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Serious Hawaii System Election Weaknesses

Aloha General Public,

This is a public letter for the general public to read. Attached and below, please find my letter to Mr. Kevin Cronin describing serious weaknesses in the Hawaii election system. If you are as concerned as I am about democracy in Hawaii, please consider taking the following actions:
1. If you are a state legislator, please ask Mr. Cronin directly by letter or email to explain to you what he is doing to insure that the Hawaii election system is fair, honest and accurate and in particular, ask him to comment directly back to you about my letter below, item by item. Also, you could call a committee hearing and ask Mr. Cronin to testify under oath.
2. If you are the media, please consider assigning an investigative reporter to investigate Hawaii election system integrity and report findings to your readers.
3. If you are a citizen, please consider signing up to be an "Election Observer" in your county for the primary and general elections later this year. Just call your county clerk and sign up. Make sure to specify "Election Observer" and not "Precinct Official." Election Observers work at the county building where all the votes come in after the polls close. It is an experience you will never forget and you will see all of the things I saw in the 2006 elections which I have described below in the letter to Mr. Cronin.
4. Also, if you are citizen, please consider signing up to be an "Election Observer" at the state count center which takes place on the floor of the State Senate. There, you will witness all of the votes coming in from the four county count centers. Just call the State Office of Elections and sign up.
5. Please forward this letter to friends who might want to be Election Observers.
6. Please forward this letter to anyone who is interested in open, honest and accurate elections.

Mahalo,
Robert G. Babson, Jr.
Maui Election Observer

Robert G. Babson, Jr.
Maui Election Observer
3371 Keha Drive
Kihei, Hawaii 96753
808 874-1166

May 16, 2008

SENT BY CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Mr. Kevin Cronin
Chief Election Officer
State of Hawaii
802 Lehua AvenuePearl City, Hawaii 96782

Re: Official Petition by Robert G. Babson, Jr. dated March 23, 2008 for the Adoption, Amendment, or Repeal of Rules in accordance with Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 2, Chapter 50, Adoption, Amendment, or Repeal of Rules by Chief Election Officer in which I pointed out significant Hawaii election system weaknesses and made recommendations which would strengthen Hawaii election system integrity.

Dear Mr. Cronin,

I am in receipt of your letter dated April 23, 2008 which was in response to my petition to you referenced above dated March 23, 2008. In your response you rejected all 12 of my recommendations and completely ignored and did not even mention doing anything about the most serious weakness of all and that is the fact that Hart InterCivic has the absolute ability to flip votes if they want to and you refuse to put any safeguards into the Hawaii Election System to protect the citizens of Hawaii's constitutional right to fair, honest and accurate elections.

Let us review the facts:

1. Hart InterCivic writes the software programs that run the Hawaii elections.
2. The programs are secret and protected by "intellectual property" and copyright laws so no one in Hawaii is able to review them for honesty, accuracy and safeguards.
3. Hart InterCivic installs these programs on all voting machines and on their computers at the four county count centers and their computer at the state count center.
4. All voting machines at the precincts have memory cards (PCMCIA cards) which are forwarded to the county count centers and are then "read" into the Hart InterCivic computers in preparation for forwarding the votes over telephone lines and the internet to the state count center.
5. Hart InterCivic also installs on their county and state count center computers a telephone number for their computers to dial to transmit the votes from the county count centers to the state count center. The telephone number is to an internet service provider. The telephone number is a secret so the citizens of Hawaii don't know who they are dialing.
6. Hart InterCivic's computers have dialup modems in them so that when the telephone is answered by the internet service provider, it is automatically placed onto the internet and the votes of Hawaii are transmitted to a remote website, and only Hart InterCivic knows the internet website address. The internet website address is a secret.
7. It is at this website that Hart InterCivic has the absolute control and ability to "flip" the votes, if they want to. Votes could easily be taken from one candidate and given to another to change the outcome of the elections. The total vote count would stay the same so it would be hard to detect.
8. Moments later, Hart InterCivic's computer at the state count center which is programmed with the same telephone number so it can get onto the same website, could then receive the "flipped" votes from the secret website.
9. Hart InterCivic then compiles the statewide vote count in PDF format by precinct (736 pages in 2006) and by statewide summary (5 pages in 2006). Both these final counts are currently on the Office of Elections official website for the general public to see.

I do not know if Hart InterCivic has ever flipped any votes. But as a Maui Election Observer, it is my job to ask questions, point out election system weaknesses and to be the "Eyes and Ears" of the general public. The 2006 Election Observers Manaul says that the purpose of all election observers is to be the "Eyes and Ears" of the general public and that is what I am doing. I am making all my observations public.

No election vendor should have the "ability" to flip votes. Voters should not be required to "blindly trust" the election vendor. If you "Google" the three words: "hart intercivic fraud," you will get 22,000 news stories about Hart InterCivic and possible election fraud. This is not reassuring. I have made good recommendations to you in my petition referenced above and you have rejected all of them. Each of these recommendations are simple and common sense and would eliminate and/or significantly reduce the ability of Hart InterCivic from having the ability to flip votes, thus protecting the consitutional rights of the cititzens of Hawaii to have fair and honest elections with every vote counted accurately.

All twelve of my recommendations are good and would increase Hawaii election system integrity significantly, but the three most important recommendations are:

1. The memory cards (PCMCIA cards) from all precinct voting machines should be flown to the state count center and "read" directly into the state count center Hart InterCivic computer and under no circumstances should any votes be transmitted over telephone lines and/or the internet for reasons stated above. No voting machine or count center computer should be connected to a telephone line.

2. All precinct computers (both DRE and optical scan) should print out their total vote counts when the polls close. The optical scan computers at the county count centers that count absentee ballots should print out their total vote counts when all absentee ballots have been counted. All printouts should be traced into the final statewide vote count by precinct prepared by Hart InterCivic (see #9 above). This should be done on the day following the elections when election results are final.

3. The manual audit team should randomly select and manaully count 10% of the votes and trace them into the final statewide vote count by precinct. This is already a state law (HRS 16-42 (b) (3)) but the Office of Elections in 2006 only counted less than 1% of the votes manually and refused to count any votes at all in the biggest precincts, the AB Mail precincts, which is all absentee ballots. The random selection and manual count should be conducted beginning on the day after the elections when all election results are final.

