Opinion and analysis by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board. Get informed with columns and commentary, and submit a letter to the editor.
In a 1970 campaign speech, then-Lt. Gov. Tom Gill warned that the housing legislation of that era would be “a bonanza for developers” and not “necessarily produce any substantial amount of low-priced housing.” Read more
Yes, the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting’s (DPP’s) legendary backlog is really a thing. But a slew of “old and idle” applications — i.e., abandoned, untouched for more than a year after being volleyed back to applicants — isn’t helping with appearances. Read more
Mainland corporations are given millions of dollars by Hawaii insurance companies to interfere with decisions made between patients and their doctors, while patients struggle to find a primary care provider and clinics fail. Read more
The squeeze, unfortunately, is getting painfully tight. Amid today’s federal-agency upheavals, indiscriminate cutbacks and job losses, nonprofits are seeing demand rise for their social services and lifelines — even as their own supplies of support are being reduced. Read more
It was good that Hawaii started Akamai Arrival this month, a pilot program that digitized the agriculture declaration form that travelers entering this state must fill out. Read more
Regarding your article about unfilled police positions, City Councilmember Andria Tupola stated in a video on social media that she would ask for Honolulu Police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan to resign if numbers didn’t improve (“HPD seeks nearly $400M budget,” Star-Advertiser, March Opens in a new tab12) Opens in a new tab. Read more
Many universities offer free tuition for undergraduates from families having less than a certain level of income. Read more
In a Reuters article published on the Star-Advertiser website on Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson is quoted as saying that judicial injunctions against some of President Donald Trump’s orders “violate separation of powers when a judge thinks they can enjoin something that a president is doing, that the American people voted for.” Read more
The primary function, duty and reason for being of any government is to provide security for its people. Read more
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Republicans in Congress, senators in particular, decided to vote for the current executive branch department heads even though there is still ample evidence to indicate that these nominees are unqualified for the positions they hold. Read more
They’re somewhat wonky — especially for Oahu residents preoccupied by daily living costs — but highly consequential. Read more
Five years ago this month, life in Hawaii completely changed in response to the deadly, worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
In 2015, 21 young Americans charged the U.S. government with violating their constitutional right to life, liberty and property by promoting fossil fuels, endangering Americans’ health and America’s environmental stability. Read more
My heart breaks for Hawaii’s precious and imperiled freshwater resource. We all know that ola i ka wai, water is life, but we are not all living it. Read more
My concerns with the Ala Wai pedestrian bridge project center on the funding requirements and the impact the bridge will have on air quality in Waikiki. Read more
In an apparent damage control recovery effort, the Pentagon announced that the websites citing the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Navajo Code Talkers, Jackie Robinson’s military service and others were restored. Read more
According to the Pew Research Center, 60 United Nations member states (31%) have had a woman lead their government. As of October, women led the governments of 13 of the 193 member states of the U.N. Read more
Many of our federal departments and agencies are being crippled and no longer function to serve Americans. Read more
A shift is happening. Recent surveys from the Views of the Electorate Research Survey and the Public Religion Research Institute indicate a growing number of people believe women should return to more traditional gender roles at home, rather than in the workplace. Read more
Six years-plus after the city first solicited private partners to build and operate affordable rental housing in Ewa Beach, work is finally poised to begin. Read more
For 27 years, state Rep. Gene Ward has had a firm grasp on his office (Hawaii Kai-Kalama Valley) within the small Republican caucus of the state House. Read more
