The following hearing notices, which are subject to change, were sorted and taken from the Hawaii State Capitol Web site. Please check that site for updates and/or changes to the schedule at

“Hawaii State Legislature Sidebar”

Go there and click on the Hearing Date to view the Hearing Notice.

Hearings notices for both House and Senate measures in all committees:

Hearing

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

4/1/03 9:00 AM None Informational Briefing HLT

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB133 HD1 SD1 RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB135 HD1 SD1 RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL MATCHMAKING ORGANIZATIONS. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB287 HD3 SD1 RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB736 HD1 SD1 RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL LICENSES. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB807 HD2 SD1 RELATING TO CHAPTER 291E. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1010 HD1 SD1 RELATING TO THE USE OF INTOXICANTS. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1572 HD3 RELATING TO PARKING FOR DISABLED PERSONS. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM JC2 Submitting for consideration and confirmation to the District Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawaii, BERT I. AYABE. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM JC3 Submitting for consideration and confirmation to the District Family Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawaii, MICHAEL F. BRODERICK. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SCR18 REAFFIRMING THE STATE OF HAWAII’S COMMITMENT TO CIVIL LIBERTIES AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SCR23 SUPPORTING THE HAWAII STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SCR86 CONVENING A TASK FORCE TO DETERMINE WHETHER HAWAII SHOULD ENACT A THREE STRIKES LAW. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SCR103 REQUESTING A MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT DIVISION. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SCR119 REQUESTING THE HAWAII SUPREME COURT TO MAKE PUBLIC THE DISPOSITION OF ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SR8 REAFFIRMING THE STATE OF HAWAII’S COMMITMENT TO CIVIL LIBERTIES AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SR13 SUPPORTING THE HAWAII STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SR60 CONVENING A TASK FORCE TO DETERMINE WHETHER HAWAII SHOULD ENACT A THREE STRIKES LAW. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SR71 REQUESTING A MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT DIVISION. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM SR78 REQUESTING THE HAWAII SUPREME COURT TO MAKE PUBLIC THE DISPOSITION OF ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS. JHW

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB21 HD1 SD1 RELATING TO CORPORATE DISCLOSURE. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB281 HD1 SD1 RELATING TO STATE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB473 HD2 SD1 RELATING TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB668 SD1 RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB968 HD1 RELATING TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB986 HD2 SD1 RELATING TO DEATH BENEFITS OF SURVIVING CHILDREN OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1041 RELATING TO STATE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES EXCLUDED FROM COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND MAKING APPROPRIATIONS AND OTHER ADJUSTMENTS. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1042 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1043 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR SALARY INCREASES FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1044 RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1045 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1046 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1047 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1175 HD2 SD1 RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1400 HD1 SD1 RELATING TO HOTEL CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING TAX CREDIT. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1509 HD2 SD1 RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION. WAM

4/1/03 9:00 AM HB1554 HD1 SD1 RELATING TO COUNTY TAXES. WAM

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR71 REQUESTING AN AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH’S QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR PROVIDERS OF SERVICES TO THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED AND TO RECOMMEND A LEVEL OF BUDGET FUNDING TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL MANDATES. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR153 REQUESTING AN ACTUARIAL STUDY ON HEALTH INSURANCE PARITY FOR THE TREATMENT OF ALCOHOL DEPENDENCY AND DRUG DEPENDENCY. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR179 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO IMPLEMENT AN EPIDEMIC PREVENTION PROGRAM TO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL ENTRY OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE VECTORS THAT MAY CAUSE AN EPIDEMIC IN HAWAII. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR187 URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO SEEK GRANT FUNDING FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RURAL HOSPITAL FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR207 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE STATE HEALTH PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, TO CONDUCT A STUDY REGARDING MEDICAL IMAGING FOR DIAGNOSIS IN HAWAII. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR213 EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR A WOMEN’S HEALTH PLATFORM THAT RECOGNIZES SERIOUS INEQUITIES IN THE HEALTH PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF WOMEN, AND CALLS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF THESE INEQUITIES TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH STATUS OF WOMEN IN HAWAII. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR220 REQUESTING THE JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO HOST A SYMPOSIUM ON COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HR143 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO IMPLEMENT AN EPIDEMIC PREVENTION PROGRAM TO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL ENTRY OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE VECTORS THAT MAY CAUSE AN EPIDEMIC IN HAWAII. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HR151 URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO SEEK GRANT FUNDING FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RURAL HOSPITAL FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HR165 EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR A WOMEN’S HEALTH PLATFORM THAT RECOGNIZES SERIOUS INEQUITIES IN THE HEALTH PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF WOMEN, AND CALLS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF THESE INEQUITIES TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH STATUS OF WOMEN IN HAWAII. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HR172 REQUESTING THE JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO HOST A SYMPOSIUM ON COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM SB1163 RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. HLT

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR195 REQUESTING THE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN IN THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON AGING TO ESTABLISH AN OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT ENCOURAGES VOLUNTEERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO VISIT ADULT RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES, LICENSED ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES, AND NURSING CARE FACILITIES AND TO REPORT ANY ABUSE, NEGLECT, OR MISTREATMENT OF THE ELDERLY AND DEPENDENT ADULTS. HLT/HSH