In summary, voters should not be required to "blindly trust" the election vendor. It is my hope that you will reconsider your response to my petition and at a bare minimum institute the above three recommendations for the sake of assuring the citizens of Hawaii that the Hawaii election system is fair, honest and accurate.

I would like to request that this letter be attached to and made part and parcel of my original petition since it is a follow up to it, and hence also be a "public document" for all to read in accordance with Hawaii administrative law section: 2-50-2(b).

Sincerely,


Robert G. Babson, Jr.

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Hawaii Election System Weaknesses and Recommended Corrections

There are serious weaknesses in the Hawaii Election System and every citizen in Hawaii should know about them. In the letter which follows, I have described these weaknesses and am officially asking Mr. Kevin Cronin, the Hawaii Chief Elections Officer, to correct them using his emergency rule making powers as described in the letter. If you are as concerned as I am, please call or write Mr. Kevin Cronin* and your elected officials and ask them to support my petition below for the sake of safeguarding democracy in Hawaii. Also, please call your county clerk and sign up to be an "Election Observer" in your county count center so you can witness first hand all the weaknesses described in my letter during the primary and general elections later this year if no changes are made. Make sure to specify you want to be an "Election Observer" and not a precinct official.

Mahalo for your support in this important matter,

Bob Babson
Maui Election Observer

*Contact Mr. Cronin: Oahu: 808 453-8683, neighbor islands toll free: 800 442-8683, email: elections@hawaii.gov



My letter to Mr. Kevin Cronin is as follows:



Robert G. Babson, Jr.
Maui Election Observer
3371 Keha Drive
Kihei, Hawaii 96753
808 874-1166

March 23, 2008

Mr. Kevin Cronin
Chief Election Officer
State of Hawaii
802 Lehua AvenuePearl City, Hawaii 96782

SENT BY CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

This is an Official Petition for the Adoption, Amendment, or Repeal of Rules in accordance with Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 2, Chapter 50, Adoption, Amendment, or Repeal of Rules by Chief Election Officer. This is a public document and should be widely circulated for all to read so as to be aware of the serious weaknesses in the Hawaii election system.

Dear Mr. Cronin,

Congratulations on your appointment as the new chief election officer for the State of Hawaii. I majored in accounting in college and was an auditor for three years following graduation. In 2004, I was a precinct official for both the primary and general elections, and in 2006, I was a Maui election observer in both the primary and general elections. I would like to bring to your attention the following Hawaii election system weaknesses I observed during the 2006 elections and formally request that you adopt the necessary administrative rules as required by law to protect the citizens of Hawaii by strengthening the Hawaii election system so that all citizens will know their votes are being accurately counted. Valid and legitimate election results are critical to our democracy.

Since Hawaii's votes are transmitted over telephone lines and local area networks (LAN's), I believe the entire Hawaii election system is compromised and subject to hacking and flipping. Election vendors can easily put a dialup modem into any voting machine which is attached to a telephone line. Election machines can easily be programmed with an 800 # that will go to an internet service provider and the election machines can automatically be placed onto the world wide web and have the ability to send votes to a remote website which could be controled by the election vendor and/or could be hacked by hackers. The election vendor and/or hacker(s) could then flip votes. Votes could be taken from one candidate and given to another candidate and nobody would ever know the difference since the total vote count would not change. Voting machines are "proprietary assets" and the law does not allow anyone to inspect the insides of voting machines under "intellectual property" laws and so there is no way for the cititzens of Hawaii to know for sure that vote counts are not transmitted over the internet to a remote website where they can be flipped. Once the votes are flipped, then the election vendor's computer at the state count center can dial the same 800 # and also use a dialup modem to get onto the same website and down load the "flipped" votes and put them into final statewide vote count. This is why we need all of the below described administrative rules to verify and double check the accuracy and honesty of the final statewide vote counts. In conclusion, I continue to believe the overall best solution would be to totally ban the use of telephones and LAN's and instead fly all the PCMCIA cards (memory cards) from all voting machines to the state count center in Honolulu where they can be directly "read" into the vendor's computer and tabulated. Hawaii should not "blindly trust" their election vendor(s).

Hawaii Administrative Law, Chapter 50, states: Section 2-50-2: Petitions for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of rules. (a) Any interested person or agency may petition the chief election officer for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of any election rule. The petition need not be in any prescribed form, but it shall contain all of the following:

(1) The name, address, zip code, and telephone number of the petitioner: My name is Robert G. Babson, Jr., aka Bob Babson, 3371 Keha Drive, Kihei, Hawaii 96753. My phone number is 808 874-1166. My email address is babsonb001@hawii.rr.com.

(2) The signature of the petitioner: I have signed this petition below.

(3) A statement of the nature of petitioner's interest: I am a cititzen of Hawaii and of the United States of America and I have a legal right under both the laws of the State of Hawaii and of the United States to expect that my vote, and all votes by all citizens, be accurately counted and that the Hawaii election system be of the highest integrity to insure same. Valid and legitimate election results are critical to our democracy.

(4) A draft or substance of the proposed rule or amendment or a designation of the provisions sought to be repealed: The substance of the proposed rules is as follows:

a. To write new administrative rules to govern all voting done on Direct Record Electronic (DRE) voting machines since it appears none have ever been written.

b. To adopt, amend or repeal administrative rules to insure that the Hawaii election system is of the highest integrity and that election fraud is virtually impossible. Citizens should not be required to "blindly trust" the office of elections and/or the election vendors. Safeguards, double checks and verifications must be implemented at all levels of the Hawaii election system to insure that all votes are counted accurately.

(5) A statement of the reasons in support of the proposed rule, amendment, or repeal: All citizens of Hawaii have the absolute legal right to expect that their vote is accurately counted and that their Hawaii election system is of the highest integrity and that election fraud is virtually impossible. Hawaii administrative law must be complied with to determine administrative rules for how to eliminate election system weaknesses, safeguard votes and insure that the Hawaii election system is of the highest integrity. Specifically, the following reasons for new rules are:

a. Reason #1 for new administrative rules: Please see Chapter 51: "2-51-99 Direct Recording Electronic (Reserved)." The State has been using DRE machines since 2002, and it appears they have never written any administrative rules for them. There should be mandatory safeguards in place. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum administrative rules be adopted:

1. All DRE voting machines should print out election results at the precinct after the precinct closes. Such printouts should be traced into the final statewide vote counts the next day to double check the accuracy of telephone and LAN transmissions. Such printouts should then be permanently stored with the paper ballots in accordance with state law in case of a recount and/or a criminal investigation.

