WHEN I RECEIVED THE NEWS THAT Marian had passed away in February 2023, I needed a few moments to process it. It felt like the world had opened and taken away someone good, leaving a little hole in my heart. Her passing symbolized a loss that I felt, and still feel months later, even with time.
Indeed, if you go back in the history of Hawai‘i aviation and the issues of ownership and who operated, the mere fact that an airline that was not “Hawai‘i based” came in to buy a “Hawai‘i based airline” that didn’t elicit an immediate hearing in the State Capitol on the merits of it told me that, indeed, the relationship between the people of Hawai‘i, its government officials, and its aviation options, has very much changed.
Along with the preparations for Thanksgiving dinner, the decorating of one’s house for the holiday season, and being sure that vacation time is put in for people, your elected government officials are also prepping for another type of season.
That is the start of the “fundraising season” for candidates up for election in the 2024 polls.
[I]fpeople are going to blame “someone” for this, it should be the politicians who took in information and direction from subject matter experts like Anthony Fauci and other scientists and added critical thinking of how to either work that suggestion on society or not.
With that, the question is whether the offensive will work, and whether will it be long enough to change residents’ minds about the ability of the US military to be “good neighbors”. To this blogger, time will tell with initial actions “sounding promising”.
The eight Republican caucus members who voted to vacate the chair should carefully consider their next moves. They should prioritize restoring confidence in our government, as opposed to causing further fractures that could lead to full-blown schisms and break down the legislative branch of our federal government.
So, to Oprah Winfrey, Politics Hawaii suggests that you don’t take the offer to go to Washington. Stay in Hawaiʻi, stay in Maui, the return on investment is better.
As a humble blogger, I find it challenging to fully comprehend the narrative and impact list of events such as the Lahaina fires. Nevertheless, when such a calamity occurs, the destruction and damage caused to a vast area are significant. It affects everything from structures to public infrastructure. Each item has a material name, and most of them come with a particular cost.
At times, an article for Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman comes together because of a question from a friend. In this case, an email asking about the recent “retirement” (or resignation) of Hawaii State Senator Gilbert Keith-Agaran, who represents Maui.
What is needed to respond to a crisis of this unimaginable magnitude is a big, bold, and outside-the-box idea to both protect Lāhainā from speculators and, in turn, protect those who call Lāhainā home and want to rebuild and return.