Resolutions

RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE

Co-Chairs: Clyde Hayashi and Annelle Amaral
MEMBERS:

Bart Dame Claire Shimabukuro Glenn Ida
Julie Teruya Joyce Van Belkum Calvin Y. Konno
Steve Dinnion Mike Largarticha Kevin Killeen
Bill Woods-Bateman

The 2006 O'ahu County Convention Resolutions Committee, having met on March 29, April 19 and April 26, deliberate on the resolutions submitted by various members of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i. The Committee used a process that was open to all members who wished to attend these deliberations. In addition, the drafters of resolutions were invited to attend committee meetings when it was necessary to resolve questions of intent.
After fair and full discussion at the O'ahu County Convention on May 6, 2006, the following resolutions were adopted and referred to the appropriate State Pre-Convention Resolution Committees.

01 Supporting Universal Health Coverage

02 In Opposition to Deceptively Titled "Right To Work" and "Paycheck Protection" Laws

03 Reaffirming Prevailing Wage Laws for Construction Workers

04 Supporting Workplace Rights

05 Supporting Laws to Provide Meal/Rest Breaks for Workers in Hawai'i

06 In Support of Enactment of State Living Wage Laws

07 Supporting Safe Patient Care and Nurse Staffing

08 In Support of An Equal Pay Act

09 Supporting Emergency Contraception for Survivors of Sexual Assault

10 Supporting Medically Accurate Sex Education

11 Requesting that a Tax Policy Task Force Be Established

12 Urging Publicly Funded Elections (Also Known as Voter-Owned Elections)

13 Requesting the Governor Appoint a Voting Member to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority to Represent Native Hawaiians

14 Supporting the Federal Department Of Defense Employees' Collective Bargaining Rights

15 Urging Support of the Development of the Hawai'i 2005 Sustainability Plan

16 Urging the State to Require a Primary Election for the Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs

17 Urging the Establishment of a System of Hawaiian Education

18 Urging the Enactment of Legislation to Protect Hawai'i's natural Flora and Fauna, and to Impose a Moratorium on all Forms of Genetic manipulation Until Such Protection is in Place

19 Supporting Our Troops and Ending the Occupation of Iraq

20 Opposing Military Action Against Iran

21 Supporting the Rights of Undocumented Workers

22 Supporting and Promoting Equality and Justice Regarding "Sexual Orientation" and "Gender Identify and Expression"

23 Relating to the appointment of the State Adjutant General

24 Supporting Workers In Hawai'i's Travel And Visitor Industry

25 Relating to Establishment of a Sustainable Water Resources Program

26 Calling For the Impeachment of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney

27 To Protect the Best Interests of the Children of Hawai'i

28 To Change the Date of Party Caucuses

29 Relating to Veterans' Right To Know

30 Supporting Our Right to Bike

31 Urging Hawaii to Adopt a Public Health Approach to Drug Policy

32 In Support of Parity for Women Offenders

33 For Secure, Verifiable and Accessible Voting Systems

34 Urging the President and United States Congress to Adopt the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2005, Which Repeals "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and Institutes a Military Policy of Nondiscrimination Based Upon Sexual Orientation

35 Increase the Enforcement of Animal Quarantine Laws in Hawai'i

36 Increase Inspections at Ports of Entry to Prevent the Introduction of Invasive Species

37 Prevent the Introduction of the Brown Tree snake to Hawai'i

38 Relating to Ko'olualoa (Turtle Bay) Development

39 In Support of Raising the Standard of Assistance

40 Urging the Expansion of Nonprofit Work Furlough Programs That Emphasize Hawaiian Culture and Practices

41 Relating to International Affairs (Darfur Genocide)

42 Relating to International Affairs (Darfur Genocide#2 )

43 Urging A Change In The Law For Filling Vacant Elective Office

44 Urging The Hawai'i State Legislature To Obtain The Release Of Funds For The Acquisition Of Paradise Park In Manoa Valley

45 In Support of Clean and Transparent Government Operations

46 Requesting What we can afford in the City & County Budget

47 Requesting a Property Tax Freeze

Resolution 06-01 Supporting Universal Health Coverage

Whereas, the Democratic Party of Hawai’i has a long, proud tradition of supporting broadened access to health coverage and insurance, striving to achieve universal coverage within the American model utilizing private industry partnered with the government; and

Whereas, the Democratic Party of Hawai’i is committed to supporting steps that encourage a healthy employer/employee relationship; and

Whereas, the Democratic Party of Hawai’i has as one goal the retention of valued employees and their experience in Hawai'i, which can be improved through better employment benefits; and

Whereas, Hawai’i enjoys the unique advantage of insurance premiums for health coverage that are lower than other states even though the cost of services is usually higher, due to the broad base of insured and the relatively lower proportion of unpaid services that must be covered through increased insurance premiums; and

Whereas, current Hawai’i State law does not extend any mandate for employer-provided coverage, even partly paid by the employee, when the employee works less than 20 hours per week; and

Whereas, many employers have reduced the working hours of employees to less than 20 hours per week to avoid paying for health care, thus shifting the burden of costs and responsibility to the government and the community; and

Whereas, the Democratic Party of Hawai’i recognizes the need to consider the possible impacts on employers when the employment relationship is used as a vehicle to accomplish social benefits; now therefore,

Be It Resolved, that the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai’i supports the expansion of mandated pre-paid health coverage to part time employees; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Democratic Party of Hawai’i supports universal health care coverage; and

Be It Finally Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai’i members of Congress, Democratic members of the Hawai’i State Legislature, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Convention.

Resolution 06-02 In Opposition to Deceptively Titled "Right To Work" and "Paycheck Protection" Laws

Whereas, strong and free labor unions are necessary to preserve and defend the legitimate rights of working people to participate with dignity in the political and economic life of their communities and states; and the success of organized labor raises the standard of living generally, expanding and fostering the growth of the State's middle class; and

Whereas, deceptively titled "Right-to-work" to allow workers to gain the benefits of collective bargaining without joining the union or paying union dues or service fees and are, therefore, more accurately “right-to-work-for less” laws; and

Whereas, deceptively titled "Paycheck Protection" laws seek to deny unions the right to expend resources in political action and are, therefore, more accurately described as “paycheck deception” laws; and

Whereas, famed business advisor Peter Drucker has said, "Union Security is also in the social interest. Without it, no union can be expected to accept the responsibility for labor relations and for contract observance which our society must demand of a successful union movement"; and

Whereas, that great Democratic President, Harry S Truman who once referred to such laws as “right-to-work for less”, has likewise commented, "You will find some people saying that they are for the so-called 'Right-to-Work' law, but they also believe in unions. This is absurd it’s like saying you are for motherhood but against children"; and

Whereas, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. most eloquently warned us all that, "in our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 'right-to-work'. It provides no 'rights' and no 'work.' It’s purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining, we demand this fraud be stopped"; and

Whereas, bills to enact a deceptively titled “Right to Work” law in Hawai’i have, over the years been regularly proposed by Republican legislators; and

Whereas, the Democratic Party of Hawai’i reaffirms its commitment to collective bargaining; now therefore,

Be It Resolved, that the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai’i opposes the introduction, consideration or enactment of any "Right-to-Work" or "Pay Check Protection" bills which deceptively seek to limit, restrict, or control a duly constituted and democratically run labor organization from collecting and using dues or representation fees for such lawful purposes as our national labor laws allow; and

Be It Further Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai’i members of Congress, the Democratic members of the Hawai’i State Legislature and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.
Resolution 06-03 Reaffirming Prevailing Wage Laws for Construction Workers

Resolution 06-03: Reaffirming Prevailing Wage Laws for Construction Workers
Whereas, Federal Prevailing Wage laws and State’s Prevailing Wage Laws have been in effect for over sixty years and have been effective in protecting a decent standard of living for workers in local areas where the laws have been implemented; and

Whereas, prevailing Wage Laws were enacted to prevent the erosion of living wages by out-of-state employers who ship from one state to another low wage, under-trained, unskilled workers, to work on a locality's government construction projects to the detriment of construction quality and of that locality's workers' employment opportunities; and

Whereas, Hawai’i construction workers’ living wages have made the construction industry a cornerstone of Hawai’i’s economy by elevating the construction trade class of workers into the stable economic middle class; now, therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai’i reaffirms its commitment to the guiding principles first articulated by the Democratic Party in 1955 that bids for construction of public works should be based on the relative skill and efficiency of the contractors concerned and not on a difference in wages paid, and that government money, coming from the taxes of all of us, should not be used to subsidize contractors who are depressing the wages of some of us; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Democratic Party of Hawai’i reaffirms and encourages the strengthening of the Federal and Hawai’i prevailing wage laws as a means of ensuring public construction of high quality and reasonable cost, while furthering the economic well being of workers in Hawai’i; and

Be It Further Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai’i members of Congress, the Democratic members of the Hawai’i State Legislature and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-04: Supporting Workplace Rights

Whereas, it has been the traditional domain of the Democratic Party to protect workers from abuse and indignities; and

Whereas, the rights and protections of workers have been eroded by State and federal laws and regulations originally intended to protect them; and

Whereas, only one in eight workers in the United States today enjoys union membership and the right to bargain collectively for wages hours and working conditions; and

Whereas, average worker wages and availability of well-paying jobs have decreased significantly; and

Whereas, the cost of living, and especially health care, transportation and housing have increased significantly; and

Whereas, the overall community and state economy benefit when employee rights are protected; labor is fairly and justly compensated; and the standard of living is raised; and

Whereas, it is the responsibility of government to protect its citizens, their rights, their work, their environment, and their opportunities for education and advancement from the opportunistic actions of publicly traded corporations and wealthy and powerful individuals; now therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai’i shall promote laws guaranteeing a workplace environment in which employees are safe to organize themselves for the purpose of collective bargaining; to maintain a productive workplace, safe from abuse and coercion by their employers; and to protect themselves against discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age and other forms of discrimination, without fear of retaliation; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Democratic Party of Hawai’i supports amendments to federal and state labor laws to facilitate certification of collective bargaining units by means of card check to ascertain that a majority in the unit desire union representation; and

Be It Further Resolved, that basic worker rights shall include reasonably paid vacation leave, sick leave, paid health premiums and overtime pay; and