2. All PCMCIA cards (memory cards) used in DRE voting machines should be treated the same as paper ballots and therefore at all times be accompanied by election observers on election day and be permanently stored with the paper ballots in accordance with state law in case of a recount and/or a criminal investigation. They specifically should not be left alone with the election vendor at anytime during election day nor kept by the election vendor after the election.
b. Reason #2 for new administrative rules: Votes are currently transmitted over telephone lines. This procedure is authorized by the request for procurement (RFP). Telephone lines can be used by computers with a "dialup modem" to get onto the internet. Votes can be hacked and/or flipped at remote websites. Administrative rules must be made to totally eliminate the possibilty of hacking or flipping of votes. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. All telephone and LAN transmissions of votes should be banned altogether, and no voting machines should be connected to any telephone line and/or wifi system of any kind. Instead, all PCMCIA cards from the counties should be flown by air from Hawaii, Maui and Kauai Counties on election night to Honolulu. This would totally eliminate any possible hacking and/or flipping of votes sent over telephone lines and/or a LAN. The printouts would still be traced in the next day as a double check. It would take less than an hour to fly the PCMCIA cards to Honolulu and get them to the state count center. The election results could still be released to the media by 11 pm on election night. But above all, it is far more important to have accurate vote counts than it is to have speedy news releases. This would require no change in the existing election equipment just purchased since all voting machines have a PCMCIA card in them. Instead of sending the data over the telephone lines and/or a LAN, the card would simply be flown to Honolulu and "read" directly into the state tabulating computer while election observers watched. All future RFP's should specifically ban the use of telephones and the internet in any way whatsoever.

2. All voting machines (DRE's, optical scanners, etc.) should print out final election results on election day. Precincts should printout such results when the precincts close and the county count centers should printout such results at the end of the election night. Such printouts should be traced into the final statewide vote counts the next day to double check the accuracy of telephone and LAN transmissions. Such printouts should then be permanently stored with the paper ballots in accordance with state law in case of a recount and/or criminal investigation.

3. All PCMCIA cards used in all voting machines should be treated the same as paper ballots and therefore at all times be accompanied by election observers on election day and never left in the sole possession of the election vendor during election day. They should be permanently stored with the paper ballots in accordance with state law in case of a recount and/or criminal investigation. They specifically should not be left alone with the election vendor at any time on election day nor should they be kept by the election vendor after the election.

4. Telephone transmissions of votes must be over "dedicated" telephone lines, not just "open" telephone lines where any number can be dialed. The telephone company used must be required to issue a certified statement under oath that the two telephone lines are dedicated to each other and no other number can be dialed from either number. In addition, election observers must be required to observe all transmissions of votes from the county count center to the state count center and keep a diary of such transmissions for later comparison to make sure that all calls were simultaneous. Such diaries must then be stored with the paper ballots in case of a recount and/or criminal investigation.

c. Reason #3 for new administrative rules: Votes are currently transmitted over "Local Area Networks" (LAN's). This procedure is authorized by the request for procurement (RFP). One definition of a local area network is the worldwide web. So it is currently legal for election vendors to use the world wide web to transmit votes. Votes can be hacked and/or flipped at remote websites. Even LAN's can be hacked and votes flipped. There is no justification whatsoever to justify allowing an election vendor to use a LAN and/or the internet. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rule be adopted:

1. Totally prohibit the Office of Elections and/or any election vendor to ever use a LAN and/or the internet. There is virtually no way to safeguard the votes of Hawaii from hackers and flippers if they are allowed to be tansmitted over a LAN. All future RFP's must specifically prohit the use of a LAN and/or the internet in any way whatsoever.

d. Reason #4 for new administrative rules: During the 2006 general election, the manual audit team only counted one candidate in one race in 7 of 44 precincts in Maui County and the absentee ballot precinct (AB-Mail) which is the largest precinct is never counted because it is "too big." Counting one candidate in one race in a precinct does not constitute counting a precinct. HRS 16-42 (b) (3) requires "audit of a random sample of not less than ten percent of the precincts if the chief elections officer seeks to rely on the electronic tabulation of votes." Administrative rules must be made to randomly select and audit 10% of the precincts. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. The manual audit team should meet on the day following the election and be given the final statewide vote count showing the vote in all precincts. A piece of paper representing each precinct in the county should then be put in a basket and a team member should then randomly select 10% of the precincts. This selection must be observed by at least five election observers who should sign a statement that it was random. In the case of Maui County with 44 precincts, 5 precincts should be randomly selected (rounding up). Since counting every candidate in every race in these 5 precincts would be very time consuming, "random sampling" methods should be used to select the candidates to be 100% counted. All CPA firms use "random sampling" to audit accounts receivable, accounts payable, etc. The same techniques should be used by the manual audit team. Generally speaking, this is how it works: by randomly selecting approximately 5% of the candidates and then counting their votes 100% and tracing these vote totals into the final statewide vote count, and finding no errors, then it can be stated statistically that the votes are accurate with 99% confidence. The chief election officer should retain the services of a professional statistician or CPA firm to draw up and provide a table showing what percent of the candidates and issues must be counted 100% to insure a 99% confidence level that the statewide vote count is accurate. If errors are found, then the manual audit team would need to expand the scope of their counts just like CPA firms do when they find errors. Again, for each precinct, all candidates and issues should be put on a piece of paper and put in a basket and randomly drawn. At least five election observers should observe the random selection and counting of the candidates selected and the tracing in of the total votes to the statewide vote count and should sign a statement that all candidates and issues were randomly selected and all votes for those selected were counted and traced into the statewide count totals. Example: if a typical precinct has a total of 50 candidates and/or issues, then 5% of 50 would be 3 candidates and/or issues to count 100% (rounding up). So if there are 5 precincts, then this would be 15 candidates and/or issues total for the manual audit team to count. Beginning the day after the election the manual audit might take several days to complete, but this is the greatest safeguard to democracy we have and is well worth it.

e. Reason #5 for new administrative rules: During the general election of 2006, the manual audit team selected the precincts to count and started counting about 7:00 pm on election night. The statewide vote totals were not completed until about 11:00 pm. The Hart InterCivic representative operating her computer was only about 30 feet away from the manaul audit team. Since the statewide vote was not final at 7:00 pm, it would be very valuable information if an election vendor or hacker was to find out what was being audited and what wasn't in case they wanted to flip some votes. Administrative rules must be made to eliminate this possibility. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. The manual audit team should meet on the day following the elections and be given a copy of the statewide final vote count and then randomly pick the precincts and candidates and/or issues to be audited as outlined above.

