I thought WHT’s article about the Ane Keohokalole Highway groundbreaking was a good summation of the event. However, I’m getting tired of WHT’s insidious attempts to rile the public against this project.

“Nan Inc. won the contract to build the 1.7-mile portion of the highway, from the intersection of Henry Street and Palani Road to Kealakehe Parkway, parallel to Queen Kaahumanu Highway. The company’s bid was $29.9 million. The highway is expected to be completed within five years.“

The ARRA funding has to be used within five years. It doesn’t mean the project will take five years to complete. CTS Earthmoving Inc./Nan Inc. will likely complete the first phase within two years.

This is the latest update regarding the Discovery Habour Golf Course. There is a group of community members who are trying to work with the new owners to improve and maintain the facilities. However, they need a significant number of individuals commit to purchasing memberships. I was told if there is a poor response (around 40 commitments) this proposal will be scuttled. So, the golf course will continue to be an eyesore and current owners will re-focus their attention on to their other development plans for the area if this fails.

I received this latest update regarding the ongoing reconstruction of Saddle Road between m.m 11 and m.m 19 by Road and Highway Builders LLC.

“Things are good. I believe the entire project has been cleared, which is a pleasant surprise ahead of schedule. Safe Traffic routing has been a challenge but is getting way better. Overall going pretty good, but always hoping for better.”

This comment on Big Island Chronicle really irritated me.

“its funny how all the bloggers on this site have much to criticize about the county government. instead of only grumbling about our county government, why dont all of you go and do something about it. get involved and try to come up with some solutions. if it is so miserable over here in the hawaii county, maybe its time to pack your families and bags and move to where you will be happiest…. wherever it is you came from!!!!”

Why do people insist on saying you should move if you are not happy how things are done here? Everyone has a right to express their opinions about county government. This island would be far worse off if there weren’t people like me, Tiffany Edwards Hunt, or Margaret Wille keeping an eye on our local politicians and public servants.

I’m very angry that the legislature is proposing to increase the barrel tax on petroleum products. This is absolutely the wrong time to increase this levy. Hawaii’s residents are facing tough economic times. So, it doesn’t make any sense currently to increase the cost of powering our homes and businesses, and fueling our vehicles.

However, Rep. Cindy Evans doesn’t grasp the latter negative impacts from raising this tax. This is her e-mail response to an article criticizing this proposal.

“Hi Aaron:

For your consideration, Special Funds are created to find the nexus between fees or taxes and the services provided. In other words, if we want to develop renewable energy to get off of fossil fuel, it costs money. If we want to protect our food and ensure we can grow local food, we need money. How do we fund it? The “barrel tax” is one idea of many proposed in lieu of raising the G.E.T.. If we raise the G.E.T., the money goes into a pot and the legislature appropriates as it sees fit. Special Fund can better define the use of monies.”

The legislature’s attempt to withhold the counties share of the transient accommodation tax is moving forward. The counties will have to slash services and raise property taxes if this raid materializes. This is absolutely not fair one bit. The counties share of the TAT helps the mitigate the cost of paying for essential county services used by tourists. Nevertheless, I don’t think the legislature or Governor Lingle grasps that fact.

Lastly, the groundbreaking for the first phase of the Ane Keohokalole Highway is scheduled for tomorrow at 3pm below Kealakehe High School.

It is utterly unconscionable that Hawaii County spent an additional 400,000 dollars on new furnishings for the renovated county building. The county’s budgetary picture is very grim for the foreseeable future. They could’ve re-appropriated the funding for a more critical purpose like restoring funding for the county band or used it help maintain essential county services if the legislature withholds the counties share of the transient accommodations tax.

Big Island Video News has video coverage of the BLNR’s recent approval of the four Mauna Kea CMP sub plans.

Lastly, the resurfacing of Mamalahoa Highway between Kaupulehu and Palani Junction will likely happen sooner than FY2012. In addition, the project will be tentatively broken into two phases, Kaupulehu to Makalei and Makalei to Palani Junction. I’m very happy that the HDOT will be expediting this project. The current roadway pavement is riddled with alligator cracks.

HDCC has until April 7th, 2010 to protest the latest Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening bid award to Goodfellow Brothers.

The inclusion of using Sandwich Isles Communications terrestrial fiber-optic infrastructure is the biggest flaw in Hawaii County’s Google “Fiber for Communities” application.

“Hawai’i County spokesman Kevin Dayton said his county’s proposal talks about the possibility of piggybacking the project on fiber-optic networks installed in recent years in Hawaiian homestead areas.”

This document shows that most of SIC’s network is not complete. They are currently relying on other carriers to provide transport to their service areas without any fiber-optic connectivity. So I don’t see how using SIC’s infrastructure will help Hawaii County’s Google “Fiber for Communities” application.

Qwest, one of the larger mainland telephone companies, has filed a round two broadband stimulus application requesting 350 million dollars to improve their ability to provide broadband service to rural areas. I hope Hawaiian Telcom makes a similar funding request to improve their aging copper loop infrastructure.

Lastly, the BLNR approved the four Mauna Kea CMP sub-plans at their Hilo meeting today.