Hawaii Daily News Read

Sunday, November 1, 2026

November 1, 2026 News Read

By Andrew Walden @ 12:06 PM :: 129 Views

What does it take for any other Hawaii News Outlet to Mention Lahaina Strong’s Meth Connections?

HJI: … IN PARAGRAPH #33 … “Kiakona said Lahaina Strong’s message reflected “the fuel and the feeling of what was happening around us” after the trauma of the fire that killed at least 102 people. He said Lahaina Strong has “suffered silently” through misinformation, racist comments and attempts to scapegoat him for his father’s drug convictions, when “his mistakes are not my mistakes.” He said people focus on the controversy rather than the money they raised for local families, the neighborhood watch they launched to curb theft and the disaster case management work they’ve done.” …

(CONCLUSION: That’s it. After three years of Lahaina Strong grifting, and a year of political campaigning, this, buried in paragraph #33 of an HJI article, is the closest other reporters get to mentioning the meth gang that is the backdrop for everything that Lahaina Strong is. And only because Kiakona himself injected meth into the story. Why did Kiakona do that? Because everybody in Lahaina knows who he is, voters are getting in his face about it, and he can’t escape the reality. On Nov 3 some people will vote FOR Kiakona because of the mafia and others will vote against him because of the mafia. Openly-operating mafia candidates have won Hawaii races before, for instance Billy Kenoi, best friend of Pali Shooter Malu Motta. We will soon see which group of voters is more numerous in Lahaina.)

REALITY THAT NO OTHER NEWS OUTLET DARES TO REPORT: Meet the Meth Gang Behind ‘Lahaina Strong’

And more: Ethics Complaint Exposes Ties Between Maui Councilmembers, Lahaina Charity Fraud, and Lobbyists

And more: PHOTOS: 'Lahaina Strong' Leaders Show Off Luxe European and Asian Vacations

read … In West Maui, Democrat-turned-Republican defends House seat against Lahaina Strong organizer, local business advocate - Hawaii Journalism Initiative

Honolulu expecting election day surge of in-person voting – and once again, the plan is to make them wait 5 or 6 hours to vote

SA: … With early returns of mail-in ballots from Oahu voters continuing to lag by about 20% compared to the same point in the last midterm general election in 2022, Honolulu elections officials are bracing for a last-minute surge in-person voting Tuesday, which could once again delay the release of election results statewide….

(TRANSLATION: Mail-in, ie Democrat, votes are down sharply due to corruption scandals depressing Dem turnout. Meanwhile, election officials are running the usual scheme to suppress Election Day, ie Republican, voters by having limited and very distant polling places—for instance on Kapiolani Hale and Honolulu Hale for the entire island of Oahu. The intentional result will be long 4-5-6 hour lines, as usual. The upshot: Republicans may make gains in Legislative races.)

AS EXPLAINED: Long Lines Suppress Votes on Election Day: Election Officials Plan to do it Again in 2026

read … Honolulu expecting election day surge of in-person voting | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Races To Watch In Hawaiʻi’s Nov. 3 Election

CB: … Bissen is in a tight race with council member Yuki Lei Sugimura to retain his seat as Maui mayor, amid explosive allegations. Three weeks ago, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier claimed the mayor was the subject of two criminal investigations….

In West Maui, Paele Kiakona, (son of convicted meth kingpin Moses Kiakona), is vying to become the first Green Party candidate to be elected to the Legislature….

The rivalry between Micah Aiu and Garner Shimizu for this House seat could hinge on gift giveaways and how voters react to such efforts to court them. Three weeks ago, Aiu – who previously held the District 32 seat – held a campaign rally with an unusual promotion: A chance for attendees to win either a free 55-inch Samsung television or roundtrip airfare to Las Vegas.

Shimizu, the Republican incumbent, accused Aiu of ethical lapses. That prompted some to question a Shimizu campaign mailer that offered folks an ‘Ohana Card, granting them, among other things, a $16 admission to the Ice Palace in ʻAiea…

If Republicans can secure just one additional House seat, the House rules will allow them to force roll call votes on the House floor, giving the GOP a bit more clout. …

read … 10 Races To Watch In Hawaiʻi’s Nov. 3 Election - Honolulu Civil Beat

Political machine revs up for more Honolulu rail taxes

Shapiro: … The counties are expected to push hard in next year’s Legislature for a forever extension of the 0.5% general excise tax surcharge that started out as a 15-year tax to build Honolulu rail and later was extended twice and expanded to the other counties.

Honolulu wants it to expand the unfinished and grossly overbudget rail line; other counties say they need it for their own transportation projects.

State lawmakers are leery because they lust after scooping the tax and its more than $350 million in annual revenues for their own needs when the rail surcharge expires in 2030.

Taxpayer alert: Nobody’s proposing to give relief by keeping the original promise of ending the surcharge upon completion of the initial rail line, which was supposed to have occurred six years ago.

In fact, if legislators try to satisfy everybody with another back-door tax increase like they pulled with the hotel room tax, we could end up paying yet an additional .5% on the goods and services we buy.