f. Reason #6 for new administrative rules: During the 2006 general election, no "qualified" computer experts were part of the official Maui observer team. In fact, there were no academic or professional qualifications ever mentioned in order to be an election observer. HRS 16-42 (b) (1) requires electronic voting system must be "subject to inspection, audit, and experimental testing, by qualified observers, before and after the election if the chief elections officer seeks to rely on the electronic tabulation of votes." Administrative rules must be made to define exactly what constitutes "qualified observers" and how they shall be chosen. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. The office of elections shall retain at least two qualified computer experts (and pay them a professional fee for their services, if necessary) to serve on each of the four county election observer teams and on the state election observer team for a total of ten computer expert election observers. The minimum qualification to be a "qualified" computer expert is a bachelor's degree in computer sciences from an accredited university and/or equivalent computer industry experience of 5 years or more. Each of the ten qualified computer experts should be required to keep a written diary of all irregularities they witness, time of day, place, people involved, who the irregularity was reported to, and what action they took and what the result was. Copies of said ten diaries shall be required to be made public under the Hawaii Freedom of Information Act and further, said original diaries shall be stored with the paper ballots in case of a future recount and/or criminal investigation.

g. Reason #7 for new administrative rules: The request for procurement (RFP) for the purchase of the 2008 election vendor was not readily available to the general public. Since the purpose of RFP's is to solicit bids from as many vendors as possible so as to get the lowest competitive price, I don't understand why Hawaii citizens can't also easily see the RFP so as to learn how democracy is being conducted and safeguarded here in Hawaii. Administrative rules should be made to make all election related RFP's easily available to the public. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. All election related requests for procurement (RFP's) shall be immediately posted on the office of elections website for the public to examine. Further, any citizen shall be able to call on the telephone, write or email the office of elections and request a RFP and the office of elections shall promptly send the RFP to the requesting party by letter or email. Further, all election related RFP's should be made public documents and available under the Hawaii Freedom of Information Act.

h. Reason #8 for new administrative rules: During the general election of 2006, at the end of the night when the final statewide vote count had been tabulated and released to the media, all election observers were told they could go home. There was an official "debriefing" a few days later. However, there was no further election observering for us to do. My concern here is that the elections were not actually certified until 20 days later. During that time, changes could have been made to the statewide election results and no election observers would have been involved. Administrative rules should be made to notify and reconvene election observers in the counties in question if any further changes are made to the statewide vote count after election night and ask them to examine such changes and approve them in writing prior to the final certification date. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. In the event of any changes to the statewide vote count following the official release to the media on election night, then the chief election officer shall be required to reconvene the election observers in the county in question and allow them to review the changes and approve them before the final certification of the statewide vote counts on the 20th day following the election. This would include, but not be limited to, all findings of any errors by the manual audit team. Such written approval of vote count changes shall be stored with the ballots in case of a recount and/or criminal investigation.

i. Reason #9 for new administrative rules: Under federal law, all chief executive officers (CEO) and chief financial officers (CFO) of publically traded companies are required to certify under oath that the annual financial statements of their company are true and correct to the best of their knowledge. This certification is published in all annual reports for all shareholders to read. I believe the chief election officer and his deputy and the CEO of the election vendor and his executive vice president plus all vendor employees and temporary hires in Hawaii should all be required to certify under oath that the final certified statewide vote count is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge. Administrative rules should be made to require this certification. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. Prior to the final certification of the statewide vote count, the chief election officer and his deputy, and the president, executive vice president and all employees and temporary hires of the election vendor working in Hawaii shall write a letter to the governor and state legislature and the general public certifying under oath that to the best of their knowledge, the certified statewide vote count is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge. This letter shall be placed on the office of elections website for the public to read and be available to the general public under the Hawaii Freedom of Information Act.

2. All future RFP's shall require that the president, executive vice president and employees and temporary hires working in Hawaii of the election vendor shall sign the letter described above as a mandatory condition of the contract.

j. Reason #10 for new administrative rules: During the general election of 2006, the election vendors (Election Systems and Software (ES&S) and Hart InterCivic - working together) created several final vote tabulations which were certified under Hawaii law and are currently shown on the office of elections website. The two most important tabulations are:

1. "General Election of 2006 - State of Hawaii - Statewide, November 7, 2006, SUMMARY REPORT, FINAL SUMMARY REPORT, Printed on 11-22-06 at 12:35:00 pm" and is in PDF format and is 5 pages long. This tabulation shows the total vote for each candidate statewide, but does not show any precinct detail.

2. "General Election of 2006 - State of Hawaii - Statewide, November 7, 2006, FINAL REPORT, Printed on 11-22-06 at 12:36:51 pm" and is in PDF format and is 736 pages long. This tabulation shows the vote for all candidates and issues in all precincts statewide, but does not show totals statewide for statewide or multi-precinct candidates like U. S. Senator, U. S. Representative, Governor, State Senator, State Representative, etc.

It is of the highest importance that a team of auditors randomly select statewide and multi-precinct candidates on the 5 page statewide summary and then go through every precinct in the 736 page statewide precinct count detail and add them up and make sure all votes on the summary are 100% supported by the votes on statewide precinct count. Remember, the manual audit team is counting ballots and tracing them into the 736 page statewide precinct count. Therefore, we need to further trace the statewide precinct counts into the 5 page statewide summary. The citizens of the State of Hawaii should not just "blindly trust" the mathematical accuracy of a computer printout. CPA firms add up large columns of numbers everday and trace them into summaries. Administrative rules must be made to make this math audit mandatory. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. A new team called the "Math Audit Team" should be created for the purpose of randomly selecting candidates and issues on the statewide summary count and then adding up all the votes for this candidate or issue in all precincts in Hawaii to insure they are the same. They should meet on the day following the election and be given the two final vote count printouts mentioned above to audit mathematically. If changes are made later prior to the 20 day certification deadline, then they should be reconvened to audit the changes mathematically to insure the final certified vote count is correct. At least five election observers should observe the random selection of the candidates in the statewide summary and the counting of these candidates in all precincts and the tracing in of the results to insure that the summary vote is 100% accurately supported in the precinct detail. The five election observers should certify in writing that they observed same and this certification should be stored with the ballots in accordance with state law. Copies of these certifications should be available to the general public under the Hawaii Freedom of Information Act.

k. Reason #11 for new administrative rules: As mentioned above, all voting machines at precincts and county count centers should print out the final results at close of business and these printouts should be traced into the statewide vote count to insure that all votes were accurately transmitted over telephone lines and/or LAN's and no votes were flipped. Administrative rules must be made to make this mandatory. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. All voting machines must printout total vote counts at close of business. Precincts must forward such printouts in a secure container to the county count center. The county count center must place all printouts from precincts and from the optical scanner(s) at the county count center into a secure container.

