National Headlines: www.gop.com

Hawai'i Press

Let Hawai'i's people improve government
by Lt. Gov. James R. "Duke" Aiona Jr.


UH Project Could Bring Wave of Prosperity
by Representative Cynthia Thielen

Democrats Don’t Want the 'Change' a ConCon Would Bring
By Willes K. Lee

State GOP sues over House race

Hawaii Lawmakers Can Curb Impact of Skyrocketing Cost of Living
By Ted H. S. Hong, 8/7/2008

Retired police officer runs for the state House


Nurse has prescriptions for Maui’s health care


Mayor Baptiste Made Difficult Political Decisions

Barack Brings the Wrong Change; Local Democrats Have No Change
By Willes Lee, 6/12/2008


Obama as Commander-In-Chief is the Wrong Change for Hawaii, America and the World


Democrats Want 'Change' Everywhere But Hawaii


More Than 600 Hawaii Republicans Wrap Up State Convention with Overwhelming Support for John McCain


Special Interests Backing Con Con Opposition


Hawaii Republican Party Raises $305G - Written by KGMB9 News - news@kgmb9.com


Hawai'i Reacts To State of the Union Address, Primaries & Caucuses - KGMB Channel 9


Those who care about public education welcome an audit
by Willes K. Lee, Chairman, Hawai'i Republican Party


Republican-led Legislature would be better for Hawai'i
by Willes K. Lee, Chairman, Hawai'i Republican Party


Instituting preferred growth is good policy
By Senator Fred Hemmings


Living costs, energy, safe streets among top issues
By Representative Lynn Finnegan


Ted Hong Announces Candidacy for State Senate

Letters to the Editor:

by Daniel de Gracia, II
Hawaii Reporter, October 27, 2008
www.hawaiireporter.com

A Time For Choosing: Republican Candidates Offer Best Reforms For Hawaii’s Future

For those of you who plan to vote early or on Tuesday, November 4th, I’d like all of you to take a brief time out and ask yourself the following questions:

1. When my paycheck comes, am I happy with the amount that the government takes out in taxes for itself?
2. Do I feel confident that my children have the same or greater opportunity for success than what I had at their age?
3. Am I better off now than I was two years ago or four years ago?

If you find yourself answering “no” to any of those three questions, then the best choice for you and your family in the 2008 Election is a Republican candidate.

At present, the State of Hawaii has the second highest tax burden in the entire United States of America. According to the Milken Institute, our largest city of Honolulu ranks 94th lowest in the list of Best Performing Cities in terms of overall job creation and generation of income. In 2007, we ranked 40th. Back to back from 2006 to 2007, the independent Milken Institute rated Hawaii as the most expensive state to do business in with that year’s tax burden 61.5% higher than the national average, while all the while our Democratic friends are scratching their heads wondering why sustainability in Hawaii is so difficult to accomplish.
Republican candidates believe that what you earn from a hard day’s work belongs to you, that communities prosper best when you, not government are in control, and that you have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not an “interest.” Democrats believe that paying more taxes is patriotic, that communities should be molded by government policies and social experiments, and that your elected representatives always have your best interests at heart.
Republicans believe that America knows best about America, and that our most important job is not to make history, but to save the future for the sake of our children. Republicans believe not in “trust me” government that places “hope” in one man, but in “trust America” which says that the people have a right to determine their own values, their own way of living, their own choices and their own future without government’s help. Republicans support a Constitutional Convention here in Hawaii because we don’t fear public involvement or the possibility of giving the people a chance to write their own future, we embrace it.
Instead of business as usual, it’s time for a new contract with the people of the State of Hawaii. We can improve education when we put parents, not the teacher’s union, in charge of their children. We can improve the economy when we allow businesses to do what they do best and that is create jobs and generate wealth.
We can make healthcare more affordable and more available to people when we support medical liability reform laws. We can make our communities a better, more meaningful place to live when we cut income taxes and allow the worker to keep more of his salary so that he can spend more time with his family and loved ones.
We can preserve the environment and keep our communities clean when we give people the financial independence to own their own homes, because people are more prone to take care of what belongs to them and what they’ve earned through wise investment and hard work. We can make Hawaii a stronger, prouder, and more prosperous place to live, work and play.
Our duty in this election is to remember that every two and four years we have the opportunity to have a peaceful revolution in government and the opportunity to change our leaders by will of the people. This November, I encourage you to vote for the Republican in every race they are running in. A comprehensive list of every Hawaii Republican that is running for office can be found online at http://www.gophawaii.com/gop_2008.html
I believe that Hawaii cannot afford so much as two more years under Democratic officials and leaders. In the words of Ronald Reagan, “To sit back hoping that someday, someway, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping that he will eat you last, but eat you he will.”
We need to put a stop to the crocodile that has spent the last fifty years eating our tax dollars, eating away at our rights, and intimidating all the aspiring, hope-filled people into running off to the Mainland in search of a state that works for the people, not against them. Vote Republican every chance, everywhere you can – it’s time to get the crocodile off the road that leads to our future and for the people to stop existing and start living.
Daniel de Gracia, II is the chairperson of Friends of Tom Berg. Reach him at dan@bergforhouse.com

