Entries for October 2022

... Formerly known as Bill 41, the new law was supposed to go into effect this week, but a federal judge temporarily blocked it until its provisions can be hashed out in court ....

... the “dedication” of the funding source is often porous ....

... a 2% increase in resident tuition rates at the three UH universities in AY 2025–26 and a 2% increase in AY 2026–27 ....

... UHERO Executive Director Carl Bonham participated in a panel on supply-side constraints to expanding residential housing at the Hawaii Economic Association’s 2022 Annual Conference ....

... This JSC announcement seeks a replacement for Associate Justice Paula Nakayama who turns 70 next October.  It is separate from the October 14, 2022, JSC notice seeking a replacement for Associate Justice Michael Wilson ....

... United States District Judge Jill A. Otake today sentenced Victor Aguilar, 66, of Kauai, Hawaii to 168 months of imprisonment ....

... Maui rapist and drug dealer now in a Louisiana jail on $505,000 bail ....

"...The problem has been implementation...."

... Certification permits have long been required for surf and sailboard instructors, catamaran and canoe captains and second captains, and commercial motorboat operators, operating in Waikiki ....

... accounting for inflation, the actual dollar increase in tourist spending is a paltry $30M ....

... how much your individual vote counts ....

... if your state is on a navigable river or an external coast you have been missing out on massive amounts of economic activity for decades ....

... Doula defendants take the stand against a fellow birth worker they accused of enticing women into creating maternity and breastfeeding porn ....

... a warning letter Kugle sent Oct. 21 to Honolulu officials about how they should be cautious that their publicized intent to 'aggressively' enforce the law doesn’t violate the judge’s order ....

... The Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index enables business leaders, government policymakers, and taxpayers to gauge how their states’ tax systems compare ....

“If we exempted medical care from the general excise tax it would save doctors and patients more than $200 million [a year]. And that would help keep doctors in our state, rather than having to flee the state to earn money elsewhere...."

... The result is exactly what we have in Hawaii: a lot of talk about lowering the cost of housing, but very little effective reform ....

... a decade-long scheme to defraud investors of millions of dollars in connection with Semisub Inc ....

... Draining the pipelines, which have approximately 1.16 million gallons of fuel split between them, is the first step in completely defueling Red Hill ....

... The worst performing students are now chronically absentee, so we aren't testing them.  So these 'steady' test numbers actually show that the top DoE students have dropped to the pre-COVID level of the average students ....

... kauhale communities are already thriving in Waianae and Waimanalo, with the ten more intended for Oahu ....

"...I know many parents are concerned that this recommendation can lead to schools mandating it...."

... we gained a few high-income individuals but lost more of those folks scraping to make ends meet ....

... the new ordinance is likely to do more harm than good by discouraging more homebuilding ....

... the petition, which can be viewed here, calls on lawmakers to exempt medical services from the state’s general excise tax ....

... In March 2020, a maritime shipping advisory panel offered a simple suggestion to the government: Charge all past and current members of two libertarian think tanks with treason ....

... two illegal large capacity cesspools at the Wailuku Professional Plaza in Hilo and one cesspool at the SKS Management LLC self-storage business in Kailua-Kona .... 

... but, on the bright side, the lack of wind will save bats' lives ....

... The Navy was supposed to start unpacking fuel from three pipelines Monday, but the Friday water main break affected the systems that would be used for removing the fuel ....

... There are 48,373 students currently enrolled at UH, down from 49,773 students in 2021, a 2.8% decrease ....

...Job gains occurred in Leisure & Hospitality (+2,700); Education & Health Services (+500); Construction (+400); and Professional & Business Services (+200)....

... ​Yost vs Wakai over Hu Honua ....

... the new sales price calculations will reduce the cost of affordable homes by an average of 22% ....

... law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant on Kepa‘a’s Pearl City residence and recovered approximately 61 grams of suspected fentanyl and one kilogram suspected crystal methamphetamine as well as a loaded firearm, semiautomatic rifles, and boxes of ammunition ....

"... LGBTQ+ students should have equitable access to confidential healthcare ...."

... Violating the ordinance meant massive daily fines ($10k), plus disgorgement of the rent. Thus, not surprisingly, the ordinance drew a federal court challenge from property owners ....

... Unfortunately the incumbents are not showing up, but the other candidates will be there to share their visions for OHA ....

“...First, do no harm....”

... Voting centers will open on October 25 for all of you who want to vote in person ....

“The Interior Department is committed to working with the Native Hawaiian Community on a government-to-sovereign basis to address concerns related to self-governance, Native Hawaiian trust resources, and other Native Hawaiian rights,” said Secretary Deb Haaland.

... the Disciplinary Board of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court imposed a Public Reprimand upon Honolulu attorney Myles S. Breiner for representing clients with concurrent conflicts of interest ....

... the American Samoan Legislature recently passed a unanimous resolution opposing citizenship without their consent ....

“...Are out-of-state buyers, especially foreigners, really driving Hawaii’s high home prices?....”

... Honolulu ranks 90th of 100 cities ....

... DOFAW obtained funding from the Land Conservation Fund for its own projects outside of the Legacy Land Conservation Program ....

... We found that OLA has done little of consequence ....

... $37,000 of shortfall per taxpayer ....

... Hawaii's 277 hotel businesses average over $25M annual revenue ....

... Hawaii foreclosures average 2,121 days (almost 6 yrs) -- slowest in USA ....

... Opening night begins on December 3 with a tree lighting ceremony ....