2. A new team called the "Printout Audit Team" should be created. They should report for work the day following the election. Their job will be to trace the votes for all candidates and issues on all printouts into the final statewide vote count, precinct by precinct. They will open the secure container with all the printouts and trace them into the final statewide vote count, precinct by precinct.

l. Reason #12 for new administrative rules: During the elections of 2006, election observers were not required to keep a diary of their activities during election day. Election observers are performing a very important job safeguarding democracy in Hawaii. In case of a recount or criminal investigation, it would be important to have the diaries of all the election observers to review. Accordingly, I believe it is important that election observers document their activities during each election by keeping a diary. Administrative rules must be made to make this mandatory. Specifically, I recommend the following minimum rules be adopted:

1. All election observers including computer expert election observers mentioned above must keep a written diary of all activities and observations. The office of elections shall provide each election observer and computer expert election observer with an appropriate binder to keep such diary. Such diaries shall include all general observations performed and all all irregularities they witness, if any, time of day, place, people involved, who they reported the irregularity to, and what action they took and what the result was. Copies of said diaries shall be required to be made public under the Hawaii Freedom of Information Act and further, said original diaries shall be stored with the paper ballots in case of a future recount and/or criminal investigation.

(6) Any other information pertinent to the petition: I submit the following:

a. The Hawaii primary election is in September, 2008, which is only five months from now. Since the above weaknesses are serious and need immediate emergency action to guaranty the accuracy of elections here in Hawaii, I urge you, as the chief election officer, to expedite the rule making inaccordance with Section 2-50-6 "Emergency rule making." This enables the chief election officer to adopt emergency rules as provided in HRS 91-4.

b. I believe the overall best solution to improve Hawaii election integrity would be for Hawaii to vote like Oregon does - 100% absentee ballot. Most precincts could be closed and save a lot of money. All voters would be sent a ballot and could vote and mail it back to the county where the voter signatures are verified on the outer envelope. High speed optical scanners could count all votes at the county count centers on election day and the PCMCIA cards could be flown to the state count center in time for the 11:00 pm release of vote counts to the media. Oregon has a high voter turn out and to the best of my knowledge has no problems. As chief election officer, I believe it is within your power to implement an Oregon sytle voting system if you want to. It is clean and simple and would be a huge improvement.

The above constitutes my petition in accordance with Hawaii administrative law, section 2-50-2 (a) and I look forward to hearing from you within 30 days. I urge you to immediately formulate emergency new administrative rules to eliminate all of the election system weaknesses I have mentioned above in time for the primary and general elections later this year and to comply with the full letter and spirit of Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 2, Chapter 50, Adoption, Amendment, or Repeal of Rules by Chief Election Officer. By allowing evoting machines to transmit votes over the telephone lines and a LAN, the Hawaii election sytem is completely compromised as it stands now. By the powers granted to you as Chief Election Officer under 2-50-6, "Emergency Rule Making," you have the power to correct all of these weaknesses and insure to the people of Hawaii that every vote will be counted honestly and accurately. It is further my hope you will use your powers under 2-50-1 to initiate all other rules deemed necessary to make the Hawaii election system of the highest integrity and to schedule public hearings and take testimony as called for by administrative rule making.

Further, it is my understanding that in accordance with Hawaii administrative law, section 2-50-2 (b), this petition "shall become a public record upon filing" so all citizens of Hawaii can be informed of the serious election system weaknesses currently being used.

Please contact me if I can be of further assistance in this matter. I have mailed a large number of letters to the Office of Elections expressing my concerns for election system integrity during the last two years beginning with my first letter in December, 2006. They should all be on record there for you to read. However, if you would like, I can make copies of all of them and send them to you again, in case they are not on record there in your office.

Sincerely,




Robert G. Babson, Jr.
Maui Election Observer

McCain - Worse than Bush?

For all the coverage this week of Senator John McCain's background, there are some important things you won't learn about him from the TV networks. His carefully crafted positive image relies on people not knowing this stuff—and you might be surprised by some of it.

Please check out the list below, and then forward it to your friends, family, and coworkers. We can't rely on the media to tell folks about the real John McCain—but if we all pass this along, we can reach as many people as CNN Headline News does on a good night.

10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't):

1. John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.¹

2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."²

3. His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.³

4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."⁴

5. The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.⁵

6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.⁶

7. Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."⁷

8. McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.⁸

9. McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."⁹

10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.¹⁰

John McCain is not who the Washington press corps make him out to be. Please help get the word out—forward this email to your personal network. And if you want us to keep you posted on MoveOn's work to get the truth out about John McCain, sign up here:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccaintruth/?id=12407-8060206-KnhG.b&t=232

Thank you for all you do.

–Eli, Justin, Noah, Laura, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Saturday, April 5th, 2008

Sources:
1. "The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day," ABC News, April 3, 2008
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/the-complicated.html

"McCain Facts," ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008
http://colorofchange.org/mccain_facts/

2. "McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq," Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aF28rSCtk0ZM&refer=us

"Buchanan: John McCain 'Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,'" ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/06/buchanan-gandhi-mccain/

3. "McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill," ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/20/mccain-torture-veto/

4. "McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned," MSNBC, February 18, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17222147/

5. "2007 Children's Defense Fund Action Council^® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard," February 2008
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_learn_scorecard2007

"McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion," CNN, October 3, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/mccain.interview/

6. "Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady," Associated Press, April 3, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-S1sWHm0tchtdMP5LcLywg5ZtMgD8VQ86M80

"McCain Says Bank Bailout Should End `Systemic Risk,'" Bloomberg News, March 25, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHMiDVYaXZFM&refer=home