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR218 SUPPORTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HEALTH CARE ROUNDTABLE TO PROMOTE IMPROVEMENTS IN HAWAII’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. HLT/HSH

4/1/03 10:30 AM HR158 REQUESTING THE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN IN THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON AGING TO ESTABLISH AN OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT ENCOURAGES VOLUNTEERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO VISIT ADULT RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES, LICENSED ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES, AND NURSING CARE FACILITIES AND TO REPORT ANY ABUSE, NEGLECT, OR MISTREATMENT OF THE ELDERLY AND DEPENDENT ADULTS. HLT/HSH

4/1/03 10:30 AM HR170 SUPPORTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HEALTH CARE ROUNDTABLE TO PROMOTE IMPROVEMENTS IN HAWAII’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. HLT/HSH

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR155 SUPPORTING THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO ENSURE MEANINGFUL LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TO FEDERALLY-ASSISTED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW. HSH

4/1/03 10:30 AM HCR212 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO REVIEW EXISTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY MEDICAID AND HAWAII QUEST PARTICIPANTS. HSH/HLT

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR46 REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING HAWAII MARKETS FOR WOOD WASTE. ECD

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR76 URGING THE GOVERNOR AND STATE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES TO RECOGNIZE THE CONCERNS ADDRESSED IN THE SMALL BUSINESS BILL OF RIGHTS AND TO TAKE STEPS TO CREATE A MORE BUSINESSFRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. ECD

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR98 CONVENING AN ECONOMIC SUMMIT. ECD

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR196 REQUESTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO ESTABLISH AN EXPANDING AND SUSTAINABLE FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION INDUSTRY IN HAWAII. ECD

4/1/03 1:15 PM SR51 URGING THE GOVERNOR AND STATE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES TO RECOGNIZE THE CONCERNS ADDRESSED IN THE SMALL BUSINESS BILL OF RIGHTS AND TO TAKE STEPS TO CREATE A MORE BUSINESSFRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. ECD

4/1/03 1:15 PM SR67 CONVENING AN ECONOMIC SUMMIT. ECD

4/1/03 1:15 PM SR136 REQUESTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO ESTABLISH AN EXPANDING AND SUSTAINABLE FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION INDUSTRY IN HAWAII. ECD

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR41 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO ASSIST IN THE ACCOMMODATION OF A PLASMA-ARC TORCH FACILITY IN THE STATE. ECD/HTH

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR6 REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF BIG BOX RETAILERS ON LOCAL SMALL AND MEDIUM RETAIL BUSINESSES. ECD/LBR

4/1/03 1:15 PM SR5 REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF BIG BOX RETAILERS ON LOCAL SMALL AND MEDIUM RETAIL BUSINESSES. ECD/LBR

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR39 REQUESTING THE FILM INDUSTRY BRANCH OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO ASSIST HAWAII FILMMAKERS IN EXPORTING THEIR PRODUCTS OUT-OF-STATE AND TO DO ALL THINGS NECESSARY TO PROMOTE LOCALLY MADE FILMS. ECD/SAT

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR74 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM AND THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY TRADE ASSOCIATION TO FORM A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING AN INTERNET WEBSITE AS A PORTAL TO MARKET ALTERNATIVE ENERGY ACTIVITIES AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN HAWAII. ECD/SAT

4/1/03 1:15 PM SR25 REQUESTING THE FILM INDUSTRY BRANCH OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO ASSIST HAWAII FILMMAKERS IN EXPORTING THEIR PRODUCTS OUT-OF-STATE AND TO DO ALL THINGS NECESSARY TO PROMOTE LOCALLY MADE FILMS. ECD/SAT

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR198 REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING AN ELECTRONIC VISA SYSTEM. ECD/TMG

4/1/03 1:15 PM SR138 REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING AN ELECTRONIC VISA SYSTEM. ECD/TMG

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR201 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A HAWAII STATE SPORTS AUTHORITY. ECD/TSM

4/1/03 1:15 PM SR141 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A HAWAII STATE SPORTS AUTHORITY. ECD/TSM

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR73 REQUESTING EXAMINATION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF DEDICATING TEN PERCENT OF GENERAL EXCISE TAX FROM OCEAN RECREATION BUSINESSES TO THE STATEWIDE BOATING PROGRAM. ECD/WLA

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR199 REQUESTING THE CONSIDERATION OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH NON-PROFIT ENTITIES TO ENHANCE SELECTED PARK PROPERTIES WHILE APPLYING A COMMUNITY-BASED CULTURAL TOURISM MODEL. ECD/WLA

4/1/03 1:15 PM SR139 REQUESTING THE CONSIDERATION OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH NON-PROFIT ENTITIES TO ENHANCE SELECTED PARK PROPERTIES WHILE APPLYING A COMMUNITY-BASED CULTURAL TOURISM MODEL. ECD/WLA

4/1/03 1:15 PM SCR205 REQUESTING SUPPORT FOR PROMOTING HAWAII AS A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR HYDROGEN FUEL CELL ENERGY. ENE/ECD

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB576 HD1 RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII. FIN

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB1055 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE INSURANCE. FIN

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB1068 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES. FIN

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB1077 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR INSURANCE LICENSEES. FIN

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB1410 SD1 RELATING TO CLAIMS AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AND PROVIDING APPROPRIATIONS THEREFOR. FIN

