Honolulu City Council members, having just filled their pockets with piggish 64% raises that took their pay from $69,000 to $113,000, now are conniving to stick around longer to enjoy their booty. Read more
One idea from Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s State of the City speech caught my attention most. Read more
Many Arizonans are up in arms over a tentative proposal by their part-time state legislators to double their pay. Read more
An annoyance of these angry political times is overheated language that runs from the Orwellian to the profane. Readers are always sending me examples that irk them. Read more
State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim proposed a Trumpish bill to regulate Hawaii journalists, imposing fines or bans on those who displease the state. Read more
The leading advice for Democrats to regain national political relevance is to focus less on DEI and cultural wokeness and more on the cost of eggs. Read more
We surely need to make our government leaner and more efficient, but there are decent and orderly ways that acknowledge the humanity of those losing their livelihoods. Read more
There’s a satisfying ring of justice in the settlement of the last federal criminal cases stemming from the corruption of former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his prosecutor wife, Katherine. Read more
A quarter-century ago, Colleen Hanabusa and Margery Bronster were protagonists in one of Hawaii’s great political feuds. Read more
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When Brian Schatz joined the U.S. Senate in 2012, he was the youngest of Turks at 40 and determined to build a long and influential career like his legendary predecessor, Daniel Inouye. Read more
There’s been hand-wringing from the political left about a constitutional crisis if Donald Trump ever refuses to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling he doesn’t like. Read more
The affinity I developed for public libraries leaves me pained to see the struggles they now face in Hawaii and around the country. Read more
Kamala Harris gave a classy concession speech when it was clear she’d lost the election for president, and managed the traditional congratulatory call to Donald Trump — the opposite of what Trump did when he lost four years ago. Read more
When Colleen Hanabusa announced after a heated dispute with rail CEO Lori Kahikina that she’d step down as chair of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation at some future point, reporters qualified it with words to the effect of “whatever that means.” Read more
I’ve gotten questions from readers on how to vote on City Charter ballot question No. 4, changing the way City Council pay raises are determined. Read more
What’s encouraging about the hiring of a new University of Hawaii president is that it attracted true up-and-coming applicants this time after several cycles in which top candidates stayed away because of the poisonous politics surrounding UH. Read more
When business and high emotions come into conflict in politics, emotions often win. Read more
Honolulu rail CEO Lori Kahikina gets mixed marks on running a railroad, but she’s an ace when it comes to boardroom politics. Read more
I track the state of Twitter, now called X after its takeover by the imperious and conspiratorial Elon Musk, by occasionally checking the feed of Hawaii U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, among the most social-media savvy in Congress. Read more
A great shame of 2023’s Lahaina fire, which killed 102, was that officials received the gift of all the information needed to avert tragedy but disregarded it and saw the horror unfold. Read more
The buzz in Hawaii’s Nov. 5 general election will come from the presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Read more
