Proposed Pay Hikes for State Leaders Spark Outrage
State legislators meet once a year for 60 business days from mid-January to late April or early May. Right now, each lawmaker makes $74,160 a year. The commission is proposing a 40% raise in 2027, the first year they are allowed an increase, to $103,824.
Cochran Absent From House Floor 80% So Far This Session; Lawmaker Cites ‘Illness in the Family’
Democratic West Maui Rep. Elle Cochran has the second-highest rate of full-day absences so far this year at 80%, second-only to Republican Rep. Gene Ward, who has been absent every day through the 20th day of this year’s lawmaking session.
Hawaiʻi Homeowners Could Be Paid to Carve Out Workforce Housing
The state Legislature is considering a new approach that would allow homeowners to sell a deed restriction on their property to a county, provided they only allow occupants who work at least 30 hours in that county.
This Program for Homeless People to Get Back to the Continent Needs Permanent Funding
With funding set to run out at the end of 2026, Hawaiʻi lawmakers are considering a bill that would make the project permanent. House Bill 212 passed its first hurdle this session and is still advancing.
The State Subsidized Preschool Program Is Accepting Applications
Families with 3- or 4-year-olds born between Aug. 1, 2020, and July 31, 2022, can apply. Families of eligible children will receive a subsidy linked to their needs and the type of preschool they choose.
DEA Shifts Focus of Arrests to Include Immigration Violations in Honolulu
The DEA’s Los Angeles field office, which includes Hawaiʻi, has been collaborating with Homeland Security Investigations on raids in multiple states in search of people illegally in the country with past drug violations.
Could a Pre-Fab Factory Get More Native Hawaiians Into Homes?
DHHL wants to transform an airport hanger into a manufacturing center to lower costs and address a waitlist so long that people have died waiting for homestead land.
Owners of 3 Shuttered Businesses Sue HART for More Than $2 Million
A new civil complaint alleges actions taken by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation forced a trio of seafood- related businesses out of business in Chinatown.
A Rare Conviction for Selling Illegal Fireworks Ends With Supervised Release
A Kapolei man avoided jail time but was given a $5,000 fine on Wednesday for the distribution of illegal fireworks, representing a rare win in the state’s crackdown on unlicensed pyrotechnics.
Public Invited to Complete HPD Satisfaction Survey
Hawaiʻi Police Department Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz invites members of the public to take the department’s community satisfaction survey now through 4 p.m. on Feb. 28.
Sen. Lorraine Inouye Secures More State Funding for Hilo Airport Improvements
On Wednesday, Inouye announced that Gov. Josh Green released $593,500 in funding to finance the replacement of cesspools with individual wastewater systems at the airport.
Gas Grill Explosion at a Kaʻanapali Beach Condo Leaves 7 People Injured; Preliminary Investigation Points to Petroleum Gas
The Maui Police Department responded to 2481 Kāʻanapali Parkway after Central Dispatch received multiple reports of an explosion at the location at approximately 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20.
VA Representatives Will Aid Kauaʻi Veterans in Applying for Expanded Benefits Next Month
Veteran Affairs representatives will be hosting an enrollment event in Kauaʻi next month to help veterans suffering from toxic exposure-related conditions apply for the largest expansion of benefits in decades.
It appears some of us are upset that the Hawaii State Legislature is proposing a 40% pay raise for state leaders. The pay hike would boost some annual pay rates to over $103,000. Although most state lawmakers feel they are doing a good job of spending taxpayer money on a variety of projects, I disagree. As a Hawaii State resident for over 66 years, I feel there are several worthwhile ideas that never seem to bear fruit. Among them are strict fireworks controls-do we really need more people killed by illegal fireworks?
Another area of contention is the myth of affordable housing. Granted, the state is now making more land available for homes. but at what price? What family can afford the almost a $1 million needed to live in a house these days?
What are we going to do about food sustainability? Hawaii imports a staggering amount (estimated by some experts to be 80-90 percent) of our food stocks. How do we feed ourselves with the limited land available? What happens when shipping to the islands is interrupted by an entire spectrum of disasters–some human-made, others by natural causes?
And, finally, there is the disposition of funds from OHA. The wait list for Native Hawaiians is embarrassing and inexcusable.
I would be in favor of a pay increase for state leaders, if they paid attention to the basic shelter, food, and social issues besetting many of us. Forget formal proclamations for nearly everything under the sun, and get to work on making our communities livable.
Very soon the policies of the current administration in Washington, D.C. will impact Hawaii. Are we prepared to live without federal programs? What are we doing to make us sustainable? Just look at what the UH system has to do to keep the $400 million in federal funds needed to run a wide educational spectrum. Recent articles in the “Honolulu Star-Advertiser” can bring you up to date on this and other issues.
Even if my comments offend you, please sit down, think the problems through, and contact your state legislators with your concerns.
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kh6jrm@gmail.com
I am the retired news director of Pacific Radio Group stations on the Island of Hawaii. I am a retired Lt. Col., USAF Reserve. I am a FCC-licensed Amateur Radio Operator, holding the Amateur Extra Class License. I am a substitute teacher for the state of Hawaii Department of Education.
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