Dash of Calabash

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.

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)

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)

President George W. Bush, other federal lawmakers, and some government agency officials have begun calling for an economic “stimulus” package. Ideas remain sketchy but have included tax rebates, tax breaks for small businesses, an expanded food stamp program, and greater unemployment insurance benefits.

The following is a statement from Steve Stanek, managing editor of Budget & Tax News and research fellow at The Heartland Institute. You may quote from this statement or contact Stanek directly at 815/385-5602, stanek@heartland.org.

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By Chuck Muth
How many congressmen does it take to change a light bulb? 400.
That’s how many members of Congress recently voted for a bill which will force American consumers to change the 50-cent incandescent light bulbs they’re currently using and replace them with expensive new, $3 “energy-efficient” light bulbs. As Shane Cory of the Libertarian Party sarcastically put it, “If you outlaw light bulbs, then only outlaws will have light bulbs.” (more…)

Below is a letter from our friend and colleague Tom Schatz which calls upon the President to completely ignore 9,000 or so earmarks in two current bills. We hope so.

January 3, 2008

The Honorable Jim Nussle
Director
Office of Management and Budget
Washington, D.C.  20503

Dear Director Nussle,

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) was pleased to hear President Bush state in his December 29 radio address that he is disappointed that Congress sent him “a massive spending bill that includes about 9,800 earmarks.”  He is correct when he said, “Earmarks are special interest items that are slipped into big spending bills … often at the last hour, without discussion or debate.”  Furthermore, we were heartened to hear that the Administration is “reviewing options to address wasteful earmark spending.”

The best option to address the wasteful spending is for the President to issue an Executive Order instructing federal agencies to ignore the more than 9,000-plus earmarks found in the fiscal 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Act and 2,000-plus earmarks found in the Defense Appropriations Act.

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The Small Business Regulatory Review Board, an advocate for small business has published the “Small Business Bill of Rights” brochure. The document covers 18 existing state statutes and several “core tenants” that apply to small businesses. A PDF version can be accessed here or you can view it below:

Small business owners and operators should be informed of their rights, responsibilities and obligations and be assured that these rights will be protected throughout their contact with agencies and departments of the State of Hawaii, among them:

1. The right to expect agencies to provide a prompt, accurate, and courteous response to a request for information and to work together to assure ready access to the information needed to assist business in their relationship with the State;
2. The right to question the actions and decisions of agencies and elected officials without the fear of retaliation and retribution;
3. The right to expect agencies to ensure the accuracy, integrity, objectivity, and consistency of any data that is used when preparing proposed rules and when completing an analysis of the proposed rule; (more…)

Based on the results of the November election, 2007 may go down in history as a year of mini-tax revolt in Washington State.

Not only were a majority of the local tax increases on the ballot rejected, voters also:
* turned down a huge transportation tax increase;
* rejected an effort to make it easier to raise school levies;
* adopted a tax and fee limitation measure; and
* enacted a constitutionally restricted budget savings account.

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