The future of Haiku Valley hangs in the balance. The status quo is not likely.
Most of the valley is owned to by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. The Department's mission is to provide home lots for Hawaiians and to generate income for them. It is reasonable to expect that they would develop the floor of the valley for homes and for light industrial purposes.
The Koolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club has a different vision for the valley. They want to provide a park that will celebrate the rich Hawaiian culture of the valley.
As part of the mitigation plan for disturbance caused by the construction of H3, There are several million dollars available to help create the park.
Two bills, HB 2704 and SB2727, will help implement the park.
Which vision for Haiku Valley, would you prefer? Should it be residential and light industrial development or a cultural park that would provide opportunities for education, recreation, and for the restoration of native ecosystems.
The Committee on Water Land and Hawaiian Affairs will hold a hearing on HB2704 on 02-06-08 at 8:30 am in House conference room 312. Your testimony is vital if a cultural park is to become a reality in Haiku Valley.
Submit testimony to: WLHtestimony@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Lifting of $1,000 Corporate Contribution Limit
You cannot have an honest legislature that works for your interests when members are obligated to big money contributors. Two bills, HB 2455 and SB 3141, lift the cap on Corporate contributions.
THESE BILLS WILL RESULT IN MORE LEGISLATORS BEING OBLIGATED TO BIG MONEY SPECIAL INTERESTS
Kaukanawai
****************
Posted by Voter Owned Hawaii = Kory 457-8622
Sample Email to Lists Re: Lifting of $1,000 Corporate
Contribution Limit
SUBJECT: URGENT ALERT – Oppose Bills That Would Open Floodgates
to Corporate Contributions
*Body of Email*
The Hawaii State legislature is fast-tracking two bills that
would create a thousand-fold increase the amount of money
corporations can contribute to political campaigns. Your help is
urgently needed to stop these bills!
CONTEXT
Corporations can donate to candidates running for political
office in several ways. They can donate to various different
kinds of non-candidate committees, and the board members or
employees of the corporation can also donate individually.
Even though corporations can donate indirectly in these ways, in
Hawaii they're also allowed to donate directly to the candidates
themselves. In 1907, the U.S. government banned these types of
direct donations from corporations.
Beginning in 2006, Hawaii limited those direct corporate
donations to $1,000.
Now, there are two pieces of legislation moving in the House and
in the Senate that would lift that $1,000 cap and allow
corporations to give anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000 to as many
candidates as they see fit.
WE STOPPED SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN 2006 AND WE CAN DO IT AGAIN!
Here's how you can help
1. Send in Testimony – below are instructions and talking points
A. Write a quick testimony and file it away to use again. You
can begin your testimony simply by saying something like "I'm
testifying against HB 2455 (or SB 3141), which would lift a
$1,000 cap on corporate donations …" Remember, your testimony
doesn't need to be long, quantity is more important than
quality. Below are some talking points to write your own
testimony, or you can use the sample testimony.
SAMPLE TESTIMONY:
I'm writing in opposition to HB 2455. It's embarrassing that
we're lifting a $1,000 cap on corporate donations when event the
federal government banned these types of contributions in 1907,
101 years ago. Hawaii should be the leader in areas of
government ethics, sustainability, and other important subject
matters. This bill takes us in the wrong direction. It does not
perpetuate anything that is right or just.
Sincerely, ___________
TALKING POINTS (if you want to add to your own testimony)
I. Even the federal government banned direct corporate donation
all the way back in 1907. It's embarrassing that we even allow
them to give money at all. To lift the $1,000 cap would take us
backwards, not forwards.
II. The $1,000 cap on corporate donations is a proven way to
limit corporate interests, and make allows candidates choose
more grassroots style fundraising methods. Between 2004 – 2005,
Governor Lingle raised almost 1 million dollars, but in 2006,
with the $1,000 cap in place, that number dropped to only
$100,000, which is significant as well because 2006 was an
election year, when the fundraising amounts are usually higher.
III. According to a 2005 AARP survey, 86% of Hawaii's residents
of voting age "think campaign contributions moderately or
greatly influence policies supported by elected officials."
Given this fact, we should be working to limit corporate money
and encourage citizen participation. The current $1,000 cap does
both. If candidates can't go to corporations for money, they'll
resort to fundraising from their constituents instead. This is a
positive trend.
B. Email Your Testimony. Send the same email twice, and put a
different subject line in each email. One email is for the House
bill (SB 2455), and one email is for the Senate bill (SB 3141).
Your testimony does not need to be long. The most important
thing is to get something in. The more testimonies we have the
better!
