March 29, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Sunday, March 29, 2026

March 29, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 3:26 PM :: 150 Views

HB2429: Makes Your Tax Return Public Record

The Legislature found $150 million. So where's our tax relief?

Will Flood Victims be Allowed to Rebuild?

SA: … City officials say the devastation along Kaukonahua Stream is also tied to a long-standing reality: much of the area sits within designated flood zones, where risk is known but not always mitigated.

Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting said many of the impacted homes were built before modern flood regulations were adopted and are considered “nonconforming” under current standards.

The city joined the National Flood Insurance Program in 1980, establishing stricter rules for development in flood-prone areas. Structures built before that are allowed to remain, even if they do not meet today’s elevation and flood-resilience requirements. New development is still allowed in certain high-risk zones, but only under strict conditions.

According to DPP, homes must be designed by licensed professionals and meet flood development standards under law. That includes elevating structures above base flood levels, using flood-resistant materials, and allowing water to flow underneath without causing structural damage.

Still, officials emphasized the limits of government control.

“DPP regulates development to the extent permitted by ordinance; however, the decision to build within a flood zone ultimately rests with the property owner,” the department said in an email to the Star-Advertiser.

In the wake of the flooding, the agency said it is reviewing affected areas — including specific parcels and water elevations — to determine how existing flood designations apply.

That review comes as new federal flood maps are set to take effect on June 10, potentially expanding high-risk zones and triggering new building and insurance requirements for property owners.

DPP said it is working with the city’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency to better communicate those changes to the public.

For now, the department does not oversee buyouts of flood-prone properties and said questions about potential relocation programs would fall under the city’s Department of Budget and Fiscal Services….

SIMPLE SOLUTION: Plot out new fee-simple house lots on State or County land in a non-flood area of Waialua and trade them for the flood-prone Otake Camp lots.

CLUE: In the unlikely event that they are asked, the County/State will make up elaborate excuses about why this is too difficult/expensive, etc.

KEY QUESTION: Would you believe them?

read … Scrutiny of Kaukonahua Stream grows after the devastating North Shore flooding | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Otake Camp Flooded 10 Times Since Built

SA: … Dole said it had the dam’s outlet valves wide open since early February before an initial strong Kona-low storm arrived a week before the March 19-20 deluge.

According to a U.S. Geological Survey gauge, the lake level at the dam was about 64 feet during the first few days of February, then ticked down to 63 feet on Feb. 7 before rising over a few days to 74 feet on Feb. 11. Then after a gradual 3-foot reduction over nine days, the level spiked to 83.5 feet on Feb. 21 to send water over the spillway, which is at the 80-foot level.

Another slow decline to 72 feet was followed by a sharp rebound to 83 feet driven by the first of two Kona-low storms on March 13.

Matsuda said dam water levels of 83 to 84 feet historically result in spillway runoff flooding a small former plantation housing community in Waialua called Otake Camp, which is in a low- lying spot along Kaukonahua Stream not far from the former Waialua Sugar Mill.

The neighborhood of about two dozen single-family and duplex rental homes built mostly between 1923 and 1940 has suffered flooding numerous times, including in 1932, 1935, 1968, 1976, 1982, 1990, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2005.

The 2002 event stemmed from a rainstorm that produced major flooding around Oahu, but Otake Camp was reported to be hardest hit….

read … Wahiawa Dam ‘not designed for flood control’ | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Poor Streambed Maintenance Behind Wailua Flooding

SA: … As muddy water tore through homes along Kaupe Road last weekend, residents say the disaster felt both sudden and long in the making — a crisis fueled not just by a powerful Kona-low storm, but by years of neglect and fragmented responsibility along the Kaukonahua Stream.

Families who have lived for generations along the waterway describe a system choked with debris, tangled in jurisdictional confusion and left without consistent maintenance — conditions they say turned a severe storm into a near-deadly event….

residents and local leaders say the scale of destruction — homes washed off foundations, families displaced — was intensified by long-standing maintenance issues.

