The Green Affordability Plan Passes
How Long $2 Million Will Last in Retirement in Hawaii
Defeating Bad Bills Also a Form of Winning
14 Years Later: Honouliuli WWTP portion of Consent Decree completed
“Who protects Hawaiʻi from invasive species? You do.”
Lahaina Lesson? "Prepare for quick evacuation"
As Young Families Move to Mainland, Hawaii Deaths Begin Outnumbering Births
CB: … Hawaii state economists foresee a time a decade from now when the state’s demographic trends will turn an ominous corner, and there will be more people dying than being born….
Karl Eschbach, a demographer in Hilo, says Hawaii island for the first time is experiencing a natural decrease in population, as more residents die in a year than are born. Oahu might be experiencing a similar trend if not for the military, data shows. …
the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism‘s research division has predicted the statewide natural decrease will begin around 2035….
read … Hawaii Island's Population Drop Signals An Ominous Economic Trend
Gay Marriage Constitutional Amendment on Fall Ballot
CB: … Hawaii legislators did something unusual during their just-completed session: They actually decided to let voters decide two questions about the state constitution this fall.
One proposal would remove the Legislature’s “power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples,” which would only matter if the U.S. Supreme Court reversed its 2014 ruling allowing same-sex marriage nationwide.
The other would make the process for appointing and confirming District Court judges the same as for Supreme Court justices and other higher court judges….
read … Legislators Take The Rare Step Of Putting 2 Questions For Voters On The November Ballot - Honolulu Civil Beat
Star-Adv: Milk Army land deal for every penny because national defense is of zero value to us
SA: … The 65-year lease expires on Aug. 16, 2029 — just over five years away — and the Army is seeking a lease renewal….
The Army has signaled that it expects Hawaii to drive a much harder bargain on lease fees, as the state must. … Should a lease agreement be worked out — and for a smaller footprint — the military must pay full market value for use of the land it covets….
(DO THE MATH: Without being part of the US, Hawaii land has little value. Therefore we expect Hawaii to pay billions per year to the military for keeping our land valuable. Or we could compromise at $1 per year.)
Further, the costs of remediation for lands, should the day come when they’re no longer needed for military training, must be carefully considered, with agreements establishing military responsibility — and state oversight — included in lease contract talks….
(TRANSLATION: DoH oversight of Red Hill s the model. Red Hill is part of the master lease renegotiation.)
Four options for PTA lease renewal are outlined in a second draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), now out for public comment. The Army’s preferred alternative is “modified retention” of about 19,700 acres. Others are “maximum retention” of all land except a 250-acre carve-out reverting to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; “minimum retention” of 10,100 acres and access to 11 miles of roads and training trails; and “no action” — that is, surrendering control.
Under all but the “no action” alternative, the DEIS finds “significant adverse impacts” on land use, cultural practices and environmental justice connected to the military’s exclusive use. With no action, and return to state control, the DEIS details potential detriments, including the loss of current extensive federal assistance with environmental protections, lost jobs and curtailed benefits to Hawaii island and the state — such as the use of Pohakuloa for coordinated firefighter training.
(CLUE: They left out the part about China taking over Hawaii after the US military withdraws.)
Public comments on the draft EIS are being accepted through June 7, less than one month from now; see 808ne.ws/EIS-Pohakuloa to add yours. This very well would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help shape the future of military use of Hawaii’s valuable lands.
read … Editorial: Strike equitable Army land deal
SB3202 Two Years Away from Tripling Residential Density
SA: One of the most hotly contested bills Hawaii lawmakers passed this year could make residential neighborhoods more dense, though the beginning of such change may be more than two years away.
Senate Bill 3202, if it becomes law, will allow “at least two” accessory dwellings in addition to a main home on lots zoned primarily for single-family housing, but gives counties until the end of 2026 to craft ordinances to carry out the mandate.
After the deadline, if no enabling ordinance exists, counties will be barred from denying permits for the additional homes….
read … Divisive accessory dwellings bill raises concerns about packed neighborhoods | Honolulu Star-Advertiser (staradvertiser.com)
STVRs on ag land goes before state high court
HTH: … The Hawaii Supreme Court will on Thursday hear oral arguments in a five-year-old case challenging a 2019 Hawaii County ordinance limiting the establishment of short-term vacation rentals on land zoned as agricultural. That bill required that any STVR operating outside of certain permitted zoning districts obtain a non-conforming use permit from the county within 180 days….
read … STVRs on ag land goes before state high court - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Incumbents are favored in lackluster election cycle
SA: … Three of Hawaii’s four Congressional delegates are up for reelection but none faces a heavyweight challenge, Moore said.
As a result, he said, an expected low voter turnout likely will favor incumbents seeking reelection.
They include Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth; five of nine Honolulu City Council members; 12 of the 25 state senators; and all 51 House seats — but at least one state senator and three state representatives are not running for reelection.
Tamara McKay, chair of the Hawaii Republican Party, hopes to convince Republicans to run for nonpartisan races in Honolulu and Hawaii County….
REALITY: Long Lines Suppress Republican Votes on Election Day: City Clerk Plans to do it Again in 2024
read … Incumbents are favored in lackluster election cycle
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