Be It Further Resolved, that employees shall have the right to time off, with or without pay, for family emergencies for a reasonable period of time; and

Be It Further Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai’i members of Congress, the Democratic members of the Hawai’i State Legislature and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-05 Supporting Laws to Provide Meal/Rest Breaks for Workers in Hawai`i

Whereas, there is no right under federal wage & hour law to have a rest or meal break at work; and

Whereas, 21 different states, among them, all the West Coast states who our Ninth Circuit neighbors: namely, California, Washington, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon, have long required employers to provide meal and or rest breaks to employees, as a matter of state law; and

Whereas, research has clearly demonstrated that workers who are rested are more productive and less likely to experience job-related accident and or injury; and

Whereas, Governor Lingle vetoed legislation in 2003 and 2005 that the House and Senate Democrats passed that would have provided at least some protection for working men and women who now have no right to enjoy even a single thirty minute break in their work day; and

Whereas, Governor Lingle's veto messages erroneously assert that federal law preempts our State wage and hour law ... which is not the case for any of the other states that currently have comparable statutory language; and

Whereas, Democrats in California rallied together to defeat a measure proposed by Gov. Schwarzenegger that would have repealed their meal break law; and

Whereas, under the California meal-break law, 116,000 disenfranchised Wal-Mart workers were able to successfully sue Wal-Mart, when it was proven they had been cheated them out of this simple right; now therefore,

Be It Resolved, that the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai’i calls upon its elected representative to again pass, and, as needed, overturn the governor’s veto of a fair and just law to require Hawai’i employers to provide lunch and rest breaks for employees working a full shift; and

Be It Further Resolved, that such a fair and just law shall contain no provision that would permit employees to waive or elect not to utilize any such statutory right in recognition of the well established principle of state and federal employment laws that “at will” employees have, otherwise, no ability to resist an employer’s right to terminate or refuse to employ them unless such minimal rights are surrendered or abandoned; and

Be It Further Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai’i members of Congress, the Democratic members of the Hawai’i State Legislature, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-06 In Support of Enactment of State Living Wage Laws

Whereas, the Hawai'i State Democratic Platform has traditionally affirmed the Dignity of Labor and expressed the Democratic Party's commitment to the achievement of a living wage for all Hawai’i's workers; and

Whereas, the Hawai’i State Democratic Platform has further traditionally expressed the belief that our government, even while seeking operational efficiency, must never exploit its labor force, erode prevailing wages, or compromise the principle that government money, derived from the taxes of all of us, shall not be used to depress the wages or standard of living of any of us; and

Whereas, over 50 Living Wage ordinances have been passed in the United States since 1991, improving living standards for low-wage workers without overburdening public funds or harming the local economies; and

Whereas, paying no more than the current state and federal minimum wages leaves most workers in Hawai’i far below the poverty level for a family of four; and

Whereas, privatization of government services without the protections of a living wage statutes similar to the federal Service Contracts Act, favors contractors whose low bids are based on payment of minimum wages and benefits; and

Whereas, people who are paid enough to support their families, not only are less dependent on government aid, but also pay more taxes and buy more goods and services, stimulating local economic growth; and

Whereas, in 1933 that greatest of all Democrats, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, boldly expressed his administration's policy that "No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level. I mean the wages of a decent living." now, therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai’i reaffirms its commitment to passage of a statewide living wage law and service contracts act that will let Government in Hawai’i show by example that payment of living wages and benefits is the best way to uplift our economy and the standard of living for all Hawai'i's working families; and

Be It Further Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai’i members of Congress, the Democratic members of the Hawai’i State Legislature and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-07: Supporting Safe Patient Care and Nurse Staffing
Whereas, there is a fundamental need to protect public health and safety by promoting quality healthcare and improving the delivery of healthcare services to patients in Hawaii's healthcare facilities; and
Whereas, nurse staffing is a matter of major concern because of the effects it can have on patient safety and quality of care; and
Whereas, improved medical technology in healthcare delivery systems have resulted in higher acuity levels among patients; and
Whereas, acuity determines how much care a patient needs; the higher the acuity level, a greater amount of care, often more specialized care, is required; and
Whereas, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations report of 2002 concluded that the lack of direct care provided by registered nurses contributed to nearly a quarter of the unanticipated problems that resulted in injury or death to patients; and
Whereas, establishing standards for direct-care registered-nurse-to-patient ratios that take into account acuity measures based on the American Nurses Association's staffing principles will protect nurses and patients from the possible harmful ramifications of unsafe staffing practices such as patient falls, medication errors, back and musculoskeletal injuries of registered nurses as well as other healthcare workers; and
Whereas, these standards will address the nursing shortage in Hawaii, aid in recruitment of new registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, and improve retention of nurses who are considering leaving direct patient care because of demands created by constantly inadequate and inappropriate staffing; and
Whereas, it is imperative that patient safety and quality healthcare be ensured by establishing, as a baseline, direct-care registered-nurse-to-patient staffing requirements in healthcare facilities without an acuity system that is based upon the American Nurses Association’s staffing principles; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved that the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii shall promote laws standards for direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios that take into account acuity measures based on the American Nurses Association's staffing principles.
Be It Further Resolved that the Hawaii State Legislature propose and adopt a bill, that would establish, a direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing requirements based upon the American Nurses Association’s staffing principles in health care facilities and that such laws shall be enforced by the Department of Health and other state regulatory agencies and
Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Democrat members of the State Legislature and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-08: In Support of An Equal Pay Act
Whereas, the Women’s Caucus of the Democratic Party supports the codification the Equal Pay Act into State statute; and

Whereas, Equal pay has been the law since 1963, but today, 40 years later, women still are paid less than men even when we do similar work and have similar education, skills and experience. Women who are paid less now, have less to spend on our families and less to save for our futures. And when we retire, we will earn smaller pensions than men. Half of all older women with income from a private pension received less than $5,600 per year, compared with $10,340 per year for older men; and

Whereas, working women in Hawaii are farther along the road to equal pay than women in many states; in 2000, Hawaii’s working women earned 78.9 percent as much per hour as men, while nationwide women earned only 77.6 percent as much per hour as men. Hawaii ranked 19^th among all states in equal pay; and

Whereas, the rate of progress in closing Hawaii’s hourly wage gap was slower than average in the 1990s and Hawaii ranked 34^th among all states in progress in closing the hourly wage gap; and

Whereas, a decline in wage growth for men contributed to the closing of the gap—wages for men in Hawaii fell by 4.3 percent over the decade, compared with 0.6 percent wage growth for women; and

Whereas, at the current rate of change, working women in Hawaii won’t have equal pay until 2049 and nationwide, women won’t achieve equal pay until after 2050; and

Whereas, we believe this is too long to wait and we support the amendment to Hawaii statute to assure equal pay for Hawaii’s working women; now therefore

Be It Resolved that the O’ahu County Democratic Party supports the passage of an Equal Pay Act to prohibit employers from paying wages to an employee at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays wages to another employee of the opposite sex for the same or substantially similar work; and

Be It Further Resolved that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Democrat members of the Hawaii State Legislature and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-09: Supporting Emergency Contraception for Survivors of Sexual Assault

Whereas, the Women’s Caucus of the Democratic party believes that when a victim of a crime, any crime, that results in physical injury, seeks or is assisted in seeking, medical assistance for those injuries, the expectation is that the system responding do everything that is medically necessary for that individual; and

Whereas, rape or sexual assault, is a crime that is a violent, traumatic and intimate violation, in which all sense of personal control and decision-making is ripped apart and it is important therefore that the survivor’s sense of personal control and decision-making capacity be assured in her treatment protocol; and

Whereas, all survivors of sex assault must be informed about the procedure being followed and provided information critical to their decisions regarding any injuries they may have, potential to sexually transmitted infections, evidence that the survivor may have been given substances without her knowledge prior to the assault, or the risks of possible pregnancy; and

Whereas, Emergency Contraceptives (EC) is a safe, effective back-up birth control method that can prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse and the most common form of EC is emergency contraceptive pills, which contain high dosages of the same hormones found in daily birth control pills- estogen and progestin, which when taken within days of unprotected intercourse, EC can reduce the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent; and

Whereas, in an article published in the American Journal of Public Health, , a physician’s failure to counsel a survivor of sex assault about emergency contraception is described as a practice that is “tantamount to abandonment” and “violates the obligation to act in her best interest and violates her right to give an informed consent to treatment.” and

Whereas, it is unconscionable that health care systems and practitioners unnecessarily place women who have been sexually abused at risk of the additional trauma of an unwanted pregnancy. EC has been shown to be safe and effective, and it is unethical to withhold it for any reason from a woman who has been sexually assaulted; now therefore

Be It Resolved that the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party supports the Emergency Contraception for survivors of sexual assault and the passage of legislation that assures that hospitals uniformly counsel sexual assault survivors and if requested, provide EC; and

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to all Democratic members of the State Legislature and to the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-10: Supporting Medically Accurate Sex Education

Whereas, Hawaii has a policy of providing “abstinence-plus” sex education that does not provide any information on contraception, pregnancy, nor does the Department of Education have an objective standard for sex education that is medically accurate and factually based ; and

Whereas, the Women’s Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii believes we owe the children of the state of Hawaii the highest and best of medical care and information; and

Whereas, American teens are facing a reproductive health crisis. Each year, a million American teens become pregnant and approximately 50 percent of all high school students have engaged in sexual intercourse; and

Whereas, by the time they have reached senior year, nearly two-thirds (64.0 percent) of teens have had sex and unintended pregnancy is only one of the consequences; and

Whereas, Gonorrhea rates are on the rise for the first time in thirteen years and other STDs such as chlamydia and syphilis continue to significantly impact the young population; and

Whereas, arming teens with comprehensive, medically-accurate information about their own reproductive health is more than a matter of good public policy, it is a matter of life or death; and

Whereas, the national policy of “abstinence-until-marriage” program has been funded by over a billion federal dollars, while no federal funding is dedicated to comprehensive, medically accurate sex education programs and in Hawaii, one program alone, received $750,000 for “abstinence-until-marriage” while the Department of Health spent $200,000 for its statewide sex education programs; and