1. Send on email to TO: JUDtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov (not
case sensitive), and reps@captiol.hawaii.gov
SUBJECT: Opposition of HB 2455
CONTENT: (Cut and Paste your testimony into the body of your
email)
2. Send another email to TO: testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov , and
sens@capitol.hawaii.gov
SUBJECT: Opposition of SB 3141
CONTENT: (Cut and Paste your testimony into the body of your
email)
2. The second thing you can do is call Rep Say and Sen Hanabusa
and ask them to oppose these bills
Rep Calvin Say – 586-6100 Sen Colleen Hanabusa – 586-7793
3. The third thing you can do is write a Letter –to-the-Editor
of the newspaper
A. Use the talking points or just use your testimony to write a
quick letter to the editor. You can begin your letter with
something like "Dear editor, I'm writing to voice my opposition
to house bill 2455 and senate bill 3141. These bills would lift
a $1,000 cap on corporate contributions to candidates running
for office …" or something like that.
B. Send your letters to
1. Honolulu Star Bulletin a. letters@starbulletin.com b. Use
Online Form http://starbulletin.com/forms/letterform.html
2. Honolulu Advertiser a. letters@honoluluadvertiser.com b.
Online Form: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/form/op/letter
C. If you want to, follow up your letter with a phone call to
ask if they'll print it.
IV. Forward this email to your friends!!
THESE BILLS WILL RESULT IN MORE LEGISLATORS BEING OBLIGATED TO BIG MONEY SPECIAL INTERESTS
Kaukanawai
****************
Posted by Voter Owned Hawaii = Kory 457-8622
Sample Email to Lists Re: Lifting of $1,000 Corporate
Contribution Limit
SUBJECT: URGENT ALERT – Oppose Bills That Would Open Floodgates
to Corporate Contributions
*Body of Email*
The Hawaii State legislature is fast-tracking two bills that
would create a thousand-fold increase the amount of money
corporations can contribute to political campaigns. Your help is
urgently needed to stop these bills!
CONTEXT
Corporations can donate to candidates running for political
office in several ways. They can donate to various different
kinds of non-candidate committees, and the board members or
employees of the corporation can also donate individually.
Even though corporations can donate indirectly in these ways, in
Hawaii they're also allowed to donate directly to the candidates
themselves. In 1907, the U.S. government banned these types of
direct donations from corporations.
Beginning in 2006, Hawaii limited those direct corporate
donations to $1,000.
Now, there are two pieces of legislation moving in the House and
in the Senate that would lift that $1,000 cap and allow
corporations to give anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000 to as many
candidates as they see fit.
WE STOPPED SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN 2006 AND WE CAN DO IT AGAIN!
Here's how you can help
1. Send in Testimony – below are instructions and talking points
A. Write a quick testimony and file it away to use again. You
can begin your testimony simply by saying something like "I'm
testifying against HB 2455 (or SB 3141), which would lift a
$1,000 cap on corporate donations …" Remember, your testimony
doesn't need to be long, quantity is more important than
quality. Below are some talking points to write your own
testimony, or you can use the sample testimony.
SAMPLE TESTIMONY:
I'm writing in opposition to HB 2455. It's embarrassing that
we're lifting a $1,000 cap on corporate donations when event the
federal government banned these types of contributions in 1907,
101 years ago. Hawaii should be the leader in areas of
government ethics, sustainability, and other important subject
matters. This bill takes us in the wrong direction. It does not
perpetuate anything that is right or just.
Sincerely, ___________
TALKING POINTS (if you want to add to your own testimony)
I. Even the federal government banned direct corporate donation
all the way back in 1907. It's embarrassing that we even allow
them to give money at all. To lift the $1,000 cap would take us
backwards, not forwards.
II. The $1,000 cap on corporate donations is a proven way to
limit corporate interests, and make allows candidates choose
more grassroots style fundraising methods. Between 2004 – 2005,
Governor Lingle raised almost 1 million dollars, but in 2006,
with the $1,000 cap in place, that number dropped to only
$100,000, which is significant as well because 2006 was an
election year, when the fundraising amounts are usually higher.
III. According to a 2005 AARP survey, 86% of Hawaii's residents
of voting age "think campaign contributions moderately or
greatly influence policies supported by elected officials."
Given this fact, we should be working to limit corporate money
and encourage citizen participation. The current $1,000 cap does
both. If candidates can't go to corporations for money, they'll
resort to fundraising from their constituents instead. This is a
positive trend.
B. Email Your Testimony. Send the same email twice, and put a
different subject line in each email. One email is for the House
bill (SB 2455), and one email is for the Senate bill (SB 3141).