7. "Will McCain's Temper Be a Liability?," Associated Press, February 16, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4301022

"Famed McCain temper is tamed," Boston Globe, January 27, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/famed_mccain_temper_is_tamed/

8. "Black Claims McCain's Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: 'I Don't Know What The Criticism Is,'" ThinkProgress, April 2, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/02/mccain-black-lobbyist/

"McCain's Lobbyist Friends Rally 'Round Their Man," ABC News, January 29, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4210251

9. "McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam," Mother Jones Magazine, March 12, 2008
http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/03/john-mccain-rod-parsley-spiritual-guide.html

"Will McCain Specifically 'Repudiate' Hagee's Anti-Gay Comments?," ThinkProgress, March 12, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/12/mccain-hagee-anti-gay/

"McCain 'Very Honored' By Support Of Pastor Preaching 'End-Time Confrontation With Iran,'" ThinkProgress, February 28, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/28/hagee-mccain-endorsement/

10. "John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record," Sierra Club, February 28, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/environment/77913/

Support our member-driven organization:

Senator Shan Tsutsui Updates Maui

Senator Shan S. Tsutsui Maui 4th District
Wailuku, Waihe'e, Kahului, Pa'ia, Lower Pa'ia

Senator Tsutsui held a community "Talk Story" session at Pa'ia School on Thursday, March 13th. The discussion was open to community members and addressed Maui priorities for this legislative session.

Senator Tsutsui focused on two main issues for the Pa'ia community:

• The design and construction of a new full kitchen Pa'ia Elementary School cafeteria, supported by $5 million in funding last year and an additional $2.5 million this year
  
  
• New construction of a Pa'ia bypass road for which $37.5 million was appropriated in 2004.

Community members asked Senator Tsutsui about the status of both projects, and he answered questions about current legislative issues affecting their Maui neighbors.

During the “Talk Story” session, Pualani Enos, Executive Director of Hui Malama Learning Center, remarked, “Senator Tsutsui has been so supportive of Hui Malama, and I really appreciate his support for education in the community.”

Senator Tsutsui said, “I enjoying hearing feedback from my community and I welcome open discussions like these about issues that are relevant for all of us on Maui. I really value the opportunity to hear from my Maui residents so I know their concerns and which legislative issues they are focusing on.”

SENATOR TSUTSUI INTRODUCES NORTH SHORE HERITAGE PARK RESOLUTION

In efforts to support the preservation of the Patsy Mink North Shore Heritage park, Senator Tsutsui has drafted a Senate Resolution and an accompanying Senate Concurrent resolution requesting the Legacy Land Conservation Commission to recommend to the Board of Land and Natural Resources that the park be acquired by the State as Legacy Lands. Senator Tsutsui introduced Senate Resolution (SR)66 and Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR)127 in response to the growing concerns for this coastal area, which is under high developmental pressure. The proposed North Shore Heritage Park covers area from Sprecklesville to Pa'ia The park is comprised of 130 acres of land including open space and public beach area. Currently SCR127 and SR66 have been referred to the Senate Water and Land Committee.

SENATOR TSUTSUI SUPPORTS NEW MULTIPURPOSE BUILDING PROJECT AT MAUI HIGH SCHOOL

In response to Maui High School’s need for additional classroom space and a multipurpose building, Senator Tsutsui and Representative Bob Nakasone have moved forward with $7 million in planning and design project. The building will serve as a center for school and community events, providing space for public meetings, performances, educational services, and student testing. The construction would release space for classrooms and upgrade the technology infrastructure. The construction plans come in response to the increasing population growth in Central and South Maui, creating a steady enrollment increase at Maui High School.

Senator Tsutsui recognized the dual need for an increase of classroom space and a community center which the new multipurpose building could provide.

HAWAII NONPROFITS GATHER FOR AN INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING AT THE STATE CAPITOL

Numerous neighbor island nonprofits came to the State Capitol for an informational briefing on March, 12. Representatives from several Maui nonprofits provided information and answered questions from legislators on Senate Ways and Means (WAM) and House Finance Committees.

Senator Tsutsui, Vice Chair of WAM, along with other Senators and Representatives, were present at the informational briefing and heard comments from Neighbor Island Grant-In-Aid (GIA) applicants. Included in over two dozen applicants from Maui in attendance were:

• Friends of Old Maui High School,
• Friends of the Maui Drug Court,
• Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.,
• Maui Family YMCA,
• Women Helping Women.

In her testimony, Sandy Canha, of the Maui Family YMCA said, "Parents across-the-board continually seek safe places for their children, especially during those after school hours when they are working. We find ourselves competing for the hearts and minds of our children. But, it is a fight we cannot afford to lose. A vibrant YMCA on Maui is a powerful and positive magnet to support, mentor and befriend our children."

In order to be considered for a GIA, statewide nonprofit programs must fulfill several requirements:

• Giving the State full access to appropriate records so it can determine whether grants are being spent properly and if programs are producing adequate results,
• agreeing not to use State funds for entertainment or lobbying activities,
• and becoming licensed or accredited to provide the services for which the grant is sought.
• be designated a nonprofit organization by the Internal Revenue Service.

Stacey Moniz, Executive Director of Women Helping Women remarked, "There is a huge and growing need for this center to be open full time, so we have asked the County of Maui to also financially support the important services we are providing to the West Side…system wide changes have had great benefit to the people of West Maui."

Following the briefing, Senator Tsutsui commented, "The giving of funds to statewide nonprofit programs would provide extensive and sustainable improvements to people throughout our communities, environment, and for our local economies. These programs provide services that the state cannot do alone, or in a more efficient and effective way."

CONGRATULATIONS TO MAUI BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB 2008 YOUTH OF THE YEAR, CHASE MUROMOTO

Maui resident, Chase Muromoto was chosen as the 2008 Boys and Girls Club Maui 2008 Youth of the Year for academic excellence and leadership. Reflecting on these honored qualities, Muromoto described his motivation by saying that he doesn’t “just talk the talk, but actually walks the walk.”

This dedication is evidenced by this 3.2 grade point average at King Kekauilike High School, where he is a junior and ranked in the top 50 of his 300 student class. He has also demonstrated leadership through his role in an incident at school where he aided fellow students inform teachers when a peer brought a knife to school. Through these actions he is well respected by his teachers.

