia yesterday, and the headlines greeting him home are not kind. “Obama’s economic view is rejected on world stage,” reads The New York Times; “Obama, weakened after midterms, reveals limited leverage in failed S. Korea deal,” says The Washington Post; and ABC News declares, “President Obama Falls Short on G-20 Goals: Failure to Deliver on Key Trade Goals Reveals Limits of American Influence.” These headlines are only half-right: Yes, President Obama did fail to deliver on his agenda in Asia, but the culprit is not declining American influence. The problem is a losing agenda set by the President himself.

Honolulu - News articles report that Japanese billionaire Gensiro Kawamoto wants to establish an art museum on his Kahala Avenue properties.   Representative Barbara Marumoto (R-19th Dist. Kaimuki/Waialae/Kahala) is calling for a discussion of this issue at a Neighborhood Board No. 3 meeting.

Representative Gene Ward (R-Hawaii Kai – Kalama Valley) said today on behalf of the Hawaii Kai community keenly interested in keeping the Kamilonui Valley farmers on their agriculture lots leased from Bishop Estate – Kamehameha Schools, that the Estate has not negotiated in good faith, and is calling upon the community to support the farmers.

--A chunk of independent voters said they want the government to do less after two years of Democratic domination in the nation's capital. That's almost a direct reversal of how this voting group behaved in 2008. Majorities of independents in each state surveyed except Democratic-leaning Hawaii said the government is doing too many things better left to the private sector and individuals.

The state of Hawaii’s lawsuit against pharmacy benefit manager McKesson (MCK) and drug database manager First DataBank could signal the end of drug price manipulation, at least as we currently know it....

Facing a $25 billion deficit for their next two-year budget cycle, Texas lawmakers are considering closing the gap by dropping out of Medicaid. “This system is bankrupting our state,” State Representative Warren Chisum told The New York Times. “We need to get out of it. And with the budget shortfall we’re anticipating, we may have to act this year,” he said.

And Texas is not alone....

On this national holiday we also take a closer look at how Congress plans to provide for those who serve. Yesterday, President Barack Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform released a report calling for $100 billion cuts to the defense budget. The Commission's defense cuts would make America less safe and are thus completely irresponsible.

The denial of cert by the U.S. Supreme Court means that until the Hawaii Supreme Court confirms or rules otherwise in a future case, the ICA's rule that "unvested" rights or "contingent future interests" are not property and are subject to uncompensated acquisition by the legislature, is the law.

In the instant appeal, we hold that the County’s asserted public purpose for Condemnation was not a pretext for a primarily private benefit....

I am currently in London attending World Travel Market (WTM) for eTurboNews.  Don't expect business from wasting our tax payers promotional money that paid for the Hawaii Tourism Authority stand.

Volcanic Ash columnist David Shapiro describes Hawaii Democrats as “a party where the sun rises and sets by civil unions these days.”  If there is any doubt, take a look at what happened to gay marriage opponent, former Honolulu Councilman Gary Okino....

Governor’s Veterans Day Ceremony, Nov. 11, 1 p.m., Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery, 45-349 Kamehameha Hwy., Kaneohe. Gov. Linda Lingle will give remarks.

We will be flag and sign waving at 1 PM till 2 PM, to show our appreciation for our Veterans on the corner of Kaahumanu Ave and Kanaloa Ave.

"There is an awareness all over Hawaii Nei that Mahealani Ventura-Oliver of Ko Hawaii Pae Aina-Hawaii Loa Foundation has made the Hawaiian people victims of her fraud and selfishness…." -- Br. Christopher Fishkin, Franciscan Hermitage, Wailuku, Maui

Over the past week, Charles has received hundreds of emails from people all over the state and the nation expressing their sorrow and disappointment over Tuesday’s election results.  While we share your pain, we prefer to instead focus on all that we were able to accomplish together in the last year.

Contrary to most of what is being reported in the media, efforts to register voters at Hawaii churches powered a substantial increase in voter turnout by church-goers.  The drive produced swings in favor of Republican House candidates of 5% or more in 16 out of 51 house districts.  The GOP gained a total of 15,322 new Republican votes in these 16 districts....