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB1505 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES. FIN

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB373 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO CONDOMINIUM PROPERTY REGIMES. JUD

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB1234 SD2 RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. JUD

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB1356 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO REGISTRATION OF VITAL STATISTICS. JUD

4/1/03 2:00 PM SB1514 SD1 RELATING TO FORFEITURES. JUD

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

4/1/03 2:30 PM HB123 HD1 RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF PHARMACY. CPH/HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR9 REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO STUDY THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL IMPACT OF MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR EXAMINATION FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR34 REQUESTING A MANAGEMENT AUDIT OF THE DENTAL HEALTH DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR48 REQUESTING AN AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH’S QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR PROVIDERS OF SERVICES TO THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED AND TO RECOMMEND A LEVEL OF BUDGET FUNDING TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL MANDATES. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR64 REQUESTING A REVIEW OF THE IMPORTATION TO HAWAII OF TUNA PROCESSED WITH “TASTELESS SMOKE” OR CARBON MONOXIDE. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR131 REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF MANDATED GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR INFERTILITY. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR132 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO IMPLEMENT A PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON THE DANGERS OF CRYSTAL METHAMPHETAMINE. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR175 REQUESTING A REPORT BY THE PATIENT SAFETY TASK FORCE OF THE HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION OF HAWAII. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SR42 REQUESTING A REVIEW OF THE IMPORTATION TO HAWAII OF TUNA PROCESSED WITH “TASTELESS SMOKE” OR CARBON MONOXIDE. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SR86 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO IMPLEMENT A PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON THE DANGERS OF CRYSTAL METHAMPHETAMINE. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SR123 REQUESTING A REPORT BY THE PATIENT SAFETY TASK FORCE OF THE HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION OF HAWAII. HTH

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR124 REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RURAL HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO. HTH/EDU

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR152 CONTINUING THE JOINT SENATE-HOUSE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE STATE’S EFFORTS TO COMPLY WITH THE FELIX CONSENT DECREE. HTH/EDU

4/1/03 2:30 PM SR83 REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RURAL HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO. HTH/EDU

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR116 REQUESTING AN ACTUARIAL STUDY ON HEALTH INSURANCE PARITY FOR THE TREATMENT OF ALCOHOL DEPENDENCY AND DRUG DEPENDENCY. HTH/HMS

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR172 SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SELF-DETERMINATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT USING CONSUMER-DIRECTED APPROACHES. HTH/HMS

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR192 REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO REVIEW EXISTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY MEDICAID AND HAWAII QUEST PARTICIPANTS. HTH/HMS

4/1/03 2:30 PM SR120 SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SELF-DETERMINATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT USING CONSUMER-DIRECTED APPROACHES. HTH/HMS

4/1/03 2:30 PM SCR108 ENCOURAGING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATIVE TO SUPPORT THE INCREASED USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BY HAWAII PHYSICIANS. HTH/SAT

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

4/1/03 2:45 PM SB837 SD1 HD2 RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. FIN

4/1/03 2:45 PM SB931 SD2 HD1 RELATING TO HAWAII VICTIMS LEAVE ACT. FIN

4/1/03 2:45 PM SB1070 HD1 RELATING TO EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PERMANENT IMPAIRMENT. FIN

4/1/03 2:45 PM SB1326 SD1 RELATING TO EDUCATION. FIN

4/1/03 2:45 PM SB1426 SD1 RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT. FIN

4/1/03 2:45 PM SB1700 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS. FIN

4/1/03 2:45 PM SCR56 URGING ADEQUATE FINANCIAL IMPACT ASSISTANCE FOR PROVIDING SERVICES TO CITIZENS OF THE FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES WHO RESIDE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII. HTH

4/1/03 2:45 PM SR36 URGING ADEQUATE FINANCIAL IMPACT ASSISTANCE FOR PROVIDING SERVICES TO CITIZENS OF THE FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES WHO RESIDE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII. HTH

4/1/03 2:45 PM SCR109 REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF USING OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE VERSUS COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE FOR GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS. SAT

4/1/03 2:45 PM SCR117 REQUESTING A FINANCIAL AND MANAGEMENT AUDIT OF THE PUBLIC, EDUCATION, AND GOVERNMENT ACCESS ORGANIZATIONS. SAT

4/1/03 2:45 PM SCR163 REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A “STATE CAPITOL MURAL ART BY STUDENTS” PROJECT TO HANG OR PAINT STUDENT MURALS ON THE WALLS OF THE STATE CAPITOL. SAT

4/1/03 2:45 PM SCR204 RELATING TO CELEBRATION OF ADMISSION DAY. SAT

4/1/03 2:45 PM SR76 REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF USING OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE VERSUS COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE FOR GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS. SAT

4/1/03 2:45 PM SR112 REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A “STATE CAPITOL MURAL ART BY STUDENTS” PROJECT TO HANG OR PAINT STUDENT MURALS ON THE WALLS OF THE STATE CAPITOL. SAT

4/1/03 2:45 PM SR144 RELATING TO CELEBRATION OF ADMISSION DAY. SAT

4/1/03 2:45 PM SCR79 SUPPORTING THE RALPH BUNCHE CENTENARY CELEBRATION. SAT/EDU

4/1/03 2:45 PM SR54 SUPPORTING THE RALPH BUNCHE CENTENARY CELEBRATION. SAT/EDU

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

4/1/03 4:00 PM SB44 SD2 HD1 RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. FIN

4/1/03 4:00 PM SB1172 SD2 HD1 RELATING TO AIRLINES. FIN

”’To reach legislators, see:”’ “Representatives at a Glance” and “Senators at a Glance”

When is a tax increase not a tax increase? Why when it is a matter of home rule or at least that is what the state administration says about a proposal to give the City & County of Honolulu the ability to levy a retail sales tax of up to one percent.