Whereas, research shows that teenagers who receive sexuality education that includes discussion of contraception are more likely than those who receive abstinence-only messages to delay sexual activity, to use contraceptives when they do become sexually active, and to have fewer partners, now therefore

Be It Resolved that the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party urges the Legislature to require recipients of state funding that provide information or offer programs regarding sex education, provide information that is medically accurate and factually based, that is age-appropriate and includes education on both abstinence and contraception; and

Be It Further resolved that copies of the Resolution be transmitted to the Democratic members of the State Legislature and to the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-11: Requesting that a Tax Policy Task Force Be Established
Whereas, Hawaii’s state and county tax policies have worked independently of each other without regard to the cumulative impact and burden upon taxpayers, and at times have been inconsistent, counter-productive, and based on invalid economic assumptions and projections; and

Whereas, this was recently demonstrated by the dispute between the State and City and County of Honolulu over the collection and distribution of the general excise surcharge; and

Whereas, in recent years, Hawaii’s state and county tax policies have also shifted a greater portion of the tax and revenue burden onto the lower and middle income classes and reduced the tax and revenue burden away from the higher income classes, corporations and big businesses, and special interest groups; and

Whereas, real property taxes are the primary resource of revenues for the counties and real property values and real property taxes have sky rocketed in the four counties; and the present administration of real property taxes imposes an unfair burden upon homeowners and renters and, in many cases, upon those who can least afford it; and

Whereas, the counties’ and State’s funding problems are exacerbated by recent federal budgetary cut backs in domestic programs; and better cooperation and coordination between the State and the counties could make tax collection less costly, more efficient, and more equitable; and

Whereas, a “holistic” review of Hawaii’s state and county tax structures should be conducted to achieve an equitable system for the State, the counties, and the taxpayers; now therefore,

Be It Resolved by the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, that a tax policy task force be created to: conduct a holistic review of Hawaii’s state and county tax structures; determine how the state and county tax structures, particularly the real property tax, affect various sectors of the economy, identify the aspects of the state and county tax structures that present particular obstacles to equity; analyze who bears the ultimate tax burden with respect to any particular tax, including real property tax; and recommend, with public input, how the state and county tax structures can be improved and that the Tax Policy Task Force make a report, including findings and recommendations, to the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and county councils not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the State Legislature Session 2007,

Be It Further Resolved that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Democratic members of the legislature and council councils and to the Resolutions Committee of the State Convention of the Democratic Party.

Resolution 06-12: Urging Publicly Funded Elections (Also Known as Voter-Owned Elections)

Whereas, a comprehensive publicly funded campaign finance system such as voter-owned elections has opened up elections to fair competition in cities in Oregon, New Mexico, Maine, Arizona and four other states; and

Whereas, publicly funded elections hold politicians accountable to community interests rather than to special interests; and

Whereas, pono use of public resources, such as through a publicly funded campaign system, serves to include large numbers of citizens, particularly women and minorities, in the political process; and

Whereas, participants in publicly funded campaigns no longer need to spend the majority of their time in office raising funds for the next campaign; and

Whereas, the Statement of Principles of the Hawaiian Issues Caucus is in accordance with the principles articulated by the Democratic Party website; and

Whereas, the Hawaiian Issues Caucus further includes Hawaiian values as the basis for our Statement of Principles: ‘aloha’, ‘kuleana’, ‘mâlama `âina’, ‘ho`okipa’, and ‘pono’, values guiding personal and professional conduct when in service to the community; and

Whereas, such values resonate with the concept of publicly funded campaigns, political accountability to the community, pono use of resources, and greater participation by women and minorities in the political process; now therefore

Be It Resolved, by the O`ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i, that a strong statement of support for publicly funded campaigns, also known as voter-owned elections, be included in the platform of the party; and Be It Further Resolved, that a certified copy be transmitted to Hawai`i’s Democratic leaders in the Congressional Delegation, the Democrat Members of the State Legislature and the County Councils, the County Mayors, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-13 Requesting the Governor Appoint a Voting Member to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority to Represent Native Hawaiians

Whereas, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA), was established by Act 156, SLH 1998, HRS 201b; and HTA's mission is of "managing the strategic growth of Hawai'i's visitor industry in a manner consistent with the economic goals, cultural values, and community interests of the people of Hawai'i" as specified in HTA's Strategic Plan (Ke Kumu); and

Whereas, Tourism's success stems from the natural and cultural resources of the community, Hawaii's remarkable natural assets, cultural diversity, and world-renowned aloha spirit, combine to attract millions of visitors to Hawaii each year; and

Whereas, among Hawaii's many cultures, the Native Hawaiian culture can only be found here and cannot be reproduced elsewhere; and

Whereas, HTA's goal is to provide positive leadership-both within and outside the visitor industry-which results in a high confidence level in the role and strategy of the Hawaii Tourism Authority to include a proactive communications effort on all fronts, and a leadership role in redefining the public image of Hawaii's tourism product; and

Whereas, HTA's Ke Kumu Strategic Plan identifies that "we have a unique host Hawaiian culture, and our aloha spirit is acclaimed the world over" and that "In order for Hawaii to prosper and fulfill its potential to become a tourism leader in the millennium, the proper balance between staying competitive (demand) and keeping Hawaii's cultures, values and product (supply) intact must be achieved"; and

Whereas, an HTA member is needed who has the knowledge, experience and expertise in Native Hawaiian issues in order to identify, evaluate, and accredit, what is Native Hawaiian; and

Whereas, an HTA member is needed who has the knowledge, experience and expertise in Native Hawai‘ian communities in order to identify, evaluate, and recommend strategies to encourage public support and participation in tourism among the plurality of Native Hawaiians; now therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii amend HRS 201b to read "that the Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, appoint a voting board member of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority to represent Native Hawaiians"; and

Be It Further Resolved, that HRS 201b be amended to also read "the member shall be appointed by the governor from a list of three names nominated by the leader of a Native Hawaiian Sovereign entity recognized by the state or by the Federal government or by the board of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, until such time as a Native Hawaiian Sovereign entity is established"; and

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawai'i, Democrat members of the Hawai'i State Legislature, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-14 Supporting the Federal Department Of Defense Employees' Collective Bargaining Rights

Whereas, civilian defense employees have worked to support and deploy our armed forces, and the rights and personnel policies under which they work have never been cited as an impediment to national security; and

Whereas, laws already give the United States Department of Defense (DOD) the flexibility it needs to balance employment policies and environmental protection with national security and military readiness; and

Whereas, the 2004 Defense Authorization Bill created the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) and changed the pay system, proposing to take away civil service protections from some 16,000 civilian Department of Defense (DOD) employees in Hawai'i; and

Whereas, NSPS allows the Secretary of Defense to: (1) eliminate employees' collective bargaining and statutory appeal rights; (2) refuse to bargain at the local level even where union certification is at the local level only; (3) issue regulations that supercede negotiated agreements, rendering the collective bargaining process meaningless; (4) change the pay system to one open to favoritism; and (5) eliminate employee protections such as veterans' preference and seniority in layoffs; and

Whereas, Congress stated that DOD could not waive Chapter 71 of the US Code, which establishes federal employees' collective bargaining and appeal rights, yet the DOD's plan states that DOD "will not employ any provisions of U. S.C. Chapter 71 "; and

Whereas, nothing in the NSPS deals with national security, despite national security concerns being Congress' sole rationale for giving the Secretary of Defense authority to change DOD's pay and personnel system; and

Whereas, the President and his administration have blatantly used the emotional impact of 9/11 to take away the human rights of workers and American citizens, when so many of the first responder and heroes of 9/11 were union men and women; now therefore

Be It Resolved, by the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i that it opposes the DOD's attempts to weaken USDOD employees' existing collective bargaining and statutory appeal rights; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i urges Hawai'i's Congressional delegation to work to rescind the broad grant of authority to the Secretary of Defense and, instead, require that DOD's new rules continue to adhere to Chapter 71 of Title 5 of the US Code; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i urges all state and county officials to communicate its support of DOD employees' collective bargaining rights to the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of Defense, and the Hawai'i Congressional delegation.

Be It Further Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai'i members of Congress, and Democratic members of the Hawai'i State Legislature and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-15 Urging Support of the Development of the Hawai'i 2005 Sustainability Plan

Whereas, the Hawaii State Legislature has provided through Act 8, Special Sessions Laws of Hawai'i 2005, the creation of a Sustainability Plan to address the vital needs of Hawai'i; and

Whereas, the State faces a growing number of pressing issues: steady deterioration of public infrastructure; lack of affordable housing with housing prices nearing $600,000 statewide for a single family home; traffic jams on all islands; groundwater supplies reaching dangerously low or unsustainable levels; continued reliance on low wage tourism jobs; the vulnerability of Hawai'i in a volatile global energy market; possible interruptions in travel and needed food supplies; depletion of natural resources and threats to our fragile island ecosystems; and population growth, particularly on the neighbor islands, increasing at a rapid rate; and

Whereas, Hawaii's population has increased by over 75% since the 1960s, and the dramatic construction boom has altered the landscape of Hawaii with the rise of over 137 hotels and 42 mega-resort complexes; and

Whereas, the State Legislature found that quality of life issues including clean water and air, pono land use, clean and renewable energy, and long-term sustainability of ocean resources are important to the people of Hawai'i, especially to Native Hawaiians, the first people of Hawai'i; and

Whereas, Native Hawaiians used the resources within their ahupua'a, practicing aloha, kuleana, laulima, and malama, resulting in a pono relationship and sound resource management between na po`e Hawai`i and the `aina, kai and lani; now therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i urges the development of the Hawai'i Sustainability Plan and recognizes the critical importance of including representatives from key Hawaiian organizations such as the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs to represent the host culture; and

Be It Further Resolved, that a copy be transmitted to Hawai`i's Democratic leaders in the Congressional Delegation, the State Legislature and the County Councils, the County Mayors, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-16 Urging the State to Require a Primary Election for the Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Whereas, numerous candidates vie for election to the position of Trustee; and

Whereas, voters have difficulty deciding among a large field of candidates for a political office; and

Whereas, a Primary Election is held for State and County offices to narrow the field of candidates before the General Election; and

Whereas, the election of the Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs merits the same consideration as that of any other elected official; now therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O`ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i urges the Hawai`i State Government to require a Primary Election for the Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; and

Be It Further Resolved, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawai'i, the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Resolution Committee of the State Democratic Party.

