http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/05/BA3B13UM63.D...
Same-sex marriage issue heading back to state Supreme Court

Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

(11-05) 18:16 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- A day after California voters approved a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, the incendiary issue returned to the state Supreme Court, where gay and lesbian couples and the city of San Francisco filed lawsuits Wednesday seeking to overturn Proposition 8.
Images
Supporters and members of Protect Marriage.com-Yes on Pro...Niklas Olsson and Joey Vaughan (left) of Palo Alto embrac...After Sen. Barack Obama wins the presidential race, Randy... View More Images
Video
View Larger Size
Proposition 8

* Same-sex marriage ban wins; opponents sue 11.05.08
* What about those who wed? 10.31.08
* Exit poll: Black, Latino voters back measure 11.05.08
* Castro celebrates Obama, bemoans a Prop. 8 win 11.05.08
* Blog: Poultry and people
* Bronstein at Large: Blame Newsom
* Proposition 8 Returns

Campaign 2008

* Full Election Coverage
* Election Map and Returns
* Politics Blog
* AP Interactive: Presidents and the economy
* Photo Galleries, Multimedia
* Post Your Election Day Pics

Interactive Data

* Check Prop. 8 results by county
* Look up Prop. 8 campaign donors

More News

* Same-sex marriage issue heading back to state Supreme Court 11.05.08
* Bonds' lawyers ask judge to toss out bulk of case 11.05.08

Updated at 2:54 p.m., Wednesday, November 5, 2008

State won't evict Kahana Valley Park families as revisions to law considered
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081105/BREAKING01/81105063

Advertiser Staff

The six families living in Kahana Valley Park without residential leases won't be evicted by the state while the 2009 Legislature considers revisions to the law to address the issue, Department of Land and Resources chairwoman Laura H. Thielen announced today.
Advertisement

"We have been working with legislators, some Kahana Valley residents and a member of the original park planning group to identify solutions that would meet the needs of the six families," Thielen said in a released statement.

DLNR had offered to relocate all six families to the residential area of the park. This offer was refused.

"Although we could not resolve this issue with the six families, we are encouraged it will be addressed during the 2009 legislative session," said Thielen, "We trust the Legislature will continue to respect the basic foundation of the public's right to access state parks, keep residential areas separated from the public areas and make Kahana Valley a public park that welcomes and enriches all residents and visitors of Hawai'i."

Reality Report: Michael Klare and the geopolitics of resource consumption

Click here to listen to interview:
http://globalpublicmedia.org/reality_report_michael_klare_and_the_geopol...

Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet is the latest book from Michael Klare, Director of the Peace and World Security Studies Program of the Five College Consortium in Amherst Massachusetts. Professor Klare has written widely on U.S. defense policy, the arms trade, and world security affairs. He has authored several books, and is the defense correspondent of The Nation and a Contributing Editor of Current History.

In this show, we discuss the geopolitics of resource competition. Nations are engaging in a dangerous zero sum game as they jostle over finite supplies of fossil fuels, including the positioning of opposing advanced weapons systems in unstable parts of the world. Will global warfare be the result, or is the current economic breakdown an opportunity to realize that the only workable “rescue package” is one that recognizes resource limits and the need for allocation of scarce goods and services towards productive ends, such as sustainable agriculture and renewable energy systems?

Deadly Price
Southeast Asia's endangered species and indigenous people are suffering while we debate turning food crops into fuel
by Rob Parsons
write the author

April 03, 2008
Thirteen months ago, in February 2007, the announcement that Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) would partner with BlueEarth Biofuels LLC to build a $61 million biodiesel refinery on Maui caught many by surprise. Touted as a way to start weaning Maui Electric Company's (MECO) Ma'alaea generators off petroleum, the secondary goal was to stimulate local agricultural production of biofuel crops. "This is a huge and gigantic step in the right direction," Mayor Charmaine Tavares said at the time.

Yet many unanswered questions dampened the initial enthusiasm. Who was BlueEarth? Was the company qualified to do such a project, even though it never built a refinery of any size, much less a 120 million gallon/year facility? And why were they chosen by HECO and MECO—bypassing state procurement laws—over award-winning local producer Pacific Biodiesel?

More issues arose. Should the state Legislature consider awarding $59 million in special revenue bonds without even the benefit of reviewing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)? Would building such a large facility really stimulate local biodiesel crop production? A 2006 mandate for 10 percent ethanol in our gasoline had predicted similar local business opportunities, but hasn't yet panned out. As a result, all Hawai'i's ethanol still comes from outside the state.

According to reports, at least two hundred supporters stood with the Kahana families early this morning to stop the threatened evictions.

Apparently, DLNR chief Laura Thielan has agreed to delay the evictions and meet with the families.

Here's the text from the Star-Bulletin:

Kahana Valley Evictions Delayed
Six Kahana Valley families were granted a temporary reprieve from eviction today, according to state Rep. Colleen Meyer.

More than 200 Windward Oahu residents blocked the entrance to Ahupuaa o Kahana State Park at dawn today to protest the actions of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

They were holding Hawaiian flags and signs that read, "stop the evictions," and "keep Hawaiian lands in Hawaiian hands."

However, at about 7:30 a.m. Meyer told the crowd that State Land Board Director Laura Thielen was willing to talk about the leases for the six families , which had expired 13 years ago.

Meyer said she had met personally or talked with Thielen throughout the weekend and was told that she was willing to meet not only with the six families, but with other residents of the valley.

Meyer said Thielen was concerned about talks going on too long.

