Gov. Neil Abercrombie says Hawaii needs to get its priorities in order.

The Governor's planned three-day gay soccer tournament will feature disco lighting and nude matches.

 

Atomic Monkey

http://atomicmonkey.wordpress.com/about/

Neil's supporters point out his "great oratory skills," but to the rest of us he's pretty much a bombastic blowhard.

FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

Gov. Neil Abercrombie says Hawaii needs to get its priorities in order.
At a Thursday press conference, the governor took aim at state support for the Pro Bowl.
"You can't do things like give $4 million bucks to a $9 billion football industry and not give any money to children," Abercrombie said "That's the kind of decision we've got to make....they come and ask us to bribe them for $4 million to have a scrimmage in paradise. We need to get our values and priorities straight."
As if to add an exclamation point to his lambasting of the Pro Bowl, the governor downplayed the economic impact of the game on state taxes and tourism.
"We'll get more money out of civil unions in a weekend than we'll get out of those guys," he said.
Is Abercrombie right that Hawaii would make more money from civil unions than from the Pro Bowl?

The NFL Pro Bowl

Honolulu had hosted the Pro Bowl every year since 1980, until 2010 when it was played in Miami. In 2011, the game returned to Hawaii.


The Hawaii Tourism Authority pays $4 million to host the Pro Bowl.
"Visitor spending and state tax collections due to the Pro Bowl were on par with previous years," HTA President and CEO Mike McCartney said in a February press release after the 2011 game. "Although there was a decrease in the number of visitors who came specifically for the game, the results show an increase in average length of stay and state tax revenue collection."
The tourism authority conducted a visitor research survey after the Jan. 30 Pro Bowl. Among the authority's findings:

• 49,311 people watched the Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium. Of those, 17,048 were visitors to Hawaii, coming specifically for the Pro Bowl.
  
• The 17,048 visitors accounted for $28.15 million in spending, which generated about $3 million in tax revenue.
  
• The average Pro Bowl visitor stayed in Hawaii for more than 10 days.
• 86 percent of the visitors at the Pro Bowl chose to attend the game before coming to Hawaii.
• 89 percent of the visitors at the Pro Bowl said they planned to take part in activities like golf, tennis, biking, swimming and fishing.
• 80 percent of the visitors at the Pro Bowl said they planned to visit sites like Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Sea Life Park and Waimea Valley.

It should also be noted that viewers of the game on the mainland see images of Hawaii during the winter. Presumably, this can't hurt Hawaii's appeal as a tourist destination.

Civil Unions in Hawaii

Abercrombie in February signed into law SB 232, making same-sex and opposite-sex couples eligible for civil unions beginning Jan. 1, 2012.
A 2010 report on the possible economic impact of civil unions for Hawaii showed small upticks in visitors and state tax revenue could be expected. The report was released before then-Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a civil unions bill last year.
The 12-page report (updated from a 2009 report) was authored by Sumner La Croix, an economics professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Kimberly Burnett, with the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO). The report compared Hawaii with other states, like Vermont, which allow civil unions. Among its findings:

• Over six years, 1,962 couples in Hawaii would be likely to get a civil union.
• Tourism expenditures could increase between $5 million and $7 million annually.
• Registration fees from civil unions could generate between $240,000 to $480,000 over a six year period. (Note: Figure from 2009 report.)

La Croix pointed out that same-sex marriages would have had a greater financial impact on the state than civil unions. “Neil Abercrombie has been a stalwart advocate and friend of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community for decades," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign.

Conclusion

The Pro Bowl is a money maker for Hawaii, directly and indirectly. So, too, will civil unions be, according to La Croix's analysis.
However, the governor is plain wrong when he says civil unions would generate more money in a weekend than the state gets from the Pro Bowl.
Civil Beat asked the governor if he had figures to back up his claim regarding civil unions. An Abercrombie spokeswoman emailed: "I am not aware of any estimations projected regarding civil union revenue."