Resolution 06-17 Urging the Establishment of a System of Hawaiian Education

Whereas, Native Hawaiians constitute the most underserved major ethnic group in the state, experiencing the highest percentage of educational and societal failure; and

Whereas, Paragraph 14 of the International Covenant of the Rights of Indigenous Nation States that all indigenous peoples, including the native people of Hawaii, have a right to "all levels and forms of education, including access to education in their own languages, and the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions according to their own customs and traditions"; and

Whereas, the federally funded Native Hawaiian Education Council listed in their 1998 report as one of their goals: the establishment of a culturally-driven, family-oriented and community-based system of Hawaiian education; now therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O`ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i urges the federal government to support and fund the initiation of a native designed and controlled comprehensive system of Hawaiian education that is culturally-driven, family-oriented, and community-based and that provides educational opportunities for Native Hawaiians of all abilities; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Legislature be urged to work together with the federal government in supporting and funding the initiation of a native designed and controlled comprehensive system of Hawaiian education; and

Be It Further Resolved; that the Legislature be urged to amend Hawai'i Revised Statutes as regards charter schools by lifting the cap on the number of allowable charter schools and approving the creation of a non-contiguous school district made up of native designed and controlled charter schools; and

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to Hawaii's Congressional Delegation, Majority Leaders of the Hawai`i State Legislature, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-18 Urging the Enactment of Legislation to Protect Hawai'i's natural Flora and Fauna, and to Impose a Moratorium on all Forms of Genetic manipulation Until Such Protection is in Place
Whereas, Kanaka Maoli recognize kalo as their older sibling and the first-born of Papa and Wakea; and
Whereas, 'ohana is derived from 'oha, the young shoot growing from the kalo corm; and
Whereas, the kuleana of the older sibling is to care for and to feed the younger Kanaka Maoli even as Kanaka Maoli in turn care for the older sibling, the 'aina, kai, and lani; and
Whereas, Kanaka Maoli are the first people of the Hawaiian archipelago, and the host culture of the State of Hawai'i; and
Whereas, scientists have patented native people's flora and fauna and are attempting to alter the genetic constitution of kalo, the older sibling of Kanaka Maoli, using techniques such as bioprospecting, gene-splicing, recombinant DNA technology, and genetic engineering; and
Whereas, Paragraph 27 of the International Covenant of the Right of Indigenous Nations states: "Indigenous Nations have the right to special measures taken to protect, as intellectual property, their sciences, technologies and cultural manifestations, including human and other genetic resources, seeds, medicines, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora"; and

Whereas, under the State Constitution, the State is responsible for preserving and protecting all the natural beauty and resources of this archipelago; and

Whereas, Article XII, Section 7 of the Hawai'i State Constitution states: "The State reaffirms and protect all rights, customarily and traditionally exercised for subsistence, cultural and religious purposes and possessed by ahupua'a tenants who are descendants of native Hawaiians who inhabited the Hawaiian Islands prior to 1778, subject to the right of the State to regulate such rights"; now therefore

Be It Resolved, by the O`ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i, that the State, in consultation with Kanaka Maoli organizations, enact legislation to protect Hawaii's flora and fauna, and to impose a moratorium on all forms of genetic manipulation until such protection is in place; and

Be It Further Resolved, that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Hawai`i's Democratic leaders in the Congressional Delegation, the State Legislature, the County Councils, the County Mayors, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the President of the University of Hawai'i and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-19 Supporting Our Troops and Ending the Occupation of Iraq

Whereas, the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i is supportive of our Women and Men in military service and their families; and

Whereas, working families in Hawai'i and the United States have paid a heavy price for the U.S. involvement in Iraq with the deaths of over 2,300 U.S. military personnel with many more seriously injured between the start of war on March 19, 2003 and April 18, 2006; and

Whereas, there is general agreement that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, and that the government of Iraq had no meaningful ties to those who perpetrated the 9/ll attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon; and

Whereas, the federal government has spent or approved over $200 billion in public funds for the U.S. war in and occupation of Iraq, draining those funds away from domestic priorities including transportation, health care, and national security; and

Whereas, the Bush Administration has used the Iraq War and the "War on Terrorism" as a platform to advocate restrictions in civil liberties, such as those embodied in the Patriot Act, and the secret domestic surveillance of US citizens by the NSA; now therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i recognizes the courage of U.S. military personnel who have faced extraordinary dangers in the U.S. war in Iraq and who now want to come home; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i demands an immediate end to the US occupation of Iraq, and supports the repeal of the Patriot Act and the reordering of national priorities toward the human needs of our people; and

Be It Further Resolved that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i calls upon the Bush Administration and the US Congress to support the families of our service people and to fully fund veterans and military benefits for our service personnel and their families.

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawaii Congressional Delegation and the Resolution Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-20 Opposing Military Action Against Iran

Whereas, the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i opposes the Bush Administration's doctrine of preemptive war, which only serves to put our military in harm's way and increase international instability; and

Whereas, even though an unprovoked attack on Iran would be an act of aggression barred by the UN Charter, it has become clear that the Bush Administration is considering such action should Iran not agree to US demands that it abandon its uranium enrichment activities; and

Whereas, there is no evidence that Iran, which is signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, is pursuing a nuclear weapons program; now therefore

Be It Resolved that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i opposes unprovoked military action, covert or overt, against Iran; and

Be it Further Resolved that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i calls upon the Bush Administration and the US Congress to pursue all diplomatic solutions, including direct talks with the government of Iran, in resolving this crisis and

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawaii Congressional Delegation and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-21 Supporting the Rights of Undocumented Workers

Whereas, the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i supports the inherent dignity of all people, regardless of their legal status, as well as their civil and due process rights; and

Whereas, although undocumented workers pay taxes and contribute to the economic, cultural, and social life of the communities in which they live and work, they are denied basic protections, subjecting them to abuse and exploitation by employers and federal enforcement agencies; and

Whereas, the sanctioning of employers for the hiring of undocumented workers has often led to the firing of workers for union activity and discriminatory practices on the job; and

Whereas, a bill being considered by the US Congress would make undocumented workers felons and further militarize the border with Mexico, which will only lead to even greater loss of life among workers who cross the border illegally, while other bills would deport thousands of immigrant workers, thereby dividing families, and create a temporary guest worker ("bracero") program, creating an easily exploitable class of workers without due process rights; now therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i urges that undocumented workers be provided earned access to permanent residency, the right to organize in their workplaces without fear of retaliation, and protection from discrimination and

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawaii Congressional delegation and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-22 Supporting and Promoting Equality and Justice Regarding "Sexual Orientation" and "Gender Identify and Expression"

Whereas, the Democratic Party of Hawai'i ("DPH") believes and supports the concept that "government's equal application and enforcement of the laws are fundamental to a just society …"; and

Whereas, the DPH's vision "is guided by traditional commitments to equality, opportunity, compassion, inclusiveness, and the celebration of our diversity …"; and

Whereas, the DPH believes and supports fairness: "fairness is not a slogan; it requires constant attention to detail, dedication, and hard work. It requires aloha …"; and

Whereas, the DPH supports families. "We believe that individuals are best nurtured within families of caring people. We therefore support those policies, services, and institutions that strengthen families …" - both traditional and nontraditional; and

Whereas, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Caucus was unanimously recognized as an official caucus of the Party by the Central Committee at its January 12, 2002 meeting; and the Caucus has honorably served with dedication and commitment to the values of the Party over the past four and a half years; and

Whereas, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Caucus was a driving force behind legislation extending protection from discrimination based on "sexual orientation" and sex, including "gender identity and expression" in housing, employment, and public accommodations as well as repeal of the U. S. military's "Don't Ask; Don't Tell" policy; now therefore

Be It Resolved that the Oahu County Committee will continue to support and promote justice and equality regardless of "sexual orientation" or sex, including "gender identity and expression" for such issues and concerns as:
Government Operations, Government Rule-Making and Practices, Government Funding and Appropriations, and Welfare and Social Service Benefits, Faith-Based Initiatives; Hate Crimes; Relationship Rights and Responsibilities; Parenting, Adoption and Definitions of Family; Marriage; Employment; Housing; Public Accommodations; Health; Education; Tourism; Economic Development; and those serving our country in military service.and

Be It Further Resolved that the Oahu County Committee is committed to work with the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Caucus to achieve our mutual and laudible goals of justice freedom and equality for all; and

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawai'i, Democratic members of the Hawai'i State Legislature, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-23 Relating to the appointment of the State Adjutant General

Whereas, the State of Hawaii National Guard and it's Home Land protection comes under the leadership of the State Adjutant General and

Whereas, the Hawaii National Guard and it's respective units have served proudly in Iraq, and

Whereas, the 29th Infantry Brigade and it's attached units namely 100th Bn./442nd Inf have served proudly, and

Whereas, eleven members of 100th Bn/'442nd Inf have made the ultimate sacrifice in two engagements of active duty with the 29th Brigade, and now therefore

Be It Resolved that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i allows any soldier who serves as part of the 29th Infantry Brigade or the Hawaii National Guard and has at least attained the rank of Colonel and has graduated from the National War College (or equivalent) will qualify to be appointed State Adjutant General of the Hawaii National Guard, and

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to all the Democratic members of the Hawaii State Legislature and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-24 Supporting Workers In Hawai'i's Travel And Visitor Industry

Whereas, the travel and visitor industry is the State's largest and most important industry which directly generates approximately one quarter of the State's gross product and approximately one third of the State's jobs and indirectly generates many more jobs; and

Whereas, the most significant economic benefits of the Hawai'i travel and visitor industry are wages and benefits paid to workers; and the largest source of tax revenue from the travel and tourism industry is generated by workers' income tax payments; and

Whereas, hotels and visitor industry businesses are bought and sold on a regular basis, in good and bad economic times and over the past several years, many of these hotels have been bought by mainland and global corporations, having little local presence in Hawaii; and

Whereas, hotel jobs are service jobs that are not subject to being outsourced, and, therefore, can be stable, steady, solid jobs for the economy in which they are located; and recent years have seen a dramatic increase in workload for hotel workers, especially housekeepers, which has resulted in increased stress, pain and injury; and

