Friday, November 20, 2009 Honolulu Advertiser
Money To Ease Hawaii School Furloughs May Shortchange Needy
Consequence could be less money for the elderly and homeless
By Mary Vorsino
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
Social service providers who hoped to secure money from the state's rainy day fund for the state's most vulnerable residents say the decision to use most of the money to end "furlough Fridays" could come at the cost of human services and health programs.
Many added, though, that they support getting public schools back in session on Fridays.
"We're all trying to look at the same fund as a way of saving us. All the have-nots are vying for the same pot," said Diane Fujio, a board member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Hawai'i. "It's so sad when you have to pit the needy against the needy. It's kind of unfair."
Today is the fourth of 17 scheduled furlough days this school year for teachers in Hawai'i's public schools, meaning no classes for an estimated 170,000 students statewide.
The decision to use rainy day funds to cut short the Department of Education's furlough Friday program comes as social service nonprofits statewide are facing increasing need and dwindling resources, as state funding and community giving decline. Nonprofit leaders were planning to go to the Legislature in the upcoming session to try to secure rainy day funds for social services.
The "safety net" services include programs for the mentally ill, the homeless, the elderly and low-income families and children.
Barbara Kim Stanton, the state director of AARP Hawai'i, said that without more money health and human services programs will "fall between the cracks." AARP Hawai'i helped organize a rally at the state Capitol last year to urge lawmakers not to use the rainy day fund to balance the budget, and Stanton is now calling on lawmakers to come up with a long-term solution to end the furloughs, rather than tapping the rainy day fund.
"AARP Hawai'i is concerned that if the rainy day fund is all but depleted to provide a temporary funding solution for education, we will have given short shrift to programs intended for the elderly and other vulnerable groups in our community," she said.
The Rainy Day Fund
Lawmakers set up the emergency and budget reserve fund — commonly known as the rainy day fund — in 1999. Money in the fund comes from the state's share of a settlement with tobacco companies for the health-related costs of smoking.
Tapping it to end the public schools' furlough program would require a two-thirds vote by the House and Senate — either in a special session or the next regular session — and could also require legislators to amend the law, because it specifically prohibits using money from the fund to pay state wages.
The furlough days, which amount to a 7.9 percent pay cut for school teachers, were put in place to save money and help the state close a budget deficit.
On Sunday, Gov. Linda Lingle said she now supports using the rainy day fund to end the controversial furloughs.
She urged lawmakers to use the money to eliminate 27 furlough days between January and June 2011. Her proposal would cost about $50 million and essentially deplete the fund. The governor had earlier said she opposed using special funds to reduce furlough days.
A representative from her administration met yesterday with schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto and the Board of Education to discuss the proposal.
Alex Santiago, executive director of PHOCUSED, a consortium of human services nonprofits, said the rainy day fund was established to provide a "safety net for health and human services programs." He said PHOCUSED is in support of doing away with the furlough program, and added the furloughs cause "a great deal of strain on the social service agencies as it" is, with kids out of school.
But he said that if the rainy day funds are used to end furlough Fridays, additional state money needs to be found for social services.
"We want to remind everyone that while health and human service needs aren't getting the kind of attention as furlough Friday, it nevertheless is an important subject for our elected officials to look at," Santiago said. "How are you going to shore up the safety net in place?"
Howard Garval, president and chief executive of Child and Family Service, said he is "pleased that there's a resolution on furlough Fridays." But he urged the state not to forget health and human services programs, adding that the situation for charities is "pretty bleak."
No End In Sight
Ruthann Quitiquit, president and CEO of Parents and Children Together, agreed, saying nonprofits are facing tough times — with no apparent end in sight.
"I think nonprofits had hopes that if the rainy day was going to be used that it would be used for health and human services," said Quitiquit, whose organization has seen more than $4.5 million in state funding cuts, laid off about 20 percent of its work force and instituted pay cuts.
If the fund is depleted, she said, "what will that mean down the road if the recession gets worse in Hawai'i?"
Lawmakers tapped into the fund last legislative session, taking $8 million for adult mental health services and $14 million for public hospitals at the Hawai'i Health Systems Corp. But legislators rejected requests to use the fund for other social service programs. Two years ago, lawmakers used $24 million from the fund to help respond to the October 2006 earthquake on the Big Island.
Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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Obama is the commander in chief for the military here in Hawaii, so he boastmicrosoft 70-536 . This is where he was born and raised, so he says. He assumes that in the post of nuclear winter he may live near the equator where there is direct sunlight. All elementary and silly stuff for now as far as keeping family safe from harm during ones iseb certification 'post-just war'.What I don't understand is Kauai is hopeless as far as nukes, Big Island is dead with fall out, maui and lani seems safe since the stopping of the bomb on Kahoolawe. I may be wrong on the safe part for both islands. Lani and Molokai is a could be for 'safe' place to live as in sense of place. His personal exist plan puts him and his family right into the belt way of nuclear fall out. And the wind direction will become his commander in chief within his nuclear belt way. hdi certification
The Hawaiian Language is recognized as one of the two Official Languages of the State of Hawaii. The Hawaiian Culture is also recognized in many parts of the bicsi rcdd Constitution of the State of Hawaii. For many years based on these facts I've said it many times in the past and will say it here, that Hawaiian should be taught in the schools on an equal base as English. At the State Legislature I have supported this for many years. Including Free Tuition for Hawaiian Students at the UH.
ALOHA Kaua, e Ululani, The Hawaiian Language is recognized as one of the two Official Languages of the State of Hawaii. The Hawaiian Culture is also recognized in many parts of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii. For many years based on these facts I've said it many times in the past and will say it here, that Hawaiian should be taught in the schools on an equal base as English. At the State Legislature I have supported this for many years. Including Free Tuition for Hawaiian Students at the UH. United States and the FAKE State of Hawaii owes our people BILLIONS of BILLIONS of Dollars beginning with their involvement in the overthrow of the lawful government of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Keep in mind that the United States and the FAKE State of Hawaii has never paid our people One Penny for the use of the Sovereign Lands of the Hawaiian Kingdom nation.
E Ola Mau Ke Aupuni Moi o Hawaii, o Pomai
Ululani > PomaikaiokalaniNovember 20, 2009 at 3:22pm
Aloha kaua Uncle Tom.
Yes, you have. You stalk, harass, stalk, harass. It is you. You have not changed. In fact you are still bothered by Hawaiians which to me is a good sign. It shows that what we are doing is bothering you. Thanks for the hoailona.
However you created a group for the sole purpose of harassing Hawaiians. Another screen cap of your harassment:
"In addition, you agree not to use the Service or the Site to:
upload, post, transmit, share, store or otherwise make available any content that we deem to be harmful, threatening, unlawful, defamatory, infringing, abusive, inflammatory, harassing, vulgar, obscene, fraudulent, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;
intimidate or harass another;
I don't mind discussing the DOE since I am a tax payer in Hawai'i. I don't mind discussing America since I am American too. Republican to boot.
However it is your racism and harassment of Hawaiians that are objectionable and violate the Terms of Service which you agreed to when you created a profile here.
Easy question to answer, other native Hawaiians are stopping other native Hawaiians from going on to DHHL Lands. Because they are Eatting off of the Hands of the Government.
No native Hawaiian as defined in the Hawaiian Homestead Act should be Homeless in Hawaii. Native Hawaiians as defined in the Hawaiian Homestead Act are the only Beneficiary to the Public Lands Trust. The General Public is a Purpose of the Public Lands Trust, not a Beneficiary.
The Beneficiary right of the native Hawaiians to the Public Lands Trust comes from the Laws of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The Trust concept of the Joint Resolution of Annexation is based on the Trust Land concept based on the laws of the Hawaiian Kingdom, not American laws. o Pomai
The State has been problematic for decades and not heeding the warnings but preferring instead of keeping up with the Joneses syndrome. Even on the Continent of America could one see the foreboding of disaster. A few issues prescribed to it have been expressed many times but ignored; and now the bubble has burst and all of a sudden most everyone is crying about it. The conumdrum is quite easy to solve when looking at the earning power vs. the cost of living. As costs escalate, the earning power slugglishly moves to compensate the costs. Logistically, the minimum wage earnings should be about $35.00 an hour based on a forty hour week. Businesses and corporations whine that the rise of costs force them to increase their rates; yet they discount the need to increase the wages of their employees or those in the private sector in doing so.
