ASD icon blue inverse lighter

ASD Staff

Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Peak dog happiness....."}]

Smile 26 3 24

<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 24, 2026</title>

Peak dog happiness.....

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Hawaiian Electric is continuing its efforts to restore power to customers following recent storms that have pummeled the Islands.

In an update Monday afternoon, HECO said its crews are continuing inspections and repairs in flooded areas of O‘ahu.

, HECO had restored power to nearly all customers impacted by back-to-back Kona Low weather systems. There were fewer than 220 customers without power across O‘ahu, Maui County and Hawai‘i Island at that time. 

"However, customers should remain prepared as heavy rain, thunderstorms and flooding are causing new power outages today," the utility said Monday.

As of 5 p.m., about 130 customers, mainly in Waialua, were without power on O‘ahu; nearly 50 customers remained without power in Maui County as crews work on individual service lines; and 370 are without power on Hawai‘i Island, largely in Hilo and Puna.

"We're continuing to work on the restoration of the remaining customers," HECO spokesperson Darren Pai told Aloha State Daily early Monday afternoon, before the most recent update was issued. "We know that some of these customers have maybe been without power for a long time. ... We know it's been frustrating, very difficult for our customers, so we are trying to do the best that we can to get everybody back online."

Pai didn't have counts for this past weekend, but said during the first Kona Low storm HECO had about 350 crew members working to restore power. HECO did not have to bring in assistance from other utilities or other companies, he noted.

There is not currently a cost estimate for the damage or repairs related to the back-to-back storms, Pai says.

As for takeaways from the recent storms, Pai says, "This is a reminder for all of us in Hawai‘i that these emergencies can come with little warning, and they're not confined to certain dates on the calendar that we define as hurricane season; that we should always be prepared for, in our homes and our businesses, to respond to emergencies — make sure we have our own personal emergency response plans, we have our own emergency supplies and evacuation plans, go bags ready.

"In this instance, there were these Kona Low storms, but we face a huge range of hazards here in Hawai‘i — hurricanes, these kind of storms, volcanic eruptions. A tsunami can have very little advanced notice or time to prepare. In a way, we always have to be ready for almost anything."

The utility said Monday that in some North Shore neighborhoods, "crews have seen stains or lines on homes that show how high the floodwaters rose. This indicates areas where wiring, outlets and electrical equipment were likely submerged at some point before floodwaters receded."

For safety reasons, HECO says these customers should not turn on their main circuit breaker until they can get an electrician to confirm that the system is safe to re-energize.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

20260318 Iao Valley1

<title>Hawaiian Electric continues inspections, repairs in flooded areas of O‘ahu</title>

But continued stormy weather and new outages are still impacting customers.

Hawaiian Electric continues inspections, repairs in flooded areas of O‘ahu

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"There’s a new Vietnamese café in Honolulu."}]

 opened recently in Kapalama Shopping Center. It’s the sister restaurant of Vietnam Deli, but the menu is more limited to banh mi sandwiches, pho and sides like spring and summer rolls.

[{"type":"text","text":"There’s limited dine-in seating available within the café."}]

Banh mi’licious ($15) features a baked baguette filled with creamy pate, mayo, sweet onions, house pickles, cucumbers, jalapenos, black pepper and sauce. Customers can choose from proteins like sun-kissed crackle pork (additional $1), lemongrass chicken (additional $1), beef brisket (additional $1.75), grilled chicken thigh and caramel lemongrass tofu.

While the eatery’s beef pho ($18.50) is a customer favorite, diners can also upgrade to its oxtail pho ($25). The steaming bowls of pho feature a housemade slow-simmered broth, rice noodles, green and sweet onions, cilantro and black pepper.

Other protein options include beef, chicken or veggie; pho dishes come with basil, bean sprouts, jalapenos and lemon on the side.

If you want an appetizer to share, opt for the fresh summer rolls ($12.50) or spring rolls ($11.50). The spring rolls aren’t actually listed on the menu, but you can ask for them.

