McConnell: 'Unworthy' Gabbard an 'Unnecessary Risk' to America
Honolulu 4th Highest Inflation in USA
Honolulu Bankruptcy Courthouse: Oral Argument at Ninth Circuit Against SEC’s Illegal Gag Rule
“You cannot run from the facts” Miske half-brother gets 20 years
Lahaina FEMA Housing: Rent to be collected starting March 1
Feds Release Red Hill Health Study
Hawai‘i’s Housing Crisis Was Decades in the Making
HB: … 30 Years Ago, Hawai‘i Had an Oversupply of Housing
That’s when the state was mired in a decadelong recession triggered by Japan’s economic bubble crash (1991), a U.S. war (Desert Storm, also 1991), and Hurricane Iniki (1992). By the mid-1990s, “there was standing inventory of unsold homes,” says Stanford Carr, CEO of Stanford Carr Development. “We were in that predicament, as were all the major homebuilders here. We came off from doing 20 houses a month. Everybody was doing like a house a day, till it came to a screeching halt.”
Today, the state is at least 64,000 housing units short…
Housing can certainly be built quickly. Shortly after World War II, the Mānoa War Homes project whipped up 522 two-bedroom and 478 one-bedroom units, providing housing for 1,000 active duty service members, veterans, and their families….
Hawai‘i’s State Land Use Law, adopted in 1961. It set four land-use districts: urban, rural, agricultural, and conservation. To administer the law, the state Legislature established the Land Use Commission….
“Thirty years ago, I could get a building permit in a day and a half. Now it could take as much as a year or more,” says Carr. “Castle and Cooke, they’re building Koa Ridge. It took them 17 years to get through the entitlements. When they initially petitioned the Land Use Commission, they were projecting to sell homes in the $300,000 range but by the time they broke ground, they had to sell their single-family homes for a million dollars.”…
Back in 1955, the year Hawaii Business Magazine was launched, 4,840 private residential building permits were granted in Hawai‘i, and by 1959, that had increased to 8,932 permits. Compare that to 2023, when only 3,117 permits were authorized, says Paul Brewbaker, an economist at TZ Economics.
Says Brewbaker: “Let’s look at 2008 to 2023. The average is 1,000 fewer units authorized by building permit annually in the entire state of Hawai‘i than were authorized … without the use of computers, in the year Hawaii Business Magazine was established.”
Brewbaker estimates that in the 1950s, Hawai‘i was building the equivalent of 4% of the existing housing stock on average every year. In other words, the number of new housing units was 4% on top of the existing inventory every year from the 1920s until 1975. But for the last 50 years, it has been barely 1%. And, Brewbaker says, “People ask, ‘Why is there a housing shortage?’”…
“It’s definitely a housing shortage. The fact that people have been complaining about overpopulation in Hawai‘i for 200 years tells you that it’s less about population than it is about housing. Do you hear anybody complaining less [about housing] over the last eight years, when the population has declined?”….
Between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, the state of Hawai‘i’s population decreased by an average of 12 people per day – or about 4,000 people during those 12 months – according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And that drop was prior to the Maui wildfires, which caused an additional exodus from the state. The previous 12 months – July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2022 – the State of Hawai‘i’s population decreased by 19 people a day….
read … Hawai‘i’s Housing Crisis Was Decades in the Making - Hawaii Business Magazine
Testimony over transsexual child kidnapping bill gets heated
HNN: … State Rep. Elijah Pierick, R-Royal Kunia, Village Park, Honouliuli, Hoopili, Waipahu, said, “It’s a sanctuary bill for the state of Hawaii, for other states to bring their children here and to have them do sex change surgery.”
Part of the language under scrutiny says, “A law of another state that authorizes a state agency to remove a child from a parent or guardian based on the parent or guardian allowing the child to receive gender-affirming health care services shall be against the public policy of this State and shall not be enforced or applied in a case pending in a court in this State.”
The language is so broad that a non-parent or even a non-governmental organization could steal a child and come to Hawaii, and judges' hands would be tied.