Legislators were once considered part-time legislation and term restricted (some according to their performance). Hawai'i was noted for being the highest paid part-time legislators; even being paid more in comparison to the full-time legislators on the U.S. continent. I feel that's where the first budget cut should come from. Some years ago, they past a bill to give themselves an automatic pay increase because it took too much time passing a bill to increase their pay at each session rather than working on other bills that were presented.
Interestingly, back in the 1960s, there were about 3 or 4 states that didn't have state taxes because their economic industry was so successful that taxes from it funded the total operation of the state. In Hawai'i, it was the more it made; the more it spent. With the military and tourism industry in Hawai'i, we shouldn't have to pay any taxes; but we do. It's that $1.00 a year for 65 years that is the clincher.
Section 5(f ) in the alleged Statehood Act expressly stated how the revenues of the so-called ceded lands were to be used as a condition for statehood. It was to be kept separate from the General Fund. The state passed a law that 20% of those revenues were to be used for the betterment of the native Hawaiians as amended in the Hawaiian Homes Land Act. The rest of the 80% of the revenues were to be used for other purposes which among them it stated for educational purposes. The so-called State never followed the requisite until 1978 and had throw the revenues into the General Fund to expend on other purposes rather than on the intended use.
This compounded the situation we face today. Concessions made were adverse to these purposes and the alleged-state was living beyond its means and enjoying the perks and criminal actions. Then they unionized the government employees and that further deteriorated the economic conditions in the islands which the private sector suffered greatly for it. This disparity continuesw today and further antagonizes our predicament as prophetically stated.
This comes as no surprise but answered the question of when it would blow up in our faces. A word to the wise is sufficient; but in our case, we lacked the wise from acting. Things won't happen until the people become outraged at the fraud and deceit. The alleged-State of Hawai'i has proven that crime DOES pay.
In one of your earlier diatribes you claimed that you did not know me.
You mean Scott Crawford of www.HawaiianKingdom.info and like I have already mentioned before... it is you. Tom the Stalker.
However Scott Crawford didn't shut down his blog. He just wrote an entry on October 8, 2009. Then on October 21, 2009 he wrote at the very top:
"Note Oct. 21: I'm having trouble with my blogging software so I've been unable to post... will resume when I can get that resolved, or maybe have to switch platforms."
Instead it was you and people like you who convinced him to disable comments so don't blame me.
Blame yourself for posting racist comments at his blog singling out and targeting Hawaiians based on their national origin.
Ikaika Hussey owner and creator of Maoliworld has a similar TOS that Scott Crawford has:
"In addition, you agree not to use the Service or the Site to:
upload, post, transmit, share, store or otherwise make available any content that we deem to be harmful, threatening, unlawful, defamatory, infringing, abusive, inflammatory, harassing, vulgar, obscene, fraudulent, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;
If you continue to violate the TOS here Ikaika may do the same thing to you at Maoliworld which is his site as Scott Crawford did at his blog when you violated Scott's TOS and wrote racist comments directed at Hawaiians.
Replies
hdi certification
Once again you did not read the Terms of Use:
The Terms of Use explicitly states:
"In addition, you agree not to use the Service or the Site to:
intimidate or harass another"
http://www.maoliworld.com/page/maoliworld-terms-of-use
You used to stalk and try to harass me leaving racist comments... until I disabled all comments.
Lately you have been stalking Kehaulani and made an ass out of yourself at Kehaulani's blog stating that charter schools are Hawaiian schools:
http://hehawaiiau.honadvblogs.com/2009/11/13/dont-touch-charter-sch...
Perhaps the money would be better spent educating people like you so that you can read. That way you won't make an ass out of yourself.
E malama pono.
E Ola Mau Ke Aupuni Moi o Hawaii, o Pomai
Yes, you have. You stalk, harass, stalk, harass. It is you. You have not changed. In fact you are still bothered by Hawaiians which to me is a good sign. It shows that what we are doing is bothering you. Thanks for the hoailona.
