Guest Archives - The Garden Island

HOOSER: A New Kaua‘i Council Dynamic

Nov. 20, 2024

Congratulations to former Councilmember Arryl Kaneshiro and our brand new Councilmember Fern Anuenue Holland, both of whom recently won election to the Kaua‘i County Council.

HOOSER: To those candidates who lost

Nov. 13, 2024 • Updated 7:10 p.m.

Losing sucks, but please don’t blame the voters.

HOOSER: It’s time to pivot local

Nov. 06, 2024 • Updated 7:48 p.m.

No matter what happens in Washington, D.C., in the coming days, here in Hawaii we need to take a deep breath and turn our focus immediately toward local issues.

HOOSER: Political inspiration from jersey No. 6

Oct. 30, 2024 • Updated 6:18 p.m.

He doesn’t know me at all and I only know him as jersey No. 6. He’s probably 9 years old, maybe 10. His actions on the soccer field this past Saturday should make us all very proud, and remind us of how civil society is supposed to act.

HOOSER: Candidates on a string — super PACs at work

Oct. 23, 2024 • Updated 7:45 p.m.

The biggest threat to democracy is not unregulated immigration, but rather the unregulated and unlimited flow of money into political campaigns on both sides of the aisle.

HOOSER: One vote can make a difference

Oct. 16, 2024 • Updated 12:42 p.m.

So who you going to vote for?

Hooser: A voter’s conundrum

Oct. 10, 2024 • Updated 9:30 p.m.

Recently I received an email asking a simple and straightforward question that quickly became entangled in complicated thoughts and counter-thoughts.

HOOSER: Reorganizing the state House without the nuance

Oct. 03, 2024 • Updated 7:21 p.m.

“I’m now curious: How does the Speaker get that position — is it a public vote or in-house vote by the other reps?”

HOOSER: The movement for legislative change

Sep. 25, 2024 • Updated 6:33 p.m.

So what happens next? There’s the general election of Nov. 5, the 2025 legislative session, the movement for legislative reform, and yes it’s not too early to be thinking about the 2026 elections.

TAX MAN: Raise your awareness with the Hawaii Budget Primer 2024

Sep. 23, 2024

This week we wanted to bring special attention to a 32-page pamphlet recently published by the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, simply called “Hawaii Budget Primer 2024-25.”

Hooser: How does Speaker Nadine Nakamura sound?

Sep. 19, 2024

According to the coconut wireless, Representative Nadine Nakamura, who represents District 15 on Kauai (Haena, Wainiha, Hanalei, Princeville, Kilauea, Anahola, Kealia, Kapaa, portions of Wailua and Kawaihau), will likely become the next Speaker of the State House of Representatives.

HOOSER: The back side of the baby boomer curve

Sep. 12, 2024 • Updated 7 p.m.

The back side of the baby-boomer curve

Hooser: Pause, reflect, recharge, regroup and go again

Sep. 04, 2024 • Updated 7:36 a.m.

I’m sitting at reflexion, heading toward recharge, knowing with certainty that quitting is never an option.

Hooser: A challenge to Kauai incumbents?

Aug. 28, 2024

On or about Oct. 11, General Election ballots will begin arriving in the mail boxes of each and every registered voter in the state. It will all be over with on Nov. 5, and by 7:30 p.m. or so we’ll know who the winners are.

Hooser: Legislative reform — a tipping point

Aug. 21, 2024

Kim Coco Iwamoto’s win against 30-year incumbent, representative and Speaker of the House for the past six years, Scott Saiki, is a truly historic achievement.

HOOSER: Winners, losers and contenders

Aug. 14, 2024

Honestly, the Aug. 10 Kaua‘i primary election was pretty boring, unless of course you are council member Billy DeCosta, Ana Mo Des, Clint Yago or Jeffrey Linder, who all fell short of expectations.

HOOSER: Who are the worst voters on Kaua‘i?

Aug. 07, 2024

Who actually shows up to vote? Who are the super voters, those people who never ever fail to show up and vote?

HOOSER: Get off the couch and vote

Jul. 31, 2024

In 2022, 60 percent of primary voters or 513,715 Hawai‘i residents did not bother to vote. They chose to not even open an envelope, check off a few boxes, put it back in the return envelope and walk it out to the mail box.

HOOSER: Primary Election time, ballots arriving in mail

Jul. 24, 2024

Ballots have arrived in the mail. It’s game on. The Primary Election concludes on Aug. 10. If you have not received your ballot by now you should check with the office of elections to make sure you are registered at https://elections.hawaii.gov.

HOOSER: A prescription for political trauma

Jul. 17, 2024

The world is in turmoil, I cannot fix it, so I’m going for a walk. In solitude and silence except for the wash of the waves and the chirping of the birds, I will walk along the beach for an hour or two, and I’ll feel better.

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