Opinion
Talking story about values.
The staff reporters at Aloha State Daily have a clear mission on the news side of the house: to tell you what happened, not what to think or how to feel about what happened. Here in the opinion section, we want to talk story about values — what we think Hawai‘i should do, or should not do, and why. This is where we welcome informed debate and where people can argue for their perspective.
What Haunts Waterfront Plaza
Back in the day, when this complex was known as Restaurant Row, many of us enjoyed being pleasantly haunted by ’50s tunes at Rose City Diner or catching sight of celebrities at Black Orchid. But even then, some people were haunted by far more disturbing sights, perhaps owing to a cemetery that had been at the same location long ago.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiSeptember 30, 2026
Moanalua won four state titles: Who paid?
In 2012, a parent accused a Roosevelt coach of kissing a 13-year-old wrestler. The next year, Moanalua hired him and he won four state titles. ASD columnist Sterling Higa on idolatry, mandated reporting, and the trophy case nobody wants to look inside.
Sterling HigaSeptember 30, 2026
A silent constitutional amendment for the courts
One of the things you'll be asked to decide as a voter in the general election is whether or not the State Constitution should be changed to give the state Senate more time to review people nominated to be judges. ASD political historian Perry Arrasmith explains how this got on the ballot and what the change could mean for the judicial system.
Perry ArrasmithSeptember 30, 2026
The Hawaiʻi GOP’s real problem isn’t its platform
Today, a party that runs on “faith, family, freedom” has a lieutenant governor candidate who traces mankind to the kalo plant. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on why civic renewal in Hawaiʻi starts with what we worship, and why the greatest Hawaiian statesman — Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli) — is the proof.
Sterling HigaSeptember 29, 2026
Community Voices: Dear Mr. Paxton, pay your taxes
Paxton owns some property on Maui, according to reporting from a university affiliated news organization in Texas and Maui County property records. And the trust that manages his island home hasn’t paid his taxes.
Tom YamachikaSeptember 27, 2026
Community Voices: Getting into tax court
The moral of the story is this: if you have, or think you may have, a dispute with the Tax Department over taxes, get yourself a good tax practitioner who knows the rules and traps so you can skirt the edges and avoid falling into the pitfalls. And then, of course, lawmakers need to take a look at these rules and change them to get rid of the unfairness.
Tom YamachikaSeptember 25, 2026
Community Voices: How Honolulu can learn from Auckland
In Auckland, New Zealand, for example, officials in 2016 authorized up to three dwellings per lot in residential areas and taller apartment buildings in certain transit areas. Homebuilding there boomed as a result, and the city issued 112,000 permits for new dwellings in the six years after the sweeping reforms were enacted, increasing the housing stock by 20%.
Keliʻi AkinaSeptember 25, 2026
Hamada: There are times when a visit to the stream of consciousness
ASD columnist Rick Hamada shares woes about more impending storms along with Honolulu horror stories, hidden gems and small town issues. He even shares recommendations for new music by a young Phuket artist and TV shows highlighting talent.
Rick HamadaSeptember 25, 2026
Hawaiʻi Republican Party should put Hawaiʻi first, not the national brand
Can my kids afford to stay? Who will care for my mother? ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on why Hawaiʻi Republicans should start with the questions local families ask.
Sterling HigaSeptember 25, 2026
Honolulu's next story is not about rail. It is about jobs.
Could a Skyline station become the center of a local economy where people live, work, shop and build businesses in the same neighborhood?
Ray TsuchiyamaSeptember 24, 2026
Pipikaula Corner: Bowfin leads the way
In Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum is celebrating its 45th anniversary with the debut of $4 million worth of new exhibits. This comes just five years after a $20-million overhaul of the entire museum to bring it into the 21st century. ASD Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier explains why this is possible for a small, historic ship nonprofit.
A. Kam NapierSeptember 24, 2026
How Hawai‘i got its gas stations
Strange but true — at one time, horse-drawn carriages delivered supplies of gasoline around O‘ahu, and fuel pumps were often located by the side of the road for motorists running on empty. As gas-powered cars became more common, a new kind of building emerged in the Islands — the gas station. Guess which famous waterman owned one in Waikīkī!