Whereas, in 2006, the contracts will expire for 14 hotels on Oahu employing over 6,500 workers; several others on outer islands expire in 2007 and Turtle Bay Resort remains unsettled; and

Whereas, in an effort to unite and raise the standards of all hotel workers, members of Unite Here! Local 5 are participating in the nation wide Hotel Workers Rising Campaign which calls for fair wages, family health coverage, sick days, a humane and safe workload, protections for immigrant workers, and the right to choose to have a union without interference from management; and now therefore,

Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i strongly supports efforts to improve working conditions, wages and benefits of all workers in the State's travel and visitor industry

Be It Further Resolved that the Democratic Party of Hawaii advocates protection of the jobs of workers whose employers have changed because of a transfer of ownership or new management of a hotel by preserving their income, benefits and unique local lifestyle; and supports the Hotel Workers Rising Campaign, and

Be It Further Resolved, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai'i members of Congress, Democratic members of the Hawai'i State Legislature, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, the County Visitor Bureaus, and the four County Councils, the four Mayors and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-25 Relating to Establishment of a Sustainable Water Resources Program

Whereas, Article IX Section 8 of the Hawaii State Constitution requires that "The State shall have the power to promote and maintain a healthful environment, including the prevention of any excessive demands upon the environment and the State's resources"; and

Whereas, Article XI Section 7 of the Hawaii State Constitution requires that "The State has an obligation to protect, control and regulate the use of Hawaii's water resources for the benefit of its people"; and

Whereas, the residents of Windward Oahu have been subjected to years of repeated and increasing degradation of its streams, beaches, bays, and ocean as a consequence of the failure of the elected officials of the City and County of Honolulu to protect and promote the public health and maintain a healthful environment by placing excessive demands on the environment and the State's resources; and

Whereas, successive administrations of elected officials of the City and County of Honolulu have failed to provide the necessary executive and legislative oversight in the planning, investment, management, and maintenance of the County's environmental infrastructure by their policies of unsustainable urbanization and resort development for the profit of the few at the expense of the many; and now therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii calls for a revision of the City Charter of the City and County of Honolulu to create a State appointed Sustainable Water Resources Council that will exercise direct control over City water, environmental services, planning and permitting for a minimum of ten years; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Sustainable Water Resources Council shall possess full legal authority to supervise, investigate, intervene, and direct the administration of the City and County of Honolulu with regards to County water and environmental services including control of planning and permitting, allocation of City resources, personnel, budgets, and revenues as needed to achieve the goals of the Sustainable Water Resources Council; and

Be It Further Resolved that it shall be a primary goal of the Sustainable Water Resources Council to develop and implement a sustainable water resource program for the City and County of Honolulu that meets or exceeds the provisions of the State of Hawaii Constitution and all United States Federal environmental regulations; and

Be it Further Resolved, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Democratic members of the Hawai'i State Legislature, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-26 Calling For the Impeachment of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney

Whereas, the United States Constitution is the fundamental social contract between the American people and officers of the Federal Government; and

Whereas, the Constitution was consciously designed by the Framers to establish a democratic republic, with an institutional separation of powers, whereby different branches of government would serve as a check and a balance to each other; and

Whereas, the power to declare war was vested in the Congress, as the body closest to the People and least likely to go to war recklessly, and was consciously withheld from the executive branch, for fear that it might lead to a concentration of power, not unlike the monarchy of England from which the United States had rebelled; and

Whereas, George W. Bush and Richard Cheney did commit fraud against the United States Congress by deliberately misrepresenting the facts in their effort to get them to transfer to the President the war-making power; and

Whereas, the unprovoked attack against Iraq, did violate fundamental international agreements to which the United States is a signatory, including the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the Nuremberg Charter and Universal Charter of Human Rights, treaties which, under the Constitution, become the "supreme law of the land"; and

Whereas, by ignoring the international and constitutional constraints on making war, the Bush administration did recklessly commit US troops to battle, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis, thousands of Americans, alienating the U.S. from its allies and public opinion around the world, undermining international law, greatly increasing the danger to American citizens ,and undermining national security; and

Whereas, by increasing tension and fear within the United States and exploiting his status as Commander-in-Chief, Bush, aided by Cheney, has ignored domestic limitations to his powers and is attempting to acquire the excessive executive power that the framers had consciously attempted to prevent; and these abuses of executive power constitute "high crimes and misdemeanors", the legal basis for impeachment, which was defined by James Madison as a "subversion of the Constitution"; and

Whereas, the legal remedy to these abuses of power and the protection of the Constitution is placed into the hands of Congress, and it is the power to impeach; now, therefore

Be It Resolved that the Democratic Party of Hawaii calls upon the members of Congress to rise to their responsibilities, to conduct hearings into the allegations of constitutional abuse by George W. Bush and Richard Cheney to establish if the charges rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, and if they so find, to bring charges of impeachment against both men and others as may be appropriate; and

Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted be transmitted to Hawaii's congressional delegation, urging them to take up this cause, and to the Hawaii members of the Democratic National Committee, with instructions that they submit this resolution to the DNC with a proposal that it, or one similar in purpose, be adopted by that body and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-27 To Protect the Best Interests of the Children of Hawai'i

Whereas, the State Department of Human Services fails to protect the physical, mental and emotional health of infants and children, by removing them from secure current placements without assessing the depth and quality of attachment and bonding of those children to current caregivers, and the impact that disruption of that relationship would have on the children; and

Whereas, the State Department of Human Services compromises the safety and well-being of children presently in the foster care system through its reunification and kinship placement policies - a set of rules and regulations that deprive infants and children of stable and safe homes; and

Whereas, research has shown that the longer the infant or child has been cared for in a safe, nurturing relationship, the more compelling the reason would have to be to remove him or her from a positive environment (whoever is the caregiver) to return to another caregiver - to do so would undermine the infant's or the child's rights to security, self esteem, and capacity for intimacy. From this perspective, "the psychological parent is the real parent"; and

Whereas, priority rights are given to biological parents for the return of the infant or child if the biological parent can provide a "minimally safe" home - often depriving the child of stable and safe placement and exposing them to further harm; and

Whereas, in kinship placements, where a child has lived with grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other biological relatives in a long-term placement, and that placement is being disrupted by biological parents who have not been part of that child's life for a lengthy period; and now therefore

Be It Resolved that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii supports the requirement that all placement decisions for a child's foster care or permanency be governed by the child's best interests; within that determination of "best interests" the agency and court must give substantial weight to the nature and duration of the child's relationship with his/her current caregiver - relative or non relative - before any change in placement is made; and

Be It Further Resolved that the Democratic Party supports the requirement that prior to the removal of a child who has been in a placement for a year or more, the agency shall prove to the family court by a preponderance of the evidence that removal is in the best interests of the child; and all involved parties; and

Be It Further Resolved that the Democratic Party supports the requirement that all placement decisions be made on a case-by-case basis in order to determine what is in the best interests of that child. A child's age, personality, family history, needs, and configuration of required services are too unique and important to permit a "cookie cutter" approach to placement;
Be It Further Resolved that this resolution be sent to the Governor, Democratic members of the State Legislature, State Department of Human Services and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-28 To Change the Date of Party Caucuses

Whereas, in 1848, the National Convention established the Democratic National Committee, now the longest running political organization in the world; and

Whereas, the series of U.S. presidential primaries is one of the first steps in the process of electing a President of the United States as the primary elections provide a method for U.S. political parties to nominate and unite behind one popularly chosen candidate for the Presidency: and

Whereas, in 1952 New Hampshire began the modern system by holding an early primary that became very important to both parties; and

Whereas, after the confusion of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the Democrats moved to a system of primaries and caucuses in every state that guaranteed much wider voter participation in selecting candidates; and

Whereas, today, both the Republican and Democratic parties hold a series of caucuses and primaries from January through June of a presidential election year; and

Whereas, the state of New Hampshire draws international attention every four years because it has the first U.S. presidential primary and in recent elections, New Hampshire & Iowa have gained over half the national and international media attention paid for the selection process and are considered essential by the candidates; and

Whereas, the current system is unfair, because it places undue emphasis on New Hampshire and Iowa, which are not representative of the nation as a whole; and

Whereas, in 2006 the Democrats are discussing changes in the sequence for 2008; and

Whereas, the Oahu Committee of the Democratic Party are requesting the date of the Hawaii Caucus be changed to an earlier date in the year so the Presidential candidates will campaign in Hawaii; now therefore

Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i request Governor Howard Dean and the DNC to consider our request for placement as the second presidential nominating primary/caucus; and

Be It Further Resolved, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawaii members of Congress, the Democratic National Committee and Governor Howard Dean, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-29 Relating to Veterans' Right To Know

Whereas, between 1962 and 1974 the Department of Defense carried out Project 112 and the Shipboard Hazard and Defense Project (Project SHAD), chemical and biological warfare testing projects; and

Whereas, the Department of Defense acknowledges that 134 tests were planned and 50 executed. Nineteen of these tests were conducted at sea, primarily in the South Pacific and off the coast of Hawaii, and 31 were conducted on land, in Hawaii, the Panama Canal Zone, and Alaska; and

Whereas, while some knowledge has been gained about the tests since they became public knowledge, key pieces of information are still out of our grasp, including the dosage levels involved and the identities of the exposed veterans as well as civilians; and

Whereas, in an effort to fully understand the extent of these tests and to provide exposed veterans with proper medical care, United States Representatives Mike Thompson and Denny Rehberg have introduced the Veterans' Right to Know Act (H.R. 4259); and

Whereas, the people of Hawaii have a right to know what happened in their state; and

Whereas, the "Veterans' Right to Know Commission" shall be empowered to investigate what occurred in the State of Hawaii during the SHAD TEST not only to the Veterans but also the civilian population; now therefore

Be It Resolved by the Oahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i shall request that the United States Congress give serious consideration to passing legislation that will establish a "Veterans' Right to know Act Commission" to include the impact of these tests upon the Civilian population in Hawai‘i and other test areas. and

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Hawaii Congressional Delegation as well as members of the United States Congress and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-30 Supporting Our Right to Bike

