Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding

[HiloJulie]

ETA:  As I informed in my signature line a week or so ago, Bill Clinton some 3+ decades ago did the same thing in his own way.  I lauded the Democrat president here on PW for doing so. Of course, for much of what they said in those days, both he and Hillary would be called Nazi's here on extremist PW these days.  He drastically cut back welfare benefits though and people here on the Big Island were absolutely reeling from the pain of losing the sugar economy and then having their support net ripped away by Clinton, back to back.  There were foreclosures here, everywhere.  In the words of The Great Patricia, know your history.

Speaking of history, during the Clinton years, lets also include the tax INCREASE on the wealthy coupled with the corporate tax increase and then lets also discuss the corresponding budget surplus as a result.

And when did, during the Clinton years, ANY government employee lose their job with 15 minutes to get out, and in some cases, begged to come back only to be refired (or semi-fired) the next day?

So yes, let's discuss history, but let's discuss ALL OF IT.

Let's not be myopic now!

ETA: Seems things were pretty dang good overall for all of Hawaii during those Clinton years:

Clinton-Gore Administration Accomplishments for Hawaii

[Punatang]

Edge, obviously I'm talking about the people inherited by the new administration.  Anyone still in those offices from 35 years ago you have my sincere apologies but clearly you forgot what you learned from Bill Clinton the great reducer of government.

PS: are you M2?

[TomK]

The constraints placed on us make this myopic thread all broken eggs and no omelette.

You did have some bacon and toast on the go at the same time, yes? At the very least, you'll end up with a bacon butty.

[ironyak]

I'm going to do the somewhat odd (and apparently unpopular thing) and defend HiloJulie on this thread as she is actually providing useful information and discussing the thread's topic. She also appears to have a grasp of basic math, science, and economics, unlike the MAGA/libertarian/ancap simpletons cheering on the destruction, pain, and suffering (which they seem to mistakenly believe will spare them).

One of the local impacts I don't believe has been mentioned, was the loss of the community grant to deal with clearing power lines immediately adjacent to Waikoloa Village, considered the most dangerous stretch of power lines on island, and fourth most dangerous in the state. The funding cut was done in the name of "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” Apparently not wanting thousands of structures and hundreds more people to burn in a wildfire is too woke now.

Lahaina - what is past is prologue.

https://bigislandnow.com/2025/02/28/fire...istration/

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

thousands of structures and hundreds more people to burn in a wildfire is too woke now.

Welcome back ironyak.
I’ll add that there are 7000-8000 people in Waikoloa Village. One road mauka, one maikai, a paved one lane emergency evacuation route. The most recent fire was a few years ago.

[Obie]

Did you read the entire article you posted a link to ?

It involved 20 trees and the cost to remove them is $75,000 and guess what ? They are still going to be cut down.
Hawaiian Electric is still going to get their entire grant of 95 million.
The Waikaloa area is the 4th most dangerous place not just those power lines.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

They are still going to be cut down.

Fortunate outcome in this case.
I would ask, did DOGE investigate what the funds would be used for? Was there a possibility of backup funding?

I will answer my own question. No.

Now imagine how many equally important projects won’t have secondary funding. And maybe no emergency escape from danger. This is why you go slow and selectively and the job still gets done.

[ironyak]

Did you read the entire article you posted a link to ?

It involved 20 trees and the cost to remove them is $75,000 and guess what ? They are still going to be cut down.
Hawaiian Electric is still going to get their entire grant of 95 million.
The Waikaloa area is the 4th most dangerous place not just those power lines.

Ummm... as HiloJulie noted, what makes some of you so sure of your opinions? Don't you care about looking dumb as a rock or does the ignorance fuel the arrogance?

https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-...ower-lines
"The most dangerous power lines on Hawaiʻi Island sit just above Waikōloa Village, a stone's throw from people's backyards.

Hawaiian Electric's Wildfire Safety Strategy, submitted to the Public Utilities Commission in January, identified the power circuit above Waikōloa as having the highest wildfire risk on Big Island, and the fourth highest risk in the state overall.

...
Kelly said HECO has 11 community benefits projects related to grid resilience in the works. It's prepared to front the cost for two of those partnerships that are already under contract, but that doesn't include the Wildfire Safety Advocates' project." (Waikoloa Village power lines)

Hopefully the tree clearing project will get completed one way or the other and soon, but in the mean time, the drought deepens and the winds rise. Or maybe the loss of life and property is part of the "payback" some of you are openly salivating over?

[Durian Fiend]

Hawaii Public radio says: "We’ll have more details on this story (Hakalau jobs) Monday on The Conversation at 11 a.m. on HPR-1."

[Obie]

"This aerial view shows the location of the kiawe trees on land owned by the Waikōloa Village Association."

Did you look at the picture of the area and read this caption ?

I guess it was a DEI grant because the poor disadvantaged folks living in Waikaloa Village couldn't afford cutting the trees and paying their green fees too.

There was a guy selling kiawe wood yesterday on Orchidland Dr. Maybe ask him and he would cut them down for free.