Kudos to the state for its plans to build low-income senior housing in Waikiki — seniors tend to thrive in urban environments, near amenities such as bus routes. That’s a “plus” for the proposed Ainahu Vista II, a nine-story building with 62 rental units, though one “minus” is that it would be on a plot of land that’s now a small park, a rare patch of green space in Waikiki. Nearly 350 people have signed a petition opposing the development. We understand the support for green space, but we’re troubled by the NIMBY (not in my back yard) sentiment of one of petition backers: “I see this parade of shabby, scary, unpredictable, erratic people spreading out in a neighborhood that has been struggling to improve.” Wow.

Cutting it close on medical marijuana deadline

Hawaii’s medical marijuana patients have been without a legal means of obtaining the drug for nearly 16 years — but ironically, enormous political pressure is now on to award eight pot dispensary licenses by this Friday.

Never mind that one of the five members of the selection panel would be “unable to fully participate” through no fault on his part, the state Department of Health announced cryptically last Friday, leaving the remaining four to decide. And never mind that background checks and fingerprinting of all applicants were requested just Thursday night to make a Tuesday deadline.