Entries for August 2023

... Blangiardi directed DPP to suspend the short-term vacation rental 30–day minimum rental period requirement to increase the availability of temporary housing on Oʻahu ....

... Three political parties have been disqualified by the State in the prior cycle: Green, Aloha Aina, and the Constitution Parties. All of these unaffiliated independent voters are ripe pickings for the third largest party fighting for a seat at the debate table with the drones and the clones ....

On August 12, 1898, the United States and Spain reached a cease-fire agreement in its brief conflict over Cuba and the Philippines....

... Green described Lahaina as “total devastation,” estimating that about 80% of the town was destroyed, with hundreds of families displaced. He added that the damage to property will be in the “billions of dollars.” ....

... The fires are in part due to the climate crisis, a history of colonialism in our islands, and the loss of our right to steward our ʻāina and wai.  ....

... donate to Hawaii Community Foundation “Maui Strong Fund” and the Hawaii Red Cross ....

... the hospital admission rate for Honolulu and Maui counties increased to 10.4 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people ....

... The National Guard has activated 134 troops — including 99 Army National Guard personnel and 35 Air National Guard personnel — to assist in the in the ongoing local and federal wildfire response efforts ....

... The Board will hold oral arguments regarding the issues raised in the motion, responses, and replies on Friday, October 6, 2023, commencing at 1:00 p.m. ....

... Officials have confirmed 53 fatalities in the devastating wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and have yet to be fully contained ....

... A federal judge has temporarily enjoined Hawaii from enforcing a brand-new law that would block open carrying in public areas, like local beaches ....

... Much of historic Lahaina town destroyed as huge wildfire sends people fleeing into water ....

... Federal Judge Kobayashi issued her verdict on the TRO request in the case of Wolford v. Lopez ....

... Can single-stair construction actually reduce the building costs and contribute to alleviating our housing shortage? ....

... The Haʻikū Stairs have been slated for removal due to safety concerns, but activists say that there are alternatives to ripping out the popular steps ....

... Subsistence agricultural lots are also slated for development in Honokōwai, Maui, Anahola, Kauaʻi and Honomū on Hawaiʻi Island ....

... funding may be used to provide rental assistance to Native Hawaiians living on or off the Hawaiian Home Lands ....

... Only one candidate applied ....

... While conservation partners wait for final approval of a proposed mosquito birth control, also known as the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) ....

... Hawaii Butterfly Knife Ban Violates Second Amendment: So the Ninth Circuit held today (Teter v. Lopez), in an opinion by Judge Carlos Bea, joined by Judges Daniel Collins and Kenneth Lee ....

... The current DoTax administration has told practitioners that he is more open to settling cases to whittle down the backlog of tax appeals ....

... how regulations and building codes have made constructing small apartment buildings more expensive and less efficient ....

August 6 and 9 have been made into International Days of Anti-American historical revisionism.  So here is a look at reality as seen from first-hand sources instead of whining activists.

... the highest per-passenger operating cost of any light-rail systems in the nation ....

... Bill 6 would allow building applications to be reviewed by qualified third-party reviewers ....

... DoE reports a significant decrease in the number of teacher vacancies this school year – roughly 340 – compared to more than 1,000 vacancies at the start of last school year ....

... All available school bus drivers are being assigned to cover federally mandated special education transportation services and prioritize the transportation of elementary and middle school students ....

... addressing critical issues related to clean energy access, affordability, and fairness in Hawai‘i ....

... While the Emergency Proclamation issued by Governor Josh Green, M.D., on July 18, removes and/or expedites some of the  regulatory processes associated with a project of this magnitude it does not exempt a demolition contractor from securing material disposal certificates and other regulatory permits. A demolisher has not been chosen yet through the established procurement process. ...

... The public will have 30 days to comment on the new process, which would take effect in spring 2024. It would replace an outdated, 15-year-old manual ....

... A recount of Hawaii’s votes ultimately reversed the outcome of the state election ....

... “It really does is just put pressure on the Legislature and say, ‘Are you going to act?'"....

... the law has ended up hurting our national security by severely harming American shipbuilding, making us more dependent on imported energy, damaging our ports and waterways and inflicting unnecessary pain on victims of natural disasters ....

... Recktenwald today appointed three individuals to fill judicial positions in the District Court of the First Circuit ....

... approving for inclusion in the 2024 Hawaii State Association of Counties legislative package a state bill relating to the county transient accommodations tax ....

... If you have ever taken a handgun class in Hawaii required to purchase a firearm.  Starting January 1st, 2024, you will need to take that class again ....

... Hawaii residents spend $3,070 each month on the ten most common household bills, which is +50% above the national average ....

... 2023's States with the Most and Least Student Debt ....

... 15 patients come off the homeless merry go round for a while ....

... The Ninth Circuit ruled that Hawaii doctors may no longer provide the abortion pill to their patients in Guam through telemedicine ....

... Idaho’s law that makes it illegal to either obtain abortion pills for a minor or to help them leave the state for an abortion without their parents' knowledge and consent ....

... state law prohibits them from increasing prices on basic goods during Governor Green's State of Emergency ....

... Imagine an island with no doctors permanently living there, where patients must travel by air to access specialized medical care ....

... individuals who have for years been communicating and collaborating with intelligence agents of North Korea's United Front Department stationed at the North's Mission to the United Nations ....

... Ridership on the half-completed rail has been steadily falling, causing the per-passenger taxpayer subsidy to go even higher ....

... The State Attorney General's office has sought the assistance of lawyers from the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy & Protection at Georgetown University Law Center ....

At the Marquesas Islands, Herman Melville and his friend jumped ship....