Dash of Calabash

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)

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

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.

(more…)

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, 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.

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, 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)

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

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008, recently published in the Honolulu Advertiser are available on-line using this link. This post relates to protecting our keiki and kapuna, 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.

Protecting our keiki and kapuna - covers adoption (HMS-15(08)/HB3131/SB3053 allowing foster children reasonable visitation with siblings before and after adoption/legal guardianship; HMS-19(08)/HB3134/SB3056 requiring follow-up visit by professional child care welfare staff for children reported abused or neglected, adding 2,500 visits annually; HMS-22(08)/HB3126/SB3058 allowing for “hanai” custody of children; and HMS-24(08)/HB3137/SB3059 allowing Office of Youth Service investigative authority to comply with DOJ memorandum of agreement concerning conditions at Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility.

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.