DeSoto BrownSeptember 23, 2026
Drums of Kāne‘ākī
In the back of Mākaha Valley stands Kāneʻākī Heiau, a temple built and enlarged many times by Native Hawaiians and restored in 1969. It is believed to have started out as devoted to the god Lono and agriculture, and King Kamehameha dedicated it to Kū, god of war. The heiau is difficult to access now, surrounded by the gated community of Mauna ʻOlu Estates, but residents there report that it has ways of making its presence known.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiSeptember 23, 2026
Hawaiʻi Republicans could force House floor votes. What are they for?
House Republicans are one seat from a rule that lets them force floor votes. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on why a tactic without a goal is a chainsaw without a tree.
Sterling HigaSeptember 23, 2026
Community Voices: A (mostly) geological history of Puna
Even when looking at recent flows while driving around the Big Island today, most don’t realize that the rocky landscape is a gift from Pele, writes longtime Volcano resident Bobby Camara. "We should not attempt to exert our will on Pele. She must be accommodated, and we are the ones who must adjust to new realities."
Bobby CamaraSeptember 21, 2026
Uncles and Aunties: Avid collectors Ilene Wong and Wayne Maeda share hobby with Hawai‘i year round
The pair launched the Wiki Wiki One Day Vintage Collectibles & Hawaiiana Show in October 2002 as a companion to their three-day Hawai‘i All-Collectors Show, which started in 1991. Learn how the shows came to be, how it has grown over time and where you can shop next.
Cheryl Chee TsutsumiSeptember 21, 2026
"Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī" lyrics and history: The Liliʻuokalani anthem that Kalākaua replaced
For 10 years the Hawaiian Kingdom stood and sang a prayer written by the future queen. Then her brother wrote his own song. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on the words “Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī” replaced.
Sterling HigaSeptember 19, 2026
How to steward family wealth better in Hawai‘i
A local family that has worked diligently for generations for their security may have amassed a portfolio meant to be handed down — some land, some buildings, a business. It can be quite complicated, even before you take into account the emotions and interests of everyone involved in passing it along to the next generation. There's a better way to handle it all.
Ray TsuchiyamaSeptember 18, 2026
Hamada: The good and bad of where Hawai‘i ranks
You can compare Hawai‘i against other states an infinite number of ways. ASD opinion columnist Rick Hamada takes a look at where we rock and where we, well, most definitely do not rock.
Rick HamadaSeptember 18, 2026
Changing Kaka‘ako: GEM Is The Big One!
Back in the day, kama‘āina used to refer to these department stores as "Gem's." Here's the real history — and the real name — of these stores that once spanned the Islands.
DeSoto BrownSeptember 18, 2026
Community Voices: The widespread implications of the demographic cliff for Hawai’i
HPU Provost and Senior Vice President Alan Shoho believes the demographic enrollment cliff is here. The question remains: what will Hawai’i do to mitigate its adverse effects and ensure a softer landing? Shoho shares why this is worrisome for local leaders, and how taking notes from other states could help.
Alan ShohoSeptember 17, 2026
Hawaiian History Month: A Month to Remember, A Year to Celebrate
This year’s celebration features living history performances, panel discussions, cultural demonstrations and more that bring Hawaiʻi’s history to life. See the list of remaining events this month.
Ka Wai Ola StaffSeptember 17, 2026
The Forgotten Landscape of Mapunapuna
Tides and rain, time and spirits converge in this now-industrial area mauka of the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Here is the true history of a region shaped first by nature and then by two different cultures in two different eras, where traces remain of days and people long past.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiSeptember 16, 2026
Hollywood ponders movie remake of “Hawai‘i Five-0” directed by Ha‘ikū helmer Destin Daniel Cretton
If produced, this wouldn’t be the first time Tinseltown tried to bring the iconic CBS-TV crime series shot in the 50th State to the big screen.
Ed RampellSeptember 16, 2026