Off the news: An act of aloha or an ethics violation?

In this land of aloha, little gifts of appreciation can go a long way. But when it comes to government services, it’s not hard to imagine a little gift-giving snowballing into conflicts of interest, even public corruption.

Given recent corruption scandals, such as at the city Department of Planning and Permitting and Honolulu Police Department, it’s welcome that the Honolulu Ethics Commission is trying to prohibit any gift-giving to city employees. Whether or not Bill 26 (2022) advances in the City Council, the practice of such giving and receiving should be discouraged, at the very least.