Dash of Calabash

The Honolulu Advertiser, 1/19/08 p C7 reported that its internet population has increased to 210 million, when represents a 53% growth over last year at the same time. Censorship failed to slow growth. China is only 5 million users behind the United States and should pass it sometime this year. Whereas 75% of American adults (higher to include teenagers) are Internet-connected, only about 16% of China’s population (6 yrs and older) is connected

The Honolulu Advertiser, 1/19/08 p C3, reported that the Kaheawa wind farm exceeded its output target last year, generating more than 125,000 megawatt-hours of electricity. It further reported that the company supplied electricity to more than 11,000 Maui homes, reducing the island’s oil dependence by 236,000 barrels a year.

While this sounds almost too good (one comment to the press release noted that this would mean 48% capacity, which is unheard of) and means that the project would be generating 11 MW for each of its 11,000 customers (Sierra Club of Hawaii reports an average household uses 7,800 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually), this is indeed a step in the right direction.

Look to see alternate energy production increase from 6% in 2006 when the report for 2007 is released by DBEDT this year. Read the 2006 report using this link. See page 11. (As a point of comparison, note that in 2006 geothermal power represented 20% of energy production for the Big Island.) The goal for the state is 20% overall. Note that the HECO Kahe Wind Farm project was refused permits by the City and County of Honolulu.

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008, recently published in the Honolulu Advertiser are available on-line using this link. This post relates to protecting our food suply, one of 14 initiative areas contained in the document. Some initiatives new, some are recycled or continued from prior years.

Protecting our food supply - covers land, water, food safety and invasive species (Description of initiative included in first link above, but only the only bill listed is HHL-01(08)/HB3126/SB3048 which seeks to increase the loan ceiling from $50K to $200K for farm and ranch operations on Hawaiian Home Lands)

Paul Jacob’s thoughts from a recent Grass in Review:

Super Tuesday is upon us. Hillary is up; Barack is down. Or is that vice versa? John is out; so is Rudy. Many Presidential campaigns have their ups and downs, until only one remains “up.”
But the real story is: you are up.
It’s now your turn. Vote!
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Michael Medved’s thoughts on the elections so far, from USA Today:

The only safe prediction about campaign 2008 is that no prediction is safe.

Experts once assumed, for instance, that today’s “Tsunami Tuesday” primaries and caucuses would settle the nomination struggles in both parties. It’s now obvious, however, that hand-to-hand combat over delegates could continue for weeks, if not months, at least among the Democrats.

The upset victory by Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire — confounding nearly unanimous pollster predictions — represented only the most celebrated among many shocks and twists on the road to the White House. In a more general sense, the campaign has also exploded unquestioned assumptions while providing three startling lessons for political players and open-minded observers:
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From Kenneth Green at TCS Daily:

Common sense should tell us that good policies produce more in benefits than they cost us. Unfortunately, common sense has left the building when it comes to climate policy. Asserting (somewhat absurdly) that America’s economic and geopolitical competitors, such as China and India, are just waiting for “U.S. moral leadership,” several voices are renewing their call for domestic cap-and-trade legislation to control greenhouse gases. (more…)

From The Economist:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s governor, submitted an austere state budget for the forthcoming financial year. To deal with a staggering $14.5 billion deficit, the Gubernator proposed cutting $4.8 billion in school funding, temporarily closing 43 state parks and releasing 22,000 prisoners early. His budget also includes 10% cuts in funding for almost every state department, leaving services like Medi-Cal, the state’s medical programme for the needy, $1 billion worse off. California’s legislature will consider Mr Schwarzenegger’s proposal and try to agree on its details before June 15th. If no deal is reached, a group called the “Big Five”—the top Democrat and Republican from each house, plus the governor—will continue to negotiate.

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008, recently published in the Honolulu Advertiser are available on-line using this link.  This post relates to the reducing the cost of living, one of 14 initiative areas contained in the document. Some initiatives new, some are recycled or continued from prior years.  Stay tuned to see how the bills/initiatives progress.

Reducing the cost of living – tax relief (Proposed Ohana Tax Reduction Act of 2008 consisting of tax credits for adult and child care costs; Retirement with Dignity Tax Relief Act of 2008; Aging in Place Tax Credit; Constitutional Rebate; HI529 Hawaii College Savings Plan Enhancement; and Reduction on Cell Phone Bills)

Entrepreneurial Iowa State University student Aayush Phumbhra may have found a new niche market with Chegg.com.

Click here to read the article from Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii and 28 other states agree to help IRS collect more employment and unemployment taxes.

Read the article from the Honolulu Advertiser here