Dash of Calabash

Hawaii’s free-market blog

Archive for category Government Accountability

Western biofuel policies ‘incomprehensible,’ says UN

Jun 4

Posted by GRIH in Economics, Environment, Government Accountability | No Comments

As predicted, our thirst for ethanol is causing others to hunger for food. An article by Leigh Phillips at EUobserver:

A UN summit in Rome gathering together world leaders and food and agriculture experts has seen a showdown on EU and US biofuels policies and agricultural subsidies.

One UN official called the policies “incomprehensible,” while development organisations and the biofuels industry campaigned fiercely to try to influence the meeting’s outcome.

In an impassioned speech, Jacques Diouf, the director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation told some 60 heads of state that it is “incomprehensible…that subsidies worth €7-8 billion ($11-12 billion) in 2006 were used to divert 100 million tonnes of cereals from human consumption mostly to satisfy a thirst for fuels for vehicles.”

Read the whole article here.

A Research Trip to New Zealand?

May 19

Posted by GRIH in Economics, Government Accountability | No Comments

For only $50K! But not to worry, your Office of Hawaiian Affairs is using it “to promote language proficiency in elementary school children.” Yeah, right.

The project team will be visiting Maori kura kaupapa schools across the country, and is looking forward to learning more about their most recent advances in program, curriculum and evaluation development of Maori language literacy.

Can’t we put a stop to all of this waste by OHA?

Posted by Harry Messenheimer

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008 – Workforce Development (7 of 14)

Feb 12

Posted by GRIH in Government Accountability | No Comments

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

Workforce Development – LBR-28(08)/HB3169/SB3091 creates tax-free life-long learning accounts allowing employer-matched portable individual savings accounts to finance career-building skills; BED-21(08)/HB3073/SB2995 allows for up to $100 million from the Employees Retirement System to be invested in venture capital funds for the state; $4.8 million additional funding for expansion of HCC music business program (no bill number); establishes rapid response training program with community college system (no bill number); continuing support of public-private “Kamaaina Come” program to encourage former residents to return to work; and $100K funding to support a public- private partnership to commercialize innovative ideas (no further details or bill number)

Senate Minority Leader speaks about preferred growth and environmental issues

Feb 12

Posted by GRIH in Government Accountability | No Comments

The Honolulu Advertiser published only excerpts of Sen. Fred Hemming’s address to the Legislature on opening day, but the full text is available online using this link.

Is sustainability your main issue as well? Let him know. senhemmings@capitol.hawaii.gov

Stimulating Thoughts

Feb 12

Posted by GRIH in Economics, Free Market Economics, Government Accountability | No Comments

From Roy Innis at TCS Daily:

Congress and the White House, Democrats and Republicans finally agree on something. We need a stimulus package, they intone. The economy is stagnating, unemployment is climbing, families can’t pay their bills. We have to prime the pump, reduce interest rates, increase unemployment benefits, provide temporary tax relief.

These unlicensed physicians are prescribing aspirin to counteract the poisons they routinely inject into our economy, while they prepare even bigger doses of arsenic.

Every one of these supposed shots of economic adrenaline is counteracted by policies that drive up prices.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hawaii Senate President says we must join together in sustainability effort

Feb 11

Posted by GRIH in Government Accountability | No Comments

The Honolulu Advertiser published only excerpts of Sen. Colleen Hanabusa’s address to the Legislature on opening day, but the full text is available online using this link.

Is sustainability your main issue as well? Let her know. senhanabusa@capitol.hawaii.gov

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008 – Healthcare (5 of 14)

Feb 8

Posted by GRIH in Government Accountability, Health Care | No Comments

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

Healthcare – CCA-23(08)/HB3102/SB3024 caps various limits for malpractice awards; GOV-13(08)/HB3123/SB3045 to reduce the number of instance where a certificate of need (CON) is required to begin or end offering medical services, change location of services or construct any type of medical facility, requiring public hearings and to giving greater weigh to county councils’ decisions in these matters.

Hawaii House Minority Leader focuses on living costs, energy and safe streets

Feb 8

Posted by GRIH in Government Accountability | No Comments

The Honolulu Advertiser published only excerpts of Rep. Lynn Finnegan’s address to the Legislature on opening day, but the full text is available online using this link.

Do her priorities agree with yours?

Let her know – repfinnegan@capitol.hawaii.gov

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008 – Increasing affordable housing opportunities (4 of 14)

Feb 7

Posted by GRIH in Government Accountability, Miscellaneous, Taxes | No Comments

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

Increasing affordable housing opportunities - AGS-01(08)/HB3035/SB2957 allowing for state projects to begin with having the full amount of capital cost funding on hand at the beginning of the project; BED-08(08)/HB3060/SB2982 allowing the Hawaii Community Development Authority to resell fee simple interest in reserved housing units; BED-01(08)/HB3057/SB2979 permanently requiring 50

5 of the conveyance tax go to Rental Housing Trust Fund to build more affordable rental units; Extend $7.5 million annual tax credit expiring 5/31/09 to 5/31/10. Still pending – bill to authorize $100 million in additional revenue bonds for Hula Mae Multi-Family program (new and rehab affordable rentals)

State Senator Sam Slom calls for workers comp and tax reform

Feb 7

Posted by GRIH in Government Accountability | No Comments

In case you missed it, Sam Slom’s detailed list of wants for small business in Hawaii was reported in the Honolulu Advertiser on opening day of the legislature, 1/16/08, p C6

Click here to read the article