BY SAM SLOM – RE-DRAW YOUR MAPS. Monday the State Reapportionment Commission submitted their final redistricting maps. Watch for lawsuits.
ON THE ROAD. Returned to Hawaii Monday after 10 days on the Mainland-driving 2,000 miles between Chicago, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Spent some emotional time in Shanksville, PA, with the new memorial dedicated to the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 10 years ago. Two Hawaii residents-one from Hawaii Kai and one from Kailua-lost their lives there on 9/11. Worth your visit.
AIRLINE SWITCH. Left on a Continental flight; returned on United. The corporate transfer to UAL will be fully complete in a few months. On that return flight were notable Hawaii residents, Denby Fawcett, Bob Jones, Richard Port, J. Arthur Rath and Malia Zimmerman. ALL of us were in economy.
SCAN TSA. The TSA continues to ruffle feathers of travelers despite talk of a kinder, gentler federal agency. Personal privacy rights continue to be abridged. As a member of the bi-partisan legislative United States for Travel Freedom caucus, we had another teleconference yesterday, headed by Democrat Rep. Sharon Cissna of Alaska. Also participating was Wendy Thomson, co-founder of Freedom to Travel USA.
Legislation to stop the TSA’s erosion of personal liberties will be introduced in more than a dozen states next year.
A GUN IS A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND. While in Chicago, participated in the 26th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC). More than 650 people attended. 2nd Amendment Rights are civil rights. Chicago’s 2nd amendment rights are even more limited than Hawaii but current court cases should over turn that. Attorney Alan Gura, who was victorious before the U.S. Supreme Court in the D.C. vs. Heller case and the McDonald case in Chicago could be an SBH speaker here in January. Gura spoke to the UH Law School several years ago.
CHICAGO: A TODDLING TOWN. Had dinner one night at Petterino’s in the Chicago Theatre District. Yankee Pot Roast was to die for. Pictures hanging everywhere, including our President. Waitress informed I was seated in the booth where Mr. Obama sat. Didn’t ask for a change in table; offered to send my picture and make it a bi-partisan booth instead.
WATCH WALSH! Freshman Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh was a GRPC luncheon speaker. A product of the Tea Party, he is a real spark plug. Watch for him in the future.
TAKE YOUR PULSE. The OmniTrak Group Inc.’s People’s Pulse for Summer 2011 was released. Among the key findings for Hawaii residents: The economy is job one; consumer confidence is down; the public is focused on job creation; there is strong support for renewable energy and a split on the issue of changing the regulatory approval process. For more info go to www.prp-hawaii.com .
STIMULATE THIS! Yesterday I attended the meeting of the Legislative Federal Economic Stimulus Program Oversight Commisssion. (What a bureaucratic mouthful!) The testifiers were the heads of the DOE, Charter Schools and UH. They spent plenty kala-mostly on salaries and new hires. That ARRA money is now gone but the government employees remain. Shovel ready?
JONAH & THE WHALES. Aloha to Jonah Ka`auwai, who resigned under pressure on Monday, as the State Chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party, a non-paid position. I declined to sign a letter urging his resignation.
LUCKY YOU LIVE HAWAII? Hawaii gasoline prices are now 75¢ OR MORE above the national average. Let’s not even talk food prices.
GROUNDED. The feds have announced a November 12-13 Oahu “No Fly Zone” for all private aircraft. This will result in revenue loss for helicopter tours and small plane instruction schools. There never has been a 2-day ban on flight since Statehood.
FOR THE KEIKI. The 18th annual Children & Youth Day will be held this Sunday, October 2 at the State Capitol from 10 am to 3 pm. Plenty for do for the keiki. FREE.
NO TOADS ALLOWED. This afternoon, the Legislative HEMIC Oversight Committee reviews the work of HEMIC, Hawaii Employers Mutual Insurance Company. The company, a specialist in workers compensation insurance, was originally created by the State Legislature.
GOING POSTAL. Yesterday, local postal employees rallied at the State Capitol, to “set the record straight” concerning issues involving financial difficulties with the USPS. The local employees were part of similar demonstrations in 490 locations elsewhere.
HSTA, NO. The State Supreme Court yesterday slapped down the HSTA teachers union on salary and other matters. HSTA working themselves into a corner with a strike possible. The Court concurred.
DON’T FLUSH. Hawaii Kai residents still angry at proposed 21% sewer rate hike by American Hawaii Water Co. Send testimony to PUC.
LUCKY YOU LIVE HONOLULU-II. Business Week ranks Honolulu 3rd best in Overall Quality of Life. One of the measures is “low level of foreclosures.” Huh?
GO WARRIORS. UH Warriors take on WAC opponent La Tech in Louisiana Saturday. Will be harder than last week’s 56-14 romp over UC-Davis.
Want more local business information? Please visit the several SBH websites at:: www.smartbusinesshawaii.com, www.educate808.com and www.sbhfoundation.org.
Award winning Hawaii Reporter.com, Hawaii’s first electronic daily newspaper begun 9 years ago, still is free. Hawaii Reporter and Malia Zimmerman report daily (M-F) on the Rick Hamada Show, KHVH radio on 830 AM at, 7:40 am. Malia also reports on Kauai’s KKCR with Sandy Brodie on Tuesday mornings, on the station’s “Morning Paper.” She will report the news behind the news for you.