Entries for September 2016

Four years ago, the state acquired 1,200 acres of farmland....

Hawaii’s worst rankings are urban Interstate pavement condition (50th) and administrative disbursements per mile (49th).... 

...October 20, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. -- public meeting on ethics in state government....

...there is hope....

...the state Office of Information Practices (OIP) was “palpably erroneous” in its 1997 interpretation....

The state has estimated that it would cost around $800 million to realign and widen Honoapiilani Highway from Maalaea to the Lahaina bypass....

In light of recent inquiries regarding physicians’ legal authority to prescribe the drug Suboxone for the purpose of opioid detoxification or maintenance treatment of opioid dependence....

...Their Reaction Was To Blow Even More Hawaiian Beneficiary Money....

On the day the AP report was published, a Task Force was formed made up of influential vessel owners, suppliers, the Honolulu Fish Auction and the Hawaii Seafood Council to begin to assess the problem and work on solutions to protect the welfare of the crewmen....

S.J.Res.39 is expected to go to the floor for a vote today in the Senate....

Among the many problems our community faces with the rampant homeless crisis is the use of our ambulances by a minority in our community, as a personal taxi service....

The Federal Transit Administration says it will demand its money back....

Recently, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT) revealed that it is considering a mileage-based user fee....

...in the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve (Unit A), Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (Unit K), Palila Mitigation Lands, and the Ka‘ohe Game Management Area (Unit G) on the island of Hawai‘i....

TOU rates are higher during the evening when the overall electricity demand is greatest....

If approved, a typical residential bill for 500 kilowatt hours on Hawaiʽi Island would increase by $9.31 a month to $171.16....

Every once in awhile, some of them will piece the information together....

"...Farrington Highway and Kamehameha Highway ... are eligible for Federal aid funds, subject to selection by OahuMPO and HIDOT...."

...Complete List of Ballot Questions....

In Hawaii, we have a beast called a Taxation Board of Review that is quickly following the dodo bird down the path to extinction....

...agriculture can be held back by regulation, politics, and policies....

Tonight I decided to attend the “Ethics of Eating” sponsored by the Center for Food Safety, featuring Vani Hari, the Food Babe....

...tonight at the State Capitol sleeping on the cement floor of the Rotunda....

...the Maui Region Board announces Chief Executive Officer Wesley Lo’s departure effective October 31, 2016....

...a comprehensive bill to help ensure that veterans like Roy Hall get the benefits they've earned....

A couple of days ago, I talked to a senior consulting engineer on the rail project....

Oliver Porter, a leader in the creation of the public-private city model, will come to Hawaii to be featured at a Grassroot Institute event on Oahu on September 28th and on Maui on September 29th....

A State-by-State Analysis of the Factors Influencing Teacher Supply, Demand, and Equity....

...too focused on rules, discipline and policing member behavior....

Groups of students have been visiting the Hawaii State Judiciary’s King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center this week to learn about the U.S. Constitution....

...highest ever bond ratings and the strongest credit position the state has ever achieved in its history....

...the Hawai`i Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA), which manages GEMS, attempted in July to expand the pool of potential beneficiaries with a proposal to fund energy-saving initiatives of large corporations, with a minimum loan amount of $1 million....

The mayor and county council hired a lawyer who did not have an engineering degree -- only a bachelors with a major in English and a minor in Hawaiian studies, plus a JD....

States are seen as the laboratories for democracy....

...what’s happening on our farms....

...In 2015, use of e-cigarettes may have resulted in an additional 18,000 long-term ex-smokers in England....

The NATIVE Act is supported by a coalition of Danner stakeholders including the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homeland Assembly....

...cost after financial aid....

...Hawaii hospital readmissions fell 13.4% in 5 years....

...229,000 people are living below the poverty line in Hawaii.  This is 16.8% of the population....

...the spread in ship prices between U.S. and foreign yards has now widened so much that it has significantly negatively impacted the U.S. economy and indirectly resulted in the loss of many thousands of U.S. jobs....

...report on the seed industry in Hawaii produced by Dr. Paul Brewbaker for the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association....

Hawaii Average Student Debt Per Borrower: $23,574 -- 44th in USA....

WalletHub analysts recently compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 3 key dimension: health care costs, access, and outcomes....

“Ask Me First” is a campaign to draw attention to the stories of women and children....

The latest figures are from the Hawaiʻi Physician Workforce Assessment, released today....