Summer rolls feature rice paper wrapped with house pickles, basil, lettuce and cucumber; they come with peanut or pineapple fish sauce for dipping. I love the creamy peanut sauce, but the latter comes highly recommended.

Other menu items include stir-fried noodles ($18.50) and rice dishes ($18.50) comprising steamed jasmine rice with sweet peas, lettuce, house pickles, cucumbers, and your choice of protein. 

[{"type":"text","text":"The cafe is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m."}]

Banhmilicious spread 031326

<title>New Vietnamese café open in Honolulu</title>

Banh Mi’licious — inspired by the word “delicious” — recently opened in Kapalama Shopping Center. It’s the sister restaurant of Vietnam Deli, but its menu is focused on pho, banh mi sandwiches and side dishes like spring rolls.

New Vietnamese café open in Honolulu

Cheryl Tsutsumi

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi

Aloha Spirit

Columnists

Diane Harding’s affinity for nature began long before she became president of The Outdoor Circle’s (TOC) board of directors and president of its Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle branch (LKOC). She was born and raised in Kāneʻohe’s lush Mahinui Valley, with the One‘awa Hills rising in the back of her family’s home and a panoramic view of the ocean and Moku o Lo‘e, Coconut Island, in front of it.

“When my two brothers and I were growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, that area was isolated, very rural,” Harding said. “One of our neighbors had cows and horses. The family next door—I use ‘next door’ loosely, because we had to walk on a steep trail through woods and a gully to get to their house—had seven kids who were our playmates.”

Harding remembers building forts with them and her brothers in a dense grove of hau trees. Japanese plum trees provided ammunition for “battles.” 

“The plums are the size of olives and mushy inside,” she said. “We threw them at each other as hard as we could, and we’d go home wearing clothes that were permanently stained purple.”

Guava was also abundant in the valley. “In the fall, we’d fill buckets with ripe fruit, then gather in our friends’ kitchen to make jam and jelly with their mom,” Harding said. “I feel blessed to have had a wonderful childhood in such an idyllic place.”

Harding graduated from Punahou, then MIT. With her newly minted bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics in hand, she embarked on what was to be a 40-year career as a computer software developer in the field of geophysics.

Every summer for 13 years, Harding, her husband and their two sons traveled from their home in the Boston area to visit her parents, who were still living in Mahinui Valley. Her dad, Harold Mechler, was the head of data processing for Castle & Cooke. Her mother, Julene, was an artist renowned for her exquisite ceramics and porcelain Hawaiian figurines.

In 1980, Harding’s husband floated the idea of moving to Hawai‘i. It wasn’t something she had considered, but the following year, she recalled deplaning in Honolulu and feeling that she was really home. Her subsequent work for various companies included sonar seafloor mapping; an anti-submarine warfare project; and conducting surveys for proposed undersea cable routes offshore Japan, Canada, Nova Scotia, the Caribbean and the Philippines.

Harding got involved with TOC in 2008, the year before she retired, through her younger brother, Steve, who was the organization’s volunteer landscape architect and third vice president on its board. “Frankly, I didn’t know much about The Outdoor Circle back then, but they asked me to join their board as assistant treasurer,” she said. “I was so impressed by their commitment and their mission, I immediately said, ‘Yes!’”

In the ensuing years, Harding readily took on more responsibilities. In 2009, she accepted the position of treasurer, and in 2013, she agreed to be the liaison for LKOC (her family had settled in Kailua). The following year, she became LKOC’s president, and in 2022 she began serving as the president of TOC’s board.

“I was retired by then, so I had the time to take on those responsibilities,” Harding said. “The more I learned about The Outdoor Circle, the more excited I got about it.”

Founded in 1912 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, TOC is dedicated “to keep Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful by preserving, protecting and enhancing our environment.” Among many other accomplishments, it helped ban billboards in Hawai‘i, pushed for underground utility lines, and planted more than a million trees on urban streets and in public parks and gardens.

But its reach goes much further. TOC saved Queen Emma Summer Palace from demolition, established Hawai‘i’s first recycling plant and, in partnership with the Audubon Society and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, preserved Waimea Valley as a historical and cultural site. It even published two books: “Majesty, The Exceptional Trees of Hawai‘i” in 1982 and a sequel in 1991.