Under the proposal as it left the House, any county with a population of more than 200,000 may levy a general excise and use tax surcharge of an unspecified percentage. Again, the only county that meets the population criteria is the City & County of Honolulu. Should the City & County levy the surcharge, it would lose its share of the transient accommodations tax (TAT) revenues which currently amounts to $31 million annually. The City & County’s share would then be redistributed to the other counties.

Thus, it sounds like a sweet deal for both the City & County of Honolulu and the neighbor island counties as the City & County gets the power to levy a new tax and the neighbor islands get to pick up the bounty left behind by the City & County. But what happens to the taxpayer?

In this case, the loser is the taxpayer because it is the taxpayer who will be asked to shell out more for the City & County. And if you think the neighbor islanders will walk away tax-free, think again. Where do most of the goods and services purchased by neighbor islanders come from? If those goods and services flow through Oahu to reach the neighbor island consumer, then the cost of the additional surcharge will be imbedded in those goods and services. Well, that was a couple of weeks ago. Just last week, the bill got an airing before the Senate Tourism Committee because it would affect the TAT. Senators thought it was a darn good idea, but they thought the general excise idea would have a dampening effect on businesses because it imposes the tax on business-to-business transactions and on transactions that were not for final consumption, such as sales at wholesale.

So instead of a surcharge on the general excise and use tax, they thought the retail sales tax found on the mainland would be a better tax structure to give the City & County of Honolulu. This is because the tax is levied only on goods and not on services and then only on the final consumption of those goods. This way the consumer would not be hurt … too much.

Well, not too much — just enough to generate $120 million annually. And if the City & County doesn’t want to hurt the bulk of its taxpayers they could exempt food and drug purchases from the retail sales tax or so one senator suggested.

Thank you senators because now there will be two taxes to collect on the same transaction. Not only will the additional tax mean a tax increase, but it will mean added costs to the business or vendor because the retail sales tax is not the same as the general excise tax. The general excise tax is a tax on gross income where the tax “passed on” by the vendor or business is included in the gross income of the business. That’s why we sometimes see 4.166 percent on our bills. The retail sales tax is a tax paid by the customer and the business merely collects it on behalf of the tax department. And an interesting question arises. Will the added 1 percent retail sales tax be considered a part of the vendor’s income subject to the 4 percent general excise tax? In any case, the vendor or business will have to keep track of what is the retail sales tax separately from what is collected as the general excise tax.

And lest neighbor island residents think they will see a wind fall from the imposition of the retail sales tax by the City & County of Honolulu, note well that the chair of the Ways & Means Committee already has his eyes on the Honolulu share of the TAT. He figures that since the state is faced with financial problems, why not just keep the Honolulu portion for the state’s budget.

And there is even talk of giving all the counties the ability to levy their own sales tax so that the state can take back the TAT collections currently shared with the counties. Now let’s see, if the state gives the counties the power to raise a new tax and we as taxpayer pay more, albeit to the counties, but the state takes back the TAT collections to spend on the state budget … that surely sounds like a tax increase adopted by the state legislature. And now back to the governor who believes that this is a step in the right direction to return homerule to the counties. Now let’s see if you are shelling out more in taxes, albeit to the counties, it seems like a tax increase in anyone’s book, but apparently not in the governor’s book, a book that pledged no increase in taxes.

”’Lowell L. Kalapa is the president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, a private, non-profit educational organization. For more information, please call 536-4587 or log on to”’ https://www.tfhawaii.org

WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) — Even if the war against Iraq does end relatively swiftly, the U.S. economy may not recover as quickly as some investors might hope, economists cautioned Friday.

“Geopolitical risks are not going to decrease with the end of Saddam (Hussein),” said Michael Prell, former research director of the Federal Reserve Board. He pointed out that the ongoing war was more about fighting terrorism, rather than simply trying to topple the current Iraqi government.

As such, Prell said that war risks were unlikely to decrease significantly even when Saddam is ousted from power, and added that concerns about or indeed an outright terrorist attack could damage U.S. growth prospects much more than war against Iraq.

His comments directly challenge the belief held by many Wall Street investors, who are expecting the economy to return to a steady growth path once the war against Iraq is over in a few months’ time, as is now widely speculated. Indeed, such optimism was expressed by Treasury Secretary John Snow as recently as this week, as he said he expected share prices to climb steadily once the war was over.

But the former Fed economist dashed such hopes, as he told economists and policymakers at a briefing that even without a war in the Middle East, or even the Sept. 11 attacks or threats of future terrorist activities, the U.S. economy would have languished as a result of the excesses of the late 1990s, and that the problems accumulated then are continuing to bog down growth potential.

