This Day in History: Truman Announces Hiroshima Bombing
Candidates sought for Honolulu Charter Commission
One Year later: First Residents move into Lahaina Emergency Housing
Schatz: “We have created housing scarcity on purpose”
NYT: Q: There’s some reason that not enough homes have been built, and that’s been particularly bad in places Democrats have power. It’s bad in Hawaii, where you’re from. It’s very bad in San Francisco, where Kamala Harris had the beginning of her political career. So what is your diagnosis? What has happened in housing?
A: We have created the scarcity on purpose. We have elevated something called community engagement, but it’s not actually objectively community engagement. It’s the ability for a few people who already have homes to hijack the whole process above the needs of the many. We’re actually making it nearly impossible for people to build anything.
And I think the premise here is that we can have nice things. We can have enough of the things that we want. If you operate under the assumption that there will only be 100 homes built, it is not unreasonable to say, “Well, listen, I want 35 of the 100 homes to be capital-A affordable.” That’s a totally reasonable, progressive approach. But the truth is, if you require that, it’s likely that zero homes will be built and nobody gets any housing.
Q: When you’re out making this argument, how do people in Hawaii respond?
A: My district, when I was in the State Legislature, was Makiki, Manoa, sort of by Punahou School, by the University of Hawaii — a very nice, beautiful suburb. And those are some of the folks that are most worried about what a deregulatory environment would look like, in terms of their neighborhood.
So after the Hawaii Legislature passed some aggressive housing reforms this session — and I’m strongly behind it — I was at Safeway, and I was running into people who contributed to my first campaign with 15 bucks, people with whom I went to high school, and they were not happy.
I don’t think it’s unforgivable, but this is an uncomfortable conversation among friends. And that’s one of the things that I think the progressive movement has to grapple with, that there are a lot of communities that are 70-30 or 80-20 Biden and are pro-immigrant and pro-L.G.B.T.Q. and certainly pro-choice and pro-climate action. And on housing, they’re [expletive]. And I don’t think that can stand ….
CB: Neal Milner: Democratic 'Brahmins' Have Little Empathy For The Struggling Working Class - Honolulu Civil Beat
read … Opinion | ‘We Have Created the Scarcity on Purpose’ - The New York Times
Income Tax Brackets Should be Indexed for Inflation
SA: … On June 3, Gov. Josh Green signed House Bill 2404 into law, hailing the signing day as a “historic day” that would bring “much-needed tax relief to our residents.” Under the new law, standard deductions will be increased in 2024, 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2031; in 2025, 2027 and 2029 the lowest income tax brackets will be eliminated and tax rates on the remaining income brackets will be lowered.
The Hawaii Department of Taxation (DOTAX) estimates that by 2031, income taxes paid by working-class families will fall in steps by 10% to 72% depending on income. Forty percent of Hawaii households will no longer pay any Hawaii income tax by 2031, compared to 25% today. The cuts would provide an estimated $5.6 billion in total “savings” to taxpayers.
The changes to the tax code are long overdue.
Under the old tax code, inflation pushed more Hawaii households into higher income tax brackets each year, thereby generating higher tax liabilities, even when increases in their incomes may not have matched inflation. To address this problem of “bracket creep,” 17 of the 32 states with graduated tax rates adjust their income tax brackets annually for inflation (referred to as “indexing”). Twenty states (plus the District of Columbia) index their standard deductions. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) adopted indexing in the 1980s.
With the passage of HB 2404, Hawaii’s income tax system will have made adjustments for its prior lack of indexing, but tax rates will still not be annually adjusted for inflation. Adding indexing to the tax code in the 2025 legislative session would help to make sure bracket creep is no longer an issue. All that said, the new tax code is a big improvement for working-class families.
read … Column: State must make plan to offset tax cuts | Honolulu Star-Advertiser (staradvertiser.com)
There’s still time to submit your ballot as early voting numbers indicate low Primary turnout
HNN: … As Primary Election night approaches on Aug. 10, the number of ballots received is on the lower end, and officials hope residents will turn them in over the coming days.
As of Aug. 5, Honolulu election officials say roughly 103,000 people have already turned in their ballots.
