Good Riddance November

The month of November was disappointing. First off practically nothing from the November 4 General Election was worth blogging about. Barack Obama won the presidency with most of the nation and nearly everyone in Hawaii going "gaga" over his win.

Now that Obama's in, everyone will need to hold on to their wallets and money tighter than ever before. Obama and the bunch of Clinton liberals forming his administration will be coming after us with more taxes in the next 4 years and possibly beyond. Cannot trust Democrats who want to steer this nation further to the left with their reckless tax and spend policies and liberal social agenda. It's scary.

Rail: What can I say. I am extremely disappointed in the outcome of this election. The rail issue barely squeaked by on approval with just over 50% of the vote. The only thing I am happy about is that in my district, rail did not win the day. We are sensible people and know that rail will not benefit us and cost us way too much money. Rail and taxes for rail totally suck.

Republican Party: Pretty much self destructed nationally and locally in nearly all elected races. The party is in danger of serious shrinkage especially after adopting a "Democrat light" type of platform and philosophy in recent years. The party must go back to core conservative fiscal and social values. Can't make it with this light liberal crap.

Enough politics for now.

And if you noticed this blog had no new entries until today? Well I got sick in the latter half of the month with a bad cold that even forced me to cancel a trip to the Big Island for Thanksgiving. Spent 4 days at least away from work and while at work, coughed my head off like there was no tomorrow. Coughed at home, coughed at the store when I needed to go there, and still coughing everywhere. The only thing I notice is that I am slowly improving to a point where the coughing is not as intense as it was before.

Elsewhere in the news while I was ailing: Mokulele Airlines took off with its new inter-island jet service on November 19. They are flying 2 Embraer E170 jets between Honolulu, Lihue and Kona. Maui service is to begin early next year with the addition of 2 more jets. Best of all, Mokulele's entry as a major player in the inter-island market has brought air fare prices down to at least $45 each way for a while. It's good that we have a 3-way inter-island airline market. Keeps fares low, stable and maybe even honest.

And speaking of the competition. Mesa Airlines/Go! operation may end up buying the rights to the old Aloha Airlines tradename and logo. They settled their legal case for $2 million against Aloha's top creditor and shareholder Yucaipa, and in the process may end up licensing the Aloha Airlines name from them. Many people in the local airline community are upset about this prospect, but I am not. As they say, "it's just business". No big deal. Just keep offering the public affordable air fares and I'm happy.

Well with December upon us the end of the year fast approaching, all I can say is that you all have a safe and happy holiday season. It's time to push November into the dustbin of history.

Photo caption: Stop Rail Now supporters watch President-elect Barack Obama make his election night victory speech to an audience of millions around the nation. I spent most of election night with Big Mike, Julia of MacMouse along with dozens of Stop Rail Now supporters. The Stop Rail Now office was located near the MacMouse's store until it closed later this month.

Hawaii Quarter Makes National Debut

The Hawaii Quarter, last in the series of 50 State Quarters issued by the United States Mint, made its debut yesterday at a public ceremony in Downtown Honolulu attended by hundreds of people. Governor Linda Lingle and Edmund Moy, Director of the U.S. Mint were among the dignitaries at hand to launch the last State Quarter of the series that features a likeness of King Kamehameha the Great, a map of the islands and the state motto on the reverse side of the coin.

Governor Lingle stated that the Hawaii Quarter will be one of the most popular coins in the series and a highly sought after collectible. The long line of hundreds of people that snaked around the entire block of Bishop, Hotel and Alakea Streets seemed to prove her point about the coin's popularity. These people were waiting in line since early in the morning to be among the first to snap up the new quarters. The U.S. Mint will be casting more than 520,000,000 copies of the coin in the next 10 weeks.

Additional Links:

• Collectors Flip for State Commemorative Coin
• The U.S. Mint 50 State Quarters Program
• Photos: Hawaii State Quarter Debut

Top Photo: Happy school children with their new Hawaii Quarters.


Governor Lingle hands out new Quarters to eager school children.