The economy had already been languishing when terrorists struck New York and Washington in September 2001, as investors were still smarting from the burst of the high-tech bubble. But Prell said that financial markets still had some ways to go down south before they were fully adjusted for the over-exuberance of the past decade, suggesting that stock prices were still over-valued despite the continued downward trend of equities over the past two years.

Meanwhile, Eric Engen, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute and former Fed economist, agreed that economic fundamentals have been weak since the peak of expansion was reached in March 2001, and cautioned that an end to the war effort would not necessarily spell an automatic rebound for U.S. growth prospects. Both former Fed economists were also wary of the possibility of oil prices remaining high should political uncertainties in the Middle East remain, which in turn could fan the flames of inflation and keep a lid on both business and consumer spending.

But unlike Prell, Engen said that President Bush’s fiscal policy, as well as monetary policy currently being pursued by the Fed, were conducive enough to encouraging growth in the longer term, unlike during and after the first Gulf War.

“Policy, both fiscal and monetary, are looser now,” Engen said, pointing out that the key interest rate is now at its lowest level in over forty years at 1.25 percent, while the Bush administration continues to press for more spending. In 1991, interest rates were high, with the federal funds target rate averaged 5.7 percent, whilst it was averaged at 8.0 percent in 1990. At the same time, inflationary pressure is of little concern to policymakers to date, whilst it was a considerable source of anxiety a decade ago.

As for federal spending, Engen argued that the budget restraints imposed by President George H. Bush, followed by President Bill Clinton’s fiscally restrained administration, had actually cramped the ability for the economic growth engine to ignite sooner than it could have. Thus, Engen concluded that President George W. Bush’s efforts to continue cutting taxes and bolster spending would ultimately benefit the country’s economic outlook.

There is, of course, the possibility that the Fed could cut rates still further to stimulate the economy, and the former research director of the central bank said that policymakers may well cut interest rates to zero, even though he declined to comment on a specific timeline. Meanwhile, Fed governor Ben Bernanke said at a conference this week that the central bank should consider adopting an inflation targeting scheme, given that deflationary as well as inflationary pressure could potentially hurt the economy.

But not all economists were as pessimistic about the U.S. economic outlook. Kevin Hassett, who was also formerly a Fed economist, said that the economy picked up after the Gulf War, albeit with a time lag of a few years.

Copyright by United Press International. All rights reserved.

Two journalists working in Baghdad for a Long Island-based newspaper remain missing Friday after reportedly being ejected from the capital by Iraqi officials. The Newsday staffers were last seen in their hotel Tuesday morning.

Matthew McAllester, a staff reporter, and Moises Saman, a staff photographer, sent an e-mail update to their editors Monday afternoon to coordinate coverage and made no mention of problems with Iraqi authorities, according to Newsday. By Tuesday morning their room had been cleaned out and reporters remaining in Baghdad were told they had been ejected in a visa dispute, the paper also reported.

Another free-lance photographer, Molly Bingham, Al Gore’s official photographer during the Clinton administration, is believed to be traveling with the pair and is also considered missing.

“We went to everyone conceivable to try to get the facts,” said Newsday editor Anthony Marro in a statement. “We felt the more questions that could be asked from more directions, the better. We’re optimistic someone will contact us to say … (McAllester and Saman) are in Baghdad and working with officials to try to stay there, or that they are in Jordan or Syria.”

A statement from the Committee to Protect Journalists said that the three had been told to leave over a visa dispute.

“There were conflicting reports that Iraqi officials took the three journalists from the Hotel Palestine in Baghdad, telling them they were being expelled from the country allegedly because of visa problems,” the CPJ statement says. “Some journalists in Baghdad reported that the journalists were put on buses headed for Damascus, Syria. Others said the bus was headed to Amman, Jordan. However, as of this evening, the journalists remain missing.”

None of the three journalists has been able to contact either Newsday or other organizations to report their location or condition.

As the war has intensified and U.S. troops have closed to within about 50 miles of the capital, Iraqi officials have gradually reduced the number of U.S. and Western journalists reporting from Baghdad. But only the three have gone missing in the exodus.

On Thursday, the first reported removal of a journalist from a U.S. military unit in Iraq took place, with military commanders claiming that Phil Smucker, a free-lancer working with The Christian Science Monitor and The Daily Telegraph of London, revealed operation details in a CNN interview.

Smucker gave detailed information on the location of the Marine unit he was traveling with and was then removed from Iraq and sent to Kuwait by U.S. forces.

“My understanding of the facts at this point from the commander on the ground is that this reporter was reporting, in real time, positions, locations and activities of units engaged in combat,” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said in a statement. “The commander felt it was necessary and appropriate to remove (Smucker) from his immediate battle space in order not to compromise his mission or endanger personnel of his unit.”

Also reported Friday, U.S. troops in Iraq detained three foreign journalists on suspicion of espionage and beat two of them, relatives and a co-worker asserted Friday. They were released after 48 hours in Kuwait.

U.S. Central Command is looking into the allegations of mistreatment, according to Lt. Col. David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman in Washington.

According to Lapan, the reporters were unilaterals — that is, not embedded with military units — and approached a field force in a vehicle. They were unexpected and were therefore viewed as a security threat, given that irregular Iraqi forces travel around the country in unmarked civilian cars.

The unit stopped the reporters, contacted higher headquarters and were told to move them out of Iraq. The unit moved them back to Kuwait via helicopter while their vehicle remained in Iraq, said Lapan.

