Off the news: More work needed on government ethics
Lingering concerns about the state of ethics in government extend to the Legislature, where recent efforts to regulate lobbyists have been weakened or have stalled. Read more
Opinion and analysis by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board. Get informed with columns and commentary, and submit a letter to the editor.
Lingering concerns about the state of ethics in government extend to the Legislature, where recent efforts to regulate lobbyists have been weakened or have stalled. Read more
For all the relieved and smiling faces emerging Friday from U.S. District Court, there was a class of observers who were surely watching the corruption trial of Keith Kaneshiro and Dennis Mitsunaga with alarm. Read more
The Wahiawa Reservoir rose to uncomfortable levels last week, peaking at 82 feet — 2 feet short of official “flood stage,” which would trigger a call for evacuations. Read more
Mina Morita is a former state Public Utilities Commission chair and former chair of the state House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection; she lives in Hanalei and is a member of the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. Read more
I am writing to reassure a recent letter writer about the details and effects of Senate Bill 3202 (“Developers benefit from land use bill, not public,” Star-Advertiser, May 7). Read more
Biden’s runaway spending, inflation and immigration policies have created an economy which has reduced disposable income for mainland vacationers looking to visit Hawaii. Read more
People hiked Haiku Stairs for years without issue, following the path. Steel steps and handrails provided a safe, stable platform while protecting the aina from erosion until the stairs closed after taxpayer-funded repairs. Read more
It is sad to see that schools become more like institutions of indoctrination, especially at the university level, where we see students radicalized without knowing the facts that disprove their radical views. Read more
Let’s stop hating on the feral chickens. They are not only direct descendants of the dinosaurs, but they also eat the coconut rhinoceros beetle and its larvae, along with roaches and centipedes. Read more
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With a unanimous City Council vote last Wednesday, the city is poised to establish a stand-alone Ocean Safety Department via executive action. Read more
Hawaii’s April jobless rate of 3.1%, a rate that has remained unchanged for four consecutive months now, reflects stability and solid employment statewide. Read more
Hawaii has one of the highest rates of homeless youth in the U.S. — third highest in the nation, according to 2023 federal Department of Housing and Urban Development data, and this year’s numbers are higher than last year’s. Read more
Hawaii lawmakers approved more than 200 bills during the 2024 legislative session, but the one people are likely to be talking about for years is House Bill 2404, which aims to lower the state income tax burden for average families by almost 70% by 2031 and save taxpayers roughly $5 billion during that period. Read more
I am writing to share an unfortunate experience my family endured on Mother’s Day, which highlights both a safety hazard and a concerning lapse in emergency response. Read more
Harrison Butker spoke at a college commencement and shared his opinions, which run contrary to the immoral and illogical societal mores that have been levied upon us. Read more
The Navy has displayed “patterns of obscuration, alarming fuel-facility negligence and lack of urgency” (“Red Hill trial must set firm precedent,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, May 9). Read more
Great news, apparently there is no longer an existential threat to our planet from climate change. Or has the definition of existential changed? Read more
Kokua Line just ran comments on Honolulu’s green bins for green refuse. I have requested a second green bin several times, but to no avail. With the current two-week cycle, Wednesday is green bin pickup day. Read more
Back in the good old days, the U.S. Postal Service could be relied upon to deliver the mail in an expeditious manner. That is apparently not the case today. Read more
China’s latest aircraft carrier, Fujian (CV-18), has completed its first sea trials, to much domestic and international media fanfare. Read more
Since the early 1960s, more than half a century ago, Hawaii has worried over whether it should tax tourists. Read more