Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding

[Punatang]

I always marvel at how well all of the haters seem to think they can predict the future.  Is it so hard to admit that it's awesome that Trump is considering something that you wanted and that breaks away from the traditions of the party?  Is it so hard to admit that he wants to eliminate tax on tips when you recently complained about the plight of servers?  Can credit never be given where credit is due?  Why is that?

[Rob Tucker]

Keep it local folks...

[ironyak]

The current federal budget bill making its way forward includes cutting funding for many after school programs. For Hawaii this amounts to millions of dollars lost and several thousand kids affected. After school programs have been shown to help improve kids' grades, attendance, and graduate rates, which result in higher incomes with better jobs as adults.

For those who care about supporting kids and their working parents (if only via self interest so they don't become a roaming mob of miscreants and their parents can still provide the funding needed for social security) consider contacting your local representatives.

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz - Phone: (808) 523-2061 Phone: (202) 224-3934 Fax: (202) 228-1153
U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono - Phone: (808) 522-8970 Toll Free: (844) 478-3478 Phone: (202) 224-6361 Fax: (202) 224-2126
Congresswoman Jill Tokuda - Phone: (202) 225-4906
Congressman Ed Case - Phone: (202) 225-2726

[ironyak]

MM - but giving up on trying to preserve the ocean's ecosystem because someone at a canary might lose a job?

Well some folks aren't giving up.
https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/05/conser...-monument/
"Honolulu longliners wasted little time cashing in on President Donald Trump’s decision last month to lift the commercial fishing ban in the deep ocean waters of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.
...
However, a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court Thursday by several prominent conservation groups aims to halt that new fishing activity in what was a protected area for sharks, turtles, seabirds and other vulnerable marine animals." (more at link)


Another EO, another lawsuit - it's almost like trying to rule by decree without any due process isn't legal. For those trying to keep track, Civil Beat has a database tracking lawsuits against the Trump administration that Hawaii is a party to. It can be found at the bottom of this other related article - "Judge Blocks Trump Health Funding Cuts For Hawaiʻi, Other States - Hawaiʻi could have lost more than $89 million for critical community health programs, the Attorney General’s Office said."

[ironyak]

Lawsuits keep piling up - those recent UH law grads going to be kept busy!

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/05/2...ence-cuts/
"Gov. Josh Green said in a news release today, ”The current attack on science is unprecedented and I am seeing firsthand how it will devastate public health on both a national and local level. It’s unconscionable to threaten critically important work in this way, and it’s part of a systematic approach to cast doubt on science in America.”

He said the Trump administration is “assaulting opportunities for talented young people in Hawaii to pursue careers in science … The administration is absolutely wrong to seek revenge against the scientists who helped change the world for the better over the last century.”

Hawaii Attorney General Lopez said the plaintiffs alleged that NSF’s directive to cap indirect costs at 15% would devastate scientific research at universities throughout the country, and result in critical projects being abandoned, staff being laid off, and the end of research essential to national security, public health and economic stability, according to the state’s release." (Only the Hawaii-related excerpt - more at link)

[kalianna]

"More money for trade schools" and yet job corps is defunded.

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/05/31...ne-hawaii/

[ironyak]

The Mauna Loa observatory, along with other labs doing work on climate change, appear to be clearly on the chopping block based on new NOAA budget numbers for 2026. More of the "if we stop testing now", the numbers won't go up philosophy?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/01/climate/t...oa-keeling
" The Trump administration’s proposed budget seeks to shut down the laboratory atop a peak in Hawaii where scientists have gathered the most conclusive evidence of human-caused climate change since the 1950s.

The Mauna Loa laboratory in Hawaii has measured atmospheric carbon dioxide, which — along with other planet-warming pollution — has led directly to climate change, driving sea level rise, supercharging weather and destroying food systems.

The president’s budget proposal would also defund many other climate labs, including instrument sites comprising the US government’s greenhouse gas monitoring network, which stretches from northern Alaska to the South Pole.

But it’s the Mauna Loa laboratory that is the most prominent target of the President Donald Trump’s climate ire, as measurements that began there in 1958 have steadily shown CO2’s upward march as human activities have emitted more and more of the planet-warming gas each year. " (more at link)

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

More of the "if we stop testing now", the numbers won't go up philosophy?

The stable genius method of lowering CO2 emissions.  If there are no numbers, there are no reports, then no news stories that eliminates the brain hurt extra step required for dismissing scientists’ findings by claiming they’re sensationalized.

Good jobs lost on Mauna Loa, good jobs lost on Mauna Kea.
If only there were golf courses on the maunas, astroturf of course, someone who spends tens of millions of taxpayer money on the game every weekend might see something of value up there.

[loffelkopffl]

my head actually hurts when I think of all this crap that's being done

[punikahakaiferret]

Me too...everything. All of it. Not just the mauna. :-(