Poll: Isle residents aware of Jones Act mostly favor its repeal or reform
Ige Opens Door to International Travelers Following US Rules
Ige Eases COVID Rules for Gyms, Bars, Restaurants
Pfizer Vax Immediately Available for Children 5-11
Chamber of Commerce leader Sherry Menor-McNamara running for lieutenant governor
SA: … Sherry Menor-McNamara, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, plans to announce today her candidacy for lieutenant governor, she told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Menor-McNamara said she wants to bring fresh ideas and perspectives as a political outsider who represents Hawaii’s businesses, especially when it comes to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and Hawaii’s economic recovery.
“I am officially announcing,” she said. “The past couple of years have been challenging, obviously for small businesses, families and students. It’s been a defining moment in our state and the urgent need to address this current situation for me was the right time to jump in and run for lieutenant governor. We’re going to need fresh ideas and not recycle old ones. That’s not good for our economic recovery.” ….
CB: Menor-McNamara Running For Hawaii Lieutenant Governor
read … Chamber of Commerce leader Sherry Menor-McNamara running for lieutenant governor
Fevella Sues HART Over Its Changes To Voting Rules
CB: … The Hawaii state Senator who represents Ewa Beach is suing the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation over its board’s recent maneuver to change voting and quorum rules.
Kurt Fevella filed his Oct. 29 complaint in a non-official capacity – the suit lists him as “a resident of the City and County of Honolulu.” ….
The suit in state court aims to force the HART board to return to its previous voting rules, which required eight of the nine voting members to “yes” in order to take action.
At a July 29 meeting, the board emerged from a closed-door session and its interim chairman, Hoyt Zia, declared that the board, after being consulted in private by the city’s Corporation Counsel, could now pass items with just six votes. The unilateral move drew the ire of Zia’s colleague on the volunteer board, Kika Bukoski.
Critics also questioned whether the move was appropriate since it had not been included on the meeting’s agenda and the public didn’t have a chance to comment….
SA Column: Public needs big voice in urban planning
PDF: Lawsuit
read … Fevella Sues HART Over Its Changes To Voting Rules
Hawaii tourism agency considers 'Visitor Green Fee'
KITV: … Another tourist tax will be considered when the legislature goes back into session. This one would be to protect the environment. It's called a Visitor Green Fee and it would levy a surcharge on visitors to Hawaii.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) is currently rebranding new models of tourism that would “rebuild, redefine and reset” how we manage visitors over the next three to four years. Its Destination Management Action Plan for Oahu suggests the state implement a “Regenerative Tourism Fee” to have visitors help pay for the natural resources they visit….
read … Hawaii tourism agency considers 'Visitor Green Fee' to upkeep natural resources
Lifelong Criminal Gets Tired of Being Homeless
KITV: … Daniel Crawford's been living on the streets of his hometown of Wahiawa for most of his life when he's not incarcerated.
After years of drugs and crime, he's now 55 and in a wheelchair -- and hoping to turn his life around.
"Incarcerated and getting homeless all the time's been really, really bad," he said. "I'm done with all that."
Outreach worker Kara England found him in deteriorating health about a year ago living outside the Wahiawa Transit Center ….
For now, a Wahiawa landlord's let Crawford temporarily stay in a roach-infested makeshift garage with no electricity and running water. He uses a wooden box as his toilet and showers outside with a hose....
(His life ends like this because he was given revolving door sentences instead of hard time in prison. The soft-on-crime crowd created this life for him.)
read … Low-income housing in scarce supply, especially for the disabled
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