Honolulu Advertiser
August 3, 2008

Obama policies will hurt Hawai'i tourism

The scariest threats to tourism could be right around the corner unless people wake up. Barack Obama's policies of drastically raising taxes and refusing to drill for more oil could deliver a double whammy to our state's economy.

His plan to raise the top bracket to roughly 40 percent and remove the cap on deductions for Social Security will significantly reduce discretionary income for vacations to Hawai'i. These vacations fuel a third of our economy when you count both tourism and tourism-related businesses.
Raising the capital gains tax will also adversely affect discretionary income, particularly for our retirees. Obama's proposed tax increases would also negatively affect Hawai'i's small businesses, which account for 95 percent of our companies and two-thirds of our jobs.

Obama's refusal to include more domestic and off-shore oil drilling as part of a comprehensive strategy for energy independence will keep the cost of aviation fuel and airfares so high it will continue to make the cost of a Hawai'i vacation beyond the reach of many who otherwise would come here.

We can avoid this scary scenario in November by voting for Sen. John McCain.
Marian Grey
Hawai'i Kai

Honolulu Advertiser
August 2, 2008

Dems, elections office manipulated system

The Office of Elections appears to have broken the "three-day law" concerning replacement of Kirk Caldwell in House District 24. Instead of obeying the law, the Office of Elections has allowed the Democratic Party to substitute a new candidate, Isaac Choy, four days after withdrawal by Caldwell.

In addition, they allowed the candidate to file by e-mail just prior to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, and will let him follow up later with the paperwork.

The Office of Elections claims that Caldwell withdrew on Wednesday, not Tuesday. If this is the case, it would mean that Caldwell had filed for both a state and a county office at the same time, which is against the law.
This is a conscious effort by the Office of Elections, in cooperation with the Democratic Party, to ignore the law and manipulate the system through political gamesmanship.

We believe that Republican Jerilyn Jeffryes is the only candidate who is properly filed and certified to run for the seat as House District 24 representative.

Willes K. Lee
Chairman, Hawai'i Republican Party

Hawaii Reporter
August 1, 2008

As if it were not bad enough that the Office of Elections

1) accepted a Democrat candidate who was not qualified to file under the law;

2) accepted a candidate's illegal filing for both a State and City Council Office

3) allowed the Democrat party filing more time than the law allows to replace a candidate;

4) accepted an email filing sent from Democrat Party HQ to replace Caldwell, but would not accept a phone call from the City Clerk to withdraw Caldwell, who on July 22nd was filed illegally for both State House and City Council

5) has a Chief Elections Officer who was not registered to vote in Hawaii which is a legal requirement of his employment;

6) has approved printing a Primary Election ballot while candidates are being challenged

7) did not allow the political parties to review the ballot for possible errors, typos, whatever; even though the law provides for this review, and then states "Hopefully, all the ballots will be correct when they go out."
-- Now the Election Commission has fully supported this folly.