Your testimony does not need to be long. The most important
thing is to get something in. The more testimonies we have the
better!
1. Send on email to TO: JUDtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov (not
case sensitive), and reps@captiol.hawaii.gov
SUBJECT: Opposition of HB 2455
CONTENT: (Cut and Paste your testimony into the body of your
email)
2. Send another email to TO: testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov , and
sens@capitol.hawaii.gov
SUBJECT: Opposition of SB 3141
CONTENT: (Cut and Paste your testimony into the body of your
email)
2. The second thing you can do is call Rep Say and Sen Hanabusa
and ask them to oppose these bills
Rep Calvin Say – 586-6100 Sen Colleen Hanabusa – 586-7793
3. The third thing you can do is write a Letter –to-the-Editor
of the newspaper
A. Use the talking points or just use your testimony to write a
quick letter to the editor. You can begin your letter with
something like "Dear editor, I'm writing to voice my opposition
to house bill 2455 and senate bill 3141. These bills would lift
a $1,000 cap on corporate contributions to candidates running
for office …" or something like that.
B. Send your letters to
1. Honolulu Star Bulletin a. letters@starbulletin.com b. Use
Online Form http://starbulletin.com/forms/letterform.html
2. Honolulu Advertiser a. letters@honoluluadvertiser.com b.
Online Form: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/form/op/letter
C. If you want to, follow up your letter with a phone call to
ask if they'll print it.
IV. Forward this email to your friends!!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Public Campaign Financing
The question is how do you get legislators who truely represent the public when they have to raise big money from special interests. One solution is provide public funding for candidates running for office.
Like so much in politics, the issue of publicly financed campaigns may finally come down to money.
Supporters of publicly financed elections are looking to the Big Island, hoping County Council members there and the county's lobbyist will lead the effort at the state Legislature this year to establish a system of publicly financed elections for that island's nine council races.
The Big Island council last month became the first elected body in Hawai'i to volunteer to try out the proposed new system, a step that could lead to Hawai'i's first fully publicly funded campaigns there in 2010.
The plan is to provide enough public funding to each qualifying council candidate to run a credible campaign without accepting any campaign contributions from special interests. To qualify for public funding, each candidate would have to collect a signature and a $5 donation from 200 registered voters.
The plan has some popular appeal, but Campaign Spending Commission Executive Director Barbara Wong offers some sobering cost calculations: If 50 candidates qualify for public funding in the council primary election, the primary alone would cost about $1 million.
How many people would want to run if they can use someone elses money rather than their own? How do you limit whose campaign will pay for to only viable candidates. One way would require a larger contribution from more registered voters.
Don't dismiss public campaign financing as just another impractical and expensive idea.
Public Campaign Financing may be the only way we will be able to get the big money lobbiests out of government and bring our government back to the people.
The question truely is money. How much are we willing to pay to have our government leaders accountable to us rather than to Big Business?
Like so much in politics, the issue of publicly financed campaigns may finally come down to money.
Supporters of publicly financed elections are looking to the Big Island, hoping County Council members there and the county's lobbyist will lead the effort at the state Legislature this year to establish a system of publicly financed elections for that island's nine council races.
The Big Island council last month became the first elected body in Hawai'i to volunteer to try out the proposed new system, a step that could lead to Hawai'i's first fully publicly funded campaigns there in 2010.
The plan is to provide enough public funding to each qualifying council candidate to run a credible campaign without accepting any campaign contributions from special interests. To qualify for public funding, each candidate would have to collect a signature and a $5 donation from 200 registered voters.
The plan has some popular appeal, but Campaign Spending Commission Executive Director Barbara Wong offers some sobering cost calculations: If 50 candidates qualify for public funding in the council primary election, the primary alone would cost about $1 million.
How many people would want to run if they can use someone elses money rather than their own? How do you limit whose campaign will pay for to only viable candidates. One way would require a larger contribution from more registered voters.
Don't dismiss public campaign financing as just another impractical and expensive idea.
Public Campaign Financing may be the only way we will be able to get the big money lobbiests out of government and bring our government back to the people.
The question truely is money. How much are we willing to pay to have our government leaders accountable to us rather than to Big Business?
Beach Access
In what may have been the biggest beach-access rally ever held on O'ahu, hundreds of people mobilized yesterday around the island with placards, shakas and pleas for passing motorists to support public access to the ocean.
There was a whole lot of honking, especially in Kailua, where locked gates have sprung up in recent years preventing beach access.
Is the future of beach access in Hawaii the same as we see on the mainland where beach access to public beaches is blocked by gated communities and walled beach homes? Add to this the effects of beach erosion resulting from rising oceans and we may be looking at a future where the only access to the water is a swimming pool or a boat.