Muromoto is currently enrolled in numerous college preparatory courses including classes in graphic arts, math, history and Spanish, and has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Maui, UpCountry Clubhouse in Makawao for the past seven years. His family includes his younger sister, Aja, and his parents, Tom and Liane.

Gen. Clark Rebukes McCain Over Poor Treatment of Vets

Robert Lopez served 8 years in our military, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as a tank commander. He was told he'd get his whole education bill paid for when he got out of the service. Mr. Lopez has fought and sacrificed for our country but like so many others, Mr. Lopez has faced the bleak reality of a government that has turned its back on its veterans.

That is why Senators Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel proposed the new GI Bill, which would bring back WWII-style standards of providing vets with full tuition, room and board. And that is why 51 senators have signed on, including 9 Republicans like John Warner, giving this GI Bill tremendous bi-partisan support.

But it isn't enough. Faced with unprecedented filibusters, the only way to ensure Senate passage of the GI Bill is to get 60 co-sponsors. So far, John McCain has refused. The same McCain who insists he supports our troops. The same McCain who is voting lockstep with the Bush administration (who have also resisted this bill). We need to get John McCain to do the right thing -- to sign now and signal to other Republican leaders that we should be strongly behind our vets.

Sign the petition to John McCain!

The original GI Bill transformed American history, providing education for returning soldiers. Not only was this our nation's moral duty for the unbelievable sacrifices of our World War II veterans, it helped create America's middle class and spurred decades of economic growth for our country.

Why then is John McCain silent on passing a new GI Bill for our "new greatest generation"?

Robert Lopez thinks John McCain ought to stand in his shoes to know how difficult it is to be a vet and have to pay staggering education costs. This is your call to arms. Pass the video along and implore your friends to sign the petition.

Click here to watch the video and sign the petition today!

VoteVets.org, WesPAC and Brave New Films feel passionately about giving our veterans the support they rightly deserve. Our government owes our troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan the opportunity to receive full educational benefits. These patriots have fought hard for our government; it's time our government started fighting hard for them.

Sincerely yours,

General Wesley Clark, Robert Greenwald, and Jon Soltz

Iraq $5,000 per second?

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

One way or another, now or later, we’ll have to pay the bill. Professor Stiglitz calculates that the eventual total cost of the war will be about $3 trillion. For a family of five like mine, that amounts to a bill of almost $50,000.

I don’t feel that I’m getting my money’s worth. Read more.

GOP McCain Supports Torture of Prisoners

Despite having been a prisoner of war, GOP candidate John McCain is in lockstep with President Bush in supporting the use of torture. Read more.

Senator Shan Tsutsui: Legislative Action

COLLEGE SAVINGS PROGRAM BILL MOVES THROUGH SENATE

Thus far in the 2008 legislative session, Senator Tsutsui has supported several bills which have currently moved through the Senate. As Vice Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, Senator Tsutsui was instrumental in the advancement of Senate Bill 2660, Relating to College Savings Program. This bill provides an annual maximum deduction of $5,000 per individual and $10,000 for a married couple filing jointly against their taxable income for contributions made to a Section 529 college savings program in the calendar year 2008 and beyond. The 529 tax-deferred college savings program assists families in setting aside funds for future higher education expenses for their children. This bill is meant to encourage Hawaii families to invest in the education of their families, and assist future generations with financing a college education.

SENATOR TSUTSUI’S ALTERNATIVE ENERGY BILLS HAVE CURRENTLY ADVANCED THROUGH THE SENATE

As people in Hawaii become increasingly environmentally conscious, the demand for crucial energy alternatives has become evident to many. Currently, two bills introduced by Senator Tsutsui focusing on alternative energy have crossed over from the Senate to the House: Senate Bill 3215 Relating to Biodiesel and Senate Bill 2764 Relating to Ethanol Facility Credit. SB3215 provides various market stimulation incentives for the development of biodiesel, including market state agricultural lands available for biodiesel fuel crops. In additionally, this bill establishes a state biodiesel feedstock crop and biodiesel fuel purchasing program, and also creates tax exemptions for biomass crushing facilities and lands used for biodiesel feedstock crops. SB2764 repeals the qualifying capacity limits of ethanol production facilities, provides a vehicle to change the total tax credits allowed per year, and repeals the sunset provision with respect the annual nameplate capacity for qualifying ethanol production facilities. Each bill facilitates the development of alternative energy in Hawaii.

CEDED LANDS SETTLEMENT BETWEEN STATE AND OHA PENDING APPROVAL BY STATE LEGISLATURE

The State Administration and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) have agreed to a settlement on ceded lands, which includes a multimillion dollar minimum amount of income and proceeds to be paid to OHA each fiscal year. The lands settlement, which requires approval by the 2008 Legislature, falls under Senate Bill 2733, Relating to the Public Trust Lands Settlement. This Senate bill resolves claims and disputes relating to the lands and fixes the amount of proceeds paid to OHA. The settlement entails $200 million in lands and cash given by the state and pertains to public lands proceeds claimed by OHA from November, 17 1978 to July, 1 2008. Specifically, the bill requires $13 million in cash along with three parcels of land to be awarded to OHA by the state. The lands include Hilo on the Big Island and areas in Kaka'ako and Kalaeloa on Oahu. Additionally, the state is required to pay $15 million for state revenues annually. The overarching and fundamental aspects of the agreement aim to settle decade old disputes over the amount the state owes OHA in ceded land and revenues. The committee on Ways and Means has passed SB 2733 with amendments. This bill has advanced through the Senate and passed its first reading in the House of Representatives. In addition, the Senate and the House have passed a resolution that would require OHA to hold statewide community meetings in order to allow the public to voice concerns over current agreements and legislation.

SENATOR TSUTSUI SUPPORTS PUBLIC ACCESS TO BEACHES

Public access and right-of-way to all local beaches is unique to our State and integral to our way of life in Hawaii. State law requires all beaches in Hawaii to be accessible to the public even in areas where private property exists. In many instances this law has been threatened by development and private land owners who obstruct and privatize public access to beaches. In an effort to ensure that public beach access remains intact for our island communities, Senator Tsutsui has supported Senate Bill 2835, Relating to Public Access. This bill requires state and county agencies to guarantee that a public right-of-way is available prior to the approval of any development project, subdivision, or zoning change. Presently, this bill has advanced through the Senate and has passed to the House.

