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
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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
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
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
Barely a week after the Honolulu Police Commission flagged Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan’s communications problems in his annual evaluation, he gave an unfortunate demonstration at his news conference on a tragic Waianae shooting that left four dead. Read more
My favorite editor, Bob Dubill, told me he liked this column I wrote 25 years ago so much he regularly reread it with his son. Read more
Kailua is hardly the center of Oahu’s homelessness problem, but almost any outing around town brings disturbing scenes. Read more
A couple of high-profile Democratic upsets were the compelling stories of the 2024 primary election. Read more
In Hawaii, political talk of age is discouraged, and that’s a mistake. It’s partly because we revere kupuna, believing wisdom comes with age. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Read more
After 33 years, Dana Ireland’s brutal slaying on the Big Island remains a crushing heartbreak for those touched by the tragedy and a disgraceful failure of the county’s law enforcement. Read more
