John Pritchett: Back To The Future?
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that leadership changes at the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation may be coming. Will former chair Colleen Hanabusa succeed Toby Martyn?
John Pritchett: Not So Fast, Governor
Hawaii Gov. David Ige says he may veto more than two dozen bills, an unusually large number. But Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Scott Saiki may have the votes to override some of them and amend others. Stay tuned for the special session that starts Tuesday.
John Pritchett: Sitting Ducks
Roy Amemiya, managing director under former Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, is now a target in a U.S. Department of Justice corruption probe. He joins other targets Donna Leong, the city鈥檚 former top civil attorney, and former city Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro.
John Pritchett: Market Price
Hawaii has always been an expensive place to live, but a bottleneck in international supply chains due to COVID-19 has dramatically increased the costs of groceries.
John Pritchett: Breath Of Fresh Air
As Hawaii and Honolulu officials ease more COVID-19 restrictions and push for more vaccinations, there is growing hope that the pandemic鈥檚 end is in sight.
John Pritchett: Change Orders
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is exploring potential changes to the rail project, including ending it well before Ala Moana Center.
John Pritchett: Flat Tire
John Pritchett: Grilling The Mayor
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi says he wants a 鈥渘ew Chinatown鈥 we all can be proud of. But restaurateur Eddie Flores is skewering the plan because it doesn’t do enough to address聽homelessness.
John Pritchett: Final Destination
A $3.6 billion dollar budget deficit has taxpayers in Honolulu wondering if the rail project will ever reach Ala Moana Center as promised. The line is now projected to cost at least $12.4 billion and there are more calls for it to stop at Middle Street.
John Pritchett: Bad Penny
The news that former Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa is taking a six-figure consultant job with the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has a lot of folks suspecting the influence of politics on a project way over budget and way behind schedule.