politics

i tried out recording with the iphone again. it worked well, especially with the new little mic attachment i got. unfortunately, i forgot how the video looks when i hold the phone upright. i’ll remember next time to use it in landscape. and to hold the phone up higher, so you’re not looking up my nose the whole time….

so bills 42, 43, and 46 are all pretty awful, though i can’t say i’m surprised by the outcome. instead of focusing on actually fixing some of the root problems that cause homeless, the city council and mayor have bowed (once again) to the concerns of businesses and the tourist industry, rather than really helping people.

i’d be less critical and disappointed had the city fully implemented a comprehensive housing first program before passing these unfair, oppressive, and cruel bills. and built additional public restrooms in waikiki. instead, they’re going to spend something like $3 million to create a temporary camp near a landfill and land that may very possibly contaminated. but who cares, so long as the tourists don’t have to see these people, or realize that we’re a city like any other, with real issues. we’ll sell the idea of paradise even at the expense of our poorest and most vulnerable.

call your councilperson. call the mayor and tell them how disappointed you are.

here’s the link to the pod cast i mentioned. definitely check it out. i’ll also put a link here to the npr town square episode just as soon as it’s posted on line.

 

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while browsing (wasting time?) on facebook the other day, i came across a slate.com article about a supreme court ruling having to do with the the fifth amendment rights of individuals. upon closer inspection, i noticed the article was from 2013, as was the court ruling. i’m not sure why i didn’t see this article previously and am curious as to why it’s trending up on facebook now.

to review, here’s the fifth amendment:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

rather than lay out the whole thing in writing, just watch the video…. what it boils down to is this: if you haven’t been arrested and read your miranda rights, you may not have the right to remain silent. if you’re asked questions by law enforcement without having been arrested or mirandized, either decline to answer, or get yourself a lawyer.

also, here’s a link to the court decision, in case you feel so inclined to read it.

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i just uploaded another video, making it number three for the video blog.

i’m slowly getting better at the editing, though it takes much longer than i’d originally expected and for this one, i had to start over a couple times because i missed some things i thought should be axed.

anyway, in today’s video (even though it’s almost tomorrow) i show off some of my book collection that was propping up the camera and which have now been replaced with a proper mini-tripod….

a meeting with the governor, campaign staff, and office staff reminds me why i like the governor so much, despite my not always agreeing with him, and motivates me to migrate my energy to the ige campaign.

lastly, i talk about the hawaii people’s fund, a great progressive organization that funds smaller, grassroots non-profits. i’m proud to say i serve on the board of directors and encourage you all to donate. their motto is “change, not charity.” now, how great is that?

i had some problems with the camera’s auto focus this time, so i apologize for that. for the next video, i’m going to give the manual focus a try. oh, and look for an update on the smoking quit (hopefully this weekend)!

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over the weekend, in the wake of the crushing defeat of governor abercrombie, i finally sat down and made a video. i don’t think i’m going to use is as the official video to launch the vlog, but after watching it a few times and getting some positive feedback, i’ve decided to show it to everyone.

i’m not sure when i’ll get to the next one; i think i should figure out a regular schedule first and come up with a better introductory topic. i like this one, but it is depressing to me. please comment, feeling free to give me constructive criticism.

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every year, as the legislative session winds down, and as legislators and staff start to plan vacations, one of my busiest times of year is just getting started.

in total, this year the legislature passed 245 bills:

  • 3 constitutional amendments
  • 7 vetoed
  • 6 became law without signature
  • 229 signed in to law

the vast majority of the bills were signed between the end of session and july 8 (roughly two months). that may seem like plenty of time, but when have to collect comments and recommendations from all the various departments, schedule time to review the bills with the governor, not to mention getting them actually signed, two months can go by really quickly.

to help the policy staff and myself keep track of everything, i print a list of all the bills enrolled, then mark them off as they become law, or are vetoed. the analysts like it because its sometimes helpful to be able to see visually how much we’ve done, or how much is still left to do. for me, it’s satisfying to cross out the bills as they’re finished.

this year, i thought it would be entertaining to do a stop-motion-type movie, showing the wall of bills get filled in over time. here’s the result:

(granted, it’s my first foray into stringing individual pictures together into a video, so it’s not the best quality, but it was cool enough to do that i’ll likely try again in the future….)

today is july 10, days after the deadline and things are quiet in the office. it won’t stay that way for very long, but i’m happy with the respite.

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