Long line of people waiting for the new quarter snake around Bishop Street.


The Hawaii Quarter featuring King Kamehameha, image of the islands and state motto.

Done With Voting

I'm done with voting. Went to the polls quite late today at around 1:45 pm. Voted NO on the rail and accordingly for the rest of my ballot choices (scroll down and see earlier posts). The only problem at my polling place was that someone stole the pen in the first booth I went to. Moved to another one and the pen was there. I could mark my boxes clearly and squarely. Fed the ballot in the machine and it thanked me for voting. I was out of there in a few minutes.

Now the waiting begins. I think the national elections are going the way of Obama if the early tweets I'm getting from FoxNews is any indication. Last I check Obama has something like 102 electoral votes to 37-something for McCain. Sad. Hawaii and Alaska still haven't finished voting as of this posting.

But I think the national outcome is assured. Obama will probably win and the dark clouds will be gathering over the horizon as America will be taken down the long road of liberal socialism for the next 4 years and maybe beyond. Sad, so very sad.

The only hope I have in the dimming hours of this election day is that the rail project can be stopped and hopefully by a longshot, maybe even Mufi can be ousted from office. Gotta count on the traditional Japanese vote to go for Kobayashi and push the bully out.

Last Chance to VOTE NO on Rail

Today is the big day. If you haven't voted yet, head to the polls before 6:pm today. This is the most important vote of the entire election. The vote that will save your wallet and the money you would otherwise have to throw at the city government in more taxes if this train is to be approved. The time to STOP RAIL is NOW! If the train amendment passes our property tax, other taxes and the cost of living will continue to spiral upward. The Mufi train and the mayor needs to be stopped.

Ballot Question #4 is:

"Shall the powers, duties, and functions of the city, through its director of transportation services, include establishment of a steel wheel on steel rail transit system?"

The answer to the question is "NO"

Be Weary of News Media Endorsements

Less than 36 hours until election day (November 4) the newspapers have once again reiterated their endorsed candidates. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin leads the way with a bunch of dubious, and very costly endorsements against the taxpayers. Nearly all of their political endorsements lean to the left and will in the long run, cost taxpayers more money.

Not surprisingly the Star Bulletin is endorsing the Barack Obama / Joe Biden team for President and VP of the United States, Mufi Hannemann for Honolulu mayor, a "yes" vote for rail, and a "no" vote for the Constitutional Convention. They're all opposite of what I support as noted in a previous post on this blog.

Obama will increase taxes for the U.S. citizenry. He has a long agenda of turning the United States more from a freedom loving country to a socialist one. Mufi Hannemann is a classic tax and spend Democrat sitting in a non-partisan office spending up to $7 billion to build Oahu a train that is too costly and not needed. A "Yes" endorsement for rail only cements this costly blunder. The "No" vote endorsement on the Con-Con is a way to stifle democracy, silence non-connected voices in the community and keep Hawaii in the lingering status-quo.

Star Bulletin's endorsements of some of the State Board of Education seats are merely reflections of who bought the most ads in the paper and on their website. The "No" people against the Con-Con have bought a lot of ads at StarBulletin.com including many frustratingly annoying pop-ups. Ditto for the Akuna and Mon Lee BOE candidates. They succumbed to intrusive pop-up ads on the Star-Bulletin.com site. Because of their use of pop-ups, I made it clear to them and Star-Bulletin.com that none are getting my vote.

About the only endorsed candidate from the Star-Bulletin's list that I like is Lei Ahu Isa. I'll plunk my vote for her and let the rest of the at-large BOE race go. I suggest readers do the same. Plunking is good. It puts your favorite candidate into a stronger position.

Otherwise my votes are completely opposite from the left leaning Star Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser. McCain-Palin for President/VP; Ann Kobayashi for Mayor; "NO" on rail and "YES' on ConCon. Go out and vote. May fiscal restraint, spending prudency, free markets, traditional values and freedom win this election, or America and Hawaii are doomed.