 |
| Malia Zimmerman |
Takumi Kills Education Reform Measure
Rep. Roy Takumi, D-Pearl City, chair of the House education committee, yesterday deferred action on the governor's education reform bill, HB 1082.
The bill proposes a constitutional amendment to give parents and taxpayers as well as teachers a choice to change the nation's only single-statewide school district into smaller school districts so there is more local control and less bureaucracy.
Takumi's action means the governor's bill is stuck in his committee and will die along with any chance for education reforms unless he is convinced to move it forward to another committee by public demand.
However, Takumi has so far ignored the many people who came to testify and plead with his committee to at least allow the bill to go through so it can be put on the ballot for the people to vote on in the 2004 general election.
Neighbor islanders and rural Oahu teachers and parents have long complained that the present system with a statewide board neither reflects their concerns nor grants them flexibility and they want the option to vote for change. Even some Democrat legislators on his committee from the neighbor islands are hoping he'll push the bill forward and have their views made public.
The administration bill, HB 1082, would simply give people the choice as to whether or not to change the system. However, adamantly against change because their power and funding base will be affected are the Department of Education, the majority of the Board of Education members, the Hawaii State Teachers Association union and the majority of the Democrat legislators.
Sen. Education Chair Norman Sakamoto, D-Moanalua, has played political hot potato and says he will base his decision on whether to hear the companion reform bill in the Senate education committee on what happens in the House.
Is Rep. Takumi a hero or scoundrel – You Vote. See http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?58e74101-e289-4083-8bc4-1b160980cdaf
Fight Over Decentralization of School System, Taking Principals Out of the Union, Supporting Charter Schools Goes to Board of Education for Vote
The Board of Education is planning to meet tonight at 7 p.m. to consider proposals for the governor's educational reform measures including her plans for decentralization of the single-statewide school district, to take principals out of the union and to be more financially supportive of charter schools.
No surprise, the majority of the Board members have made up their minds in opposition to the plan -- not that they should even be able to vote on something that will obviously undermine their centralized, bureaucratic authority.
Board Member Laura Thielen is the only one of 13 voting members to publicly support Lingle's plan. See her testimony before the state Legislature's House education committee at "Hawaii's Public Schools Will be Improved with Decentralization, Elected District School Boards"
The naysayers in the Board of Education are being supported by Department of Education bureaucrats, the Hawaii State Teachers Association union, many Democrats in the Legislature and other special interest groups who do not want to give parents, taxpayers or teachers input into meaningful reorganization.
Supporters of Lingle's plan are asking the public to attend the Board of Education meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at the Queen Liliokalani Building and to fax or email their thoughts on educational reform to the Board of Education and to the education chairs in the House and Senate.
The Board of Education can be faxed at 586-3433 or go to its Web site at http://lilinote.k12.hi.us/STATE/BOE/HomePage.nsf?OpenDatabase and Education Chair in the House Roy Takumi can be faxed at 586-6501 or called at 586-6170; and Education Chair Sakamoto in the Senate can be faxed at 586-6725 or called at 586-8585.
KHVH News Radio Morning Talk Show Host Takes Show to the State Capitol
KHVH Radio Talk Show Host Rick Hamada broadcasted live from the Capitol this morning at 6 a.m. and interviewed state Legislators, Gov. Linda Lingle and Board of Education Member Laura Thielen about their views on the educational reform measures.
Though Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Waianae, who also is a labor attorney, says she is not convinced the governor's plan will work and is not ready to support the concept of decentralization or getting principals out of the union.
However, Lingle said this morning she hopes the Legislature will allow the people to decide whether they want to change the system, and not prevent them from making this important choice.
Many Republicans in Legislature Not Showing Up to Committee Hearings, Democrat Chairs Continue to Kill Legislative Reform Bills
Who may be the downfall of many of Gov. Linda Lingle's economic, education and elections reform bills? Ironically, many of the Republicans who are supposed to be supporting her bills, but are not showing up, speaking up or voting her way during committee hearings.
Sure, many of those in Democrat leadership are doing their part to go behind closed doors and kill off the governor's key reform measures.
Some of the Democrats in key positions want to make sure Lingle isn't effective this session or any session in the next three years, so they can use that in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign to move forward their gubernatorial candidates. Democrat legislators also already are campaigning for the 2004 House and Senate elections, and are trying, by killing the governor's bills, to show Republicans cannot be effective.
Of course, it boils down to the fact that the many of the people elected to represent the people -– i.e. state legislators -- don't really represent the people at all. In fact, they care primarily about being re-elected and getting financial and union support for the next election.
In the next few days, Hawaii Reporter will detail the Republicans who are not showing up to hearings or who undermine the governor's and Republican agenda either by being absent for hearings and votes or by remaining silent.
In a spirit of "bi-partisanship," Hawaii Reporter also will highlight those Democrat obstructionists who are in key chair positions who do not listen to the public who come to testify before them and instead kill bills that would help the people, but possibly hurt their chance for re-election or fundraising.