Whereas, we can do better in providing safe bicycle and pedestrian routes in Honolulu; and

Whereas, bicyclists are led into danger with incomplete bike lanes and shoulders that simply "run out"; and

Whereas, Hawai‘i has the fourth highest pedestrian, and third highest bicyclist, fatality rate in the nation; and

Whereas, bicycle/pedestrian pathways provide freedom of transportation with dignity to all, regardless of age, disability or income, including those who cannot drive, cannot afford to drive, or chose not to drive; and

Whereas, economic benefits including: lower state and private health care costs, lower road maintenance costs, increasing property values, access to jobs, federal funding support, and recreational opportunities would come if people were provided with better bike infrastructure; and

Whereas, the U.S. President has no oil policy, so, we all may be riding bicycles in the not too distant future; now, therefore

Be it Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i urges all officials of the State, the County, and the City to give the highest priority to implement the Honolulu Bicycle Master Plan (1999) and increase the number of bike and pedestrian paths as quickly as possible and

Be it Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to officials in State and County officials and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-31 Urging Hawaii to Adopt a Public Health Approach to Drug Policy

Whereas, the Women's Caucus of the Democratic Party considers substance abuse and drug addiction public health issues; and

Whereas, our state has continued to attempt to resolve drug abuse problems through the criminal justice system, resulting in severe prison overcrowding of inmates and warehousing of Hawai`i prisoners on the U.S. continent; and

Whereas, current drug policies, as applied and enforced, have taken a particularly hard toll on economically disadvantaged communities through the disproportionate incarceration of Native Hawaiians and other persons of color, and the poor, disrupting families and interfering with or denying educational, employment and housing opportunities, thereby exacerbating the social conditions that gave rise to the drug abuse in the first place; and

Whereas, criminal prosecutions of substance-using pregnant women have deterrent effects on women seeking prenatal care; and such lack of prenatal care increases infant mortality; and

Whereas, research clearly demonstrates that shifting public resources into education, prevention, treatment, and research programs is significantly more effective in reducing drug abuse than the use of expensive criminal sanctions, but two thirds of Hawaii's spending on drug policy is nonetheless allocated to law enforcement approaches while only one third is spent on prevention and treatment combined; now therefore

Be It Resolved that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party calls upon the state and county governments to adopt a public health approach to Hawaii's drug problems; and

Be It Further Resolved that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party endorses a fundamental change in drug policy, whereby drug abuse is regarded as a health problem and not only as a criminal matter, and endorses a shift of public resources away from criminal law enforcement and toward the promotion of a public health approach; and

Be It Further Resolved that Hawai`i focus limited resources on making quality drug abuse education and state of the art treatment for those already addicted widely available; and

Be It Further Resolved that pregnant women who have a history of substance use have ready access to programs and facilities equipped to provide comprehensive prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care; and

Be It Further Resolved that certified copies of this resolution is transmitted to each elected Democrats in the state and county governments in Hawai'i and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-32 In Support of Parity for Women Offenders

Whereas, the Women's Caucus of the Democratic Party supports equality for women and girl offenders and requires the enforcement of the equal protection clause of the Hawaii State Constitution; and

Whereas, the number of incarcerated women have increased at an alarming rate, tripling between 1985 and 1995; and

Whereas, the Department of Public Safety reports that the number of female parole violators rose thirty per cent between January 2001 and January 2004, while male violators rose eighteen percent during the same time period; and

Whereas, research establishes that female offenders have different needs from male offenders and that the traditional corrections programs are based on the needs of medium security male inmates; and

Whereas, women offenders are more likely than male offenders to be addicted to drugs, have a mental illness, resulting, in part in their disproportionate victimization from sexual or physical abuse and that they have been unemployed before incarceration; and

Whereas, research also indicates that programs that are gender-responsive and community-based are needed to give offenders the necessary life skills to extricate themselves from the criminal justice system and to make positive healthy choices for themselves and their families; and that the majority of women in prison are nonviolent and could be serving their time in community-based gender responsive programs; and

Whereas, girls in the juvenile justice system need physical and emotional security, positive female role models, and a sense of belonging and competency that may be different from what boys need; and

Be It Resolved that the O'ahu County Democratic Party support legislation for parity for women offenders, that requires that Hawaii provide women and girls with gender-responsive services and community-based programs that address substance abuse, family relationships, vocational education, prior victimization, and domestic violence; and

Be It Further Resolved that women and girls who are incarcerated must be provided with the range and quality of programming substantially equivalent to the range and quality of programming offered to males who are similarly situated; and

Be It Further Resolved that certified copies of this resolution is transmitted to the Democrat members of the Hawaii State Legislature and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-33 For Secure, Verifiable and Accessible Voting Systems

Whereas, in the aftermath of the 2000 elections, there was an effort led by the Federal government to encourage states and local elections boards to shift to electronic voting systems, but that these machines have themselves led to a new set of problems, including lost votes, suspicious vote totals, long lines and public distrust; and

Whereas, in addition to technical malfunctions of the software and hardware, there is an increasing awareness among voters and elections officials that some of these machines can be maliciously hacked, with election results altered; and

Whereas, because the paperless electronic voting machines do not have an adequate means of independently verifying and confirming the accuracy of their results, many states, including Hawai`I, have enacted laws requiring that all electronic voting systems produce a voter verfied paper audit trail (VVPAT) to allow for each voter to confirm their choice is accurately recorded and that the paper be retained in the polling place and retained for audits to ensure the accuracy of the electronic results; and

Whereas, the VVPAT is only useful for ensuring the accuracy of the vote count if it is in a format conducive to manual handling and if the audit standards are high enough to ensure a high degree of certainty in the accuracy of the results; and most electronic voting systems use secret, proprietary software that is not inspected by either election observers or even state election officials; and

Whereas, due to this lack of transparency in the electronic voting process official election observers and pollwatchers are no longer capable of effectively monitoring and vouching for the integrity of the election results; now therefore

Be it Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii will establish its own Elections Task Force which will work to change Hawaii laws and administrative procedures in order to ensure that elections in Hawaii are transparent, verifiable, auditable, accessible and worthy of trust by all voters; that the Party will work to mobilize members of the Party and general public to become election observers, knowledgeable on voting technology issues ; the Party will bring together respected members of the information technology professions, professionals from financial services knowledgeable in audit standards and Party members to establish meaningful and rigorous audit standards and to examine other options, such as open source software and electronic ballotmarkers to replace touchscreen voting machines running secret software.

Be it Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-34 Urging the President and United States Congress to Adopt the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2005, Which Repeals "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and Institutes a Military Policy of Nondiscrimination Based Upon Sexual Orientation

Whereas, according to a February 2005 Government Accountability Office report, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has led to the discharge of more than 9,488 service members, including at least 757 with "critical occupations" like linguists and counterintelligence experts, at a cost to taxpayers of nearly $200,000,000; and

Whereas the United States Armed Forces' ability to recruit and retain personnel and ultimately carry out its missions is hindered when competent and qualified individuals are discharged; and

Whereas, personnel shortages have caused the Armed Forces to draw excessively on Reserve and National Guard resources during the Global War on Terrorism; and

Whereas, lesbian and gay service members have served with honor throughout United States history and continue to serve with distinction in modern deployments; and

Whereas, every Department of Defense authorized study has shown that there is no correlation between sexual orientation and unit cohesion in the Armed Forces; and the vast majority of American citizens support keeping trained and skilled openly gay and lesbian service members in the military; and

Whereas, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as many allied militaries, including those of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Israel, allow lesbian, gay, and bisexual members to serve openly; and

Whereas, Hawaii is home to 83 of the country's 425 major military installations, thousands of military personnel and families, and according to a 2004 Urban institute report more than 6,300 lesbian and gay veterans; and the Democratic Party and the State of Hawaii have repeatedly affirmed a need to prevent invidious discrimination and ensure equality under the law, regardless of sexual orientation; and

Whereas, House Resolution 1059, known as the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2005, which would repeal the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has been introduced in the United States Congress; now therefore

Be it Resolved that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii encourage Hawaii's Congressional delegation to urge the United States Congress and the President to adopt the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2005.
Be it Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai'i Congressional delegation and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

OC Resolution 06-35: Increase the Enforcement of Animal Quarantine Laws in Hawai'i
Whereas, illegal animals are regularly smuggled into Hawai'i; and
Whereas, illegal animals threaten the economy, environment, culture, health, and quality of life of Hawai'i's people; and
Whereas, examples of animals smuggled into Hawai'i include large snakes, piranhas, a variety of lizards, scorpions, and tarantulas; and
Whereas, 236 credible sightings of snakes of various species in Hawai'i were reported from 1990 and 2000, and the trend does not appear to be declining; and
Whereas, illegal animals escape captivity, are intentionally released by their owners, are voluntarily turned in by their owners, or are confiscated by government officials; and
Whereas, illegal animals have established reproducing populations in the wild in Hawai'i, which prey on, or compete with native Hawaiian species; and
Whereas, the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture is responsible for enforcing animal quarantine laws, but does not possess adequate tools or resources to fulfill its responsibility; and
Whereas, state law allows for significant fines and imprisonment penalties for illegal introductions, but few indictments or penalties have resulted; and
Whereas, the seriousness of smuggling invasive animals is not generally appreciated by the law-enforcement, legal, and judicial communities in Hawai'i; now therefore
Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i requests the Hawai'i State Legislature identify ways to strengthen and improve the enforcement of Hawai'i's animal-smuggling laws; and
Be It Further Resolved, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to Democrat members of the Hawai'i State Legislature, Hawai'i Department of Agriculture and the Resolutions Committee of the State Convention.

