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The Conversation: Friday, October 5th, 2018

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Political Sparring Over Property Tax Amendment; Timeshares in Hawaii; Monk Seal Follow Up

 

Political Sparring Over Property Tax Amendment

 

Credit Pixabay

A ballot battle over whether the state could use real property taxes to fund public schools and hike teachers salaries is heating up, with a new twist.

The Hawaii Supreme Court agrees to hear a request by the four counties to invalidate a question that voters will see on the November ballot. Last month, a lower court judge declined to throw out the question ahead of the vote.

A hearing before Hawaii’s high court has now been set for October 18th.  

The Hawaii State Teachers Association has been leading the charge to amend the state constitution --what some refer to as the Con-Am, to use a new property tax surcharge on investment property, to help fund public education.

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Real property taxes to fund public schools ballot question

Timeshares in Hawaii

 

Credit Howard Nusbaum

Howard Nusbaum has been coming to Hawaii for the past 20 years. He is President of the American Resort Development Association.

Four decades after timeshares first emerged on the scene in the visitor world of  accomodations--it has morphed into a stable section of the tourist world.

Nusbaum shared his take on what timeshare does for the local economy as well as its place in the face of competition from online booking platforms.

New timeshare properties have emerged on scene across the state and growth has been steady.

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Howard Nusbaum

Reality Check

Credit Pixabay

Our online news partners over at Honolulu Civil Beat joined us today with reporter Anita Hofschneider with an update on our state’s sexual harassment policies.

Outro Music: Drop History (Instrumental) by The Drop Theory

 

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Reality Check

 

Monk Seal Follow Up

Credit The Marine Mammal Center NOAA

They are just one shy of a basketball team. Four little monk seal pups are in the early stages of bonding. At the start of the summer, we introduced you to Sole, a little pup that was snatched up by Marine Fisheries staff who worried that the little guy was too weak to survive. Now, Sole isn't solitary. We first talked to Marine Mammal Recovery Center’s Director Claire Simeone when Sole just arrived at the Big Island facility and now have this update on Sole and his new pals after their first week together.

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Claire Simeone

 

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Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Originally from Guam, she spent more than 30 years at KITV, covering beats from government to education. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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