Editorial: No place for racism in tax-funded work
The editorial discusses internal tensions and disputes within the Hawaii Tourism Authority regarding marketing contracts and the involvement of various service contractors.
Isaac Choy joined the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) as vice president of finance in 2023, as a fractious, months-long dispute over the state’s lucrative U.S. marketing contract roiled the agency. Competition between the Hawaii Visitors &Convention Bureau, until then the seemingly sole, permanent contractor, and tourism-services contractors affiliated with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA — now the Hawaiian Council) had caused factions to form. Tensions were high.
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Tropical Storm Nolo is strengthening, and Hawaii Island has been placed under a hurricane watch. The storm continues to develop as of the latest afternoon update.
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