With roughly about 7,000 to 9,000 ballots incoming a day, that’s on track to be lower than 2020, where the primary saw a 52% turnout on Oahu, or about 275,000 voters….
“With the exception of Hawaii Island, there aren’t really any major top of the ticket races this time, where there’s really competitive races where candidates are investing a lot of money. But I expect voter turnout to be significantly lower,” Moore said….
CB: Primary Ballot Returns Lagging Behind 2022 Levels - Honolulu Civil Beat
read … There’s still time to submit your ballot as early voting numbers indicate low Primary turnout
Hawaii Carpenters Union PACs Are Training Candidates To Run For Office
CB: … Over the past two election cycles, three political action committees with ties to the Hawaii Carpenters Union has spent $68,706 to instruct 17 people in running for office.
They include candidates and incumbents for the state House and Senate, county councils on Maui and Kauai and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs….
Rep Kirstin Kahaloa… Rep. Trish La Chica… Rep. Darius Kila….Maui Councilmember Nohelani Uu-Hodgins….Rep Tyson Miyake… (see full list)
read … Hawaii Carpenters Union PACs Are Training Candidates To Run For Office
State would pay about $800 million if Lahaina wildfires settlement wasn’t fake
KHON: … Governor Josh Green says the state ‘will’ pay about $800 million as part of the (non-existent) lawsuit settlement for the Lahaina wildfires….
“What it will (would) mean (if it were real) is we don’t have the better part of a $7, $10, or even $12 billion settlement,” said Green. “In the early days of the negotiation the numbers were astronomical and I was able to get it down to $4 billion.”…
(TRANSLATION: This is how much the insurers need to let slip thru their fingers. Just pretend they will agree.)
read … State will pay about $800 million in Lahaina wildfires settlement agreement
Judge orders police to turn over new evidence in Dana Ireland case for court review
HNN: … A Circuit Court judge is reviewing evidence collected from the newly identified killer of Dana Ireland.
Prosecutors tried to block the release of that information, saying it would interfere with an ongoing investigation into Albert Lauro, Jr.’s role in the Ireland murder case.
On Monday, Judge Peter Kubota denied the county’s request to keep the evidence secret.
Kubota even went a step further and ordered Hawaii County police and prosecutors to turn over additional evidence every Wednesday….
A: The Police Department That Refused to Solve a Murder - The Atlantic
KITV: Schweitzer brothers innocence could be determined this week | Local | kitv.com
read … Judge orders police to turn over new evidence in Dana Ireland case for court review
Criminal Defense Lawyer Suggests Guards in on Prison Attack
CB: … Breiner, who represents another inmate who witnessed the attack, said the prison has a “strict policy” that two corrections officers accompany each prisoner who leaves his cell in administrative segregation, and all inmates are to be shackled when they exit their cells.
Surveillance video shows that did not happen in this case, he said, raising questions about the actions of the officer who was assaulted.
“There is a separate investigation going on into whether or not this guard was paid off,” Breiner said.
He said the corrections officer who was attacked was not seriously injured, and the inmates involved in the attack went back into their cells voluntarily after additional correctional officers responded to the incident….
For an inmate in that Saguaro segregation unit to be released from his cell unshackled with only one corrections officer to accompany him “suggests either a complete breakdown in their procedures, or something else is going on,” Breiner said ….
read … More Details Emerge On Attack Of Hawaii Inmate In An Arizona Prison
Waianae homeless encampment leader & activist - Twinkle Borge passes
KITV: … The leader of a homeless encampment, Pu’uhonua O Wai’anae, Twinkle Borge, has passed away.
On Monday, August 5, Pu’uhonua O Wai’anae representatives released a statement…
CB: Community Mourns Death Of Hawaiian Activist And Homeless Advocate Twinkle Borge - Honolulu Civil Beat
SA: Homeless advocate, activist Twinkle Borge dies | Honolulu Star-Advertiser (staradvertiser.com)
SA: Model advocate for homeless Twinkle Borge remembered for reshaping attitudes | Honolulu Star-Advertiser (staradvertiser.com)
HHD: WEST OʻAHU LEGISLATORS ISSUE STATEMENTS CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF TWINKLE BORGE (hawaiihousedemocrats.com)
read … Waianae homeless encampment leader & activist - Twinkle Borge passes
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