The bill further proposes that “a court shall not consider as a factor weighing against the petitioner any taking of the child, or retention of the child after a visit or other temporary relinquishment of physical custody, from the person who has legal custody if there is evidence that the taking or retention of the child was for the purposes of obtaining gender-affirming health care services for the child and the law or policy of the other state limits the ability of a parent to obtain gender-affirming health care services for the child.”
“This bill is about stealing children from states that don’t have that access,” said Austin Martin, Libertarian Party of Hawaii. “Buried in this bill is a provision that would legalize interstate kidnapping by requiring judges to issue custody order in cases where the plaintiffs merely alleges the reason for the abduction was to obtain gendering-affirming care.” …
The amended version of the bill removes two sections related to child-custody jurisdiction….
LTT: Libs of TikTok on X: "NEW: The Hawaii State Senate just passed SB1150 which was introduced by State Senator Troy Hashimoto (D). The bill would protect children's rights to access puberty blockers and sex change surgery. This is how desperate Democrats are to mutilate your kids. https://t.co/ragXBeS8Wd" / X
KITV: Gender-affirming healthcare bill passes in Hawaii | News | kitv.com
SN: Gender-affirming care bill clears Senate committees
RELATED: SB1150 Would Legalize Child Kidnapping for Sex Change
read … Testimony over gender-affirming care bill gets heated
‘Harm Reduction Ripoff?’ -- Kauhale Cost $103K per bum per year
CB: … John Mizuno, has described Alana Ola Pono as an example of what not to do when building the tiny home villages, or kauhale, citing high operating expenses when they are not tied into the municipal electrical, water or sewer systems.
For example, monthly energy bills for one 100-square-foot off-the-grid home can be four to five times the average cost of powering a full-size house on Oʻahu. The total monthly bill for another 20-home village in Honolulu came out to more than $21,000, and overall monthly costs topped $8,600 per month per person, an independent evaluation found….
(DO THE MATH: $8600 x 12 = $103K per yr.)
Under Green’s emergency proclamation, Hawaiʻi waived competitive bidding and went with a sole-source development contractor, HomeAid Hawaiʻi, to implement Green’s Kauhale Initiative….
HomeAid Hawaiʻi’s executive director, Kimo Carvalho, disagreed with Mizuno’s assessment about off-grid kauhale. He said the generators and other systems at the facilities are temporary. Alana Ola Pono, for instance, is working with Hawaiian Electric Co. to connect to the grid as soon as possible, officials say, although the timeline for that connection is uncertain….
As the kauhale initiative rolled out, the state hired the non-profit Institute in Violence, Abuse and Trauma to evaluate the program. The report assessed the operational and financial aspects of about 20% of the kauhale operating as of November 2024.
Among the kauhale examined was another HomeAid village, Hoʻokahi Leo Kauhale on Middle Street, which is also off-grid. The report found the operating cost there per bed was an eye-popping $8,629, according to a confidential draft obtained by Civil Beat.
Heather Lusk is the executive director of the Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center, which operates the Middle Street kauhale. …Lusk did not return calls, texts and emails seeking comment….
That’s far more than the $6,165 monthly per-person cost of ʻAʻala Respite, another kauhale examined in the study, that is staffed by a doctor and provides 24-hour patient care and dialysis treatments.
Auntie Blanche McMillan provides housing for 82 people at her kauhale at the foot of the Koʻolau range in Waimānalo. Like Middle Street, McMillan’s kauhale is off the grid. But McMillan says her village costs far less to operate than Middle Street, in the range of $7,000 to $8,000 per month for all 82 residents, each of whom pays a $200 per month fee.
Asked about the $8,600 per month per person costs for Middle Street, McMillan said: “Are you crazy? That’s a frickin’ ripoff. I hate to tell you, but you can put that, what I said — it’s a rip off.”
Overall, Geffner estimated that it would cost the state $250,000 to $300,000 less per year to operate the Middle Street kauhale if it were attached to sewer, water and electric systems.
Diesel fuel and equipment cost $21,032 just for April — which comes out to more than $1,000 a month per tiny home — according to invoices from Sunbelt Rentals. In contrast, the average monthly bill for a full-sized residential home on Oahu is $202, according to Hawaiian Electric Co.