Seven TOC branches statewide spearhead their own programs and projects. For example, to facilitate archaeological inspections, LKOC cleared the area surrounding Ulupō Heiau, which is on the national and Hawai‘i registers of historic places. The branch started a scholarship at Windward Community College to foster the next generation of environmental stewards.

Learning to Grow at the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC) is an inspiring success story. Mentored by a handful of LKOC members, a select group of incarcerated women are growing herbs, beans, papaya, lettuce, breadfruit and sweet potato for use by WCCC. In addition, Foodland buys some of the program’s lettuce.

“The Outdoor Circle has such a rich history; our fingerprints are evident on so much of the Hawai‘i we see today,” Harding said. “I wanted that history to be put into easily accessible digital form for posterity, rather than be hidden in boxes under someone’s bed.”

To that end, in 2017 she started researching and organizing two comprehensive compilations of photos, correspondence, newspaper clippings and other documents to post on LKOC’s website. One shares 

summarizes LKOC’s major contributions to Kailua

Since 2018, Harding has also chaired LKOC’s annual “I Love Kailua” Town Party (see sidebar), proceeds from which have funded the branch’s beautification projects over the past 30-plus years.

“It’s a lot of fun, of course, but beyond that, it’s a great educational opportunity,” Harding said. “Lani-Kailua will have a booth there, and we hope people will stop by, say hello and find out how they can participate. The Outdoor Circle is a watchdog; we advocate for responsible development. We attend legislative sessions and testify at hearings for zoning and land-use ordinances. Our outreach efforts improve the quality of life throughout Hawai‘i. We don’t just represent our members; rather, we are a voice for everyone in every community.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

I Love Kailua

The 31st “I Love Kailua” Town Party is set for Sunday, April 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kailua Road, from Ku‘ulei Road to Hahani Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic, allowing pedestrians to enjoy arts, crafts, ‘ono food, a plant sale and live entertainment. Be sure to visit booths sponsored by organizations such as Adventist Health Castle, Alexander & Baldwin, Healthy Climate Communities and the Windward Boys & Girls Club.

Admission is free. Show your support for LKOC by buying and wearing a commemorative button ($5) and T-shirt ($25).

. Want to get involved with TOC? Check out 

Diane Harding IMG 4078 Suzi Mechler 16x9

<title>Uncles and Aunties: Diane Harding, president of the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle</title>

In a journey that has taken her from Kāne‘ohe to Boston and back, Diane Harding spent 40 years developing geophysics software for such projects as undersea cable across the Pacific. Now, as president of the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle, she tends to the beauty of the Islands.

Uncles and Aunties: Diane Harding, president of the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle

The latest round of storms bringing heavy rain to the Islands has so far had little impact on local airline operations.

"Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines are closely monitoring and assessing weather conditions," a spokesperson for the airlines told Aloha State Daily in an email. "As of 2 p.m., we have canceled six roundtrip Neighbor Island flights and remain focused on supporting our employees who live in the affected areas.

"We are continuing to evaluate our schedule and will notify guests of any changes to their flight," the spokesperson continued. "We encourage guests to regularly check their flight status and to check in online before arriving at the airport to save time. Guests should also monitor app push notifications for real-time updates."

In an announcement Friday, the Hawai`i Visitors & Convention Bureau offered this guidance to travelers currently in the state:

And for those with upcoming trips, HVCB says there's no reason to cancel or postpone travel.

"The state remains safe and welcoming, and conditions are expected to improve early next week," the announcement notes.

Travelers, though, should ensure their airline has a current mobile number on file and enable app and SMS notifications, as well as confirm flight statuses directly with the airline before departing for the airport.

Unrelated to the stormy weather, the state Department of Transportation on Friday confirmed that all airports in Hawai‘i are being staffed and will remain open and operational, despite some national reports that small airports nationwide may close or pause operations due to the partial shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and funding of the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA.