Key dates in the Anthony Weiner scandal

By the CNN Wire Staff

June 12, 2011 10:02 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- Rep. Anthony Weiner, a New York Democrat, has been under fire ever since a lewd photo appeared on his Twitter account last month. Considered one of the leading liberal voices in the House, the seven-term congressman is now battling for his political life.
Here are key dates in the snowballing scandal:
-- May 27, 2011: A lewd photo appears briefly on Weiner's Twitter account. Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart is first to report the image, which shows the bulging crotch of a man in his underwear. The story goes viral.
-- May 30, 2011: The congressman tells reporters a hacker got control of his social networking account. "Look, this is a prank and not a terribly creative one," Weiner says. A spokesman says the congressman has retained an attorney to look into the situation, but Capitol Police and the FBI tell CNN they are not investigating.
-- May 31, 2011: Weiner repeatedly dodges reporters' questions about the Twitter post, saying the matter is a distraction and undeserving of further attention. "I'm going to get back to the conversation I care about," he says. Weiner declines to answer whether he is the man in the photo.
-- June 1, 2011: Weiner tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he did not post the picture and says he has hired a law firm to investigate. He continues to evade the question as to whether the now-notorious photo is of him.
-- June 3, 2011: Weiner cancels a speech he was scheduled to make at the Wisconsin Democratic Party convention. Privately, members of the House Democratic leadership begin to push Weiner to end what many now see as an unwelcome diversion.
-- June 6, 2011: In an abrupt about-face, a tearful Weiner apologizes for falsely claiming that his Twitter account was hacked and admits to having engaged in inappropriate relationships with several women he met online. He tells reporters he will not resign, nor does he plan to separate from his wife. "To be clear, the picture was of me, and I sent it," Weiner says.
-- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi calls for an ethics committee investigation to determine if government resources were used or House rules violated in Weiner's online relationships. The congressman claims he does not believe he used any government resources, but says he would "welcome and fully cooperate" with a probe.
Earlier in the day, conservative blogger Breitbart published new images that purportedly showed Weiner shirtless.
-- June 7, 2011: Democratic leaders begin to turn on Weiner. "I wish there was some way I could defend him, but I can't," says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada. Two House Democrats say they will donate campaign contributions from the embattled congressman to charity.
-- June 8, 2011: Tim Kaine, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, calls on Weiner to resign, becoming the first prominent Democrat to publicly demand his resignation. A photo that blogger Breitbart claims shows the naked genitals of Weiner finds its way to the Internet.
-- June 9, 2011: Sen. Patrick Leahy adds his voice to calls for Weiner to resign from his seat in the House. Weiner says he has no plans to step down and that his wife wants him to stay in Congress, according to a Democratic source. A Marist College poll shows that a majority of registered voters in Weiner's district -- 56% -- don't believe he should resign.
CNN learns that Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin, are expecting their first child.
-- June 11, 2011: The head of the Democratic National Committee calls for Weiner's resignation, as does House Democratic leader Pelosi and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Steve Israel.
Weiner decides to seek treatment "to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person" and will ask for a "short leave of absence" from Congress, his spokeswoman says. It was not clear what type of treatment he would undergo.
-- June 12, 2011: TMZ publishes photos of Weiner, in various states of undress, which he apparently took of himself in a locker room. TMZ reports that they were taken in the House members' gym and sent to at least one woman. Weiner's office had no immediate comment, and CNN could not confirm the details as reported by TMZ.

The heads of both major political parties battle over the handling of Weiner's scandal, with the Republican Party boss accusing Democrats of inaction and the Democratic Party leader accusing Republicans of a "double standard."

Weiner New Car photo, Anthony Weiner, Anthony Weiner lied, Anthony Weiner pictures, Anthony Weiner photos, Weiner Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

 

 

Pelosi calls for investigation of Weiner

Fallout from the New York congressman's admission continues as Democratic leader calls for ethics inquiry

AP/Harry Hamburg

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif. gestures while speaking during her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 26.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is calling for an ethics committee investigation of Rep. Anthony Weiner.
Pelosi, the former speaker of the House, said Monday the committee should determine whether any official resources were used in Weiner's Twitter postings, and whether any House rules were violated.
Pelosi said, "I am deeply disappointed and saddened about this situation; for Anthony's wife, Huma, his family, his staff and his constituents.
She said she was calling for an Ethics Committee investigation to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred.
Weiner denied at a news conference in New York on Monday that he used any official resources.

