i L i n d . n e t

The last day for candidates to file to run in this year’s election is tomorrow. The current listing of those who have filed or at least picked up nomination papers was updated Sunday morning.
Those who appear to have free rides–no one has filed or even taken out nomination papers to run against them–include Democrats David [...]

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One suggestion that came my way yesterday is that Walter Dods move to an active role in Hawaiian Telcom as its Chairman was a defensive move to save his own investment and those of his friends who also put money into the buyout of the former Verizon Hawaii. A merger might be one way to [...]

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Andy Parx, in a comment here yesterday, questioned my assessment of this week’s Supreme Court decision on Hawaii’s experiment in publicly financed elections passed by the legislature this year.
Any wrote:
I don’t think you’re reading this right Ian. It has nothing to do with full public financing laws- or for that matter any public financing laws [...]

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The Supreme Court today struck down a federal law that attempted to offset the advantage of wealthy candidates who finance their own campaigns by giving benefits, including higher contribution limits, to their opponents.
I haven’t yet read the decision itself, but initial news reports indicate that the court soundly rejected the idea of “leveling the playing [...]

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Hawaii is back in the national election spotlight with the opening this afternoon of the Democratic Party’s state convention. At least two issues are drawing national attention.
Most important is the election of three superdelegates who could make a key difference in the tight presidential race where every vote is likely to count. Delegates will [...]

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The Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations, headed by former Star-Bulletin editor and publisher John Flanagan, rallied its members last week with a “Legislative call to action” aimed at killing Senate Bill 3171, which would require registration and disclosure by charitable organizations in Hawaii.
Although versions of the bill have passed both House and Senate, and conferees [...]

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Several people contacted me after seeing a notice on Daily Kos that Hawaii is one of a handful of states that hasn’t filled the “State Blogger Corps” seat being made available by the organizers of the Democratic National Convention. Selected state bloggers will be given press credentials and allowed to sit with their state delegations. [...]

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Gannett negotiator John Jaske, the company’s retired top labor lawyer who has been hired back on special assignment to handle contract talks with the Hawaii Newspaper Guild and the other newspaper unions at the Honolulu Advertiser, was in town for another round of negotiations this week. But talks broke off early yesterday and no follow-up [...]

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