“All of our airports, including our smaller airports on the Neighbor Islands, are vital transportation links for our residents and visitors and they will remain open to serve the traveling public,” said DOT Director Ed Sniffen in a statement. “HDOT is in close communication with our federal partners impacted by the partial shutdown and we want to thank them for keeping our airports staffed and ensuring they remain operational, while minimizing disruptions to travelers. We appreciate the commitment of our dedicated federal workers and their families, who are again facing uncertainty due to the partial shutdown. We will continue to support these individuals who we work closely with on a daily basis, so they can continue to provide critical service to air travelers.”

Daniel k inouye international airport hnl 100925

<title>How the storm is affecting airlines and travel</title>

Hawaiian Airlines has canceled just a few flights due to the current storms as of this afternoon, and the Hawai`i Visitors & Convention Bureau has offered guidance to travelers.

How the storm is affecting airlines and travel

Easter Sunday is coming up in a few weeks — April 5 — but a variety of restaurants are already accepting reservations or pre-orders. Check out the following:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"100 Sails Restaurant & Bar"}]

: Prince Waikīkī, 100 Holomoana St. 3rd Floor, Honolulu

: The Easter brunch buffet costs $111 per adult ($55.50 per child ages 6 to 10 years old). It includes snow crab legs, misoyaki butterfish, glazed ham, a carving station with Kiawe smoked prime rib and Kiawe smoked lamb chops, deviled Easter eggs, temaki sushi, a waffle station with toppings, an omelet station, ‘ahi poke, sashimi, marinated seafood ceviche, and desserts like Prince bread pudding, carrot cupcakes, chocolate dobash cake and pastry chef creations.

The Easter dinner buffet costs $109 per adult ($54.50 per child ages 6 to 10 years old). It includes similar offerings as the brunch menu. 

: Brunch buffet from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 5; dinner buffet from 5 to 9 p.m. April 2 to 5

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Chart House Waikīkī"}]

: This Easter brunch buffet costs $68 per adult ($34 for children under 12 years). The buffet includes herb crusted roasted prime rib, whole roasted lechon, Hawaiian ‘ahi poke, California ‘ahi poke, tako limu poke, mac salad with crab and imitation crab, garlic fried shrimp, steamed fish of the day, baked ham, and sweet treats like ube cheesecake, haupia pie and mini creme brulee. There are also dishes that are cooked to order, including ube mochi waffles, Western omelet and mini pancakes. 

charthousewaikiki.com/easter-brunch-buffet/

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Duke’s Waikīkī"}]

: This Easter brunch buffet ($45 per adult, $24 per child) features live music from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The buffet includes Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail with guava sauce, french toast, slow roasted Double R Signature Ranch prime rib, macadamia nut crusted fresh catch, shoyu chicken, eggs Benedict, yuzu glazed Duroc ham, and sides like bacon fried rice, banana nut muffins and Hawaiian sweet rolls.

The Easter dinner buffet ($64 per adult, $24 per child) features live music from 4:45 to 10 p.m. The buffet includes spicy ‘ahi poke, shoyu ‘ahi poke, ceviche and tortilla chips, huli huli chicken, kabocha squash ravioli, slow roasted Double R Signature Ranch prime rib, macadamia nut crusted fresh catch, wok charred seasonal vegetables and more. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Empire Steak House"}]

: 1777 Ala Moana Blvd. 30th floor, Honolulu 

: This Easter meal ($139.95 per person) includes:

Customers can also enjoy decaffeinated or regular coffee and tea. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hy’s Steak House"}]

: Hy’s Steak House’s Easter brunch buffet costs $140 per adult ($105 for seniors ages 65 years and older, $65 for children ages 6 to 12 years, children ages 5 years and under have free admission).

The buffet will include Hy’s signature Caesar salad, Waldorf salad, assorted charcuterie and cheeses, Hy’s French onion soup, deviled eggs, smoked salmon crostinis, ‘ahi sashimi, spicy poke and shoyu poke, oysters on the half shell, breakfast meats, smoked salmon eggs Benedict, Hy’s slow roasted prime rib, leg of lamb with mint jelly, honey glazed ham, fish picatta, steamed snow crab, assorted desserts (lilikoʻi meringue tarts, bread pudding with creme anglaise, Hy’s signature cheesecake and more) and dessert action stations featuring banana fosters flambe, chocolate lovers flambe and chef Kylie’s flambe special.

