From: HawaiiGay1@aol.com Date: Sun, 13 Jul 1997 23:15:49 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Hawaii News - Update, Ballot Alert, Info Request on Cafeteria-style Benefits 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: HawaiiGay1@aol.Com 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