Date: 	Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:54:57 -1000
From: Mia H H Lam <mial@hawaii.edu>
Subject: HAWAII APRIL 10 (fwd)


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:10:04 -1000
From: Tom Ramsey <ramsey@math.hawaii.edu>
To: mial@hawaii.edu
Subject: HAWAII APRIL 10

	Hawaii's Senate Judiciary Committee
	    Approves Second ConCon Vote

	Despite testimony by unions, environmental
groups, Hawaiian groups and civil rights groups,
and weak representation from the pro-ConCon
side at Thursday's hearing, the Senate Judiciary
Committee approved placing a second vote on WHETHER
to have a ConCon on the ballot for November 1998.

	It's a hard vote to understand, as if "let
the people decide" has become the new mantra of our
legislators.  Which raises a good question, why
do we need legislators to make the "tough" decisions?
Why not have a unicameral legislature, or simply
direct democracy and no legislature at all?

	The lead organization to protect our constitution
is Protect Our Constitution, PO Box 235704, Honolulu,
HI 96823-3511.  Donations to it are NOT tax-deductible,
are limited to $1000, and are publicly reported (name,
address, employer and occupation) if over $100 in aggregate
during this election season.  Jackie Young is the campaign
director, Rev. Joan Ishibashi is the treasurer, and
Tom Gill is chairman.  Their phone number 942-4771.

				Best Regards,

				tom ramsey
				President, Friends of MPH

P.S.  If you have any questions about who really pays Dan
Foley's bills, why not call him at 526-9500?  He'll tell you
that it is Marriage Project Hawaii (renamed from h.e.r.m.p in
1997).  Marriage Project Hawaii also educates people
about same gender marriage---their phone is 942-3737 and
their address is PO Box 11690, Honolulu, HI 96828.  Stop
by their office and meet Lori and Margot.

P.P.S.  Some political musings, to be taken with a large
grain of salt.  Here are some of the winners in the
ConCon fight:

	Winner:  big banks and developers, who after
another chance to gut environmental protections and
curb such things as native gathering rights.  The ERTF
has tried mightily to eliminate the state land use
commission, but it's been heavy sledding.

	Winner:  Linda Lingle or whoever is the Republican
challenger for governor.  This SHOULD be the year the
Republicans take over both Legislature and Governorship,
but they can't field enough good candidates---let's face it,
they have even more flakes in the party than the Democrats do.
However, instead of taking over the Legislature, the Republicans
can have a CONCON instead (chosen in a 1999 or 2000 election
when the Republicans have more organizational momentum with
the Governorship in their party).  Some Democratic legislators
may have switched parties by then.  CONCON can be a surrogate
for a full Republican takeover; Linda Lingle has already incor-
porated that theme into her speeches.

        Winner:  The Waihee-Bishop Estate-big money wing
of the Democratic party, which hates Ben Cayetano's guts
and can have the party to themselves after Ben loses in
1998.  Actually, I have trouble thinking of any part of
the Democratic party that feels warm toward Ben---maybe
the trial lawyers?  Even Terrance Tom managed to get
campaign money from the trial lawyers by holding statewide
hearings on "tort reform".