Subject: Hawaii News - Update, Ballot Alert, Info Request on Cafeteria-style Benefits
From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 13 Jul 1997 23:15:49 -0400 (EDT)

Aloha Folks,

Week-end update - 3 items within!!

1.  Hawaii's voters need to get registered for possible special election in
50 plus days on a possible constitutional convention.

2. Letter to editor about how to eliminate all the so-called business
opposition to the reciprical beneficiaries law.

3.  Alert - request for feedback from employers and employees that have
experienced "cafeteria-style" fringe benefits packages.  Looking to the
personal experience as well as the objective development of them within
individual businesses.  We are also looking for contact information of
businesses that have set them up to get more direct information about how a
business can move to these truly equal opportunity benefits packages.

**********

1.  This is particularly directed to residents of Hawaii that need to be
encouraged and educated to vote to protect our constitution.  

    A.  For residents, please register to vote and vote against the
constitutional convention.

     B.   For out of state recipients of this alert, please copy and send to
all the news board that support us, your Hawaii-based friends, unions,
businesses, etc.  You may have the contacts that will decide the outcome of
this ballot measure.

This section was created by Martin Rice, Kauai -state-wide activist.

First and foremost, we have to assume that there will be a vote in *50+* days
on whether or not our state will be subject to a full frontal rightwing
conservative assault on our state's constitution, taking away rights and
benefits and molding a new one in their image.  We can not afford to assume
that the Judge Ezra's decision will be overturned or forestalled.

1)  Make no mistake about this, this attack on the constitution will be:

     �  ANTI-WOMEN     �  ANTI-ENVIRONMENT     �  ANTI-GAY
     �  ANTI-UNION        �  ANTI-DEMOCRATIC PARTY    �  ANTI-HAWAI`IAN
     �  ANTI-BUDDHIST, ANTI-SHINTOIST AND ANTI-TAOIST
     �  ANTI-LIBERAL     �  ANTI-MINORITY     �  ANTI-STUDENT
     �  ANTI-MARIJUANA    �  ANTI-IMMIGRANT     �  ANTI-PUBLIC SERVANT

2)  With a vote possible in *50+* days, that means you must be registered to
vote in *less than 30 days*.

     �  You must register to vote if you have moved to Hawai`i 
          recently.  Your voter registration in another state
          does not carry over.
     �  You must re-register to vote if you have moved anywhere
          *within* Hawai`i since the election that was held in
          November of 1996.  Until you re-register, you are still
          registered at your *old* residence, and must travel to
          that precinct to vote in that instance.
     �  You must re-register to vote if you did *not* vote in either
          the primary or general elections of 1996.  If you voted
          in one or the other, or both, your registration remains
          in tact.  If you missed voting in both elections you are
          automatically dropped from the voter registration polls.

3)  Conservatives and Rightwingers *NEVER* miss a chance to go to the polls.
They win because of voter apathy on our side.  They loose when we turn out
to vote.  Keep in mind that they already have all their strength poised and
ready.  It is up to us to mobilize and turn out the vote to defeat the call
for a Constituional Convention.  Our side can only grow stronger.

4)  You may obtain voter registration forms from:

     �  each of the County Clerk's offices in 
          �  Lihu`e, 241-3650, 
          �  Honolulu, 523-4352,
          �  Wailuku, 243-7749, or
          �  Hilo, 961-8255.
     
     �  The Office of the Lieutenant Governor in
          Honolulu:
          �  The neighbor islands:  1-800-442-8683
          �  O`ahu:  586-0255

     �  The front of your new telephone directories
          
     �  All public library and most state agencies

     �  Downloaded from the Net at:

          http://www.hawaii.gov/elections/regis.htm

     �  Satellite City Hall locations on O`ahu at:
          �  Ala Moana
          �  Downtown--Fort Street Mall
          �  Kailua
          �  Kalihi
          �  Kane`ohe
          �  Wahiawa
          �  Wai`anae
          �  Waipahu

     �  Me.  808-822-7171.