The $10.50-per-gallon cost of delivering fuel to the village is almost twice the retail price in Hawaii…
Middle Street also has paid K-Five Pumping Services approximately $275 per week to pump wastewater from 1,000-gallon storage tanks, and another $200 to $300 a week for drinking water from Aloha Water Co., Inc., at $1.80 per gallon, invoices show….
read … Hawaiʻi Spent $21,000 A Month To Power A Village Of 20 Tiny Homes - Honolulu Civil Beat
Maui’s Vacation Rental War: A Crackdown or Engineered Uproar?
BH: … Despite the aggressive rhetoric from officials, the likelihood of a significant shutdown of short-term rental availability appears slim. Legal experts anticipate that this battle will ultimately play out in the courts if it is pursued, where drawn-out litigation could stall any significant changes for years….
… the uncertainty surrounding these restrictions has already slowed the vacation rental market, casting doubt among both potential visitors and owners about the long-term viability of Maui’s short-term rentals….
For longtime visitors and property owners, the steep drop in bookings is said to be no accident. Maui’s policy changes have systematically reduced short-term rental availability and desirability, leaving many to wonder if this was the plan all along.
Alan T., a frequent visitor from Vancouver, put it bluntly: “The crazy prices, uncertainties over condo legality, and anti-tourist vibe from all levels of government caused us to go to Thailand this January instead. That’s around 25K USD not spent in Maui. Multiply that by others doing the same—it’s a big hit to the economy.”…
read … Maui’s Vacation Rental War: A Crackdown or Engineered Uproar? - Beat of Hawaii
More than 600 Lahaina structures can be rebuilt faster with new permitting policy
HPR: … More than 600 burned structures in Lahaina will be able to be rebuilt faster with the temporary suspension of Special Management Area, or SMA, rules.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said he plans to move forward with the rule suspension for properties mauka of Front Street within the fire impact zone.
Officials said the move will cut about a year off of permitting time from the rebuilding process for roughly 100 commercial buildings and more than 500 homes….
Background: Lahaina Rebuild: Green's Latest Emergency Order Gives SMA Exemptions Mauka of Front Street > Hawaii Free Press
read … More than 600 Lahaina structures can be rebuilt faster with new permitting policy | Hawai'i Public Radio
Police to vote on $20K each COVID hazard pay settlement
SA: … The union representing Honolulu police officers will vote on a COVID hazard pay settlement with the city worth more than $30 million with initial payouts of $20,000 “or more” by June 30.
City officials have set aside about $115 million to settle hazard pay claims and grievances arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. HPD’s hazard pay settlement is pending approval by the Honolulu City Council.
There are about 1,800 sworn officers on Oahu and the agreement must be ratified by membership because it extends past SHOPO’s current collective bargaining agreement with the city….
read … Police union to vote on COVID hazard pay settlement
SB1588: Nuclear power exploration legislation gains steam
SA: … Two Senate committees this month have pushed forward a bill to establish a task force led by the state’s chief energy officer to study the feasibility of using advanced nuclear power technologies as part of achieving Hawaii’s clean energy goals.
Mark Glick, director of the Hawaii State Energy Office and chief energy officer, advised lawmakers that such an endeavor would be premature because (he represents the solar lobby)….
This technology, advanced Small Modular Reactors, is something the U.S. Department of Energy has identified as a safe, clean and affordable nuclear power option goal, according to Glick, who also said in written testimony on Senate Bill 1588 that light water- cooled SMRs may initially be deployed around 2030 at a price that has yet to be determined….
(REALITY: 2030 is only 5 yrs away. Get going now. Don’t listen to bought-n-paid for solar industry lobbyists.)
Glick’s testimony did not sway the Senate Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, whose chair, Sen. Glenn Wakai, introduced the bill. Committee members voted 5-0 on Feb. 4 to advance the bill.
On Wednesday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee voted 13-0 with no discussion to propel the bill ahead for consideration by the full Senate.
If the 25-member Senate passes SB 1588, it would be up for consideration in the 51-member House of Representatives, where 10 members have introduced a duplicate bill. This measure, House Bill 558, has not been taken up for public hearings by any House committees….
read … Nuclear power exploration legislation gains steam | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HB661: Save Boat Tours from Eco Activist Obstructionism
HPR: … Should boat tours, aquarium fishing and other activities in state-monitored areas be allowed before completing an environmental review? It’s something lawmakers are considering.