The journalists, Dan Scemama of Israel’s Channel 1 TV and Boaz Bismuth of the Israeli Yediot Aharonot, entered Kuwait without proper accreditation. Scemama maintained earlier this week that he was denied accreditation because he represented Israeli television.

The two teamed up with a Portuguese TV reporter, rented a jeep, and entered Iraq on their own, driving alongside American convoys. They phoned in reports based on conversations with U.S. troops and Iraqis.

According to an account by Scemama’s girlfriend, Shlomit Yarkoni, the journalists were forced to stop Tuesday beside six tanks because of sandstorms. “They couldn’t see the road … (and) the Americans advised them not to move because they would not be identified in the dust and … orders to (the troops) shoot at almost anything that moves.”

She said soldiers woke them up at gunpoint early Wednesday and accused them of espionage. The reporters were told to pick up their shirts and let down their pants to prove they were not carrying bombs.

Scemama’s sister, Dina Harel, told United Press International they were told to drop to the sand, face down. They were later kept in a closed jeep for 36 hours.

The Portuguese journalist asked to phone home and was beaten, the two said. His ribs were broken, and he is now hospitalized.

Yediot Aharonot’s city desk editor, Eran Tiefenbrunn, told UPI that Bismuth was also beaten. The newspaper, concerned about loss of contact with the journalists, asked the Pentagon to help find them.

After 48 hours, a helicopter flew the reporters to an American military base in Kuwait where they were released and given their phones back. Their rented jeep was impounded, Harel said.

The International Federation of Journalists Friday called on U.S. authorities to conduct a full investigation into the allegations that troops beat the reporters — a move that Pentagon spokesman Lapan said was indeed in the making.

“If true, this maltreatment of journalists is a grave violation of journalists’ rights. This incident must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice,” said the IFJ in a statement Friday evening.

The Brussels-based organization identified the Portuguese reporter as Louis de Castro of Radio Television Portugal.

P. Mitchell Prothero reported from Washington and Joshua Brilliant from Tel Aviv, Israel. Pam Hess also contributed to this report from the Pentagon in Washington.

Copyright 2003 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

AMMAN, Jordan, March 27 (UPI) — Shock and awe is anything but clean and swift. A dirty war is getting dirtier and does not look like getting clean any time soon.

Peace, when it comes, may be dirtier still.

Mines are laid in the waterway approaches to Umm Qasr to delay humanitarian relief for the Iraqi civilian population. Iraqi regulars and irregulars and militiamen, all armed but out of uniform, hide among small groups of civilians, waiting for coalition vehicles or troopers on foot to approach. Then weapons are produced from under ankle-length galabiya shirts.

Taking their cue from the 1944 Battle of the Bulge in Belgium when German soldiers in U.S. army uniforms created havoc by infiltrating the Allied lines, these civilian-clad armed Iraqis changed road and street signs in An Nasiriyah and An Najaf to send coalition troops into an ambush.

U.S. and U.K. commanders will soon be pushed into adjusting tactics to root out enemy snipers who take pot shots at the coalition troops before they can claim a city liberated. It will soon be an Iraqi urban insurgency vs. a coalition counter-insurgency, or house-to-house fighting the Pentagon was determined to avoid.

A 350-mile supply line from Kuwait to the outer suburbs of Baghdad is impossible to protect along its entire length without another 100,000 army personnel.

In 1950, the British-occupied Suez Canal zone was known as “Sten-gun alley.” While King Farouk was still on the throne, Egyptian guerrillas kept popping up night after night, like missed targets in a county fair shooting gallery, wearing down the then mighty British army.

Eventually, the British withdrew, and Gamal Abdel Nasser was free to stage his 1952 coup and abolish the monarchy.

Now, already, the U.S. supply line between the Kuwaiti border and U.S. forces approaching Baghdad is dubbed “ambush alley” or “machine-gun alley.”

A country the size of France or California can never be declared safe and secure. After France surrendered to the Nazis in June 1940, underground resistance quickly got organized and kept hitting the Germans for the next four years where they least expected it. Iraq is the reverse, with the local Nazis going underground, but the capabilities of a hostile resistance remain the same.

Churchill once said, “What the horn is to the rhinoceros, Islam is to the Arabs.” No one would be surprised if an Iraqi underground movement against a U.S. occupation force emerges under an Islamist banner. Such an underground could quickly become a new focus for Islamist extremists — and terrorists — the world over.

For many Arabs, the present situation revives historical ghosts from the 1915-22 period “when British and French armies brazenly rearranged our region into strange-shaped countries with Euro-made structures,” according to op-ed editor Rami G. Khouri in the Jordan Times.

The Arab view, he says, “is that this is done mainly to protect western colonial interests, divide up local spoils, and promote Zionist national goals, largely ignoring indigenous Arab, Kurdish and other local interests.”

Arab editorials, from Marrakech to Muscat collected daily by Foreign Broadcast Information Services, a branch of the CIA reflect a revival of colonial fears. The war on Iraq strikes most Americans as a brand new phase of history. But for most Arabs, from university professors to cab drivers, it is seen as yet another return of western colonial armies that have regularly marched through the region for the last two centuries.

