Our View Editorials | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Editorial: DOE must make wise fiscal choices

None — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Among the many perks of living in Hawaii, an inspiring public school system is — regrettably — not one that readily comes to mind. A shame considering the high cost of living residents must pay, with disproportionately low salaries, into taxes that are subsequently invested heftily in the educational system.

Editorial: Many budget needs, but push for Hawaii housing

None — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Gov. Josh Green has officially released his proposed state budget, laying out would-be plans and priorities for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The document now goes to the Legislature — which must work with Green to fulfill ambitious objectives, including adding housing, building up the state’s health care workforce and funding climate-related necessities.

Editorial: Hopes high for Kalaeloa housing

None — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A proposed affordable apartment complex on former Navy land in Kalaeloa would more than quadruple needed affordable rental housing there — adding 260 new units to the 70 units offered at Hale Uhiwai Nalu, a former military-housing facility.

Editorial: Hawaii must gird for federal changes

None — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaii will be walking a political tightrope as the Trump administration 2.0 comes into power next month — though just how taut things will get is yet unknown. That’s why the state must prepare now, to hedge against federal financial pullbacks expected to come.

Editorial: Affordable housing for Kona hospital

None — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

West Hawaii is a growing area, with a population expected to increase 11% in the next 10 years. As such, it is plainly in line for an expansion of health-care capacity that a new hospital could provide.

Editorial: First DHHL high-rise must not be last

None — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

It’s been nearly 30 years since the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) acquired the property where the Stadium Bowl-o-Drome once stood. The property has been idle since 2004 — and the idea for converting Moiliili’s former bowling site into a rental apartment complex serving beneficiaries has been kicking around for as much as a decade.

Editorial: UH must make most of Navy pact

None — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaii’s tenuous relationship with the Navy reached a tipping point in November 2021, when a crisis at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility saw thousands of gallons of jet fuel gush into a fire suppression system and later contaminate a drinking water network serving some 93,000 people.

Editorial: Much convincing ahead on Oahu landfill site

None — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Under pressure of a state order to choose a new landfill site for Oahu, city officials announced Tuesday that they’d identified a preferred location — an agricultural site on Dole Food Co. property, northwest of the Dole Plantation tourist stop and Wahiawa.

Editorial: Hawaiian changes ready for takeoff

None — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Changes are coming for flyers using Hawaiian Airlines, as its new parent company, Alaska Air, revamps routes, planes and services to boost profits. They aren’t all for the better, but on balance, passengers have reasons to be glad the deal went through.

Editorial: City must reckon with HPD behavior

None — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Over the past month, new developments on two fatal shootings by Honolulu police and one related case of alleged police brutality have stirred public emotions about right and wrong. About crossing lines that are not clearly black or white. About the very nature of justice.

Editorial: Home tax keeps Hawaii in local hands

None — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The Honolulu City Council’s Bill 46, establishing a tax for residential properties left empty for more than six months of a year, has gone through a metamorphosis since its last public airing before the Council. It’s now far more palatable to locals and seems fully defensible against legal challenges.

Editorial: Court reiterates gun safety stance

None — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A Hawaii man now is due to face prosecution for carrying a handgun on private property, charges that were reinstated in February by the Hawaii Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up his appeal.

Editorial: Assess EMS to aid creative solutions

None — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Less than a year after Honolulu Emergency Medical Services (EMS) became the sole concern of the city Emergency Services Department (HESD) following an Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division spin-off, the ambulance service is facing scrutiny on reports of protracted response times due to long-standing staffing issues.

Editorial: Push visitor impact fee for Hawaii’s environment

None — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Since 2022, the state Legislature has failed to enact bills for a “green fee,” aimed at visitors to the islands and designed to narrow the gap between the state’s environmental protection needs and available funding. The upcoming legislative session is an opportunity to right that wrong.

Editorial: Stop stiffing Hawaii service workers

None — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

With yet another announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that a Hawaii business has shortchanged employees — this time by skimming off a portion of workers’ tips, in addition to failing to pay overtime — it’s time for a holiday-themed public service announcement to employers: Don’t do that.

Editorial: Japan tourism key turns with airport

None — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The post-pandemic return of Japanese tourists to Hawaii has been steady, but slow — an ongoing concern since these visitors have long been valued as mindful and respectful, and their spending notably helps to float the state’s economic boat. So every stride toward encouraging them back is very welcome — such as the recent full expansion of the Global Entry process at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport for Japanese citizens.

Editorial: Decide quickly on necessary landfill

None — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The city is walking a tightrope as it prepares to reveal next week “three potential paths” for creating a new landfill on Oahu. Problem is, not one of the locations scouted since 2022 as an alternative is legally viable.

Editorial: ’Tis the season for radical generosity

None — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

As holiday traditions go, Giving Tuesday is a relative newcomer, but it has shown its staying power. It was launched in 2012 as a project of New York City’s 92nd Street Y but now is operating globally as an independent nonprofit (online at www.givingtuesday.org) that pursues “radical generosity.”

Editorial: It is time for ‘empty homes tax’

None — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Honolulu has major housing problems, on two fronts: affordability and availability. Action is required in multiple ways to address these issues and make housing accessible to local residents — particularly young families and members of the workforce.

Editorial: Hawaii’s foster care kids need help — now

None — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaii’s Child Welfare Services (CWS) must overhaul its foster care operations, and the agency’s leadership has committed to get it done. There’s a catch, however: The full transformation is projected to take up to four years.