A 20% service charge will be added for groups of eight or more. 

: April 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (last seating 1 p.m.) 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Morton’s The Steakhouse"}]

: Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu

: This three-course menu includes a starter (choose from Caesar salad, steakhouse wedge salad, or cup of lobster bisque); entree (signature cut and cold water lobster tail); enhancement (black truffle, blue cheese, garlic herb or Caymus Cabernet butter or Remy Martin sauce au poivre); and choice of dessert (key lime pie, creme brulee or espresso pot de creme). The eatery’s full dinner menu will also be available. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Olive Branch Hawaiʻi"}]

: This online business is offering an Olive charcuterie box ($45), Totoro sweet box ($15), and trio sweet set ($6) with chocolate-dipped pretzels, Oreos and Rice Krispies. You can mix and match any two pretzels, Oreos and Rice Krispies for $3. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Orchids"}]

: Orchids’ Easter brunch costs $132 per adult ($75 for children ages 5 to 10 years old).

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The brunch includes:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Plumeria Beach House"}]

: The Kāhala Hotel & Resort, 5000 Kāhala Ave

: The Easter buffet costs $137 per adult ($55 for children ages 6 to 12 years). Attendees can look forward to an all-you-can-eat buffet with carving stations, fresh seafood, chef specialties and desserts. 

: April 5; breakfast 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.; brunch buffet 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; dinner buffet 3 to 8 p.m. 

kahalaresort.com/dining/plumeria-beach-house/

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Quiora"}]

: The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach, 383 Kalaimoku St., Honolulu

: Quiora’s Easter brunch buffet costs $125 per adult ($75 for seniors ages 65 years and older, $60 for children ages 6 to 12 years, children ages 5 years and under have free admission).

The buffet includes Quiora house salad, Caprese salad, Easter hard boiled eggs, local style potato salad, make it your way poke bar (featuring ‘ahi, nairagi, salmon, tofu and various condiments, sauces and garnishes), garlic and herb crusted prime rib, assorted breakfast meats, peanut butter and jam stuffed french toast, kalbi with spicy eggplant and kimchi, Chinese style steamed fish, coconut corn chowder, Ho Farms eggplant Parmesan and a dessert display.

Customers can enjoy a two-hour dining period. 

: April 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (last seating 1 p.m.) 

: This Easter meal pack ($259.95) is designed to feed four to six people. It includes boneless braised short ribs (optional upgrade to Hawaiian barbecue sous vide short ribs for $40); choice of chicken (fried, garlic or mochiko); garlic mashed potatoes, white or brown rice; green beans with bacon or summer squash and zucchini medley; apple crumble squares; spicy ‘ahi on sushi rice; and pesto pasta salad or potato mac salad. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Buffet at Hyatt"}]

: Hyatt Regency Waikīkī Beach Resort & Spa, 2424 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu

: This Easter brunch special costs $110 per person ($55 per child ages 6 to 12 years; $27 per child ages 5 years and under). The buffet includes:

 discounts are not applicable for this special menu. 

: Seatings available at 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. April 5

Easter part 1 Buffet at Hyatt 031326

<title>Where to celebrate Easter 2026 – part 1</title>

Get egg-cited for a variety of dining options.

Where to celebrate Easter 2026 – part 1

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Government & Politics

 wants to tax property to fund Hawai‘i’s public schools. Not just any property — “residential investment properties” worth $3 million or more would face a new state tax. The money, legislators promise, will rescue our long-neglected schools.

The Department of Education already operates on roughly 

 per year — money drawn from a General Fund that collects income taxes, corporate taxes, and the general excise tax. That’s money from every working person’s paycheck and grocery run.

This new property tax wouldn’t replace any of that. It would stack on top of it. A second layer of taxation for a system that can’t account for the first. The move to amend the constitution should trouble every taxpayer. Hawai‘i’s own state constitution reserves property taxation exclusively to the counties. HB2147 doesn’t just ask for more money. It asks the state to reach into the one tax domain the constitution kept local.

