Dan Gluck Is A Great Choice To Run The State Ethics Commission
When Les Kondo left his position as executive director of the Hawaii State Ethics Commission in April to become the new state Auditor, we were among many who were concerned about the commission’s...
View ArticleWhen It Comes To The Marine Monument, Bigger Is Better
A proposal to dramatically increase the size of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument — a vast ocean area already bigger than the nation of Germany — deserves President Barack Obama’s support...
View ArticleHemp: You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby
Beneficial circumstances and the dogged persistence of one legislator over many years intersected in this year’s legislative session in the form of Senate Bill 2659 — aka the Hemp Bill, which Gov....
View ArticleMark Takai: The Legacy Of A Servant And A Fighter For Hawaii
It was easy to recognize the Mark Takai we knew in the condolences expressed all around Hawaii — and the nation — at the news of his death Wednesday. A humble, effective servant. A true people’s...
View ArticleIt’s Time To Consider Implementing Rent Control In Hawaii
One of the most welcome stories that emerged from the Legislature this year was the funding for affordable housing and homelessness. On Thursday, Gov. David Ige announced what he’ll do with the $12...
View ArticlePolice Union Shouldn’t Block Body Cameras In Kauai
Police body cameras became standard law-enforcement equipment last January in Kauai County. But nearly seven months later, Hawaii’s police union continues trying to stop their use. On July 1, the State...
View ArticleVoters Must Tighten Rail’s Short Leash
Federal Transit Administration officials have given the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation and the City and County of Honolulu until the end of the year to put forth a new proposal to finish...
View ArticleHawaiian Electric Must Come Up With A Post-NextEra Plan
Where do we go from here? It’s been nearly a month since the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission unanimously rejected NextEra Energy’s $4.3 billion bid to buy Hawaiian Electric Industries, the holding...
View ArticleHow To Make $250K In Just Hours A Month!
What on earth can Kirk Caldwell possibly be doing for Territorial Savings Bank? Caldwell’s compensation for his primary gig — Honolulu mayor — comes in at $164,928. He spends typically two of the...
View ArticleGo Vote — It’s Too Important To Pass Up
Tomorrow, men and women throughout the Hawaii islands will step into the intimate confines of the familiar red, white and blue curtained booth and take the critical first step toward selecting leaders...
View Article34.8 Percent Turnout? Hawaii Must Do Better
It’s been more than a week now, and there’s been plenty of handwringing about the record-low 34.8 percent turnout for the Aug. 13 primary election. In partial defense of apathetic voters, let’s be...
View ArticleHawaii Should Pay Attention To Feds’ Decision On Private Prisons
When a senior official at the U.S. Justice Department announced last week that the federal government would bring its use of private prison facilities to an end, she didn’t mince words in describing...
View ArticleThere’s One Obvious Solution To Hawaii’s Feral Cat Problem
As virtually anyone who has spent much time in our state knows, Hawaii has a free-roaming cat problem. Growing concern over the impact of the animals on endangered and threatened species as well as...
View ArticleThank You, Mr. President, For Expanding Papahanaumokuakea
As most of Hawaii and much of the conservation world know by now, President Barack Obama expanded the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument on Friday, making it the largest ocean sanctuary in the...
View ArticleOpen Up Rail Project Books Before Asking For More Money
The Federal Transit Administration’s reluctance to put any more money toward Honolulu’s rail project and its insistence that the project be built as promised is forcing city officials into a very tight...
View ArticleBig Role For The New East-West Center President: Enticing Obama
It happened relatively quietly. It was announced on a Friday and followed quickly by two hurricanes, news that President Obama would be visiting and the start of the International Union for...
View ArticleThe Secrecy Surrounding Hawaii Prisons Has Got To Stop
With each new story about Hawaii’s management of its prison system and oversight of its relationship with private mainland prisons, we have new and growing concerns over how little we know about these...
View ArticleNew Honolulu Police Commissioner Brings A Much-Needed Voice
If there were any doubts that former Assistant U.S. Attorney Loretta Sheehan would shake things up on the Honolulu Police Commission she quickly dispelled them last week in only her second meeting as a...
View ArticleCity Leaders Have To Stop Turning Their Backs On Affordable Housing
Honolulu is far from meeting its enormous and growing need for affordable housing, so it’s frustrating to hear about the dynamics around development of yet another new luxury condo project that, once...
View ArticleHonolulu Wasted A Lot Of Public Money To Fight Homeless Lawsuit
The homeless sweeps that Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s office argues have been such a shining success have been controversial and expensive from the start. But they may get a whole lot more costly, if a...
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