Gut, replace, and feel the heat

For a lawmaker, receiving public recognition for one’s work is an honor — except when it’s a “Rusty Scalpel” award given to a state legislator who authored a “gut and replace” bill.

Common Cause Hawaii and the League of Women Voters of Hawaii awarded Rep. Chris Lee (D, Kailua-Lanikai-Waimanalo) the Rusty Scalpel for a bill that originally sought to offer tax credits to producers of renewable fuels, but morphed into one that proposed tax credits for farmers, ranchers and producers seeking to obtain organic certification. Sometimes, folks, this is how new laws are made, like it or not.

It’s not just a street, it’s a parking lot

Lawmakers more than a century ago referenced a transfer of some private streets in Kakaako in a measure stating that the landowner was willing to give up that land to the Territory of Hawaii. But so far, proof of this has not turned up. Further, a lawsuit among area businesses is aiming to get a court ruling on who owns the roadways. In the meantime, the private owner will continue using it for parking rental income. And in an area destined for less street parking, rental rates for existing stalls are sure to go up — a good reason to fight this one in court.