Weiner leaving Forest Hills?

Reader sent in this tip:

Here Mr. Weiner is posing with his "pussys". Take a look at the brown one.

Now take a look at this photo from MLSLI.com. That same cat is in this bedroom photo, which also contains pillows with the initials "H" (Huma) and "A" (Anthony). Together, they spell "HA" which is exactly what a lot of people said yesterday during his press conference.

Try to look past the disturbing naked torso in the foreground and notice the background.

Here is the same room sans photos.

Caught in the middle: Gennette Cordova was sent the now infamous crotch shot

He told reporters he sent the picture to her as a joke, something he is now ashamed of.
‘I don’t know her, she was a follower, we had a cursory message exchange,' Weiner said today during the Manhattan press conference.
'I want to make it very clear that in the long list of people I have harmed here, she was one of them.

'I lied because I was embarrassed, and I didn’t want to get caught.’
But in confessing to having sent the picture, Weiner has exposed the girl as having lied when she has since jumped to his defence.
Cordova received the now infamous 'package picture' from the Democrat's Twitter account on May 27.

Loyal: Cordova defended the congressman after the scandal broke

The picture - a close-up of a bulge in a pair of man's grey boxer briefs - could be seen publicly by his 45,000 followers and after story broke, Weiner insisted his Twitter account had been hacked and denied the picture was of his crotch.
It was a story Cordova stood by, releasing a statement two days later in which she said the account she had been sent the pictures from was one from a hacker she was familiar with who had been trying to 'defame' the congressman.

Infamous: The crotch shot Weiner sent to Cordova

'The account that these tweets were sent from was familiar to me; this person had harassed me many times after the Congressman followed me on Twitter a month or so ago,' she said at the time.
'Since I had dealt with this person and his cohorts before I assumed that the tweet and the picture were their latest attempts at defaming the Congressman and harassing his supporters.
It is not clear whether she lied to protect her own involvement in the affair or whether she had felt under pressure not to cause a political storm.
The 21-year-old Seattle college student has already said the episode has jeopardised her academic career, embarrassed her family and shattered her privacy.
Many online messages have referred to Cordova as Mr Weiner's 'mistress' or 'self-proclaimed girlfriend', something they both deny.

Topless: One of the images Weiner sent to younger women online

Apology: Weiner said sorry for pictures, above, which he sent to women online

And although during Weiner's confession he admitted to having had six inappropriate relationships with women online, Cordova maintains she is not one of them.
This evening on Twitter she wrote: 'He has had six inappropriate relationships with women online in the last three years. If it wasn't clear, I was not one of them.'
Later, she added: 'Beginning to not feel like a deflated beach ball. Thank you to anyone who offered support. I'm so grateful.'

Megan Broussard went public today with 200 lewd photos and messages from Rep. Weiner. He admits at least 6 online affairs. How many more are there? How many were under-age? ummmmmmm
NEW YORK — After days of denials, a choked-up Rep. Anthony Weiner confessed Monday that he tweeted a photo of his underpants to a young woman, and he also admitted to “inappropriate” exchanges with six women before and after marrying last year. He apologized for lying but said he would not resign.

