Taxing Capital Gains
Turns out you can fight city hall — and win!
HCR100: Mandatory LGBTQ Training for State Agencies
Armed Drug Dealer From Oahu Sentenced to 170 Months in Federal Prison
Armed Drug Dealer Who Sold Fatal Dose of Cocaine to U.S. Marine Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison
Mexican National Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics, Firearm, and Immigration Charges
DHHL: “I know you guys are trying to play around with the money”
SA: … On July 11, 2022, a historic bill to reduce the number of Native Hawaiians waiting for homesteads became law, but nearly three years later it can be hard to grasp how many homesteads will be produced from the $600 million Waitlist Reduction Act.
A somewhat nebulous picture of homestead production by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands using the appropriation may be jeopardizing an effort by the agency to obtain another $600 million from the Legislature this year despite heavy backing in the House of Representatives.
“You are asking us to just blindly trust the department,” Sen. Samantha DeCorte (R, Nanakuli-Waianae-Makaha) told DHHL leaders during a March 11 hearing on House Bill 606, intended to make the additional $600 million appropriation. “I need proof on what you guys have already done.”
Part of DHHL’s difficulty showing how many beneficiaries will come off its waitlist due to the 2022 funding, which Gov. Josh Green signed into law as Act 279, is that much of the money is being spent on backbone utility and road infrastructure supporting homestead lot construction dependent on additional funding.
(TRANSLATION: Money is spent on anything except housing with the intention being to use these expenditures as a ‘Hail Mary’ to grab another $600M.)
Other portions of Act 279 funding have gone to buy land for lot development also subject to more funding, while (only) some of the current funding is being used to produce lots at existing DHHL homestead projects….
DHHL leaders haven’t always presented clear information at legislative meetings when describing planned lot production at specific projects funded by Act 279.
DHHL spending plans have been hard to follow in part because the agency has repeatedly shifted gears over the last three years, adding some new projects and putting off others after the Hawaiian Homes Commission approved an original strategic plan in 2022.
Watson, who led DHHL from 1995 to 1998 and later headed a nonprofit affordable-housing development company, said he has tried to take advantage of new opportunities to expand DHHL’s lot development pipeline.
“As a developer, I think I know what I’m doing,” he said. “I’m always pivoting depending on the situation….”
At a March 25 rally at the state Capitol, Watson said DHHL is working on 29 projects involving more than 3,000 homesteads. A list of projects provided by the agency since then projects delivering 2,283 lots using Act 279 funding….
DHHL leaders have briefed lawmakers on Act 279 spending plans several times over the last three years but haven’t always been clear about what the money will produce.
During an August presentation to a House working group established in 2023 to monitor implementation of Act 279, DHHL officials couldn’t clearly answer a question about what $39 million from the agency’s Act 279 budget was going to be used for at an existing multi-phased project on Hawaii island called Villages of La‘i ‘Opua.
In printed materials, the agency suggested the $39 million was for 635 La‘i ‘Opua lots. But when asked by one working group member what exactly the $39 million was for, Watson didn’t give a precise answer.
More recently, DHHL has estimated the cost to produce 580 lots at La‘i ‘Opua at $120 million to $150 million, while $39 million from Act 279 would fund a portion of that.
Another project where spending plans have been difficult to follow is Waiehu Mauka on Maui, where DHHL used $12 million in Act 279 funding to buy land and said in early 2024 that it expected to spend another $82 million to produce 161 lots, followed by a 150-lot second phase subject to additional funding.
DHHL later indicated that all 311 Waiehu Mauka lots would be produced with the $82 million.
More recently, DHHL reallocated $59 million from the Waiehu Mauka project to buy land in Kunia positioned for faster lot development if additional funding can be obtained.
Sen. Troy Hashimoto (D, Wailuku-Kahului-Waihee) criticized DHHL leaders for the funding shift during the March 11 hearing on HB 606.
“I know you guys are trying to play around with the money,” Hashimoto said….
A significant amount of Act 279 funding under Watson’s leadership has been used to buy land for developing homestead lots with future funding. This includes $2 million for a 168-lot project site on Hawaii island, $2 million for a 108-lot project site on Oahu, $8.8 million for a 296-lot project site on Hawaii island, $12.3 million for a 207-lot project site on Maui and $20.7 million for a 1,100-lot project site on Kauai.
The Kauai project, according to Watson, is far off because a sewage treatment plant needs relocation….
Watson said his goal is to award a minimum of 7,500 paper leases….
