Health Insurance in Hawaii Too Costly

Hawai'i's health insurance premiums grew an estimated 3.7 times faster than worker earnings during the past decade...the study by Families USA said family health care premiums jumped 94.2 percent during the period, while median earnings grew at a slower 25.7 percent pace.

--Honolulu Advertiser

Health care in Hawaii has never been one of the cheapest things in the world... but the government should try to make it one. The health of its citizens should be a moderate priority for government. We need to not only attract doctors to the islands but ensure that they will remain here.

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Waikiki Beach Restoration

The state has kicked off the environmental review process for a project to restore heavily eroded portions of Waikiki Beach, but work to bring in sand to widen the state's most famous coastline likely won't start until 2011. The project...is planned as the first modern erosion abatement project in Waikiki that the state will undertake with funding help from hotels.

--Honolulu Advertiser

Waikiki Beach, as the advertiser said, is completely man-made and should be man-maintained. It is therefore the responsibility of the citizens of Honolulu and the users of the beach to ensure it does. The problem is when it goes left unattended that serious problems develop which will have to be fixed by some serious dollars.

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$1000 Reward for Waiawa Arson Info

As yet another brush fire burned in Waiawa yesterday, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann joined police and fire officials in announcing a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons believed responsible for a string of recent fires.

--Honolulu Advertiser

This continues yesterday's episode of the sight of two men seen fleeing from one of the recent Waiawa brush fires. It's unacceptable to have this type of crime go lightly punished as this string of fires has cost the state thousands of dollars and impacted motorists on the H-2. Hopefully, the arsonists will be caught and be punished the maximum 10 years in jail. The public needs to make a point that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

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Suspected Arsonists, 11 Wild Fires

As police and fire officials announced yesterday that a rash of brushfires in the Waiawa Ridge area may have been intentionally set...that would make 11 such fires since early August in the area, which is in the vicinity of H-2 Freeway at Ka Uka Boulevard in Waipi'o.

--Honolulu Advertiser

This is terrible. Just like the firemen, I can't see a reason, a motive, to do something like this. We all work hard to preserve our natural resources, living in one of the most isolated places on the planet, and then something like this comes up and ruins all our hard work and tips the scale. We need to be intolerant of this type of crime, especially because we live in Hawaii.

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Hawaiian Airlines Vote for Strike

Hawaiian Airlines pilots have voted to authorize a strike, but a walkout is not imminent. The Hawaiian Airlines branch of the Air Line Pilots Association said today that 98 percent of those pilots who cast ballots authorized the union leadership to call a strike.

--Honolulu Advertiser

This is quite interesting. They say that there has never been a strike in the history of the Airlines, but the pilots have shown that they could end all that. Because it was just a vote, this will not affect the airlines operations unless the pilots "deem it necessary". I see most of these pilots as respectable men and women, and I say we should submit to their demands only to a certain point.

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Kamehameha Build Community in Kaka'ako

A master plan by Kamehameha Schools to remake 29 acres of its land in Kaka'ako into a largely high-rise residential community was approved yesterday by the state agency that oversees the area. The approval will allow Hawai'i's largest private landowner to break ground as early as next year....the buildout of the nine blocks between Restaurant Row and Ward Centers mauka of Ala Moana is anticipated to take 15 years and produce up to 2,750 homes with seven towers as well as low-rise buildings, some retail and park space.

--Honolulu Advertiser

This development will hopefully come as a relief for those searching for affordable housing. 55 homes will be "affordable" for those earning the median income while 395 homes will be available for those earning 140% of the median income. It will create thousands of full-time jobs and nearly ten thousand temporary jobs, as well as being home to a few local businesses.

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DHS Sued by Foster Kids, Abusers

Children who were abused by state-approved caregivers in a Wai'anae "House of Torture" have sued the state Department of Human Services and their victimizers. The Circuit Court lawsuit was filed on behalf of three minor children who were repeatedly assaulted when in the care of Rita Makekau and Gabriel and Barbara Kalama. The lawsuit alleges the state "acted negligently" when it approved the Kalamas as legal guardians.

The most disturbing part about this whole affair is that the Department of Human Services (DHS) fully knew that the Makekaus and Kalamas were part of the same nuclear family, hence the children would also be cared for by the Makekaus. If this is true is a whole different matter. But since we assume this is true, then the DHS is clearly at fault.

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Freeway Jimmy Sentenced

Earlier today, James "Freeway Jimmy" Taylor pleaded guilty to three charges of stripping copper from freeway lighting systems. His wife, Regina Foster, who managed finances of the gang, received the same sentence:

Taylor earlier pleaded guilty to three of four charges brought against him last
year. Ahn sentenced him today to serve concurrent 10-year prison terms for
criminal conspiracy, racketeering and money laundering.

--Honolulu Advertiser

The money made from the stolen copper wires was used to finance methamphetamine. The state needs to crack down harder on these types of criminals. It should make Taylor and his gang pay for the copper stolen (which amounted to over $500,000) and make an example of him to all future copper theifs. Someone needs to make a stand against crime.

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Hawaii: The "Mean" State

Two national homeless advocacy groups rank Honolulu as the eighth meanest city in the nation because of its treatment of the homeless. The report criticized city officials for their efforts in the last three years to close Kapiolani Park and beach parks on the Leeward Coast to camping and for shutting down parks and sending police to evict homeless campers.

--Honolulu Star Bulletin

This is absolutely unacceptable. The government can only worry about "closing the budget" while homeless wander the streets of the eight “meanest” city in America. This is questioning our moral standards and ethics. What is Hawaii coming to?

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