Big Island: The Infrastructure Doesn’t Match the Money

Every year, the State of Hawaiʻi spends around $20 billion. The Big Island alone, roughly $1 billion. Just one billion dollars a year on this island should be enough to slowly turn our home into a paradise of safe roads, strong bridges, clean parks, solid drainage, walkable sidewalks, good public transport, and real support for local families and farmers.

Now pause… and zoom out.

If this level of money has been flowing year after year after year…
where is the Big Island that matches those numbers?

Drive around Hilo, Puna, Kaʻū, Hāmākua, Kona, Kohala…
Look at the condition of some roads.
Look at crumbling sidewalks – or entire neighborhoods with no sidewalks at all.
Look at drainage that can’t handle one strong rain.
Look at public housing shortages, families barely making rent, kupuna stressed about property taxes.

Then think again about billions spent over the past decades.

I’m not an economist. I’m just a resident doing simple math with my eyes open.
The infrastructure we see does not match the money we’re told is being spent.
And that mismatch should bother all of us — not from hate, but from love.

Because if this island truly received $1 billion in value every year,
we would feel it in our daily life.
We would see it under our tires, under our feet, and above our heads.

We’d see:

• Roads designed to last, not patched like band-aids.

• Sidewalks and bike lanes that actually connect communities instead of ending in the middle of nowhere.

• Storm drains that work, so one heavy rain doesn’t feel like a disaster movie.

• Public facilities that don’t look tired and forgotten.

• Real investment in local food security so we’re not this dependent on ships.

But too often, it feels like money disappears into “projects” we never fully understand, “studies” that lead nowhere, and price tags that sound like jokes: millions for one small corner, tens of millions for something that still doesn’t feel right, and then… more patches, more delays.

This post is not about attacking one person or one office.
It’s about saying, as a community:

If billions have been spent in our name, we deserve to clearly see where every dollar went.

Transparency is not a luxury. It’s respect.
If the money was used well, show us.
Show us the breakdowns in language people can understand.
Show us before-and-after impacts, not just press releases and glossy plans.

Because here’s the deepest truth:

This island is rich in money on paper, but many of our people still feel poor in daily life.
Poor in safe infrastructure.
Poor in long-term planning.
Poor in trust.

Imagine if, for the next 10 years, every single dollar was treated like it came straight from the hands of a struggling family — because it does. Taxes, fees, permits, fines… it’s all people’s sweat.

Imagine a Big Island where, every year, we could see and touch at least one major improvement that clearly makes life better for everyone: safer roads, stronger bridges, better drainage, parks and playgrounds built to last, real support for local farmers.

That future is possible.

But it starts with one simple, powerful demand from all of us:

Show us where the money went.
Show us clearly.
And build an island that truly matches the billions.

Aloha doesn’t mean staying silent.
Aloha means loving this island enough to ask hard questions —
so our keiki inherit something better than confusion and potholes. 🌺🤙

Disclaimer ::: This post reflects personal observations and opinions based on publicly available budget figures and visible community conditions. It is not an accusation against any individual, office, or agency. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently and to engage in open, respectful dialogue. The goal of this post is to promote transparency, accountability, and constructive discussion for the future of the Big Island.