Sing, O Muse, of the ‘Herculean’ effort that could not tame the Cretan Bull of Planning and Permitting, a maddened beast of code and chaos that now stampedes over a cliff, crushing all hope in its path.

Step right up! As the Incredible Blangiardi bends the iron bar of police commission autonomy, the commissioners clown around, and Chief Logan is shot from a cannon! The Honolulu Circus is coming to take you away!

The 2025 Hawaiʻi legislative session ended with an ignominious whimper when it comes to good government reform, or “sunshine,” bills—the last of which died in conference committee the week before this cartoon ran.

Three Honolulu City Council Members attempt to justify their flip-flopping on accepting salary raises in “The Office”-style camera confessionals.

A proposed package of pay raises for public servants would be a lot more palatable to voters if lawmakers hadn’t nixed a bill to make the legislature year round and ban side jobs.

The Sunshine Boys return for this follow up at the halfway point in the Hawaiʻi legislature session, called “crossover.” Many, but not all, government reform bills have died already.

To celebrate the relaunched Honolulu Civil Beat “Sunshine Sunday” accountability section, this cartoon riffs on the Hardy Boys to talk about efforts by the two legislative judiciary chairs, Sen. Rhoads and Rep. Tarnas, to reform the opaque legislature (square building).

Rep. David Alcos claims he didn't know what he was doing when he failed to disclose millions in debt as required by state law. Perhaps, but either way lawmakers in debt have a lot to potentially offer to anyone willing to bail them out, with the right strings attached.