The chief of staff of the Jordanian army was the famous Glubb Pasha, actually British Gen John Baghot Glubb. But after the Hashemite monarchy in Iraq was overthrown by a military coup in 1958, the king of Jordan — also a member of the Hashemite royal house — prudently distanced himself from his British connections, including Glubb, to satisfy Arab nationalists in his own country.

So what is America up to according to Arab intellectuals? Washington, say the professors, wants to create a new political order that is unsatisfactory to Arabs because it aims mainly to serve the interests of the United States and Israel, or, as Khouri wrote, “the tiny elite of western-created Arab wielders of power and amassers of wealth.”

The current editorial outpourings are a throwback to Soviet propaganda and disinformation during the Cold War. The fashionable evidence Arab intellectuals now brandish is “Origins of Regime Change in Iraq,” a Carnegie Endowment study, which documents how a small group of activists in the Bush administration has managed to fashion a Bush Doctrine that calls for regime change throughout the Middle East, beginning with Iraq.

Mesopotamia, the fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers south of Baghdad was a separate province in the Ottoman Empire. Iraq is a British-designed construct of three Ottoman provinces that brought together Kurds, a Sunni Arab minority and a Shiite majority in a jigsaw whose pieces never quite fit, but were pressed into place by a blend of strong militaristic rule and a cult of personality that out-cults North Korea’s Kim Jong-il.

Saddam Hussein kept himself on top with a ruthless manipulation of ethnic and sectarian divisions — and two wars, Iran, and Kuwait. His throne, like those of ancient Ashanti kings, was built on a mountain of human skulls.

Copyright 2003 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

“Dick Rowland Image”

”Shoots (News, Views and Quotes)”

– Get Your Wonder Drugs!

Author: John J. Miller

Source: National Review, 2/24/03

Author John Miller presents an in depth portrait of the enormous peril,
risk, expense, and emotional investment in pharmaceutical research.
Miller uses the story of Pfizer’s Geodon, an antipsychotic drug used to
treat schizophrenia, to illustrate the amount of time and money that are
devoted to bringing a new drug from discovery to market. “For every
150,000 compounds our scientists make, we figure one of them will make
it to the marketplace,” says Derek Leshman, a Pfizer pharmacologist.
Miller tracks one compound that the company spent more than a decade and
hundreds of millions of dollars to develop, with great promise, great
disappointment, and ultimate success in developing a new wonder drug.
Full text: https://www.cnehealth.org/pubs/02242003_wonder_drugs_miller.htm

– Long Lines Mar Canada’s Low-Cost Health Care

Author: Clifford Krauss

Source: The New York Times, 2/13/03

Clifford Krauss writes in The New York Times that Canada’s national
health care system is currently experiencing major problems with access
to care for its citizens, including long waiting lists, delayed care,
doctor and nurse shortages, and out-dated technologies. Canada spends
more on health care relative to its economy than every country except
the United States, Germany, and Switzerland. Nonetheless, 4.3 million
Canadians report having difficulty seeing a doctor or getting a test in
a timely fashion and 3 million are unable to find a family physician.
Krauss also documents the experiences of two women with breast cancer.
One had to wait three months after surgery to begin radiation therapy;
the other waited two months after a mammogram for biopsies that would
confirm the cancer. “The system’s shortfalls have opened the way for
tentative but growing moves toward privately managed medical services
and user fees in return for quicker service,” concludes Krauss.
Full text: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/13/international/americas/13CANA.html

Above articles are quoted from the Galen Institute, Health Policy
Matters Feb.y 14, 2003 https://www.galen.org

”Roots (Food for Thought)”

– Castle Coalition Defends Property Rights Across the Nation

By Scott Bullock

The Castle Coalition-the grass-roots advocacy group the Institute for
Justice formed to work with and train property owners and activists to
challenge eminent domain abuse nationwide-closed out 2002 with a whirl
of activity. The Coalition, led by IJ-s Nicole Church, witnessed
activity in a case that has been going on for a number of years, in
addition to providing much-needed assistance to individuals just gearing
up to fight abuse of eminent domain in their own neighborhoods.

The first day of December saw the castle Coalition organizing a vigil in
the Fort Trumbull neighborhood of New London, Conn., on the eve of oral argument before he Connecticut Supreme Court. It was a brutally cold and windy night, but still, more than 50 people gathered for a candlelight vigil in front of one of the homes threatened by the City and the New London Development Corporation (NLDC). Community activists lent support to the homeowners and the Institute for Justice, as they have throughout this three-year struggle. The feeling of solidarity and commitment to a noble cause were evident not only at the vigil, but also when many of the same people and others boarded a bus the next morning to make an hour-long trek to Hartford for the oral argument and to rally on the steps of the courthouse. It was a magnificent and exhilarating sight to see so many people in front of the courthouse as Dana Berliner and I went up the steps to present our arguments to the justices. After the argument, as we faced the media, activists and property owners surrounded us with their signs and supportive words. In contrast, I counted a grand total of zero supporters for the City and the NLDC,
unless you count their lawyers — and they of course had to be there.

For some unknown reason, the state of Ohio has seen an explosion in
eminent domain abuse. From the outskirts of Cleveland to several
communities in the Cincinnati area, local governments plan to destroy
perfectly fine middle-class neighborhoods to hand the land over to
developers to put in high-end retail stores, condominiums and other
projects favored by the misguided and ruthless city leaders and their
developer pals. One of the favorite tactics governments use in these
areas is to declare the well-kept, attractive neighborhoods
“blighted” because with a blight designation comes not only government
subsidies for developers but also the power of eminent domain.