Self Serving Senate Bill Gets Killed in Hearing
Executive Director of the state Campaign Spending Commission Bob Watada testified before the Senate Judiciary and Government Affairs committees to oppose Senate Bill 468 that seeks to raise the campaign spending limit from $4,000 to up to $24,000 per contributor per candidate per campaign.
It seemed the measure would likely pass these committees as those who signed on and introduced the bill, including Senate Judiciary Chair Colleen Hanabusa, Senate Government Affairs Chair Cal Kawamoto and Senate Vice Chair Willie Espero, made up three of five committee members present at the hearing yesterday.
Surprisingly, after testimony opposing the bill from the State Campaign Spending Commission, the very chairs who introduced the bill, killed it off by voting to hold it in committee, though there is still another similar bill alive in the Senate.
Constituent Shocked at House Chair's Email Reply
A HawaiiReporter.com reader says he was shocked when he wrote to his state Representative, House Labor Chair and former House Majority Leader Marcus Oshiro, D-Wahiawa, about his concerns over the House's universal health care legislation and got an automated response.
The reader also was dismayed to see the response had four typos in its first paragraph. Just in this short message – receive is misspelled twice, communications is misspelled once, and will is misspelled once. He asked how he is supposed to take this chair seriously.
Here is the email exactly as it was returned to the reader:
"From: "Rep. Marcus Oshiro" <repmoshiro@capitol.hawaii.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 11:23 AM
Subject: Out of Office AutoReply: Univeral Health Care
Thank you for your e-mail,however, given the volume of mail that I recieve each day, it is not possible read each and every one. It does not recieve the same attention as wirtten communitcations and facsimile. For matters, that require my immediate attention, please call me at my Capitol office at (808) 586-8505 or fax me at (808) 586-8509. Please leave a name, telephone number, and time to best reach you and I willl help me in getting back to you.
REPRESENTATIVE MARCUS R. OSHIRO
39th District (Wahiawa-Whitmore Village-Launani)
Hawaii State House of Representatives"
Midweek Under Fire for Potential Illegal Political Contributions
Midweek made a contribution of $3,000 each during the 2002 election to the two major political candidates –- Gov. Linda Lingle and former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono.
Midweek is the only media in Hawaii to make any political contributions this past campaign, according to public records at the state Campaign Spending Commission.
Humorously, the newspaper made typos in its report to the state Campaign Spending Commission, including misspelling the word "Friends" as "Freinds" when referring to Friends of Mazie Hirono. (Not that Hawaii Reporter doesn't make typos …).
Unfortunately for the foreign owners of the company, Canadian-based Sound Publications, it is illegal for foreign businesses and individuals to make political contributions to American political candidates.
The state Campaign Spending Commission has agreed to look into whether the state laws were broken, if Midweek's parent company will pay a fine, and if campaigns of both Lingle and Hirono need to return the $3,000 to the state Campaign Spending Commission.
Small Business Caucus to Hold First Meeting, Public Invited
Unlike many other legislative caucus meetings, the bi-partisan Small Business Caucus is opening its meetings to the public. The first meeting is Monday, Feb. 10, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and will be hosted by co-chairs Sens. Norman Sakamoto, D-Moanalua and Sen. Sam Slom, R-Hawaii Kai along with Reps. Colleen Meyer, R- Kaaawa and Rep. Michael Magaoay, R-North Shore.
The governor's cabinet members and other legislators interested in helping business and the economy will attend along with the heads of various business advocacy organizations. To find out more about the meeting or to RSVP to attend, call Rep. Meyer at 586-8540 or email her at mailto:repmeyer@capitol.hawaii.gov
 |
| A state worker sees first hand the scum that is taking over the state Capitol pond. |
Scummy Moat Unlikely Symbol of Legislature
The Hawaii State Capitol building is supposed be symbolic of Hawaii and the government that serves it. Ironically, it may be more symbolic than lawmakers who work there may care to admit.
 |
| No, this is not a view from the Space Station. It's a closer look at the pond scum at the state Capitol. |
The moat that surrounds the Capitol building, once filled with vibrant waters and fish, is now corroded, smelly, murky at times and the fish have all died or been removed. There are flies and garbage collectively floating in the waters.
 |
| A close up view of the dilapidated pond that surrounds the state Capitol, complete with flies. |
Most noticeably, the bottom of the moat is peeling away exposing large pee yellow spots and white bleached spots, resembling the surface of planet Mars. The moat, which greets visitors as they walk into the Capitol, has completely deteriorated and so far no one in government has done a thing to change that.
To reach legislators, see: "Representatives at a Glance" and "Senators at a Glance"
Send any tittle or tattle you might have to Malia Zimmerman at mailto:Malia@HawaiiReporter.com Send complaints elsewhere. Compliments and news tips accepted here.
