A Step-by-Step Guide September, 2016 So, you want to build a high rise. Maybe you’ve got a couple hundred million dollars burning a hole in your pocket and an acre or two of vacant land in Kakaako, and you’re wondering: How can I get in on the action? Right now, a half-dozen high rises are…
Category: SPJ
Trump’s Effect on Hawaii
The state’s congressional delegation lays out five risks, two opportunities and five strategies for Hawaii in the Trump era. April, 2017 Interviewed for this story are the four members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation, all Democrats: Sen. Mazie Hirono Sen. Brian Schatz Rep. Colleen Hanabusa Rep. Tulsi Gabbard FIVE RISKS 1 OBAMACARE (The repeal of Obamacare…
Can Hawaii Feed Itself?
Richard Ha and I climb into the cab of his big pickup and drive up the mountain. I’ve come to Hamakua Springs, Ha’s 600-acre farm in Pepeekeo on the Big Island, to help see the future of Hawaii agriculture. Ha is a resourceful and outspoken farmer, and I want to hear his views on the…
The Next Wonder Drug
For centuries, people around the world knew that chewing on the bark of certain willow trees could ease the pain of a toothache or a migraine. By the mid-19th century, scientists in France and Germany had isolated the chemical, salicylic acid, responsible for willow bark’s analgesic and anti-inflammatory qualities, but it proved too harsh on…
Hawaii Employee Retirement System: Underfunded by $7 Billion
BY DENNIS HOLLIER The state got just what it was expecting in its Christmas stocking. Unfortunately, it was another lump of coal – more bad news about the state of Hawaii Employee Retirement System, which covers both state and county employees. In its five-year report, the actuary firm of Gabriel Roeder Smith & Company claims…
The Billion Dollar Gamble: State Investment
BY DENNIS HOLLIER Photo: istockphoto.com What a difference a billion dollars makes. Until recently, the state treasury – officially, the Treasury Management Branch of the Financial Administration Division of the Department of Budget and Finance – has operated in relative obscurity. With its staff of seven or eight employees, the treasury acts as cash manager…
The Hegemony of HMSA
The hegemony of the Hawaii Medical Service Association is nearly complete. For better or worse, it touches almost every facet of healthcare in the state. It has cowed some of the largest insurance companies in the world, and humbled its tiny local competitors. It has given Hawaii’s consumers the lowest average health insurance costs in…