The criteria cities use to declare an area blighted would be laughable
if they were not so dangerous. The City of Lakewood, Ohio, said a
neighborhood was blighted because many of the homes did not have attached garages or central air conditioning, while the City of Evendale declared a whole commercial strip blighted because about half of the properties
are within a 500-year flood plain (probably half of Ohio, if not more,
is within a 500-year flood plain!). These governments nakedly abuse
blight laws to force out small home and business owners to make way for their favored projects.

In mid-December, Nicole Church organized a whirlwind trip for Dana and
me through Ohio to meet with people who are just now organizing to fight
eminent domain abuse. We met with five groups of people around Cleveland and Cincinnati and provided them with the information and tools they will need to try to stop these projects before they get to litigation. And we will continue to work with these brave and principled people in the coming year to make sure
they are able to keep their homes and businesses.

Not Again in the Mountaineer State

Shortly before Christmas, Romona Taylor-Williams of Charleston, W.Va.,
used the skills she learned at the Castle Coalition’s first training seminar to rally opposition to the City’s proposal to engage in urban renewal in the East End section of the city. A large crowd of demonstrators (all wearing
their Castle Coalition anti-eminent domain stickers) turned out for the
first public hearing on the plan before a committee of the city council
and pledged that they would not allow the City to again destroy a
neighborhood in the name of redevelopment.

IJ submitted written testimony to the council committee opposing the
abuse of eminent domain in the area. The activism made an impact. The
newspaper headlines the following morning said it all: “Renewal
Proposals Blasted-Black Residents Say City Targeting Their Communities”
and “City Residents Not Sold on New Urban Renewal Plans.” With eminent domain abuse continuing nationwide, the first part of 2003 promises to be just as active as last year.

Scott Bullock is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice.

Above article is quoted from the Institute for Justice, Liberty and Law
February 2003 https://www.ij.org

”Evergreen (Today’s Quote)”

“A specter is haunting the world. It is the specter of bankrupt state-run
pension systems. The pay-as-you-go pension system that has reigned
supreme through most of this century has a fundamental flaw, one rooted
in a false conception of how human beings behave: it destroys, at the
individual level, the essential link between effort and reward–in other
words, between personal responsibilities and personal rights. Whenever
that happens on a massive scale and for a long period of time, the
result is disaster.” — Jose Pinera

”’Edited by Richard O. Rowland, president of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. He can be reached at (808) 487-4959 or by email at:”’ mailto:grassroot@hawaii.rr.com ”’For more information, see its Web site at:”’ https://www.grassrootinstitute.org/

“Suzanne Gelb Image”

”Just 21 – Who Can I Befriend?”

Dear Dr. Gelb:

I just got off the telephone with my daughter who is away at college. She just turned 21 and called to lament that as more and more of her friends turn 21 they are turning to a lifestyle of drinking and frequenting bars. That lifestyle is not what she is interested in, but she said it is lonely to be different. She’s smart and has high goals.

I told her I understood and empathized with her. Is there anything else I can offer her to make her feel less alone?

Thanks

A: Dear Concerned Mother:

On the assumption that your daughter has befriended these individuals on campus, it is probably unlikely that there is a solidified bond to these friendships. In such instances, the type of loneliness described can be short-lived, and affected students can choose to turn their attention to other students of similar moral and ethical commitment, while grieving the loss and disappointment of seeing one’s friends indulging in immoral behavior.

”Exams – Why Can’t I Sleep?”

Dear Dr. Gelb:

I am a college student and I have a whole bunch of projects and assignments due before the end of the semester, and soon exams will be upon me, and I notice I am having a hard time sleeping. This always happens as the end of the semester approaches. Any suggestions on how I can get some z-z-z-z-zs?

Tired

A: Dear Tired:

Sleep disruptions amongst college students are not uncommon. It is so important to identify the cause of the problem, otherwise, tiredness can cause physical and mental exhaustion. Often the disrupted sleep is prompted by some type of fear — the student is preoccupied with something that is scary to them. In such instances it is important to learn how to express that fear safely. Then the anxiety is likely to subside. At that point some students have found it helpful to embrace positive self-talk such as “there is nothing to be afraid of, I am smart enough to deal with anything that may come my way.”

If you would like to learn more about how to make fear work for us and not against us, consider reading Chapters 2 and 13 from a book that I consider to be the bible of emotional health. It’s called “Yesterday’s Children” by psychologists Marti Barham, R.N., Ph.D., and Tom Greene, Ph.D. More information can be found at my Web site at https://www.DrGelbSays.com

”’Suzanne J. Gelb, Ph.D., J.D. authors this daily column, Dr. Gelb Says, which answers questions about daily living and behavior issues. Dr. Gelb is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Honolulu. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Human Services. Dr. Gelb is also a published author of a book on Overcoming Addictions and a book on Relationships.”’

”’This column is intended for entertainment use only and is not intended for the purpose of psychological diagnosis, treatment or personalized advice. For more about the column’s purpose, see”’ “An Online Intro to Dr. Gelb Says”

”’Email your questions to mailto:DrGelbSays@hawaiireporter.com More information on Dr. Gelb’s services and related resources available at”’ https://www.DrGelbSays.com