CONGRATULATIONS TO STUDENTS AT BALDWIN HIGH SCHOOL RECEIVING 2008 SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS

Six Baldwin High School Students have been honored for The 45th Hawai'i regional Scholastic Art Awards 2008. Winners of the 2D Gold Key Awards include Amanda Bowers, Alannah Pascua, Jessica Garcia, Casey Nishikawa, and Lianna Rosa. 2D Silver Key Awards were presented to Lianna Rosa and Amanda Bowers as well. Casey Nishikawa and Amanda Bowers have been recognized as Portfolio Nominees for drawing and painting. Amanda Bowers is also one of two students who have won the inaugural Tadashi Sato Living Art Scholarship, a $500 monetary award. These award winning works of art will be on display from February 1– April 4, 2008 at the Hawaii State Art Museum in Honolulu.

LEGISLATURE EXAMINES TEACHER SHORTAGE PROBLEM

In response to teacher shortages in public schools in Maui and throughout the state of Hawaii, Senator Tsutsui has supported Senate Bill 3252, Teacher Omnibus Bill. This bill addresses teacher shortages and losses through various initiatives including the appropriation of funds for public school teachers and candidates to take tutorials and preparatory courses, providing teachers full service credit for prior teaching experience, appropriating funds for academic coaches, professional development, and the retention of teachers in certain areas, and establishing the teacher housing allowance program to provide housing assistance to teachers employed in schools in isolated areas. Regarding these appropriations, Senator Tsutsui commented, “My hope is for the State to do whatever it can to engender a growing, sustained, and active workforce of teachers in Hawaii. Education is central in our communities and for our state.”

PAKISTANI STUDENT INTERNS WITH SENATOR TSUTSUI

Farheen Tayabb, an exchange student from King Kekauilike High School in Upcountry Maui, interned in the office of Senator Tsutsui for the day. Tayabb is studying in Hawai’i for ten months, and along with fourteen other exchange students from various countries, visited the Hawaii State Capitol on January, 25. Senator Tsutsui said, “This is a unique opportunity for us, as senators, to share the legislative process with these exchange students at the Hawaii State Senate.” Tayabb commented, “I think it is a real honor to be here at the senate. It is interesting how the legislative process, and the building, itself, is so open to the public.” Tayabb is part of a larger group of 57 students from Pakistan studying throughout the United States.

Four Pakistani students are studying in Hawaii, though Tayabb is the only student living on Maui. “This exchange has really effected me; in five months my whole world has changed. I am thinking a lot and I want to do a lot for my people,” she said. Tayabb plans to study accounting and eventually go into politics in Pakistan, and she has been awarded a scholarship to study at a university in Pakistan. When asked about her plans for the future, she replied, “I want to bring peace to people through education. Education can make you think a lot and do a lot.”

During her visit, Tayabb toured the State Capitol building and assisted Senators in their offices. “I was honored to host Tayabb in my office at the Senate today,” Senator Tsutsui remarked. “It is so important for cultural exchanges to take place here in Hawaii, and my staff and I enjoyed the cultural exchange with Tayabb for the day.” Tayabb will spent five more months on Maui before returning to Pakistan this summer.

GOP Runs McSame for Prez

McCain's Continuing Favors for Lobbyists

The NY Times explores GOP candidate McCain's unsavory ties to lobbyists. Although TV stations are playing this as a possible "romantic" indiscretion with a lobbyist, (without much hard evidence) the Times also revisits McCain's involvement with Keating and the Savings and Loan scandal.

Whether or not the latest accusations are true, McCain has gone to bat for people like Keating, appointing cronies to regulatory positions and blocking investigation into Keating's dealings. The end result of the Savings and Loan scandal was jail for Keating, reprimand for McCain and a multi-billion dollar bailout by the U.S. Taxpayers.

McCain: No We Can't

Click to see the original Barack Obama "Yes We Can" video

Cogress Votes on Bill to [classified] the [classified] with $[classified]

Hilarious commentary on Bush's increasing secrecy


Proposed (Classified) Bill Will Defend Against Flesh-Eating (Classified)

NYPD Shills Terror Bill

By Jonathan Bennett
From the February 4, 2008 issue

By Jonathan Bennett



When air monitors have been outlawed, only outlaws will have air monitors!"


The slogan, which has become the unofficial rallying cry of an ad hoc coalition of labor unions, environmental groups, elected officials and community activists, was environmental activist Bob Gulack's reaction when he heard a report about the New York City Police Department's plan to require a permit for any independent environmental sampling used in the city.
http://tinyurl.com/2zyqry


Bob Nichols, Project Censored Award Winner Says:
February 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 pm

Mr Bennett,

You asked "The overriding question is why would NYPD want to control the use of air monitors and other environmental sampling equipment?"

I suggest the answer is five time zones away in the once tropical paradise of Hawaii. There are now 161 military bases in Hawaii and hundreds of abandoned and leaking military toxic waste sites. Hawaii is actually a tiny state with a fragile ecosystem and a population of about a million people in the middle of the Pacific.

More...

Rep. Mele Carroll's Update On Bills in Legislature

Much thanks to Representative Mele Carroll for keeping us updated on the very fast-paced action of this legislative session.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2008

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Rep. Hermina M. Morita, Chair
Rep. Mele Carroll, Vice Chair

NOTICE OF DECISION MAKING
DATE: Thursday, January 31, 2008
TIME: 10:00 am
PLACE: Conference Room 312 State Capitol
415 South Beretania Street

The following measure(s) were previously heard on Tuesday, January 29, 2008.

HB 2919 (Defer to Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008, @ 10:00 am or after scheduled agenda) RELATING TO AIR POLLUTION CONTROL.
Prohibits cruise ships from burning bunker fuel as an air pollutant within five miles of Nawiliwili harbor; defines bunker fuel oil. EEP, TAC, TRN

HB 3068 (Defer to Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008 @ 10:00 am or after scheduled agenda)
RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY.
Requires that the renewable portfolio standards of 20 per cent by 2020 be met by classic electricity generation from renewable sources. EEP, CPC, FIN

HB 2434 (Defer to Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008 10:00 am or after scheduled agenda)
RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
Requires retailers in the State to distribute only recyclable, reusable, or compostable checkout bags. EEP, EDB, FIN

HB 2495 (Pass w/amendments HD1) RELATING TO SOLID WASTE.
Prohibits the use of polystyrene foam as a disposable food service-ware product. EEP, EDB/AGR, FIN

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & EN