 How many more pictures of Anthony Weiner does Andrew Breitbart have?   Or text messages or emails?  Weiner needs to worry about that..and simply apologizing today won’t end this story…..
“This was me doing a dumb thing and doing it repeatedly and lying about it,” the 46-year-old New York Democrat said after a week of double-entendre headlines and late-night wisecracks full of Weiner jokes.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi immediately called for an ethics committee investigation into whether Weiner broke House rules.
Weiner — who was widely expected to run for mayor of New York in 2013 — said at a half-hour news conference that he had never personally met any of the women he corresponded with online and sometimes via telephone over the past three years, and was not even sure of their ages. He also said he had never had sex outside of his marriage.
He said he did not feel the scandal affected his work as a lawmaker but would understand if his constituents decided not to re-elect him.
Weiner said he used his home computer and personal BlackBerry, not government computers, in his exchanges with the women. But that may not protect him from House rules that say a member “shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.”
On numerous occasions, the House ethics committee has cited that general rule in finding a representative violated standards of conduct.
Weiner apologized repeatedly to his wife, Huma Abedin.
“My wife is a remarkable woman. She’s not responsible for any of this,” he said.
Abedin did not attend his news conference, but Weiner said they would not be separating.
The scandal unfolded more than a week ago when a conservative website reported that a photo of a man’s crotch had been sent from Weiner’s Twitter account to a college student in Seattle.
The scandal escalated Monday when the website, BigGovernment.com, run by conservative activist Andrew Breitbart, posted photos purportedly from a second woman who said she received shirtless shots of the congressman.
At Monday’s news conference, Weiner said he sent the underpants photo as a joke. “I haven’t told the truth and have done things I deeply regret,” he said.
ABC News said Monday it planned to air an interview with a Texas woman who claims to be one of the women who exchanged messages with Weiner.
Weiner married Abedin, an aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton, last July, with former President Bill Clinton officiating.When the wife's away, Weiner will play.
Kinky Congressman Anthony Weiner conducted several of his steamy online sessions while his better half was out of the country, records show.
As the "body woman" to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Huma Abedin is tasked with accompanying the former first lady on diplomatic globetrotting missions.
Weiner, it seems, uses the timing of her foreign affairs to pursue domestic ones online.
For instance, last month, while Abedin and Clinton were in Rome meeting with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Weiner was chatting up Texas nursing student Meagan Broussard.

WEDDED DISS: Congressman Anthony Weiner marries Huma Abedin last July at the scenic Oheka Castle on Long Island.

As Abedin aided Clinton during the two-day effort to talk strategy with international partners on how to protect civilians in Libya, Weiner sent Broussard photos of himself with two cats -- which he suggestively called "Me and the pussys" -- as well as one of him holding up a small sign that said "me."
"I don't think he has any control over what he's doing in this area," Broussard told ABC. "I don't think someone can be that open in that amount of time."
It's no wonder that Weiner dedicated much of his public statement yesterday to apologizing to his wife.
"My wife has known about some of these online relationships since before we were married, and we spoke frankly about them. But she didn't know until this morning that I had not been telling the truth about the Twitter picture I posted last week," Weiner said at his Midtown press conference.
"I think it is more inappropriate -- the things that I've done since I've been married," he said of his online transgressions going back several years.
"My primary sense of regret and my primary apology goes to my wife. I should not have done this, and I should not have done this particularly when I was married. That's why I make that distinction."
Abedin and Weiner were married last July by former President Bill Clinton, which may portend good things for their ability to stick together in light of his online infidelity.
Born in Kalamazoo, Mich., to Iranian and Pakistani parents, Abedin began working for the Clinton White House in 1996 as an aide to the first lady. The longtime Clinton aide -- who had her own photo spread in Vogue magazine -- was reportedly romanced by both George Clooney and John Cusack before hooking up with Weiner.
The political power couple met while Abedin was on the campaign trail during Clinton's 2008 White House bid. By 2009, they were engaged.
They wed last July at Oheka Castle in Huntington, LI.
Abedin has put on a brave face throughout the ordeal of the Twitter scandal, but she did not show up at his press conference yesterday. Her job requires her to be out of the country the equivalent of every other week, which may explain why Weiner has had so much time to flirt on Facebook and Twitter.
On March 16, while Nevada Democratic volunteer Lisa Weiss says he was sexting with her on Facebook, according to RadarOnline.com, Abedin was with Hillary Clinton visiting Egypt and Tunisia, federal records show.
At each stop, while Weiner discussed whether Jewish women were adept at performing oral sex, Abedin helped Clinton consult with government officials and elements of civil society on recent events in the Middle East and the full range of regional and bilateral issues

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