5)  You may obtain requests for absentee ballots at:

     �  each of the County Clerk's offices in 
          �  Lihu`e, 241-3650, 
          �  Honolulu, 523-4352,
          �  Wailuku, 243-7749, or
          �  Hilo, 961-8255.
     
     �  The Office of the Lieutenant Governor in
          Honolulu:
          �  The neighbor islands:  1-800-442-8683
          �  O`ahu:  586-0255

     �  Downloaded from the Net at:

          http://www.hawaii.gov/elections/acrodwn2.htm

6)  In order to be registered to vote here, you must be:

     �  At least 18 years of age by election day,
     �  A citizen of the United States, and
     �  A resident of Hawai`i [30 days prior to the election]

**********

#2.  Letter to editor we created, stating a great way to address business
concerns when fringe benefits are brought up - good for employers, employees,
business, unions and a fair and equal society.  It was published in the
Honolulu Advertiser on 9-12-97.  We encourage you to reprint in newsletters,
papers, anywhere - including through net news services.  Do good ---

Dear Editor,									July 9, 1997

	Just yesterday Hawaii embarked on what seems to be a never ending treck
towards equal treatment of its citizens in terms of rights and benefits of
legitimate couples.  This new reciprical beneficiaries classification is just
a mid-term step towards equality as a result of Gay citizens of Hawaii
seeking their equal due under the constitution.
	Already, the business community, faced with an unknown quantity of what
costs they will bear have screeched they will seek litigation because of this
step to begin the process to equality.
	I just do not get what all the fuss is about.  If they had real economics
and fair treatment of all their employees in mind when planning, they could
avert all their anxieties and eliminate all their made up fears of unleashed
costs.
	Clearly the future in employment benefits will be "cafeteria-style" benefits
packages which screems equality for the business community.  Cafeteria-style
benefits packages is a pre-set dollar amount of fringe benefits for each and
every employee.  The company will spend exactly the same amount of money for
each employee's benefits package adjusted for seniority, job classification
and other similarly situationed job.  The employee will be offered a list of
fringe benefits from which the employee can chose.   
	Some will not need health coverage because they are covered under a spouse's
health plan at their place of business.  This person may elect to buy extra
life insurance, beef up an annuity, etc.   One person may use part of their
benefits package to cover his or her family and other things he/she feels is
important.  Perhaps the employee will elect to spend more of the earned
income to beef up areas the company funds will not cover.
	When we get to cafeteria-style benefits, employee benefits will be equal and
the employee will have more of a choice on what benefits they want.  The
employer on the other hand will have all their employee fringe benefits
covered by hard numbers which they do not currently have even under their
previous plans.
	Equality will pay off in solid protection for employers and employees if the
business world would just get with the future and cafeteria-style benefits
packages.

do good,

William E. Woods, MPH
Executive Director
Gay and Lesbian Education and Advocacy Foundation
Hawaii Gay Marriage Project

**************************************

3.  The letter refers to system of fringe benefits that creates a financial
par of support for each and every employee.  We have only a couple of good
references at this point and have been called upon to discuss it on radio
programs this past week.

We would like to ask for input and feedback on the subject of cafeteria-style
benefits packages.  Employers and businesses who have gone this route.  And
employees and unions that have had access to them.  Please include objective
reference materials if you have them, contacts of businesses that operate
them, etc.  Feel free to post this on economic and business news and
information boards to help extend the request for information.

Please send your information to this address:  [email-masked]

Mahalo

and do good,

Bill Woods, MPH
Hawaii Gay Marriage Project
GLEA Foundation

A tax-deductible non-profit community service organizations dedicated to
promoting freedom, equality and justice for Gays and Lesbians by focusing on
systemic discriminatory practices.

GLEA Foundation
P.O. Box 37083
Honolulu, Hawaii  96837