The half-percent excise tax surcharge, from 4% to 4.5%, took effect in 2007 and was planned to phase out in 2022, with the rail line from Kapolei to Ala Moana Center — then expected to cost $5.2 billion — fully open and completely paid for.

But overruns that drove construction costs to $10 billion today forced the Legislature to extend the tax twice — first to 2027 and then to 2030.

Honolulu desperately wants a permanent extension to pay for high rail operating costs and likely overruns on the final leg now being built through the civic center….

Oct 24 2026: HART Burns Another $652M While Pushing for Big $4.8B GE Tax Hike

read ... David Shapiro: Political machine revs up for more Honolulu rail taxes | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Gov. Green’s policy shortcomings, lax oversight are concerns

SA: … Green should not receive another term because under his watch, state funds have been mismanaged, corruption scandals have shaken public trust, and urgent problems like housing have seen too little progress….

read … Column: Gov. Green’s policy shortcomings, lax oversight are concerns | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

HI-10: Bottle Tax Increase on Legislative Agenda for 2027

SA: … “the state with the most successful program is Connecticut, with a redemption rate ranging between 92% and 97%. Among the factors driving that state’s success is the increase in the deposit itself, from 5 cents to 10 cents, effective Jan. 1, 2024.”

(TRANSLATION: Bottle Tax hike coming to Hawaii.)

The one advantage of the fat bank account for the Hawaii Deposit Beverage Container fund — again, now at $105 million — is that there is money to ~~make some investments that will be needed to smooth the path to a successful program~~ (raid)….

(TRANSLATION: $105M worth of bottles not ‘recycled.’)

Most of these materials are still being packed and shipped off-island (to be dumped in the jungle on Borneo)….

read … Editorial: Make HI-5 recycling program more effective | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Retaliation: Tax department ‘whistleblower’ now under investigation after director ‘cleared’ of allegations

SA: … Min Meng, the Tax Department’s administrative services officer and its former human resources specialist, claims the state has violated state and federal whistleblower protection laws and is retaliating against him for the allegations against Suganuma he originally made Sept. 24, 2025….

On Oct. 16, Meng wrote to state legislators and his union, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, that “the investigation may violate protections afforded under the Hawaii Whistleblower Protection Act.”

Meng wrote that he informed state Attorney General Anne Lopez and Brenna Hashimoto, director of the state Department of Human Resources Development — two cabinet-level positions in Gov. Josh Green’s administration — and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission in September 2025 that he considered his original complaint to be protected whistleblower activity….

DOTAX Insanity: Tax Delinquencies up 15%--Will Josh Green Reappoint Director?

Not Anonymous: Employees Demand ‘Investigation’ of DoTax Director Suganuma

read … Tax department ‘whistleblower’ now under investigation after director cleared of allegations | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Economic woes have residents leaving Hawaii, delaying retirement

SA: … Hawaii’s relatively low unemployment rate might suggest a healthy labor market. But the number of people working does not necessarily reflect whether those jobs pay enough to support a household.

Steven Bond-Smith, a researcher with the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, said Hawaii’s unemployment rate was 2.9% in September compared with 4.2% nationally. The state’s underemployment rate, which includes people working part time who want more hours and people who have stopped looking for work, was also below the national average.

But Hawaii has a smaller share of workers in several traditionally higher-paying occupations.

Management accounts for 6.9% of Hawaii’s jobs, compared with 7.2% nationally. Business and finance occupations make up 4.8% of isle jobs, compared with 6.8% nationally, while computing jobs account for 1.9%, compared with 3.4% nationally.

Meanwhile, the food service industry accounts for 13.2% of Hawaii’s jobs, compared with 8.8% nationally, and cleaning occupations account for 5.2%, compared with 2.9% nationally.

Bond-Smith said those differences have persisted for at least two decades, suggesting they are not simply a temporary labor shortage but a structural feature of Hawaii’s economy.

“It’s really that Hawaii just has fewer good jobs, but it can’t really be called a shortage,” he said. “It’s more an unfortunate feature of our economy.”

Even workers in higher-paying occupations often earn less than their counterparts on the mainland.

The typical accountant in Hawaii earns about $74,500 annually, compared with $83,680 nationally. Software developers earn about $124,040, compared with $135,980 nationally.

Bond-Smith said the state’s economy is heavily concentrated in industries such as tourism and the military, leaving fewer opportunities for growth in other sectors….

BACKGROUND: High cost of Living, Lack of Opportunity 'Equalize' Hawaii

read … Economic woes have residents leaving Hawaii, delaying retirement | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Bet On It - Hawaiʻi’s Lawmakers Will Again Mull Gambling

CB: … Kalshi is writing campaign checks, as are other gaming interests that either want Hawaiʻi to open itself to gambling or stay closed….

read … Beth Fukumoto: Bet On It - Hawaiʻi’s Lawmakers Will Again Mull Gambling - Honolulu Civil Beat

'I Have To Be Involved': Natalie Iwasa Has Been Rocking The Boat For 20 Years

CB: … The Hawaiʻi Kai accountability advocate has advice for other residents who want to tackle community issues….

read … 'I Have To Be Involved': Natalie Iwasa Has Been Rocking The Boat For 20 Years - Honolulu Civil Beat

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