Encumbrance for the Stadium
Hawaii Congressional Delegation How They Voted August 9, 2025
Two years later, too little rebuilding in Lahaina
Hawaii’s ‘green’ transportation plan: Unrealistic, inchoate, and expensive
SA: … The state is proposing to eliminate all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by its transportation sector, including from ground vehicles, aviation and ocean shipping, by 2045.
This proposal would require new legislation to enact devastating and extremely costly mandates further exacerbating the high cost of living in Hawaii and causing more residents to move out of state. The state laid out this latest decarbonization strategy in the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT)’s draft Energy Security and Waste Reduction Plan released June 27. Remarkably, it doesn’t quantify the economic costs of the proposed plan….
The HDOT plan would transition state transportation to synthetic, zero-carbon, green fuels. These are manufactured using a chemical or biological process entirely from renewable sources (including the energy used) to produce biofuels, e-methanol, e-methane, e-ammonia and e-hydrogen.
The plan is both unrealistic and inchoate.
Meaningful adoption over time of synthetic green fuels will be severely limited by their extremely high cost, very low scale production and scarce renewable energy sources….
Ultimately, the state didn’t need to settle Navahine. Climate change is a global phenomenon caused by many factors, from worldwide GHG emissions (Hawaii produces an inconsequential amount) to natural solar cycles. These causations are far beyond the control of the state, and ergo, cannot be held legally and reasonably responsible for their impacts.
The HDOT deadline for public comment to the plan is Aug. 31….
Read … Column: Hawaii’s ‘green’ transportation plan is too extreme | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Red Tape Slows Lahaina Rebuild, Blocks Statewide Tourism Recovery
SA: … compared to the rest of the state, “Maui’s doing worse,” said Toni Marie Davis, executive director of the Activities &Attractions Association of Hawaii Inc., known as A3H.
She estimates that Maui’s activities and attractions industry has fallen 30% because “the majority are repeat visitors, all of whom are very respectful but have gotten a really clear message that Maui doesn’t want them here.”
Another issue is that Lahaina, especially the Front Street and Lahaina Small Boat Harbor areas, was once teeming with shops, restaurants and activities for residents and visitors. But the blaze took out nearly all of the town’s tourism infrastructure, and it will take much longer to rebuild the commercial and historic properties, particularly those along the shoreline. Ocean recreation businesses are challenged too.
THE GRASSROOT Institute of Hawaii last week recommended four ideas for state and Maui County officials to speed Maui’s recovery by:
>> Reforming the county’s review process for historic properties.
>> Waiving or deferring the county’s infrastructure improvement assessments.
>> Issuing state executive orders or using “already- legal county workarounds” — as the institute calls them — to quickly rebuild structures in Lahaina’s shoreline setback area.
>> Providing short-term tax relief for all Maui businesses and long-term tax relief for properties in the burn area.
Grassroot President and CEO Keli‘i Akina wrote in the recommendations that “Lahaina residents still struggling to rebuild deserve our best efforts to help them heal.”
Others see the rebuilding of the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor as a priority after the fires caused $30 million in damage to the state facility…
SA: Editorial: What Maui needs to rebuild, thrive | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Read … Mixed messaging, other challenges stymie Maui’s tourism industry | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
SHOPO — 'We Want A Leader, Not A Boss'
CB: … three SHOPO leaders — Sgt. Jonathan Frye, Cpl. Nicholas Schlapak and Dustin DeRollo, a SHOPO consultant — spoke frankly and passionately about how the issues making daily headlines are affecting their members, the ability to do their jobs and their lives. More importantly, SHOPO has clearly put a lot of thought into how to at least begin to solve some of the problems playing out statewide but especially in Honolulu, the state’s largest police agency.
Read … The Sunshine Interview: SHOPO — 'We Want A Leader, Not A Boss' - Honolulu Civil Beat
If Joe Logan Can’t Stand up to Rick Blangiardi, How can he stand up to street thugs?
Cataluna: … Joe Logan. He capitulated. He didn’t even have the skills or presence of mind to negotiate his own golden parachute. He left the meeting without securing a payout deal for himself, and then went running to a lawyer about suffering from severe emotional distress.
And that’s why Joe Logan was a wrong number from the start. The chief of police should not be the type of person who responds to verbal threats by first acquiescing, then crying to their spouse, then hiring an attorney nobody has ever heard of to file a lawsuit because their feelings were hurt.
A police chief is supposed to be the kind of person who would stand up to a bully, be it a street thug terrorizing the community or an elected official who is after his job….
SA: David Shapiro: No more tired soap opera on picking new police chief | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Read … Lee Cataluna: Joe Logan Doesn't Deserve Our Sympathy, Let Alone Our Money - Honolulu Civil Beat
Schatz, Hirono a Fundraising Machine for National Democrats
CB: … For years now, Schatz has been joining up with senatorial allies such as Chris Murphy of Connecticut to hold virtual fundraisers on social media, merging their huge numbers of followers to haul in sizable amounts of small donations for other candidates.
They are profitable — “money bombs,” as they’re described by Andy Winer, a longtime political consultant and Schatz’s former chief of staff….
Borreca: On Politics: Schatz’s rise in U.S. Senate gives him policy power | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Read … Why Hawaiʻi’s Senators Raise So Much Money, And Give So Much Away - Honolulu Civil Beat
State Human Services Director Ryan Yamane Giving $1,000s to Legislators
CB: … State Human Services Director Ryan Yamane may not be in elected office anymore, but his leftover campaign funds are helping out those who are. In total, other people’s campaigns reported receiving $14,000 from Yamane’s leftover campaign fund.
Some notables include a $3,000 donation to his boss, Gov. Josh Green, and another $3,000 to Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke. Yamane’s amigo from his House days, now-Sen. Henry Aquino, got $2,000.
Other donations of note from former electeds:
- Former House speaker and current Insurance Commissioner Scott Saiki’s campaign doled out seven $1,000 donations to members of the House.
- Former Maui Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran’s campaign gave $1,000 to Rep. Andrew Garrett and $200 donations to five legislators including Rep. Kyle Yamashita.
And speaking of the recently deposed House Finance chair, his campaign also donated $2,000 to another former Finance chair, that being Luke.
Luke, in fact, appears to be the top recipient of donations from other campaigns in the first six months of the year – getting $7,000 in total.
In addition to the donation from the “Good Friends of Kyle Yamashita,” her campaign reported donations from the Friends of Esther Kiaʻāina, Ryan Yamane and Tommy Waters….
(CLUE: Do you think these 'contributions' might help win approval of DHS budget?)
Read … The Sunshine Blog: Questioning Secret Task Force Meetings - Honolulu Civil Beat
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA:
QUICK HITS: