10 Must Read Stories From The Week Of Sept. 17 – 21
Perhaps the biggest news of the week took place in Washington, D.C.
Honolulu city leaders and officials with the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation were back in DC to woo the Federal Transit Administration and key congressional leaders. The city and HART are getting a bit anxious over approval of about $1.5 billion in federal money — about 30 percent — of the estimated cost of the rail line from Kapolei to Ala Moana.
The city thought it would have approval by now, but learned this week the feds are a little skittish about delays and any additional costs that might come from a recent Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that stopped construction of the project. That’s been halted because the court said the city should have done archaeological surveys of potential burial sites before it started any construction work. The city has asked for a reconsideration and tried to convince the FTA and lawmakers this week that they might succeed in that request so that construction could begin again sooner rather than later.
Mitt Romney’s gaffe about 47 percent of U.S. residents being, uh, moochers gripped the nation’s press and pundits for much of the week. That buzz zipped across the Pacific too, as reporters wanted to know where Hawaii’s main GOP candidates Linda Lingle and Charles Djou came down on the remarks. Djou wouldn’t talk about it but Lingle distanced herself from Romney and said she disagreed with his characterization of all people who don’t pay federal taxes as basically wanting government handouts. And of course Democrat Mazie Hirono didn’t miss the opportunity to get her 2 cents in.
But there was lots of other news too, from an endangered Nemo to the upsetting discovery of iwi on the North Shore.
Check out 10 more stories you may have missed:
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Saving Nemo: Protections Sought for Clownfish, Hawaiian Damselfish
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Honolulu Flags Troubled Senior Center for Possible Illegal Kickbacks
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School Bullies: Senator Wants More Systematic Approach to DOE Plan
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The Public File: Super PACs Dump Nearly $1 Million Into TV Ads
