Aloha and Welcome to my Online Office!

Thank you for visiting my online office. It is truly an honor to represent the Makiki, Tantalus, McCully, and Papakolea communities.

As your Representative, I want to be your voice in the State Legislature, but first I need to hear your thoughts and concerns. I hope you will consider this website as your link to me and that you find it a useful tool to help me in better serving you and our community.

In addition to this website, I also distribute an e-newsletter to help you stay informed about important legislation and news from our community. If you would like to subscribe to this e-newsletter, please e-mail me at repbelatti@capitol.hawaii.gov.

Thank you again for visiting my online office. Your input is truly appreciated, and both my staff and I are only a phone call, a letter, or an e-mail away.

Sincerely,

Della Au Belatti
State Representative
District 25

NEWS AND EVENTS

DISTRICT 25 NEWS

August/September 2008
Rediscovering our Makiki
Read the short article and browse the photo gallery of Rediscover Makiki: Sunset in the Park festival goers and participants. Friends of the Makiki Library is already looking at Rediscover Makiki 2009, so let us know if you or your group are interested in helping out.

Getting informed about Hawaii's next Constitutional Convention
This issue's The Shortlist includes a list of forums and events to inform citizens about the coming ballot question in November. We also provide a list of community resources to help introduce (or refresh) citizens on our state constitution and the recent debate surrounding the ballot vote.

Summer 2008
Legislative update for 2008
District 25 News legislative wrap up issue featuring summaries of important bills passed by the state house and senate in 2008, including new legislation to improve energy self-sufficiency, protect our keiki, improve the state transportation infrastructure, and increase public safety.

May 2008
Weekly Makiki Library Cleanup – Every Sunday, 2-5 pm!
Join me and the Friends of Makiki Library as we work to clean, dust, rearrange, and set up the interior of Makiki Library for our July target date to re-open the Library.

T.A.G., Hui O Makiki, Wal-Mart Cleanup – Sat. June 21, 2008, 8-11:30 am
Hui O Makiki is joining forces with T.A.G. (Totally Against Graffiti) and Wal-Mart to clean away graffiti that mars our streets. Groups and individuals are invited to join the community’s efforts at Washington Middle School at 8:00 am. Teams will clean, scrape, and repaint where needed.

Makiki July Fest in the Park – Sat. July 26, 2008, starting at 4 pm
Friends of Makiki Library will be hosting a community festival in the park that will feature storytellers, magicians, musicians and more! Save the date to have some fun and good fellowship with your neighbors.

Good News for DISTRICT 25 NEWS MAC USERS: 
Since our beginning we've had problems with Mac users reading the e-newsletter. With a little tenacity and more than a little patience from one of our intrepid District 25ers, we believe we have resolved the unusual problem with the file. Mac users, please take a look at this month's issue and let us know if you still see computer gibberish on the pages of the newsletter. We've got our fingers and toes crossed that this is the solution we've been looking for.

And to work with the files for the older issues, we have a work around that may help you read the back issues. We emailed instructions to a couple of Mac users earlier, but these instructions are different in that we added an extra step. To open an older issue of "District 25 News":

(1) Save the newsletter PDF to your desktop.

(2) Then change the software preferences for the newsletter file--highlight the newsletter file icon and click "Get Info" from the pull down menu (or just select the file and press COMMAND-I). Change the "Open With" preference from Preview to Adobe Acrobat, then click "Change All".

(3) You can then open the newsletter by dragging the file onto Adobe's icon on the dock. Don't double-click on the icon straight from the desktop.

April 2008
Hale Pawaa Update
Learn more about Hale Pawaa, a professional services building that will include medical office space, that is under construction at South Beretania and Keeaumoku Streets.

E-Waste Recycling Law
Co-authored by Rep. Mele Carroll, Sen. Russell Kokubun, Sen. Gary Hooser, and myself, this commentary explains the importance of the electronic device recycling law enacted by this Legislature.

DTV Transition
Are you prepared for February 19, 2009, when TV stations nationwide, will be broadcasting in DTV or digital television format?  This article provides information about how to prepare your household for this transition.

Healthcare Concerns
District 25 resident and guest writer Max Boticelli identifies causes of the high cost of health care and offers a variety of solutions to help reduce costs and ensure the affordability of heath care for all.

QUEST-Ace Health Care Eligibility
If you or someone you know is a member of Hawaii’s gap group of uninsured adults, you may be eligible for this State program that provides health care coverage.  Please share this information to those who might qualify.

March 2008
2008 Community Survey
A reprint of this year's survey that asks for your thoughts on a variety of issues important to our district and state including: UH Budget Spending, Hawaii College Savings Program, E-Waste Disposal, Affordable Housing, the OHA Public Trust Settlement, and the Constitutional Convention Vote. Results will be tallied and published in May's newsletter.
 
Tax Rebates
Guest writer and district resident, Wayne M. Tanna, discusses several rebates that are available this year and where you can get the help to file a tax return to receive your credits.

Hawai's Wave Energy
Rep. Belatti writes about one of the many exciting energy initiatives posed to reduce Hawaii's reliance on imported fossil fuels—ocean wave energy.

February 2008
2008 Community Survey. This year's survey asks for your thoughts on a variety of issues important to our district and state including: UH Budget Spending, Hawaii College Savings Program, E-Waste Disposal, Affordable Housing, the OHA Public Trust Settlement, and the Constitutional Convention Vote.

Long-Term Caregivers
Introduction to a few of the proposed caregiver tax credits being considered this session.

Ethics Reform
Della discusses the need for changes to the Legislature's Grant-in-Aid decision-making process in a recent Honolulu Advertiser article.

November 2007: District 25 Schools - Repair Updates and Priorities
October 2007: Urban Concerns
August/September 2007: Alternative Energy Initiatives
July 2007: Elder Issues and Legislative Veto Overrides
June 2007: Education Matters
May 2007: Health Care and Condominium Legislation
April 2007: Community Happenings
March 2007: Community Survey Results

COMMUNITY EVENTS
2007 Community Outreach Events

LINKS FOR NEW IDEAS
Hawaii's Fraud Prevention & Resource Guide is an easy-to-use reference created to help citizens protect themselves against fraud and find the help they need when they need it. The Guide is published by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' Office of the Securities Commissioner, in collaboration with the Attorney General and the Executive Office on Aging. An electronic copy may be downloaded as a PDF from http://hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/sec/iep/.

Amending the Hawaii State Constitution: A Citizen's Guide
Hawaii voters will be asked whether we should hold our next constitutional convention. Prepared by the House Majority Staff Office, May 2008, the Citizen's Guide offers an abbreviated introduction on the processes and reasons for a constitutional convention.

Bulky Item Pickup program overview and helpful links from the City & County of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services. Visit the City's website to learn about bulky item collection schedules, rules and guidelines for service, as well as reuse alternatives to bulk item disposal.

Noise Reference Manual: Oahu Edition from the State Department of Health's Noise and Radiological Branch

Pick up the latest version of the Noise Reference Manual: Oahu Edition, where DOH answers the question, “Who are you going to call when the noise gets too LOUD.” Additional copies may be requested from the DOH Indoor and Radiological Branch at 586-4700.

Recycling Assistance for Condos and Apartments from the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services.

The City offers start-up cost reimbursement and the use of 96-gallon, wheeled recycling bins to condos and apartments for long-term use in recycling collection programs. Visit the website for more information and to download the necessary forms by clicking the link above.

PHOTO GALLERY