Editorial: Sharply eye costs of tourism budget
The pressure is on the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to scale back its spending aspirations, and that’s coming straight from the top — the governor’s office. Read more
Opinion and analysis by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board. Get informed with columns and commentary, and submit a letter to the editor.
The pressure is on the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to scale back its spending aspirations, and that’s coming straight from the top — the governor’s office. Read more
Earlier this year, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago made the difficult decision to transition away from 75 government contracts, beginning this past summer. Read more
It’s encouraging that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to stay out of the lawsuit filed by the City and County of Honolulu against oil companies over their role in global warming. Read more
The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) is upgrading ePlans, its electronic permit review system, moving operations to a cloud-based system and installing speedier, more responsive software that streamlines communication between permit applicants and city reviewers. Read more
Gov. Josh Green’s recent trip to Washington, D.C., where he advocated against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as health secretary, was an inspiring example of leadership. Read more
Thank you, Star-Advertiser, for the comprehensive reports on attempts and failures to enforce Hawaii’s laws against illegal fireworks. Read more
I read a recent letter and one of my first thoughts was, how does New York City, which has trash pickup restrictions and a population eight- fold of Honolulu, do it (“Not much can be done about early trash pickups,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 6)? Read more
As America mourns the death of its 39th president, James Earl Carter Jr., it is time to look back and appreciate his accomplishments. Read more
Let us be clear: There is no need for Hawaii’s legislators to reverse the historic state income tax cuts that were enacted during the 2024 legislative session. Read more
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There is no such thing as “too much information” when it comes to guidance for programs to address Hawaii’s homelessness problems. Read more
Despite its prominent location on the main drag in Kaimuki, the Queen Theater has been vacant for decades, deteriorating in spite of many unsuccessful entreaties to the owner to either sell the building or have it renovated. Read more
It never fails. When a disaster on the scale of the L.A. wildfires strikes, there are those trying to take advantage of our better impulses. Read more
There are many innocent victims in the New Year’s Eve fireworks tragedy. People who lived across the street, next door and two and three houses away had windows blown out and shattered. Read more
Went to sleep New Year’s Eve happy after enjoying my neighbor’s extravagant aerial fireworks show. Woke up to news of the horrific tragedy in Salt Lake and, like everyone else, I am completely devastated. Read more
Recent Star-Advertiser columns on public health were a discussion of “opponents versus rivals” in an attempt to normalize the worst of both (“Trump’s picks for top health jobs are not just a team of rivals — but a ‘team of opponents,’” Insight, and “Amid hit job on U.S. public health, wiser spirit in isles,” Island Voices, Dec. 29). Read more
In the depths of my nightmare, I awoke only to find myself trapped in a chilling reality. Donald Trump had won the election and his inauguration loomed ominously on Jan. 20. Read more
I’m frustrated by the tendency to blame Israel for the tragic deaths in Gaza, as seen in the recent letter “Women and girls in Gaza should have right to live” (Star Advertiser, Jan 8). Read more
The 2022 scandalous arrests — followed by guilty pleas — of former Hawaii Senate Majority Leader Kalani English and House Finance Vice Chair Ty Cullen for taking bribes to influence wastewater legislation prompted several ethics reforms at the Legislature. Read more
For longtime kamaaina, there’s something comforting about having Macy’s around, even as the days of any conventional department store are waning. Read more
Stark figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) latest Point-in-Time (PIT) count reveal a whopping 87% increase in Hawaii homelessness between 2023 and 2024, with primary blame laid on the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires. Read more
In view of the wildfires in Southern California last week, President Joe Biden pledged that the federal government would throw every available resource at the blazes. Read more