GOP HAWAI'I OFFICIALS'08 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES |
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Letters to the Editor: Honolulu AdvertiserApril 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 April 14, 2008 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 Letter to Editor, April 3, 2008 Bill would rob voters of presidential choice Senate Bill 2898 SD1 currently under consideration in the Legislature would allow Hawaii's electoral votes to be given to the winner of the national popular vote. We all should be against this disregard of the U.S. Constitution. Why would we want to give Hawaii's historically low turnout voters another reason to stay home during a presidential election?With this legislation we can just wait to see how the mainland votes for president. Good enough for the mainland, good enough for Hawaii. Right? What if, in a close election, we don't like the probable winner of the national popular vote? In 2000, this happened in Tennessee. Tennessee did not like its home-state presidential candidate and he lost his own state. He went on to win the national popular vote. If Tennessee had a SB 2898, it would have had to cast its Electoral College votes for the candidate voters didn't want. If you're wondering, that candidate was Al Gore. Currently, we have little say in the presidential selection, but it is our say. Only Hawaii legislators who want the people of Hawaii to have no say in the election could support SB 2898 SD1. These reasons along with others are why we should leave the Electoral College system as it is. The Constitution has served us well for more than 200 years. So call your state senator and put an end to SB 2898 SD1. Tell your senator that the Founding Fathers still know best. Willes K. Lee Chairman Hawaii Republican Party Honolulu Star-Bulletin Letter to Editor, March, 16, 2008 No more suffering under Democratic rule Some might not remember those early days when warning labels first started to appear on cigarette packages. They simply stated, "Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health." And as we know, it was and still is. Well, with recent actions of Democrats in the Hawaii Legislature, it is time to put out a public warning to all voters that "Democrats Are Hazardous to Hawaii's Health." Proof that this warning is serious is Rep. Tommy Water's recent rejection of tort reform legislation in the House, as well as Maui Sen. Roz Baker's rejection of support in the Senate for a new private hospital on Maui.It appears that Hawaii Democrats have little concern for keeping our doctors from leaving due to excessive malpractice insurance costs, or for Maui residents who are forced to come to Oahu for many kinds of critical medical treatment. This November, Hawaii voters need to act on this dire warning to our health care system and elect a Republican Legislature that will ensure the expansion of health care resources, rather than their contraction. Otherwise, Democrat control will continue to be "Hazardous to Hawaii's Health." Willes K. Lee Chairman Hawaii Republican Party Honolulu Star-Bulletin Letter to Editor, February 9, 2008 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: Republican's View1. Win in Iraq 2. Lower taxes 3. Market-driven health care 4. Secure borders 5. Terrorism is war Democrat's View 1. Surrender in Iraq 2. Higher taxes 3. Government-run health care 4. Open borders 5. Terrorism is a crime I encourage everyone to register and vote. The stark contrast and the stakes for our country, Hawaii and the world have never been greater. Willes K. Lee Chairman Hawaii Republican Party Honolulu Star Bulletin Letters to the Editor - November 10, 2007 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. Marian Grey Hawai'i Kai |
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Hawai'i State Convention
Honolulu, May 16-18, 2008 Weinmans Host Djou Fundraiser May 21, 2008 Duke Aiona O'ahu Birthday Bash June 3 Duke
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