I reviewed a blog I had written at the beginning of the year—four months ago.Watch movie online The Transporter Refueled (2015)
Here is an update on my ten predictions for Kona, Hawaii 2016.
- Undersupply of affordable home: No progress
- Homelessness an issue with no progress: No progress
- Marijuana use with increase significantly: No licenses for dispensaries have been issued, so no change in availability. Sales will start in mid-to-late July.
- NextEra purchase of Hawaiian Electric will not go through Uncertain at this time
- The TMT will find a new home: They are looking elsewhere and the longer the State and DLNR drag their heels, the more likely we’ll see the TMT leave. Sad.
- High technology and innovative business will not see Hawaii as a place to invest: Unknown
- Mayor Kenoi will face criminal charges and no government ethics movement: Yes, filed in March; no change in ethics laws.
- New Ironman owner will test Kona’s commitment: Wrong, so far. The Ironman Foundation graciously gave $25,000 to the Queen’s Lei hiking/walking trail. Way to go Ironman!
- Queen K widening will continue: Yes! No major stoppages so far!
- County, State, and Federal agencies will offer poor solutions and responses to outbreaks and pests. I certainly got this wrong about the State’s response to the Dengue fever outbreak. While slow to get going, I was impressed by the door-to-door response. A response team visited my office (in an area with no mosquitoes) and my home (where there are mosquitoes). Well done!
I was wrong about a few things—Dengue fever response by the State, and, perhaps Ironman. I was right about our mayor’s indictment, and the Queen K widening (so far) and I suspect that I will be right about Hawaiian Electric and the TMT, though in my heart I believe both these can be good for Hawaii.
The big issues moving into summer and fall will, of course, be the elections. We’ll have a new major and a new U.S. president, with most of the other offices seeing no change. Would I like to predict the outcome of these? Nope!