Wally Amos with Chip n Cookie mascots.

SBH Cookies n' Milk Day With Wally Amos

SBH has planned another fun, family event for you with member Wally “Famous” Amos and his new Chip n’ Cookie store in Kailua town.

On Sunday, February 19, bring yourself and the kids — grandkids too — to Wally’s place for a free cookies and milk event from 10 am to 2 pm at 609 Kailua Road, next to Coldstone’s in Kailua.

In addition to cookies and fun, Wally — a literacy and reading champion — will read to the keiki during storytime, 2-4 pm. It’s all free but please call Darlyn at SBH (396-1724) to reserve so we bake enough cookies.

Hawaii State Legislature Begins 60-Day Run

by Malia Zimmerman

The Hawaii State Capitol was filled with stunning flower arrangements and plants, January 17 as harried florists delivered gifts to each lawmaker from family, friends and those hoping to affect public policy.

The more powerful the lawmakers, the more flowers they receive at the opening of the 60-day working session, which began Wednesday, January 18 and wraps up May 4.
Opening day is like no other in the nation. Lawmakers covered in colorful, sweet-smelling leis, greet each other warmly, and pretend to like each other, as leaders from the majority and minority of each party lay out their plans for the coming year in a speech from the floor of each of their respective Houses.

After the political speeches, in which legislative leaders make all kinds of promises — most they probably won’t keep — some of the most talented performers on the island sing and dance for lawmakers and their guests.

Afterward, the guests and members of the public are invited to visit each of the 76 offices, where they can meet lawmakers and feast on a variety of delicious foods representing virtually every culture in Hawaii.

After the festivities end Wednesday, civilities are put aside and the battle of ideas begins.

In Hawaii, though Republicans are vocal, the battle is one-sided as there are 25 state Senators (5 who are Republican); and 51 state House members, (10 who are Republican), with Democrats dominating everything from schedules, to chairmanships, to finances, to what bills get a hearing, pass or fail.

Republican lawmakers usually base their success on how many bad bills they stop, rather than bills of their own that pass because with the drastic imbalance of power, Republican bills usually don’t pass and often the governor’s vetoes are overridden.

Gov. Linda Lingle, in office since 2002, is the first Republican governor to be elected in more than 40 years, however, she often sides with Democrats over the Republicans and leads the way in introducing liberal policies. She laid her proposals for the last year of her first four-year term on Monday, Jan. 23 in her State of the State address.

The real fight over the next few months will be over the $600 million surplus that the state accumulated because of a combination of imposing the highest overall tax burden in the nation on its residents and visitors and a booming economy, primarily in the visitor and construction segments.

Public workers, who control most of the Democratic lawmakers, will fight for yet another pay raise or benefit increase. Social service organizations will lobby for handouts for their constituents, including affordable housing and other subsidies. And taxpayer rights organizations will fight for money to be returned to the people who created the surplus in the first place — the taxpayers.

Both political parties have interesting internal challenges this year, within their own caucuses. Robert Bunda still retains the presidency in the Hawaii State Senate, even after his political enemies attempted to re-organize throughout the session last year and oust him from the position. That fight over who will lead the Senate and chair important committees continues as Democrats are divided 10 to 10 on who will lead, and Republicans, with 5 seats, will not side with either side unless they are rewarded with a chairmanship or vice chairmanship of a committee.

In the House, Republicans are getting to know the newest member of their caucus. Anne Stevens, the former office manager for Sen. Gordon Trimble, was appointed by the governor on Monday, Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which some supporters say is particularly fitting because Stevens is part African-American. Stevens replaced former House Minority Leader Galen Fox, who resigned last year after being convicted of fourth-degree sexual assault for fondling a female passenger sitting beside him on flight from Hawaii to the Mainland U.S.

Unfortunately for the average person with common sense, the Legislature makes little sense. The proposals at the end of the 60-day session usually amount to higher taxes and fees for a state that already has the overall highest taxes in the nation; more regulations on citizens designed to make them “safe”; more mandates on business that will only hurt, not help, the economy; an education system that is even more screwed up than when lawmakers started out to fix it. Taxpayers would be a great deal safer — as would their pocketbooks — if lawmakers met once a decade.

For information on bills, hearings and more visit the Hawaii State Legislature website: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov

Let Honolulu Vote Aims
to Change City Charter on Tax Issues

By Bob Kessler, LetHonoluluVote.org

The city’s reaction to the public’s outrage over property taxes is a real education.

With the notable exception of Councilmember Charles Djou, who is guided by sound fiscal principles, the Council and mayor continue to dither, offering patchwork tax relief proposals with tortured formulae involving means tests, age or owner-occupancy.

But their proposals do have common characteristics. None include any serious spending reductions and none give us serious tax relief.

The good news for the mayor and the Council is that property taxes have knocked the increases in parking fees, sewer fees, vehicle registration fees, and the looming General Excise Tax surcharge off of the radar scope.

If they only can find a path through the property tax debacle, the mayor and the Council may find clear sailing through these other accumulated tax increases.

Unfortunately there’s little recourse for taxpayers. The Honolulu City Charter, Section 3-401, specifically prohibits citizen initiatives for ordinances on tax issues.

That means the only corrective action available to unhappy taxpayers is to wait until the next election cycle to throw the scoundrels out. But even then there is no guarantee that the next set of scoundrels will listen to us. How, then, do taxpayers make themselves heard?

It’s clear that taxpayers must be in the decision loop on tax issues. It’s time to amend the City Charter to allow citizen initiatives on tax ordinances, either to propose, amend or repeal such ordinances. That would make government more directly accountable to taxpayers and would force the city to engage the taxpayers on exactly what taxpayers are willing to pay for, and how much they are willing to pay. Isn’t that the right way to come to agreement on what are “essential services?”

I co-chair Let Honolulu Vote, a grass roots group that champions a City Charter amendment allowing citizens to participate in their own government on tax issues. I realize that citizen participation sounds outrageous to some, but it’s one answer that works.

Let Honolulu Vote is circulating petitions to get an initiative on the November ballot changing the City Charter to allow tax initiatives. Also the City Charter Commission, currently reviewing and updating the City Charter, will consider the same Charter amendment at the next Commission meeting Jan. 24, 2 p.m., at City Hall.

The timing seems right for this Charter amendment to have a chance of passing, particularly if supported by both the Charter Commission and the supporters of Let Honolulu Vote. If you agree, pick up a phone today and call 922-6188. And tell the Charter Commission how you feel.

Citizen participation in government. What a concept.

For a copy of the petition in an Adobe Acrobat pdf version, go to: 2006 Petition

For more information about the petition — in an Adobe Acrobat pdf version — go to: About the Petition

Robert Kessler is the Co-Chair of Let Honolulu Vote. Reach him at (808) 922-6188 or via email at kessler.hawaii@verizon.net.

February 2006 SB News Front Page

Top | Home Page | SBH News Index

Copyright 2006 Small Business Hawaii. Last update: February 3, 2006