David Shapiro: Spotlight will soon shift from Legislature to Green
Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie was quoted as saying the Legislature runs the state three months a year and the administration the remaining nine. Read more
Volcanic Ash
David Shapiro: OHA too quick to reject latest ceded-lands proposal
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has made many costly misjudgments in decades of attempts to settle its ceded-lands dispute with the state, and trustees may have made another by too hastily rejecting a new proposal from House Speaker Scott Saiki. Read more
David Shapiro: Hawaii’s self-important senators need a dose of humility
You knew state Senate confirmation for Gov. Josh Green’s Cabinet nominees would be nasty from the unusually hostile reception they got at their first budget hearings before the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read more
David Shapiro: Fast action, slow action or no action, our ills go unsolved
It’s the last Sunday in March and time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused: Read more
David Shapiro: Mayor, Honolulu City Council asking big raises from handpicked panel
To understand the tone-deafness of our elected officials for the realities facing their constituents, look at the effort by Mayor Rick Blangiardi and the City Council to massively increase their salaries. Read more
David Shapiro: New stadium sees more political games than sports events
Who knows when the University of Hawaii will ever play football in a new Aloha Stadium, but the tangled project is serving endlessly as a political football. Read more
David Shapiro: ‘Dilbert’ creator’s bigotry no more than a sign of weakness
Having helped introduce the “Dilbert” comic strip to Hawaii readers in the 1990s, I took no pleasure in seeing its creator, Scott Adams, self-immolate in a racist tirade that caused the Honolulu Star- Advertiser and many other newspapers to discontinue the strip. Read more
David Shapiro: Who needs Wrestlemania with the Legislature in session?
It’s the last Sunday in February and time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused: Read more
David Shapiro: Don’t let UH become a plaything for pernicious politicians
I wrote last week arguing for term limits on state legislators: “Some amass money and power over decades, lording over state agencies like personal fiefdoms — often acting out of favoritism or grudge.” Read more
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser's and Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.
David Shapiro: Self-interested state legislators duck term limits once again
Predictably, state House members put on their dancing shoes and moonwalked around the call of their government reform panel for term limits on state legislators. Read more
David Shapiro: We need more than talk about managing Hawaii tourism
There appears to be broad agreement among the public and political leaders that the record 10 million visitors to Hawaii in 2019 was near the maximum we can comfortably handle, and that we must better manage tourism to preserve our quality of life. Read more
David Shapiro: Brutal death of Hilo couple wrenches a community’s soul
News of incomprehensible violence driven by psychopathic grievance has become so commonplace in our country that we’re almost numb to it. Read more
David Shapiro: Mayor, Council must ease doubt about Oahu tax valuations
Most disturbing is a suggestion by City Council Budget Chairman Calvin Say that the high assessments were the result of pressure from lawmakers or public worker unions to increase the revenue pool for collective bargaining pay raises. Read more
David Shapiro: Our New Year’s serving of chicken soup for the clueless
It’s a new year, and we at Volcanic Ash continue our tradition of starting fresh by offering public officials we may have offended in 2022 inspirational quotations from the world’s great minds to lift them to greater heights. Read more
David Shapiro: It was a year to remember — for all the wrong reasons
Before we forget 2022, let’s review its most befuddling news “flASHback” style: Read more
David Shapiro: Tidings to help put on your ‘It’s just what I wanted!’ face
Nobody wants to read about political foibles on Christmas morning, so instead I share with you some of my favorite quotations about the holidays: Read more
David Shapiro: More of us can be replaced with robots than we think
The last time I went into a McDonald’s I was greeted not by a person to take my order, but by an ATM-like device where I selected my burger, charged it to my credit card and was directed to an unmanned counter to pick it up. Read more
David Shapiro: Hawaii in trouble if high court shackles U.S. prosecutors
Hawaii has relied on federal prosecutors to expose widespread official corruption that’s tarnished the state and all four counties, with local law enforcers contributing little to cleaning out the rot. Read more
David Shapiro: With David Ige, what we saw was usually what we got
A fair summary of David Ige’s eight years as Hawaii’s governor is that he didn’t promise much and didn’t deliver much. Read more
David Shapiro: Winning is winning, whether the voters show up or not
It’s the last Sunday in November and time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused: Read more
David Shapiro: When a phone can be so much more
I disapprove of such behavior and know when to put my phone away, but if you’re thinking this will be a tirade against technology and antisocial youth, you would be wrong. Read more
Having trouble finding what you need? Try using our search feature.
Subscriber Favorites
Rickey Henderson, baseball’s flamboyant ‘Man of Steal,’ dies at 65
San Diego State beats Wahine basketball team with shot in final seconds
High surf warning for most north, west shores extended
Suspect in Don Quijote standoff charged with property damage
Honolulu firefighters quickly douse 2 house fires
More Editors' Picks
North Shore huge waves bring power, respect and danger
Hawaii Ethics Commission plans penalty system akin to traffic fines
David Shapiro: Even promiscuous faith can help center the soul
Kokua Line: Why is rebuilding Kalapawai Roundabout so slow?
Iam Tongi’s holiday list includes family, fireworks and shows
