There are always winners and losers in every proposed budget, but some of the guests at this year’s budget banquet might be consuming more than makes sense, while others could use more than breadcrumbs.

The Honolulu City Council is slated to vote on a new tax on homes that stand empty, a measure supporters say will force owners to rent the properties and help provide badly needed housing for local residents. Critics complain it’s unfair to the property owner.

The candidates with the most cash have an overwhelming likelihood to end up the winner in our current election system. That held true in 2024 as the Carpenter’s Union PAC “For a Better Tomorrow” spent more than $500,000 to ensure Tom Cook and Tasha Kama were re-elected to the Maui County Council over Kelly King and Carol Lee Kamekona.

Drawn in the summer of 2016 and posted the same day Hillary Clinton secured the Democratic Party nomination for president.

Back in 2012, GOP presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney looked like he was going to try and buy his way into the White House.

Citizens United has lead to a significant concentration of political power in the hands of wealthy entities, compromising the integrity of our democracy.