This is a script right out of the Third World.

If this is how we start the election season, how can we have any confidence in the outcome?

Willies Lee
Chairman
Hawaii Republican Party.

Honolulu Advertiser
April 16, 2008

DOE must be audited by credible source

The April 10 Honolulu Advertiser editorial "DOE needs authority to be held accountable" requires clarification for the public to make decisions regarding the DOE, which has made misleading the public an art form.

In 2006, the Fix Our Schools Act increased the education CIP by $300 million of surplus funds. In 2004, the Legislature passed the Reinventing Education Act granting greater autonomy for the DOE along with $700 million more in the operating budget. The ballooning $2.4 billion budget, with decreased enrollment, results in exorbitant statistical per-pupil spending. Increased spending hasn't improved education for Hawai'i's children. Hawai'i ranks well below the national average in fourth- and eighth-grade proficiency testing. SAT scores are atrocious.

The DOE tries to obfuscate the truth by lowering testing standards and offering ludicrous dual diplomas. Realistically, we're paying more for less.

SCR 118 requests that the DOE convene a working group to propose areas for improvement and develop a related implementation plan as well as recommendation on needed resources and funding. The DOE audit the DOE? This would produce more ineffectiveness. The DOE needs to be audited by an outside, independent and credible source.

I proposed SCR 91 for a comprehensive management audit of the DOE and the chairman of the Education Committee didn't allow a public hearing.

Kailua High School got a management audit in 2006, which showed it had serious flaws and mismanagement problems. As guardians of an astronomically high and ever-increasing budget, the DOE needs to be held accountable.

Sen. Fred Hemmings
R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawai'i Kai)

Tax day hurts more in Hawaii

April 15 is always particularly painful in paradise. The governor and lieutenant governor have worked to lower Hawaii's regressive and punitive taxes where state tax on a single mother with one child kicks in if she makes more than only $215 a week.

Last year the Legislature blocked significant tax reform and passed only one-third of the tax relief proposed by Gov. Linda Lingle. The governor's proposal would have refunded $780 to a family of four with income of less than $50,000. Go look in your wallet. Wouldn't it be nice to have that $780? This year the governor proposed tax relief totaling $132 million, but, as of today the Legislature is passing $0. Zero! It is interesting that the Democrats in Washington, D.C., know that a tax rebate is the best way to keep the economy stimulated, but in Hawaii the Democrat-dominated Legislature still does not get the message.

As long as Democrats prevail in our Legislature, the pain of high taxes will continue, on April 15 and every other day.

This November reduce your pain. Vote Republican.

Willes K. Lee
Chairman
Hawaii Republican Party

Bill would rob voters of presidential choice

No more suffering under Democratic rule

Different futures possible for America

Regardless of who the presidential candidates are in either party, there will be two very different views of America's future for voters to choose in November. Let's just look at five of the key issues:

Republicans do more for schools, homeless

At the recent meeting of former Democratic Govs. Cayetano, Waihee and Ariyoshi, they gave some advice to their party faithful. They said that Democrats need to focus on fairness and equality for everyone while helping the poor and homeless.

Yet while they were in power, these governors and their Democratic-dominated legislatures did nothing to fix Hawai'i's poor public education system, did nothing to lower Hawai'i's high and excessively regressive tax rates and did nothing for Hawai'i's homeless.

Gov. Linda Lingle has taken on all these issues, but the Democratic-controlled Legislature continues to do nothing but pay lip service to them.

In the 2008 election it's time to give our Republican governor the help she needs in the Legislature to deal with these problems. It's time to vote Republican.