Homeless problem not worse, but not better either

The thing about numbers, percentages and other statistics is that they can be presented to bolster any chosen point of view. Is the glass half-empty, or half-full? That’s why we often rely on the numbers-crunching experts to help analyze data and see trends.

One such case was with the new annual report, "Homeless Service Utilization Report: Hawaii 2013." It is filled with data such as: Compared with 2012, there was a 2.4 percent decrease in the people who stayed in a shelter or received homeless outreach aid, but a 2.2 percent increase in people staying at publicly funded shelters. Better, or worse?

The bottom line from lead author Sarah Yuan, of the UH-Manoa’s Center on the Family: "Our homeless situation is not worsening."

One thing that is quite clear, based on the disturbing tent communities out there and the years-long waiting lists for public housing: Policy-makers need to make better progress on low-income affordable rentals.

Open-primary ruling a win for Hawaii voters

With the next primary election less than a year away, voters should know that things are status quo, after a federal judge on Thursday upheld Hawaii’s open primary election system. The Democratic Party had sued to close it, citing violation of its First Amendment right to free association. In Democrat-dominated Hawaii, though, this ruling can be seen as upholding a system that protects voter privacy and encourages participation by removing barriers. So, come fall 2014, be sure to vote.