One is accused of drifting from the mission it was founded upon. The other is accused of holding to its mission so tightly that it may now violate the law. Different places, different histories — but both face the same question: how does an institution stay true to its purpose when the world keeps changing the rules around it?
The airport’s inclusion wasn’t destiny; it was a decision, argued and voted into being, but credit is due where it’s due: Charles Djou saw the value of that alignment long before the city did. When we ride past after October 16, 2025, it’s worth remembering that what feels inevitable today was once anything but.
Charlie Kirk’s passing now poses the same challenge for TPUSA: can an organization built on his energy adapt to new leadership, or will it remain frozen as a reflection of its founder?
With that, how did Politics Hawaii do in the awards? First, a setup – Politics Hawaii went in for six awards this year, including the coveted A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting (for the SMS shutdown saga). That was one of two awards this year that came with monetary prizes, a fact that the emcees noted in their presentation.
Three different developments have come about that this blog would like to share with its readers. Two of them are recognizing it for things published or how they are received, and one is about how this publisher was able to resurrect a Facebook site dedicated to promoting this blog.
On Wednesday evening, May 22, 2024, the Politics Hawaii with Stan Fichtman blog formally discontinued any further use of “X” (formally known as Twitter).
But for my first effort, I will be straight with you. – I wrote a sloppy piece that should have never seen the light of “e-day” (when it gets published on the website). And I am happy that I got called out, forcing me to take it down.
There was no bread broken between the Senators and the University of Hawaii at the HISSI conference. And judging by the efforts of Senators to try and “make peace”, it would seem that there is a long way to go on that front, too.
The three questions, and the answers I gave, helped reaffirm to me the notion that, yes, this place we call home, either in our heart or as a concept, is still worth the investment we make into it.
It still is worth it.
I realized that Pono was way more than what his resume said he was capable of. This guy was a deep thinker and had a very tuned ear as to how things were in Hawaii above and beyond so many others in various leadership positions.