Hawaii Reporter

Recently, we have heard the term “congestion pricing” bandied about as a way of improving traffic congestion here, and of raising more money. What is it?  Congestion pricing is a way of charging motorists for driving in designated areas during designated times.  For example, in London, drivers pay a daily fee of about $16 to drive to the heart of...

BY FRANK SALVATO It is a misnomer that President Trump has “shutdown”, at least partially, the US government. That Nancy Pelosi, the Progressive Speaker of the House, and Chuck Schumer, the pandering Democrat Minority Leader in the US Senate, attempt to hoodwink the American people into believing this nonsense is testimony to their disregard for the intelligence of the American...

In a budget briefing at the legislature at about this time last year, Department of Education officials reported that their backlog of repair and maintenance jobs was $293 million, and they were patting themselves on the back because it was a significant drop from the $392 million reported in 2010. This year, the backlog is $868 million – nearly triple...

BY FRANK SALVATO Just like the hollow promise given by Democrats when they passed the Secure Fence Act of 2006, newly elected and former-waitress US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (P-NY), is waffling on whether or not she will refuse her salary during the so-called government shutdown. Ocasio-Cortez makes $174,000 annually as a US Representative. The freshman Democrats shot her mouth off before...

Last week, we spent some time on “variance reports,” which is how our state government agencies report differences in position count and spending from one year to the next.  The agencies are also supposed to report on performance measures that they pick themselves, but sometimes still disregard this requirement. Today, we examine “zero-based budgeting,” an idea that has been around...

Author's Note: Over the past 35 years, I have had the privilege of living and working in some of the poorest, most remote and underserved parts of the Asia-Pacific region and in the United States. My work involves assisting governments, international aid agencies and local communities to strengthen their systems for managing communicable diseases (including HIV/AIDS), women and child health,...

Although our legislature hasn’t opened yet, legislators are at work already.  The money committees, for example, have started quizzing the various executive departments on their budget requests for the upcoming biennium (2019-2020). According to law, specifically HRS section 37-75, the agencies are supposed to come up with a “variance report” that is supposed to list how much they were budgeted,...

BY FRANK SALVATO S.M. Sigerson wrote, “A nation which fails to adequately remember salient points of its own history, is like a person with Alzheimer’s. And that can be a social disease of a most destructive nature.” Such is the case with Nancy Pelosi’s retaking of the Speaker’s gavel in her return to the post of Speaker of the House,...

BY FRANK SALVATO Now comes word that Progressive-Fascist Elizabeth “I feel like I am a Native American Indian so I’ll just say that I am” Warren is seriously contemplating a run for President of the United States. I guess she embraces delusions of grandeur whether about ruling the teepee or the free world. In her announcement, which didn’t take place in...

Recently, the State Auditor released Report No. 18-19, which reviewed special funds, trust funds, and trust accounts of our Department of Land and Natural Resources. Under law, the Auditor is supposed to review an agency’s special, revolving, and trust funds every five years.  The review is supposed to find accounts that are not appropriately classified so that appropriate action can...