November, 2007 Home   Newsletters

February 2008

March 2008

President's Message (Piilani Kaopuiki)
Being Railroaded (Charles Carole)
Save March 10
Annual Meeting April 12
Bylaws of the League of Women Voters of Honolulu
Welcome New Members
Computer Training
HOT Lanes
Up for Election this Fall
Calendar of Events

President's Message

Kung Hee Fat Choy!

This is the first Aloha Voter of 2008. This year promises to be exciting for League especially with Election 2008 in full swing and all our committees involved.

Enclosed with this newsletter, members will find the revised bylaws for the League. Your Board of Directors found several policies guiding the Board actually applied to League members as a whole. For that reason, the Board agreed that League could be better protected and guided by a revision of its bylaws that included these select provisions.

Bylaws enclosed

Articles covering testimony and lobbying, correspondence and publications, other organizations, and the Honolulu League Education Fund have been added to League bylaws. Please review the enclosure and bring it with you to the Annual Meeting in April where it will be presented for acceptance.

On December 1, 2007, League conducted its annual Planning Meeting at the Hale Koa Hotel. The Immigration Study fielded by National League was the topic of discussion. Members discussed their views on immigration questions designed to provide National with the position of local Leagues.

By the end of the morning discussion, it was clear that Honolulu League came to “no consensus” on most of the questions. This result has been reported to National to include in its survey results from local leagues across the country.

Following lunch on Dec 1, Jeff Mikulina, Director, Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, spoke to us on global warming. Mr. Mikulina has been very involved in efforts to educate the community, as well as government officials, on the threat of climate change and solutions to the threat. He shared very explicit details in the form of pictures, graphs and projections that indicate the consequences of our unsustainable life styles.

As individuals, we can take steps to reduce the greenhouse gases we produce. Check out this Global Warming Diet. Pledge to take one small step today!

  1. See the light: Replace traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights.

  2. Get out: Instead of watching TV or playing video games, play with friends outside or go for a bike ride.

  3. Be a star: The next time your family needs a new appliance, look for the ones with the Energy Star label on it. They use less electricity than others.

  4. Reduce, reuse, recycle: Save your HI-5 containers for redemption and bring all newspaper, glass and cardboard to schools for drop-off. And say NO to plastic bags! Bring your own bag to the store.

  5. Unplug ‘em: Electronic devices often use electricity even when they are off. Or you can use power strips for your plugs and turn them off when you are done using them.

  6. Capture the sun: Drying your clothes on a clothesline instead of a dryer saves a lot of electricity. Also, a solar water heater can save tons of greenhouse gas annually.

  7. Use personal power: Instead of driving, put your feet to work by walking or biking. Every gallon of gas you burn in your car produces about 20 pounds of greenhouse gas.

  8. It’s cool to pool: When it’s too far to walk or bike, plan ahead with friends and neighbors to carpool or take the bus to school and activities.

  9. Trade up: If your family is thinking about getting a new car, consider a hybrid or high-efficiency vehicle.

  10. Buy Hawaii: Try to pick food or goods grown or made in Hawaii. Imported food and goods travel by boat or plane, requiring a lot of energy.

Reduce your carbon load and step into a BRIGHTER FUTURE!!

The Board of Directors held its monthly meeting on December 27, 2007 at the League office. During the report by the Transportation Committee, visitors Renee Ing and Jim Brewer shared information on the Phileas Magnet-Rail Super Express. It is a train that looks like a super bus. For more information, go to www.apts-phileas.com.

League in Parade


Pictured are (l to r) Lyla Berg, Piilani Kaopuiki and Elizabeth Reilly,
at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade in Kapiolani Park. (click to enlarge)

On January 21, 2008, League proudly participated in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade from Magic Island to Kapiolani Park. League members Elizabeth Reilly and Piilani Kaopuiki carried League signs along with Lyla Berg, who had been invited by Elizabeth to join the fun. We are looking forward to a larger contingent in 2009. Plan to join us.

I hope 2008 is an auspicious year and brings good health for you and your family.

Piilani Kaopuiki

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