I haven’t written much about the ceded lands issue. But it seems it is intertwined with the current litigation trying to block the DHHL from leasing homestead land to commercial entities.Robin Danner commented yesterday that ceded land revenue should be used to build homestead infrastructure.
However it is my understanding that the state is barred from selling, exchanging, or transferring the ceded lands until a political resolution is accomplished. Thus at least until this legal cloud is removed there probably won’t be a consistent cash flow from these lands to cover the costs to build the infrastructure to open up more homestead land.
Hat tip to attorney Charley Foster for blogging about the press conference the governor held to discuss the ceded lands case.
Another hat tip needs to go to attorney Robert Thomas. He has blogged extensively about this case also.
It is no brainer that the new Hilo Target and Safeway stores will impact the surrounding infrastructure. I blogged about some of the potential impacts already. But there was one impact I omitted. The traffic on Maka’ala Street is already pretty bad. Hopefully DHHL will help with the traffic mitigation in this area before these stores open.
I received this latest update in regards to the Queeen Kaahumanu Highway Phase I widening project:
“HDCC last schedule shows paving at Henry Street in 3rd week of January 2009. Note pending weather or rain doesn’t slow down their schedule, but we are getting close to the end.
Update:
Makala inter – rush to complete installing new traffic signal equipment, to open double left-turn lanes.
Palani inter – rush to install traffic signal hardware (poles, arms, heads,ped buttons, etc) and to complete for operation.
Henry inter – schedule to start wideing work is late December, pending work between Palani and Henry.
That’s it for now.”
Lastly,it seems Hawaii’s bread and butter industry, tourism, is falling further into a black hole.Hawaii’s other bread and butter industry, construction, is not doing much better. This is more painful examples that Hawaii desperately needs to diversify its economy.