OC Resolution 06-36: Increase Inspections at Ports of Entry to Prevent the Introduction of Invasive Species
Whereas, the silent invasion of Hawai'i by insects, disease-bearing organisms, snakes, weeds, and other pests is one of the single greatest threats to the economy, environment, culture, health, and quality of life of Hawai'i's people; and
Whereas, invasive species that are already established in Hawai'i include termites (Hawai'i has only four of the 2,000+ termite species worldwide), fruit flies, ants, mosquitoes, apple snails, rats, coqui frogs, and miconia; and
Whereas, invasive species already cause millions of dollars in crop losses, property damage, and destruction of native forest and watershed; the extinction of native species; and the spread of disease in Hawai'i; and
Whereas, even one new pest, such as the brown tree snake, malaria-carrying mosquito, red imported fire ant, or biting sand fly, would forever change Hawai'i; and
Whereas, stopping the influx of new invasive species is essential to the future well-being of Hawai'i's people, economy, environment, culture, and lifestyle; and
Whereas, the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture is the primary state agency responsible for preventing the introduction of new invasive species and inspecting agricultural goods and other cargo entering Hawai'i; and
Whereas, the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture is understaffed, and a large proportion of the total cargo entering Hawai'i is un-inspected, including shipments known to be significant sources of new invasive species; and
Whereas, it is essential that the State of Hawai'i have the most reasonably effective mechanisms in place to protect against the introduction of invasive species at ports of entry; now therefore
Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i requests the Hawai'i State Legislature secure the following funding sources to support increased inspections of agricultural goods and other cargo by the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture at ports of entry: 1) percentage of the existing airport landing and harbor fees; 2) user fees for importers; and 3) increased base funding for the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture; and
Be It Further Resolved, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to Democrat members of the Hawai'i State Legislature, Hawai'i Department of Agriculture and the Resolutions Committee of the State Convention.

OC Resolution 06-37: Prevent the Introduction of the Brown Tree snake to Hawai'i
Whereas, the brown tree snake was introduced to Guam by post-World War II traffic carrying military materials from the South Pacific; and
Whereas, the brown tree snake is a health hazard on Guam because of snake bites and envenomation of infants and children; and
Whereas, the brown tree snake is responsible for the extinction or local extirpation of native forest birds and lizards on Guam; and
Whereas, the Guam Power Authority reports millions of dollars in increased costs and lost revenue caused by brown-tree snake power outages; and
Whereas, the brown tree snake would likely cause the extinction of dozens of unique native Hawaiian birds if established in Hawai'i; and
Whereas, the estimated economic impact of the brown tree snake if established in Hawai'i could be between $28 million and $1.8 billion annually; and
Whereas, cargo and carriers are allowed to leave Guam without being inspected for the brown tree snake, and all of the live or dead brown tree snakes caught or found in Hawai'i between 1981 and 1998 were associated with military or civilian cargo or carriers from Guam; and
Whereas, a live brown tree snake was recently discovered at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma in a container originating from Guam; and
Whereas, in a 12-month period in 2004 and 2005, 150 military aircraft and more than 1.8 million pounds of military cargo left Guam without being inspected for the brown treesnake; and
Whereas, the U.S. Department of the Air Force proposes to base a Global Strike Task Force at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam, in addition to relocating several squadrons and training programs to Andersen from other installations in the Pacific region; and
Whereas, the chances of the brown tree snake becoming established in Hawai'i and elsewhere is high due to increased military and civilian traffic from Guam; now therefore
Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i requests the United States Congress require 100% inspection of all departing military and civilian cargo and carriers on Guam to prevent the introduction of brown tree snakes to Hawai'i and elsewhere; and
Be It Further Resolved, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to members of Hawai'i's Congressional Delegation, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Resolutions Committee of the State Convention.

Resolution 06-38 Relating to Ko`olualoa (Turtle Bay) Development

Whereas, the City and County of Honolulu approved a development in Ko`olauloa in 1986, and

Whereas, the development would allow an expansion of the Turtle Bay Resort to 4,000 hotel rooms and condominiums, and the development would include five new hotels, and

Whereas, many residents have said that the sheer size of the expansion is too much for the North Shore to handle, and

Whereas, the Ko`olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan has been adopted since the approval of the proposal, and

Whereas, environmental laws have changed in the last 20 years which require economic and cultural impacts and mitigations which have not been addressed, and

Whereas, the immense development area is not served by any public sewage treatment plant, has no public landfill, and is served by only a two-lane roadway, now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii urge the City and County of Honolulu to require a supplemental review of the development requested to assure that the proposal is consistent with the Ko`olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan and current infrastructure requirements, and

Be It Further Resolved that the State of Hawaii Environmental Council be asked to rule on the currency and sufficiency of the environmental review of the proposed project, and

Be It Further Resolved that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, the Director of the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting, to the State of Hawaii Environmental Council, to the Ko`olauloa Neighborhood Board, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

OC Resolution 06-39: In Support of Raising the Standard of Assistance
Whereas, the Women's Caucus of the Democratic Party is deeply concerned about the economic well-being of Hawai'i's women and children in poverty; and
Whereas, there are 10,642 Hawai'i families receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) for single parent families or Temporary Assistance to Other Needy Families (TAONF) for two parent families; and
Whereas, 92 percent of the families receiving TANF are women and 59 percent of the families receiving TAONF are women; and
Whereas, the 2006 Legislature passed SB 475 SD2 HD1 CD1 to change the standard of need to the 2006 federal poverty level; and
Whereas, the 2006 Legislature also set the standard of cash assistance for families receiving TANF no higher than 62.5 percent and no lower than 34 percent of the standard of need thus resulting in no increase in the amount of cash assistance a family receives from TANF or TAONF; so for a family of three (a mother with two children), the cash assistance will remain at $712 and then reduced to $570 after two months; and
Whereas, a recently released study by the Hawai'i State Commission on the Status of Women and the Wider Opportunities for Women on the state's self sufficiency standard found that a family of three (mother with two children) living in urban Honolulu would need to have $2,528 per month to be self sufficient; this is a difference of $1,958 between the self sufficiency standard and their current cash assistance; and
Whereas, the families on TANF use their cash assistance to pay for food, clothing, rent, utilities, school supplies, etc; and
Whereas, the cost of living continues to rise but since the cash assistance has not changed in the past 13 years families are finding it increasingly more difficult to keep up with paying for their essentials and thus puts them at risk for homelessness; now therefore
Be it resolved, that the O'ahu County Democratic Party remind the administration and elected officials that the original purpose of TANF funds was to be a safety net for poor families and strongly urge them to increase the amount of cash assistance to TANF of TAONF families ; and
Be it Further Resolved that certified copies of this resolution is transmitted to the Democratic members of the Hawai'i State Legislature and the 2006 Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention

Resolution 06-40 Urging the Expansion of Nonprofit Work Furlough Programs That Emphasize Hawaiian Culture and Practices

Whereas, according to the 2006 Native Hawaiian Data Book, Native Hawaiians comprised 38% of the population in Hawaii's correctional facilities in 2004/2005; and

Whereas, Native Hawaiians comprised 41% of the population of Hawai`i inmates in out-of-state correctional facilities in 2004/2005; and

Whereas, the Department of Public Safety's (DPS) 2004 annual report states that 39% of male inmates and 47% of female inmates are classified with a status of minimum or community custody; and

Whereas, the existing community and culturally based nonprofit work furlough programs and facilities throughout the state are inadequate to meet the needs of inmates who are eligible for work furlough; and

Whereas, such work furlough programs provide comprehensive support services in the areas of case management, employment, housing, family reunification, cognitive skills, mentoring, cultural renewal, and referrals for substance abuse, mental health and other counseling services to individuals who are preparing for their return to the community; and

Whereas, the January 16, 2006 population figures of the DPS state that there are currently 2,459 inmates who qualify for reintegration programs; and

Whereas, the cost to incarcerate a person in Hawai`i is $100.00 per day while work furlough beds cost $80.00 per day; and

Whereas, based on the research of Dr. Kim Thorburn, 60% of the incarcerated are Native Hawaiians, thus 1,475 work furlough beds would be needed to assist the reentry of Native Hawaiians into the community; now therefore,

Be it Resolved, that the O`ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i strongly urges the DPS to issue Requests for Proposals for at least 1,475 beds in community and culturally based nonprofit work furlough programs that will offer a comprehensive range of services with an emphasis on Hawaiian culture and practices; and

Be it Further Resolved that copies of this Resolution be sent to the Department of Public Safety, Majority Leaders of the State Senate and House, and the Resolutions Committee of the Democratic State Convention.

OC Resolution 06-41: Relating to International Affairs (Darfur Genocide)
Whereas, even though the factions involved in the long-running Sudanese civil war on May 5, 2006 signed a peace treaty ending their internal conflict, the Sudanese government remains an international pariah due to its genocidal treatment of Sudanese in the western region of the nation known as Darfur, and the Sudanese government has intentionally used "Janjaweed" militias, its air force, and organized starvation to kill the population in Darfur; and
Whereas, on July 22, 2004, the US House of Rep. adopted a condemnatory resolution, H.Con. Res. 467 declaring that "atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan are genocide"; and
Whereas, on 9/9/04, former Secretary of State Powell stated in testimony before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relation Committee that the state department had concluded genocide had been committed in Darfur and may still be occurring, and on 9/9/04, President Bush, in an address before the United Nations General Assembly, stated that "the world is witnessing terrible suffering and horrible crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan, crimes my government has concluded are genocide," and the United Nations estimates that 350,000 persons have been killed in Darfur since the Sudanese government launched its genocidal attacks in the region; and
Whereas, in accordance with Executive Order No. 13067 which former President Clinton issued on 11/3/97, and that remains in effect, although not enforced as vigilantly as it should be, American businesses are prohibited from investing in or doing business with Sudan, and American economic interaction with Sudan is severely limited to the exporting of licensed agricultural commodities, the transfer of informational materials, and the delivery of donated items, such as food, clothing, and medicine that are intended to relieve human suffering; and
Whereas, while no American home-based companies are operating in Sudan, corporations that are foreign-based, but that are listed on American stock exchanges, do engage in commercial activities with this outlaw nation, and Hawaii State Employees' Retirement System has over $1.7Billion in international equity funds in financial assets in foreign-based companies which may have Sudanese economic ties; such investments, even if they were made unintentionally, help to support a government that our nation's political leadership has stated is committing genocide; and
Whereas, the conscience of the people of Hawai'i should not provide any form of assistance to this criminal and immoral Sudanese regime; now therefore
Be it Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i and the Dempcratic Party of Hawai'i urge the board and the executive director of the ERS to implement a policy for the disinvestment of any funds in corporations doing business in or with Sudan, and not to invest any further assets in a company that has any economic dealings with that outlaw government, until there is undisputed documented evidence that the specific corporation has severed all ties in or with Sudan, and until the United States declares that Sudan has ceased all genocidal activities and is treating all of its citizens with dignity and respect; and
Be it Further Resolved, that the DPH be directed to send a copy of this resolution to the State House and Senate, the Governor, the Board and Executive Director of the ERS, US Secretary of State, President Bush, and to the members of the Hawaii Congressional Delegation.