Here’s what they’re not telling you: Hawai‘i’s Department of Education doesn’t have a funding problem. It has an accountability problem. And no amount of money fixes a system built to ignore parents.

Look at the track record. We spend nearly 

 of students are proficient in math. Only 

 are proficient in language arts. Nearly 

 don’t show up regularly. The Heritage Foundation 

 dead last in education choice and freedom. These aren’t funding problems.

 know something is broken — the single-district system, crumbling buildings, teacher salaries lagging behind comparable professionals. But here’s what they miss: the structure is the failure.

A statewide Department of Education means parents in Hilo have exactly the same say in what schools teach as parents in Honolulu. Which is to say, almost none. Board of Education members are appointed by the governor, not elected.

When families can’t get answers, they leave. More than 15% of Hawai‘i students attend private school, that’s more than 50% above the national average. Another 4% are 

. Charter enrollment has jumped 10% since 2019 while traditional public school enrollment 

 So why does the state keep making it harder?

The progressive position contradicts itself. They champion democracy and local control for everything except schools. They correctly note that Hawai‘i’s school system is bizarre. But their solution makes it worse.

The correct answer? Break up the statewide Department of Education. Maui, Hawai‘i, and Kaua‘i counties are much wealthier than in 1959. County governments already run police departments, parks, and water systems. They can run schools. Most states already do it this way, and most outperform Hawai‘i.

And here’s what no one in the Legislature wants to talk about: next to Medicaid, education is the single largest line item in Hawai‘i’s state budget, funded through a General Fund that runs on income taxes and the general excise tax. Moving schools to the counties doesn’t just change governance. It changes the tax structure. The state constitution already assigns property taxation exclusively to the counties. If counties fund their own schools the way most of America does — through local property taxes and elected boards — the state no longer needs the massive income tax bite it currently takes to run a centralized system. That means real tax relief for every working family in Hawai‘i. The progressive establishment won’t tell you this because they don’t want you doing the math.

When school board members are your neighbors, you can vote them out. When your property taxes fix the leaky roof at your kids’ school instead of vanishing into state bureaucracy, you see results. Local control isn’t magic, and county officials get captured by special interests, too. The difference is you’d have somewhere to show up and do something about it.

The teachers’ union loves this statewide system. One governor’s race every four years beats dealing with actual parents at four different school board meetings. Much easier to lobby Honolulu than face a room full of angry moms in Hilo.

“More money will fix the schools” has become an article of faith in Honolulu — recited every session, never questioned, never fulfilled. What we need isn’t a new tax on property owners. We need a system that recognizes what every parent already knows: nobody cares more about your children’s education than you do. This isn't just common sense — it's how God designed it. Parents are the ones He charges with raising their children, not bureaucrats in Honolulu. Local control is closer to that design. It's still not the thing itself.

Instead of handing the state new taxing power, call a constitutional convention. Dismantle the statewide monopoly. Return education decisions to parents, and, at minimum, to local communities with elected boards who answer to them.

HB2147 should be rejected, not because education doesn’t need investment, but because this bill invests in the wrong thing. It feeds a centralized monopoly that has already proven it can’t deliver results at $24,000 per student. Why would $25,000 be different?

Every dollar poured into this system isn’t reform. It’s ransom. Paid to a bureaucracy that holds families hostage because they have nowhere else to go.

I Stock 2246657150

<title>More money won’t fix what’s broken in Hawai‘i’s schools</title>

A bill before the Legislature would give the state powers it has never had to tax property, arguing it would give to money to education. The state wants us to forget that Hawai‘i's public schools already have enormous tax funding available to no other state — direct access to our income taxes and the GET we pay on every purchase we make. ASD columnist Sterling Higa has a counter proposal.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 24, 2026

ASD Staff

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Monday, March 23, 2026

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 22, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, March 20, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, March 21, 2026

Most read

Daily Smile: Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Monday, March 23, 2026

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 22, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, March 20, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, March 21, 2026

Most read