However you created a group for the sole purpose of harassing Hawaiians. Another screen cap of your harassment:
Seen @http://www.maoliworld.com/group/KanakasforAmerica
That is violating the Terms of Service:
"In addition, you agree not to use the Service or the Site to:
upload, post, transmit, share, store or otherwise make available any content that we deem to be harmful, threatening, unlawful, defamatory, infringing, abusive, inflammatory, harassing, vulgar, obscene, fraudulent, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;
intimidate or harass another;
http://www.maoliworld.com/page/maoliworld-terms-of-use
I don't mind discussing the DOE since I am a tax payer in Hawai'i. I don't mind discussing America since I am American too. Republican to boot.
However it is your racism and harassment of Hawaiians that are objectionable and violate the Terms of Service which you agreed to when you created a profile here.
E malama pono.
No native Hawaiian as defined in the Hawaiian Homestead Act should be Homeless in Hawaii. Native Hawaiians as defined in the Hawaiian Homestead Act are the only Beneficiary to the Public Lands Trust. The General Public is a Purpose of the Public Lands Trust, not a Beneficiary.
The Beneficiary right of the native Hawaiians to the Public Lands Trust comes from the Laws of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The Trust concept of the Joint Resolution of Annexation is based on the Trust Land concept based on the laws of the Hawaiian Kingdom, not American laws. o Pomai
Legislators were once considered part-time legislation and term restricted (some according to their performance). Hawai'i was noted for being the highest paid part-time legislators; even being paid more in comparison to the full-time legislators on the U.S. continent. I feel that's where the first budget cut should come from. Some years ago, they past a bill to give themselves an automatic pay increase because it took too much time passing a bill to increase their pay at each session rather than working on other bills that were presented.
Interestingly, back in the 1960s, there were about 3 or 4 states that didn't have state taxes because their economic industry was so successful that taxes from it funded the total operation of the state. In Hawai'i, it was the more it made; the more it spent. With the military and tourism industry in Hawai'i, we shouldn't have to pay any taxes; but we do. It's that $1.00 a year for 65 years that is the clincher.
Section 5(f ) in the alleged Statehood Act expressly stated how the revenues of the so-called ceded lands were to be used as a condition for statehood. It was to be kept separate from the General Fund. The state passed a law that 20% of those revenues were to be used for the betterment of the native Hawaiians as amended in the Hawaiian Homes Land Act. The rest of the 80% of the revenues were to be used for other purposes which among them it stated for educational purposes. The so-called State never followed the requisite until 1978 and had throw the revenues into the General Fund to expend on other purposes rather than on the intended use.
This compounded the situation we face today. Concessions made were adverse to these purposes and the alleged-state was living beyond its means and enjoying the perks and criminal actions. Then they unionized the government employees and that further deteriorated the economic conditions in the islands which the private sector suffered greatly for it. This disparity continuesw today and further antagonizes our predicament as prophetically stated.
This comes as no surprise but answered the question of when it would blow up in our faces. A word to the wise is sufficient; but in our case, we lacked the wise from acting. Things won't happen until the people become outraged at the fraud and deceit. The alleged-State of Hawai'i has proven that crime DOES pay.
Tane
In one of your earlier diatribes you claimed that you did not know me.
You mean Scott Crawford of www.HawaiianKingdom.info and like I have already mentioned before... it is you. Tom the Stalker.
However Scott Crawford didn't shut down his blog. He just wrote an entry on October 8, 2009. Then on October 21, 2009 he wrote at the very top:
"Note Oct. 21: I'm having trouble with my blogging software so I've been unable to post... will resume when I can get that resolved, or maybe have to switch platforms."
Seen @ http://www.hawaiiankingdom.info/
Instead it was you and people like you who convinced him to disable comments so don't blame me.
Blame yourself for posting racist comments at his blog singling out and targeting Hawaiians based on their national origin.
Ikaika Hussey owner and creator of Maoliworld has a similar TOS that Scott Crawford has:
"In addition, you agree not to use the Service or the Site to:
upload, post, transmit, share, store or otherwise make available any content that we deem to be harmful, threatening, unlawful, defamatory, infringing, abusive, inflammatory, harassing, vulgar, obscene, fraudulent, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;
intimidate or harass another;
seen @ http://www.maoliworld.com/page/maoliworld-terms-of-use
If you continue to violate the TOS here Ikaika may do the same thing to you at Maoliworld which is his site as Scott Crawford did at his blog when you violated Scott's TOS and wrote racist comments directed at Hawaiians.
E malama pono.
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