OC Resolution 06-42: Relating to International Affairs (Darfur Genocide#2 )
Whereas, even though the factions involved in the long-running Sudanese civil war on May 5, 2006 signed a peace treaty ending their internal conflict, the Sudanese government remains an international pariah due to its genocidal treatment of Sudanese in the western region of the nation known as Darfur, and the Sudanese government has intentionally used "Janjaweed" militias, its air force, and organized starvation to kill the population in Darfur, and
Whereas, on July 22, 2004, the US House of Rep. adopted a condemnatory resolution, H.Con. Res. 467 declaring that "atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan are genocide"; and
Whereas, on 9/9/04, former Secretary of State Powell stated in testimony before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relation Committee that the state department had concluded genocide had been committed in Darfur and may still be occurring, and on 9/9/04, President Bush, in an address before the United Nations General Assembly, stated that "the world is witnessing terrible suffering and horrible crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan, crimes my government has concluded are genocide," and the United Nations estimates that 350,000 persons have been killed in Darfur since the Sudanese government launched its genocidal attacks in the region; and
Whereas, Congress is proposing 51 resolutions condemning the Sudanese government actions, in particular: Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005-06 (S.1462.ES;H3127.EH&RFS), which proposes blocking and restrictions on Visas, Assets, and pursuit and prosecution Janjaweed Commanders and Coordinators through the War Crimes Tribunal, and military assistance to the African Union Mission in Sudan, and NATO; and denial of Sudanese Oil into US ports; and
Whereas, the conscience of the people of Hawaii should not provide any form of assistance to this criminal and immoral Sudanese regime; now therefore
Be it Resolved that the Oahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii: That the DPH urges the State House and Senate, the Governor, all county Mayors, and the Congressional delegation support the passage of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005-06 (HR3127); and
Be it Further Resolved, that the Democratic Party of Hawai'i be directed to send a copy of this resolution to the State House and Senate, the Governor, the Mayors, and to the members of the Hawai'i Congressional Delegation.

OC Resolution 06-43: Urging A Change In The Law For Filling Vacant Elective Office
Whereas, elective offices sometimes become vacant due to the retirement, ill-health or death of an elected official; and
Whereas, the appointment of Bev Harbin to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Representative Ken Hiraki demonstrated the inherent conflict of interest in a situation when a Goverenor of one political party is empowered to fill a vacant office held by a member of another political party; and
Whereas, the 28th District Council of the Democratic Party engaged in a thorough consideration of potential nominees to fill the vacancy through a process that included polling precinct officers, conducting multiple interviews and holding special meetings to produce their list for the Governor's consideration; and
Whereas, Governor Lingle had actively campaigned in the 2004 election for Ken Hiraki's opponent and is likely to do so again in 2006 and therefore had no incentive to find a strong and bonafide Democrat acceptable to the residents of the district to appoint to the vacant seat; and
Whereas, the Governor ignored the views of the grassroot district Democrats, and instead knowingly appointed a person with weak ties to the district and virtually no ties to, or sympathy with, the Democrats of the district; and
Whereas, both of our U.S. Senators, while of good health, are of an advanced age and there is a possibility that one or both may need to retire before their term ends, which could create an opportunity for the Governor to replace a US Senator with one of her appointees; and
Whereas, legislation was introduced and passed by the 2006 legislative session that would have amended the appointment process to require that the Governor fill a vacant elective office from a list of three names submitted by the political party of the previous office holder; and
Whereas, Governor Lingle vetoed this legislation and the Legislature, for reasons still unclear, declined to override the Governor's veto of this crucial legislation; now therefore,
Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i affirms that passage of such legislation be one of its top legislative priorities for the 2007 legislative session;
Be It Further Resolved, that this priority be impressed upon all Democratic elected officials and those who file to run for office as Democrats; and
Be It Further Resolved, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Democratic members of the Legislature, to Democratic candidates for the legislature and to the State Convention Resolutions Committee.

OC Resolution 06-44: Urging The Hawai'i State Legislature To Obtain The Release Of Funds For The Acquisition Of Paradise Park In Manoa Valley
Whereas, Manoa Valley is primarily a residential community and is not suited to heavy commercial traffic, including tour buses, visiting Paradise Park and
Whereas Manoa Valley is rich in culture, history and nature and
Whereas, Manoa Valley was the home of Queen Ka'ahumanu who, as advisor to Liholiho among many other roles, demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills and served as a role model and an inspiration to people of Hawaiian ancestry as well as to Westerners and
Whereas, the Paradise Park site offers a unique opportunity for research, experimentation and cultivation of plants for medicinal, alternative energy, propagation and
Whereas, Manoa Mauka and other community groups have been pursuing dialog among the stakeholders to find a fair means for the State to acquire the Paradise Park site by the University of Hawai'i and
Whereas, the State Legislature approved the purchase of the site in a prior legislative session; now threfore
Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i urge the Hawai'i State Legislature to require the Governor to release the funding to acquire the Paradise Park site in fee simple to create the Ka'ahumanu Learning and Leadership Center; and
Be It Further Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawai'i, Democratic members of the Hawai'i State Legislature, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-45: In Support of Clean and Transparent Government Operations
Whereas, the Democratic Party of Hawaii, finding that the open conduct of legislative meetings and deliberations are one of the main tools to assure openness and transparency in a democracy; and
Whereas, transparency in government is a vital method of fighting the culture of corruption, waste of taxpayer resources, and inefficiency, and
Whereas, secrecy is against the ideals of the nation's Founders as well as our Democratic Party; and
Whereas, the Democratic Party is proud to show our distinct values, through our support of openness in government; now therefore
Be It Resolved, that the O'ahu County Democratic Party of Hawai`i will only support, through endorsement, funding, the provision of volunteers or in-kind material, members of the State House of Representatives or State Senate who explicitly agree that they will provide full and open access to any legislative matters for which they have responsibility and authority.
Be It Further Resolved, that this means legislators will provide full public access to drafts of any and all legislative bills up for hearing, disallowing hearings on any measure where the text of the amendment(s) has/have not been available to the public for at least a 48-hour period above and beyond that of any weekends and holidays, and
Be It Further Resolved, that, this means if they are a Committee Chair or in other position of control, they will not replace bills that have survived the legislative process up to the point of hearing, they will not include unheard language after public testimony unless the language is a direct result of that testimony on the same measure, and
Be It Further Resolved, that this means they will not post or disseminate misleading information in official records, but will ensure that all official legislative actions shall be posted in a timely manner, and
Be It Further Resolved, that this means no legislator shall permit corporate executives to operate in legislative offices in the role of interns, or to use any taxpayer-funded communications resources, office space or vehicle; and
Be It Further Resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawai'i, Democratic members of the Hawai'i State Legislature, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Democratic Convention.

Resolution 06-46 Requesting What we can afford in the City & County Budget

Whereas, The City & County has experienced unparalleled weather related problems which demand prompt attention; and

Whereas, this crisis has demanded emergency services for the alleviation of suffering: and

Whereas, the City & County is faced with an immediate increase of costs of public services for residents and large daily visitors and military populations: and

Whereas, real property taxes are the primary resource of revenues for the City & County of Honolulu and real property values and real property taxes have sky rocketed; and the present administration of real property taxes imposes an unfair burden upon homeowners and renters and, in many cases, upon those who can least afford it; and

Whereas, the Mayor's proposed budget was prepared before this crisis; and some items that were of low priority became immediate and other items will have to be shelved: and

Whereas, an examination of priorities must be commence in light of what the taxpayer can afford; and

Whereas, the counties have sought and continue to seek more sources of revenues from the State, including the recently passed general excise tax surcharge; and

Whereas, a study of the budget reveals $42 million for "Transit" and that is before the $7million planned surcharge begins; and

Whereas, a study of the budget also reveals that the surcharge is insufficient to cover the cost of this portion of the rail; and what is the actual cost: from the property tax; and

Whereas, the Mayor & the City Council must act fiscally responsible by unequivocally informing the taxpayer - can we afford a budget item which far accedes the stated income for that purpose; and now therefore

Be it Resolved by the O'ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, that it is requested that the Mayor & City Council jointly review, study, and recommend, with public input and participation from all taxpayers to determine what we as taxpayers can afford; and

Be it Further Resolved that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor Mufi Hannemann and the City council and to the Resolutions Committee of the State Convention of the Democratic Party.

Resolution 06-47: Requesting a Property Tax Freeze
Whereas, the Democrats for Property Tax Fairness continue to study the current property tax situation; and

Whereas, we continue to call for a freeze in real property taxes; and

Whereas, the City & County Administration has increased tax after tax after tax during the past two and a half years; and

Whereas, in a Star Bulletin article, July 2005, Mayor Hannemann promised us a comprehensive tax relief package; and

Whereas, in 2005 and again in 2006, there was an average 25 percent increase in property values across the island, and so people are facing much higher property tax bills; and

Whereas, the 2006 tax measures passed by the City Council were not enough; a $150/person reduction did not meet the needs of homeowners; and

Whereas, the tax measures did not help renters and those living in low-income housing; and

Whereas, it is important for the public to know that there are sufficient resources in the City budget to cover current fiscal needs as well as to meet most costs of damage due recent bad weather; and

Whereas, the increased sewer taxes, which are in place, anticipated major renovations in these systems; and

Whereas, the introduction and rising of taxes are invariably accompanied with extensive misinformation to which misleads taxpayers; and

Whereas, for these reasons it is very difficult for many individuals an individual to appreciate the nature of taxation and its consequences; and

Be It Resolved, by the O’ahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i, to strongly urge the Mayor & City Council of Honolulu refrain from further property tax increases as of June 30, 2006 until adequate proposals are drafted and passed to meet the needs of people who are suffering from these measures.

Be It Further Resolved that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council, and the Resolutions Committee of the State Convention of the Democratic Party.