Editorial: Better watch out — for fraudsters

None — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

’is the season for holiday cheer, time with family and friends, gift-giving and feasts — and scams and fraud. With the shopping in full swing, culminating in Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday, consumers are out in force, swiping credit cards, withdrawing funds from ATMs and making multiple purchases online. All of which inevitably translates to increased activity from ne’er-do-wells.

Editorial: Time to embrace peace, be thankful

None — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Christmas usually edges out Thanksgiving in lists of Americans’ favorite holidays, but this year the annual family gathering around the dinner table is exceptionally well timed and particularly welcome.

Editorial: Public arts effort deserves viewers

None — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Early next year, the city will launch a public art initiative “Wahi Pana: Storied Places,” showcasing Oahu locations and landmarks by illuminating their cultural and historical significance. It’s a welcome move, foregrounding Hawaii’s art and artists, while involving communities — the contemporary source of Oahu’s culture — in the process.

Editorial: Hold tight against easing Hawaii gun laws

None — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaii can be a dangerous place, like any population center, but by one measure, perhaps it’s less so than it might be.

Editorial: Concrete plan for downtown stones

None — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Far from the waning sands of Oahu’s North Shore, another insidious erosion problem gnaws away at downtown Honolulu. Historic sidewalks, made from slabs of granite and over a century old, and volcanic rock curbs are being pulled up and replaced by the city — with batches of significant stone strewn in base yards, piled under freeway overpasses or irresponsibly discarded.

Editorial: Sharper eyes, actions needed on West Oahu crime

None — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Shocking incidents of violence have prompted increased official attention to crime in two very different parts of the island — Waikiki and the Waianae Coast — and focus is bringing results, according to reports in last week’s Star-Advertiser. That’s good news — and information that must be acted upon to keep the momentum going.

Editorial: More input, work on Oahu’s transit fares

None — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Fare changes for riders of TheBus, TheHandi-Van and Skyline are on the table. The city Department of Transportation Services (DTS) says that’s because transit system money is running short, by about $40 million.

Editorial: Simple safety can clip bird flu’s wings

None — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The sense of deja vu is hard to shake, after a viral outbreak that exploded to become the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Editorial: Take steps toward plastic bottle ban

None — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The Honolulu City Council has an opportunity to set an example for Oahu — and all Hawaii — by banning single-use plastic bottles at city facilities, then at city-sponsored events, in two phases over three-year periods.

Editorial: Keep open mind on Ala Wai bridge

None — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Is Ala Pono a bridge too far? That is at the center of a debate, underway for three years, about the planned pedestrian bridge over the Ala Wai Canal, crossing at the start of University Avenue.

Editorial: More outreach on sewer fee increase

None — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A proposed sewer fee increase currently under Honolulu City Council review could see resident and commercial customers shell out more than 124% above what they pay now. A substantial hike to roll out over a 10-year period, not many in the community are aware of the plan, but they should be. It falls to the city Department of Environmental Services (ENV), which runs Oahu’s largest sewage utility, to perform wide community outreach on this costly but necessary endeavor.

Editorial: Take Navy to task over fuel disaster

None — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The ugly reality of Red Hill has risen to the surface once again, and it’s much worse than previously divulged.

Editorial: Brace Big Isle STR rules, enforcement

None — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The Hawaii County Council is struggling with the proliferation of short-term rentals (STRs), which have taken residences off the market for locals and contributed to rising housing prices. Council Bill 121, tightening rules and turbo-charging enforcement, has been seen as a solution — but unfortunately, the county has been tussling over the bill now since November 2022.

Editorial: Keep Maui coastal protections strong

None — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

The reality of coastal erosion from sea level rise is intensifying statewide, revealing more situations of structures precariously perched at ocean’s edge, undermined by waves and dangerously close to being swept out to sea.

Editorial: Help MA‘O thrive in Makaha Valley

None — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

A gift of 249 acres in Makaha Valley from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation to MA‘O Organic Farms promises to open up additional opportunities and college assistance for young people interested in agriculture, while also adding to Oahu’s severely limited supply of affordable housing stock.

Editorial: City must decide on Queen Theater

None — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

How long can a diamond in the rough be allowed to languish before it loses its potential to shine? In the case of Kaimuki’s Queen Theater, which has deteriorated for nearly four decades since its closure, the project has waited long enough without the intervention it needs.

Editorial: Celebrate, honor all island heroes

None — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Today, let’s put aside the rancor, the bitterness, the divisiveness.

Editorial: Act decisively on condo sprinklers

None — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

One wonders whether members of the Honolulu City Council embraced the irony.

Editorial: More capacity for in-person voting

None — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

There’s a lot to like about Hawaii’s all-mail-balloting system, at least in theory. Every registered voter gets a ballot that they can fill out well ahead of Election Day and drop in a mailbox or in a ballot drop box. “Cast your vote in comfort,” the Office of Elections proclaims on its website. “Your ballot comes to you.”

Editorial: Shifting electorate signals discontent

None — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

While voters throughout Hawaii, overall, swung decisively toward Democratic candidates, there’s an indication of growing Republican loyalty among island voters. For both political parties, this could be an emerging trend to watch in solidly Democratic Hawaii — one that can’t be ignored, as witnessed on the national level with Donald Trump’s strong showing among diverse constituencies, including working-class and ethnic communities.