Off the News: Future of coastal roads in doubt

With Kamehameha Highway emergency repairs in the Hauula area expected to fend off erosion threats for five to 10 years, now’s the time to have a difficult conversation about how to cope with longer-term, climate-change-driven projections.

By the end of the century, an estimated 20% of Hawaii’s coastal roads will be inundated — along with communities edging them. And the price tag for relocating or elevating existing coastal roads statewide is gauged at $15 billion. House Bill 2207 would launch a study — and spur community conversation — about future land use planning to address economic, social, public health and environmental considerations.

Board member mandate goes too far

Having corporate board rooms that look representative of America’s diversity is a good thing. Must that issue really be legislated, though?

Senate Bill 2636 would require each publicly held corporation with a principal executive office in Hawaii to have at least one female director on its board by the end of 2020. And then, two years later, any board with six or more members would need three or more women directors.

Inclusion of women should be good business, period. But mandating it via law feels too much like tokenism, and government overreach.