HOOSER: Winners, losers and contenders
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?
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
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
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
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.
HOOSER: Making your County Council short list
It seems every single day someone calls or emails me asking about various candidates running for election. I share with them my personal favorites, but also strongly encourage everyone to do just a little bit of homework and come to their own conclusions.
VOICES: ‘Guest house’ bill could boost Kaua‘i housing supply
Kaua‘i County lawmakers will soon have another chance to ease the island’s critical housing shortage when a bill comes before them that would allow existing Kaua‘i homeowners to build both accessory dwelling units and guest houses on their properties.
HOOSER: Results of policy and politics exercise
I wrote last week, “Contact each council candidate, ask them your questions, share your concerns, and compare their responses (or lack thereof) before making your final voting decision.”
HOOSER: A valuable policy and politics exercise
In 30 days or less voters will begin receiving their primary election ballot in the mail. Visit https://olvr.hawaii.gov to register or update your registration.
HOOSER: Unpacking the 2024 Kaua‘i primary
The upcoming primary election ballot for Kaua’i at first glance, looks a little boring.
HOOSER: What’s your na‘au got to do with it?
Someone said to me recently, “Why do you bother doing the work you’re doing? Nothing you or I do is going to make a difference.”
An important opportunity on Kaua‘i
As the Commanding Officer at Pacific Missile Range Facility, I want to highlight an important opportunity that is happening right now for everyone here on Kaua‘i.
HOOSER: Circumventing the charter
Governor Josh Green has signed Senate Bill 3202 into law. This new law effectively circumvents the Kaua‘i County Charter by transferring the power of subdivision approval in the urban district, from the Planning Commission to a single individual, the Kaua‘i planning director.
HOOSER: Honest review of impacts needed in Barking Sands
The Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands (PMRF) Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice (EISPN) is out, and at first read seems woefully inadequate.
HOOSER: HRS 343 rears its beautiful head
One of the most important laws on the books is Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (HRS) 343 also known as the Hawai‘i Environmental Protection Act (HEPA). Included in my now 70 years of life experience was a stint in 2012 as Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control (OEQC), the agency responsible for administering this law.
HOOSER: Good night and good riddance
It feels like the first day of a new year, in a policy and politics sense.
HOOSER: A ‘teachable moment’
While it’s likely too late to impact it’s passage, Senate Bill 3202 represents an important “teachable moment” for those interested in the legislative process (or lack thereof).
HOOSER: It’s shameful — politics at its worst
There was no shortage of new bombshells falling on the Hawai‘i public policy battlefield this past week. The New York Times reported for the whole world to see what many of us already know, “Pay-to-play is woven into the DNA of the statehood of Hawai‘i,” said Camron Hurt, director of Common Cause Hawai‘i.
HOOSER: Planning commission under siege
I received this bombshell of an email from an O‘ahu attorney and friend a few days ago:
HOOSER: Wisdom from a first grader
For Presidents’ Day, my incredibly smart 7-year-old granddaughter Isabella was asked by her first grade teacher to answer a single question: What would they do if they were president? My granddaughters response was: “If I were president I’d be kind to everyone.”