However, Meyer told the Star-Bulletin that her concern is that this problem has been festering since the leases expired and she was wondering why the state was moving to evict the families at this point.

Deborah Ward, Land Board spokeswoman, declined to comment on Meyer's statement this morning.

This is sick. When there arenʻt nearly enough homeless shelters to accommodate for the many working people and families that are loosing their homes, where do we expect them to go?!

Posted on: Monday, October 27, 2008

Homeless face new city tactic: bus stop stools
Idea is to get rid of benches where people can sleep

By Mary Vorsino
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

In response to increased complaints about homeless people sleeping at bus stops, city officials have been replacing long benches at stops in the urban core and Windward O'ahu with round, concrete stools.
Advertisement

Homeless people sleeping at bus stops is not a new problem, officials with TheBus say, but rather one that has become more visible as more people ride the bus.

Ridership is up significantly — about 5 percent in September over year-earlier figures — as commuters try to save money and skirt high gas prices.

So far, the city has spent about $11,000 on the seating initiative, removing benches and installing 55 stools at 12 bus stops in urban Honolulu and Kane'ohe. Wayne Yoshioka, city Department of Transportation Services director, said the city will continue the program on a "case-by-case" basis in response to rider complaints.

"The benches were being used as makeshift beds by many people that were out there," Yoshioka said. "In an effort to provide areas for people to sit, but still discouraging people from sleeping, we started replacing benches with stools."

This case is of particular interest because it could lay the legal ground for taking multinational corporations that violate human rights oversees to court in the United States

Published on Sunday, October 26, 2008 by the San Francisco Chronicle
Chevron Faces Suit Over Nigerian Violence

by Bob Egelko

Larry Bowoto's left arm is still scarred and numb where a soldier's bullet struck it in 1998 while he was aboard a Chevron oil platform in Nigeria. During the course of the incident, Bowoto was shot several more times, another man was wounded and yet another was killed.

[Larry Bowoto protests in front of Chevron headquarters in San Ramon after he attended a shareholders meeting in May. (Paul Sakuma / AP)]Larry Bowoto protests in front of Chevron headquarters in San Ramon after he attended a shareholders meeting in May. (Paul Sakuma / AP)
On Monday, in only the second trial of its kind, a federal jury will convene in San Francisco to decide whether Bowoto and his companions were violent hostage takers or innocent victims - and whether a U.S. corporation, whose foreign subsidiary summoned the security forces, is responsible for the bloodshed.

"I'm not a violent person," Bowoto, 44, said through an interpreter during a recent Bay Area visit. "We were peaceful protesters" who "never expected Chevron to be so brutal."
Chevron denies claim

These are youtube links to the Al Jazeera English news channel. An easy, must watch for those who want to know more about the illegal occupation of Hawaii.

Al Jazeera English features Hawaiian independence on "Inside USA"
Program: Inside USA - The Other Hawai'i highlights sovereignty mov't, history, homeless on Wai'anae coast, effects of tourism and the US military. Among interviewed are Keanu Sai, Haunani-Kay Trask, Noenoe Silva, Kaleikoa Ka'eo, & Clyde Namu'o.

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIq8x9vnLf4

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QqOJGSKGWQ

Al Jazeeera English is one of the three largest global English language 24 hour news channels, the other two being BBC World and CNN International.

www.starbulletin.com > News > Breaking >
New rules, tighter security approved for Iolani Palace

By Rosemarie Bernardo

POSTED: 10:23 a.m. HST, Sep 26, 2008

Members of the Board of Land and Natural Resources unanimously approved new rules for Iolani Palace State Monument.

The approval comes after two separate groups — the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Hawaiian Kingdom Government — locked the gates and occupied the grounds in April and August, respectively.

Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of the Friends of Iolani Palace, said he is pleased with the changes. He said security at the palace grounds will be increased and that includes the installation of more security cameras.

The project, estimated to cost $200,000, is expected to be put out to bid in the next couple of weeks.

Members of the Board of Land and Natural Resources unanimously approved new rules for Iolani Palace State Monument.

The approval comes after two separate groups — the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Hawaiian Kingdom Government — locked the gates and occupied the grounds in April and August, respectively.

Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of the Friends of Iolani Palace, said he is pleased with the changes. He said security at the palace grounds will be increased and that includes the installation of more security cameras.

The project, estimated to cost $200,000, is expected to be put out to bid in the next couple of weeks.

http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/09/26/opinion/edit01.txt
Protect the sacred lands

As someone who was lucky enough to be raised on Kaua‘i and taught to respect the land, people and the history of Hawai‘i, I believe it is our duty to protect the Naue Burial Site and all iwi kupuna.

Isn’t it bad enough the government locked up Queen Liliuokalani and stole Hawai‘i from the people, you are now going to encase their ancestors in concrete.

Unfortunately this is another example of the culture of America — if you have the money you can ignore the people and laws in order to further your self-indulgence.

Does Mr. Brescia believe he will live peacefully with his house built on the iwi kupuna?

I read the article about Malama Kaua‘i’s effort to purchase the land from the current owner. Why is the county or state not stepping in to help? Why has there not been money set aside for situations like these?

The preservation of Hawaiian history should not be solely on the shoulders of the public. The residents of the county I currently live in passed a two-year ordinance that charges an additional .5 percent sales tax and all this money goes into a fund to purchase land for parks and preserves. Perhaps this is something that should be looked into for Kaua‘i.

With all the history and beauty in Hawai‘i, more should be done to preserve the real Hawai‘i for future generations

In my opinion, if you are not willing to respect the history and traditions of Hawai‘i you should not live in Hawai‘i.