“There’s just so much debris — debris coming down from the mountains, from everywhere, and it clogs all the water under the bridge,” Grilho said.

Community members pointed to sediment buildup, overgrown vegetation and large debris obstructing flow — particularly beneath bridge crossings — as key factors that worsened flooding.

The problem, they say, is compounded by a confusing patchwork of ownership.

“It makes it complicated because the jurisdictions are different,” Grilho said. “But when it’s a state emergency, somebody, everybody needs to take action.”

The Kaukonahua Stream flows through a maze of ownership: segments managed by the City and County of Honolulu, the state Department of Transportation’s Farrington Highway bridge crossing, privately owned bridges and parcels, and upstream military lands. Even within a small stretch behind T. Otake & Sons, land is divided among multiple owners, including the Otake family, private individuals and the Achiu family property where Grilho lives….

Longtime resident Wendell Toki, 65, said the Kaukonahua Stream once ran clear and manageable — especially during the plantation era, when private agricultural operators actively maintained waterways.

“It was normal when the plantation was running. It was doing the job,” he said. “After Dole gave up, it just … we have floods but never like this.” ….

Shapiro: David Shapiro: A wake-up call is of no use if we never heed the alarm | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

read … Scrutiny of Kaukonahua Stream grows after the devastating North Shore flooding | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Aloha Stadium: Yadao fires as many outsiders as he can

SA: … is the new stadium still on track for opening in spring of 2029, or August 2029, as a state Senate committee was told recently would be the case?

“Still on track for spring,” Yadao said Saturday. “That’s because the mayor (Rick Blangiardi) has said repeatedly that the permitting needed to stay on schedule will be fast.

“And the contracts are based on that.”…

(IQ Test: How hard are you laughing?)

He found around $550,000 a month that was going to outside consultants, most of it out of state, and all of it repetitive or unnecessary.

(CLUE: Not being part of the local political system, outsiders might rat out corrupt acts to protect themselves against liability or reputational damage. That is why they must be removed.)

“Some of it may have been needed before, but certainly not now,” Yadao said. “We cut them as soon as possible.”

Yadao reports to the Stadium Authority board, so he got its go-ahead to make some moves.

O’Melveny, an international law firm, was getting $207,000 a month. It has been replaced by a local firm charging less than 10% of that.

Goldman Sachs was receiving $30,000 a month for, ironically, financial advice.

“I don’t need Goldman, I have her,” Yadao said, referring to Ebru Yilmaz-Pedro, the state employee who handles the stadium’s financial reports. “I feel the same way with communications and operations. We already have excellent professionals to do this work.” …

read … Dave Reardon: Yadao leans local to help get stadium done right | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Recent storms trigger widespread cancellations, stalling tourism rebound

SA: … The storms layered onto a broader convergence of pressures hitting travelers nationwide: rising airfares tied to higher fuel costs, staffing disruptions at U.S. airports during the partial federal government shutdown, and a U.S. State Department worldwide travel alert urging Americans to exercise increased caution due to geopolitical tensions.

“There has been an increase in traveler inquiries, particularly around airport operations, road closures, and how to visit in a way that supports rather than disrupts ongoing recovery efforts,” said Aaron J. Sala, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau, in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

“Floods, long TSA lines, rising fuel prices, and global travel alerts arriving simultaneously are driving higher levels of traveler concern and planning considerations.” …

read … Recent storms trigger widespread cancellations, stalling tourism rebound | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

The House Finance Committee Is Now Key To Pay-To-Play System

CB: ... In 2005, after a series of corruption scandals, lawmakers passed one of the most ambitious bans on contractor donations in the country. It was supposed to fundamentally change our political culture. But a loophole meant it applied only to contracting companies, not to their owners, executives or family members.

That loophole has defined the system ever since.

(IQ Test: See how this ‘reform’ game works?)