If an existing and permitted activity in Hawaiʻi waters needs an environmental review, House Bill 661 could allow that activity to continue while the review is conducted.
The measure follows a series of court rulings involving aquarium fishing and, more recently, boat operators in the waters off Kā‘anapali in West Maui….
read … Businesses and conservationists square off on environmental oversight in state areas
Hawai`i State Legislature`s Third Attempt at Carbon Sequestration Scam
IM: … One approach is to require the Department of Agriculture to establish a Healthy Soils Program. The two bills, SB552 and HB968 were introduced by Senator Gabbard and Representative Kahaloa.
Another approach is to codify and make permanent the Hawaiʻi Carbon Smart Land Management Assistance Program under the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The Senate bill was introduced by Senator Gabbard and the companion bill HB975 was introduced by Representatives Lowen, Kahaloa, Kusch, and Perruso….
read … Hawai`i State Legislature`s Third Attempt at Carbon Sequestration | Ililani Media
Hawaiʻi Algae Feed Project At Risk Amid Federal Funding Freeze
CB: … Tens of millions of dollars in federal grants to Hawaiʻi nonprofit organizations and researchers for climate and agriculture projects are in limbo due to a freeze on some U.S. Department of Agriculture spending.
The grant recipients have been notified over the past two weeks that they won’t be paid for their work, leaving many fearful they will have to ditch their projects and lay off staff….
The federal officials told Hawaiʻi nonprofits to delete references to climate change and Biden’s clean energy law from their websites….
The USDA has also paused funding for the Transition to the Organic Partnership Program and Organic Market Development Grant program, together worth $185 million nationwide, E&E News reports. A $3 market development grant million for Hawaiʻi was announced in December, paying for research into algae-based animal feed, among other projects….
read … Hawaiʻi Agricultural Projects At Risk Amid Federal Funding Freeze - Honolulu Civil Beat
Trump executive order impedes funding for Native Hawaiian-led ‘climate’ work
HPR: … On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an executive order that paused the release of Inflation Reduction Act funds. More than 4,000 miles away in Hawaiʻi, that order stopped several Native Hawaiian-led climate projects in their tracks.
"There is a direct response from that executive order… It absolutely is affecting us in our little corner of the world," said Toni Bissen, the executive director of the Pūʻā Foundation.
Since the executive order was issued, Pūʻā has been unable to access hundreds of thousands in federal funds it was promised through the Kapapahuliau Grant Program.
Pūʻā was incorporated in 1996 as part of the reconciliation process of the United Church of Christ's participation in the illegal overthrow of Queen Lili‘uokalani….
Last October, Pūʻā received just shy of $800,000 in federal funding, the bulk of which the organization intends to use to fence off a kīpuka of old-growth ‘ōhiʻa forest within the Punahoa Heritage Forest….
But before Bissen was able to draw down a single dollar, the grant was frozen. Pūʻā is one of multiple recipients of the Kapapahuliau program who have confirmed to HPR that they are unable to access their funding, leaving their projects in limbo….
NYT: NOAA Is Told to Make List of Climate-Related Grants, Setting Off Fears (CLUE: They shouldn’t have made everything ‘connected’ to Global Warming. Now they pay the price.)
read … Trump executive order impedes funding for Native Hawaiian-led climate work | Hawai'i Public Radio
Hawaii Couple's Energy Tax Credit Suit Gets Review by High Court
BN: … The Hawaii Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it will decide whether a married couple is eligible for the full value of a renewable energy tax credit despite making some errors in filling out their tax forms.
Blake and Bianca Goodman said the Department of Taxation shouldn’t have reduced their renewable energy technologies income tax credit by 30%, or assessed them with a $5,400 bill, because the tax forms were poorly drafted by the state and didn’t comply with the legislature’s intent.
The Goodmans argue their form errors are irrelevant, the form is faulty, and their mistakes should be brushed ...
read … Hawaii Couple's Energy Tax Credit Suit Gets Review by High Court
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