Senator Hirono, therefore, is providing a strategic reminder that fierce advocacy can attract resources back home, even if it clashes with the local preference for subtlety. Which, despite our wish that it was not, is a more effective way to get things done in Washington DC.
The State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and the Hawai‘i Housing Finance & Development Corporation (HHFDC) have recently confirmed that the state contracts previously held by SMS Research & Marketing Services, which recently shut down operations, have been transferred to other entities.
It seems, the company has fallen on hard times, and its owner took out a loan to bridge the funding gap the company was experiencing, starting in August of 2024.
So the question now becomes more focused as to the current situation at hand, that a company with a large value, and with their work with Maui and the Lahaina wildfire, high profile studies, that in the matter of a few days, the company has shuttered its doors?
And if this shutdown stands, SMS becomes yet another reminder of the ever-changing landscape of businesses, of all kinds, in Hawai‘i.
If the green fee is passed, it will fund a captive insurance program to mitigate rate increases due to natural disasters, providing better economic security for the people of Hawai‘i. The state could argue that the fee is necessary to preserve and protect its residents amidst a brain drain driven by cost of living increases.
In the primary election, Tulba received over 10,000 votes despite a lower turnout compared to the 2020 general election. He had the lowest percentage of blank votes among the three unopposed Honolulu Council members.
Back in December of 2023, co-creator of Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman, and this blogger were discussing the upcoming election…
So then, and the premise of this piece, is “So, what if’ Scott Saiki loses to Kim Coco Iwamoto, who is in charge then?” It turns out that the answer is a lot harder to determine than even asking the question.
It is the time when the ballots are being sent out to registered voters. Some acquaintances of this blogger have…