Beach Access Hawaii is trying to assure that the general public can continue to get to the their beaches.
There was a whole lot of honking, especially in Kailua, where locked gates have sprung up in recent years preventing beach access.
Is the future of beach access in Hawaii the same as we see on the mainland where beach access to public beaches is blocked by gated communities and walled beach homes? Add to this the effects of beach erosion resulting from rising oceans and we may be looking at a future where the only access to the water is a swimming pool or a boat.
Beach Access Hawaii is trying to assure that the general public can continue to get to the their beaches.
HB2833 - HB78
The two bills would allow classification of Class D & E AG zoned land to Rural. Recognizing that D&E lands are primarily pasture and "pasture" lands include some of the best remnant native species outside of conservation districts, I see this as a very bad bill. What is your take?
Let us know what you think. To participate, you need to be a member so email bsager42@gmail.com for an invitation. Its free.
Let us know what you think. To participate, you need to be a member so email bsager42@gmail.com for an invitation. Its free.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Water Use in Hawaii
WAILUKU, Maui — Steve Holaday, the former manager of Maui's last sugar plantation, testified at Thursday's session of the Na Wai Eha contested case that more is involved than allocated water from four West Maui watersheds, The Maui News reported.
"My fear is that no matter what happens here, it's going to be the triggering event for what happens to use in East Maui, and the triggering event for the rest of the state. This is the tip of the iceberg," he said.
The result, Holaday said, could be the collapse of agriculture throughout the Islands.
This came on direct examination by Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. attorney David Schulmeister, who was trying to show the effects on the 36,000-acre sugar plantation if water from the four streams in West Maui known as Na Wai Eha are redirected away from sugar.
At the end of 90 minutes, Schulmeister asked Holaday, "Is there anything else you would like to tell Dr. (Lawrence) Miike?," the hearings officer.
"Not without getting tears in my eyes," Holaday said.
HC&S draws as much as 30 million gallons a day from Na Wai Eha — the Waihe'e, Waiehu, 'Iao and Waikapu streams. It gets as much as 300 million gallons a day from the East Maui Irrigation system, which taps watersheds from Ha'iku to Nahiku under permits from the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
Hui O Na Wai Eha and Maui Tomorrow Foundation have petitioned the state Commission on Water Resource Management to set permanent instream flow standards for the Na Wai Eha streams that would reduce the amount now diverted to the plantation irrigation systems.
"My fear is that no matter what happens here, it's going to be the triggering event for what happens to use in East Maui, and the triggering event for the rest of the state. This is the tip of the iceberg," he said.
The result, Holaday said, could be the collapse of agriculture throughout the Islands.
This came on direct examination by Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. attorney David Schulmeister, who was trying to show the effects on the 36,000-acre sugar plantation if water from the four streams in West Maui known as Na Wai Eha are redirected away from sugar.
At the end of 90 minutes, Schulmeister asked Holaday, "Is there anything else you would like to tell Dr. (Lawrence) Miike?," the hearings officer.
"Not without getting tears in my eyes," Holaday said.
HC&S draws as much as 30 million gallons a day from Na Wai Eha — the Waihe'e, Waiehu, 'Iao and Waikapu streams. It gets as much as 300 million gallons a day from the East Maui Irrigation system, which taps watersheds from Ha'iku to Nahiku under permits from the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
Hui O Na Wai Eha and Maui Tomorrow Foundation have petitioned the state Commission on Water Resource Management to set permanent instream flow standards for the Na Wai Eha streams that would reduce the amount now diverted to the plantation irrigation systems.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Hearings on 2/6
AGR 8:30 Rm 325
HB2501 and HB2516 re biosecurity
HB2517 Prohibiting Sale of invasive species
JDL 9am Rm 016
Bills related to Campaign spending and reapportionment
SB2579, 2630, 2777 3140 3141
FIN 1:30 Rm 308
HB 2907 Ferile Pig Control
WTL 2:45 Rm 414
HB 2525 Providing access to Haena Beach Park
HB3206 Sets up Kawainui Marsh Advisory Council
HB2501 and HB2516 re biosecurity
HB2517 Prohibiting Sale of invasive species
JDL 9am Rm 016
Bills related to Campaign spending and reapportionment
SB2579, 2630, 2777 3140 3141
FIN 1:30 Rm 308
HB 2907 Ferile Pig Control
WTL 2:45 Rm 414
HB 2525 Providing access to Haena Beach Park
HB3206 Sets up Kawainui Marsh Advisory Council
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