Entries for January 2023

... removing the tax would lower medical costs and help alleviate the state's doctor shortage ....

... visitor arrivals from Japan (36,988) and Canada (58,361) were at the highest monthly levels since the start of the pandemic ....

... Who needs telenovelas when there's the Maui County Council? ....

... the lifting of the injunction in the WHRFMA does not permit the immediate resumption of commercial aquarium fishing ....

... The Senate Judiciary Committee heard comments for and against the bill on Friday. Ultimately, the committee deferred the bill ....

... Bills have been introduced in the state of Hawaii Senate and House requiring warning labels on all gas pumps ....

... Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It ....

... bureaucracy and red tape have become a major barrier to affordable housing in Hawaii ....

... More than 15,000 people left Hawaii for the mainland last year ....

... salaries for the Mayor, County Council members, Directors, Deputy Directors and County Auditor ....

... SB 1347 / HB 1049, designated GOV-01, aims to give broad tax relief to pretty much everyone in Hawaii. It does this by juicing up several credits already on the books, giving a significant boost to the standard deduction, and doubling the personal exemption amount. ...

... Hawaii's Senate has decided that abortion expansion bills should take front and center ....

... the humpback death rate roughly tripled starting in 2016 and continued high thereafter ....

"...We amended our homelessness emergency proclamation to reflect guardrails that will ensure we don’t have to choose between our kuleana to culture and land...."

... bills introduced and votes cast in Congress ....

... 3 out of 5 of my household turned positive in a matter of a few days ....

... Today the Navy published its first two weeks of validated groundwater PFAS test results, which show no exceedances of DOH’s EALs for groundwater ....

...  A contractor will provide golf carts to take anyone needing assistance between the CONRAC and the airport lobby. ...

... a correctional officer at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu from approximately 2014 to 2018 ....

"The only reason we are pursuing a development at Ke Kahua in Waiehu is to bring affordable rental units to struggling Maui families.

... The Commission on Native Children will hold its Hawaii Regional Hearing in Honolulu, HI, February 15–16, 2023 at the Moana Surfrider, and virtually. ...

"We implement programs to address the root causes of recidivism . . . such as drug use and mental illness . . . and to respond to other urgent community needs. We embrace this expanded role.”

“They should look for ways to make government cost less and run more efficiently and operate on a leaner budget."

... TheHandi-Van, who called to make or change reservations for rides, had very long telephone hold times or did not have their calls answered. Under the agreement, Honolulu will take immediate steps to lessen hold times ....

... Could Fabian’s death have been prevented if the biological parents had an attorney to investigate the fitness of these foster parents prior to Fabian’s placement? ....

... REALLY OBVIOUS QUESTION: Will Hawaii County Police or Prosecutor now search federal databases for a match to the DNA from 'Unknown Male #1'? ....

... we have high hopes for a few ideas that could make a real difference for our state ....

... a Maui-based 'nonprofit' filed a complaint seeking the funds ....

... Latest procurement includes request for firm renewable capacity ....

... the average cost for a dozen eggs in Hawaii is about $9.73. That's 51% higher than a year earlier and 53% higher than #2 Florida ....

... Hawaii lawmakers introducing consumer privacy bills and biometric privacy bills ....

... Most compelling was the governor's proposal to increase tax deductions and support open records, but all the talk about spending was worrisome ....

... in comparison with March 2020 (last month prior to pandemic effects), nonfarm jobs were down by 36,200, or -5.5 percent ....

... Gov Josh Green, State of the State address, January 23, 2023 ....

... The man fell to the ground as the first of the two shooters sprinted to a waiting vehicle. The wounded man was lying on the sidewalk to Issa’s left as the second shooter, located to Issa’s right, began firing frantically at the downed man ....

... Thousands of absentee voters are disenfranchised every election due to rejection of their ballots by the four county election offices ....

... convince me that tax cuts are not advisable ....

... Areas with high living costs, large immigrant populations, and housing shortages are abundant with multigenerational homes ....

... Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest number of emergency shelters per capita in Hawaii using data from the National Shelter System Facilities database .... 

... we already have 12 Anti-Second Amendment bills ....

... the Average ‘Time-to-Crime’ for Firearms in Hawaii is 3x other states ....

... About 16,300 members of the COFA lived in Hawaii, according to numbers from fiscal year 2022 ....

... AGs voice support for New York gun-industry liability law and concealed carry law ....

... another driver, who they say was in a big hurry, forced them off the side of the road. One of the tires on their rented convertible was sliced by a rock ....

... Rep Jeanne Kapela and Hawai'i Tax Fairness Coalition protest at State Capitol in favor of new tax ....

... Two states had union membership rates over 20.0 percent in 2022: Hawaii (21.9 percent) and New York (20.7 percent) ....

... to oversee the schools in the Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kūlanihāko‘i-Maui, Castle-Kahuku, Ka‘ū-Kea‘au-Pāhoa, and Pearl City-Waipahu complex areas ....

... Nickie Lum of the Infamous Lum Crime Family Sentenced for Facilitating Unregistered Lobbying Campaign in Exchange for Approximately $3 Million ....

... Residential A properties went up 39.9% ....

... a recent national study of 3,000 counties in America found the Big Island has the third-worst shortage of healthcare providers in primary care, Maui has the fifth-worst shortage of healthcare providers in America, and Kauai has the 13th worst shortage ....