Now, the Legislature faces a critical choice: ~~fully close the loophole for good or again risk reforms that will leave the original~~ (find a new trick to create the illusion of self-reform in order to keep the) system of political influence intact….

House Bill 1519, introduced by House Judiciary Chair David Tarnas, arrived already compromised. It included a “same-branch” limitation that bans contractors from donating only to the branch that awards their contracts. More than 99% of state contracts are executed by the executive branch. That means the ban would largely apply to the governor and lieutenant governor, while leaving out state lawmakers who control the budget and decide which projects get funded….

(IQ TEST: Are you smirking? That smirk on your face means you are smarter than ‘Progressives’ who actually believe Legislators would pass a real reform bill.)

read … The House Finance Committee Is Now Key To Pay-To-Play Reform - Honolulu Civil Beat

HB1590: Airbnb As Tax Collector

CB: … Lawmakers are once again pressing ahead with a bill to squeeze more money out of the widespread short-term vacation rental operations in Hawaiʻi by requiring hosting platforms such as Airbnb to collect taxes on behalf of the state and counties.

House Bill 1590 would require hosting platforms that collect booking fees from vacation rentals to register as state tax collection agents, and hand over to the state the appropriate taxes. Under the bill, any platform that fails to do so would be liable for the taxes owed.

Similar bills were vetoed in 2016 and 2019 by former Gov. David Ige, who was concerned they would essentially be “legitimizing” or providing a “shield” for illegal vacation rental operations in Hawaiʻi, and would encourage more property owners to rent out their houses to tourists.

A veto seems unlikely this year because Gov. Josh Green’s administration introduced two bills — House Bill 2330 and Senate Bill 3150 — that would also have required hosting platforms to become tax collectors for vacation rentals….

read … Airbnb As Tax Collector? It's A Familiar Debate In The Legislature - Honolulu Civil Beat

All clear given at State Capitol anti-Trump rally after bomb threat scare

HNN: … Around 9:50 a.m., Honolulu police assisted state sheriffs with an evacuation after state Department of Law Enforcement canine units and the HPD Special Services Division responded to a possible explosive in the area.

Nearly three hours later, Honolulu police released a statement saying: “The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) and the Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) have reopened all roadways, as well the Hawaii State Capitol, following an earlier evacuation.”

Punchbowl, Richards, Miller and Beretania streets near the Capitol were closed off.

Officials said there was no longer a threat to the public and the planned ‘No Dictators’ protest will be moving back to the capitol….

SA: Demonstrators gather at the 'No Dictators' protest | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

KHON: 'No Dictators' protest evacuated due to possible threat: HPD

KITV: Possible bomb threat closes State Capitol, forces evacuation | Local | kitv.com

read … All clear given at State Capitol after bomb threat scare | Hawaii News Now

After Rains, Konawaena HS Shifts to failed ‘distance learning’ system

SA: … Hawaii public schools affected by this month’s Kona-low flooding are continuing their recovery efforts with more campuses reopening in the coming week, state Department of Education officials said.

Waialua High & Intermediate, Waialua Elementary and Haleiwa Elementary schools reopened Friday following professional cleaning and final safety checks, officials said.

Noelani Elementary in Manoa is scheduled to reopen Monday after professional cleaning and sanitation, while Hokulani Elementary is expected to resume in-person instruction on Thursday at two nearby schools during ongoing repairs, DOE officials said in a Friday news release. Students in grades PreK to 2nd will attend classes at Palolo Elementary, while students in grades 3rd to 5th will attend Ali’iolani Elementary School, but with their Hokulani teachers at the new sites….

On the Big Island, Konawaena Middle School and Ke Kula ‘O ‘Ehunuikaimalino are scheduled to reopen Thursday following professional cleaning and final safety checks, officials said. But Konawaena High School students will transition to distance ‘learning’ beginning Monday as repair and restoration work continues….

read … Storm-damaged Hawaii public schools continue recovery efforts | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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