2025: DHHL project is victim of sea rise panic
2024: Fake it to make it: Esther Kiaaina and Kali Watson Conspire to Stick DHHL with unbuildable Kailua Landslide Parcel
read … Hawaiian homestead development plans questioned amid funding request | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Pay Hike Mania: 89% for Maui County Officials
MN: … When the new raises kick in, Mayor Richard Bissen’s pay will increase from $159,578 to $211,119, a jump of $51,541 or 32.3%. Council Chair Alice Lee will see her pay go from $86,336 to $106,367, which is $20,031 more or 23.2%. The eight other council members’ annual pay will rise from $80,299 to $101,302, a $21,003 raise of 26.2%.
But those raises pale in comparison to Managing Director Josiah Nishita’s. His hike from the Salary Commission will boost his annual compensation from $172,154 to $325,104, a jump of $152,950 or 89%....
KHON: Maui County officials to get significant pay raises starting July 1 | KHON2
read … Salary Commission boosts pay for mayor, council members, department heads : Maui Now
Hawai‘i Convention Center’s 2-year repair schedule risks millions in lost group trade
SA: … Teri Orton, general manager of the convention center, said it was originally anticipated that construction would run from January to November 2026, which would close the facility in 2026 to “citywides,” the industry term for events with at least 1,000 guests who are booked at two or more hotels and plan to use center space.
But Orton said that only two contractors responded to the center’s request for proposals, and both said the project was a two-year job due to the discovery of more extensive corrosion and rust from deferred maintenance (insert excuse here). She said contractors also pointed out that demolition and debris removal of the center’s fourth-floor roof would take longer than anticipated because it has residential neighbors on one side (insert excuse here)….
Orton said the center canceled its original request for proposals and issued a new one Tuesday with a construction timeline that runs from Jan. 1, 2026, to Nov. 30, 2027. She said the new proposals are due May 12 and the center is expected to select a contractor and then issue a notice to proceed May 26.
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has pledged to keep the center’s 125 employees on the payroll during construction, although some of their duties may change, (from doing nothing to doing no thing) according to Orton….
read … Hawai‘i Convention Center’s 2-year repair schedule risks millions in lost group trade
‘The Stopper Committees’: Are Bills Sent To Money Committees Just To Die?
CB: … House Finance and Senate Ways and Means committees are supposed to deal with fiscal measures, but their influence runs much deeper….
read … ‘The Stopper Committees’: Are Bills Sent To Money Committees Just To Die? - Honolulu Civil Beat
Legislature Day 46—Bills already on Governor’s Desk
CB: … Friday marked the 46th day of the 60-day Hawaiʻi Legislature, which means sine die on May 2 is well in sight. All bills needed to clear committees on Friday and now there are several hundred bills awaiting floor action in the House and Senate, many of which will be voted on this coming week.
But as of Friday, 18 bills had already been sent up to the governor’s desk on the fifth floor of the Capitol. Most of them are crime bills that received little opposition, including:
- House Bill 392 bans the possession, transfer and sale of ghost guns and sets up mandatory minimum sentencing if they are used when committing a felony.
- House Bill 137 requires that violent felons who violate the ban against owning, possessing or controlling a firearm or ammunition are subject to a mandatory prison term.
- House Bill 386 adds fentanyl to the offense threshold for possession of methamphetamine, heroin, morphine and cocaine.
- Senate Bill 112 lets immediate family members receive a copy of the closing police report of deceased loved ones.
- Senate Bill 1382 requires that intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury to a National Guard member while doing their duty is a class C felony.
Another measure that has nothing to do with crime but has struggled to gain traction in recent legislative sessions finally passed this year and has been sent to the governor. Senate Bill 1202 would allow campaign funds to be used for a candidate’s child care and vital household dependent care costs.
Gov. Josh Green has until June 24 to inform the Legislature of bills he’s thinking of vetoing, and until July 9 to veto, sign or let bills become law without his signature. The Legislature then has until noon on July 9 to convene a special session to override any vetoes.
read … The Sunshine Blog: Shining A Light On The Search For A New UH Athletic Director - Honolulu Civil Beat
Where can I check school’s vaccination rate?
SA: … Hawaii parents to check the vaccination rates at their children’s schools, which are posted on the Health Department’s website; the lists reflect all immunization requirements, not just the MMR vaccine.
Find links to school immunization reports, which include public, charter and private schools, at 808ne.ws/immrep, on the DOH website, which also has details about school health requirements….
read … Kokua Line: Where can I check school’s vaccination rate?
Arson at Mayor Wright Apts
KITV: … According to police, a woman made a report about a male suspect who started the fire. As fire detectives and law enforcement continue to investigate the fire, the offense in this case would come out to first-degree arson….
read … Kalihi apartment fire extinguished from possible arson | News | kitv.com
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