Nagging crime, falling tourism and restive Hawaiians
"The loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean," wrote Mark Twain about Hawaii in 1908. Time has not altered that verdict. The palm trees still sway in the cool breezes, the Pacific surf still spills across powdery white beaches, and the scent of lei still perfumes the air. Yet amid its travel-brochure lushness, Hawaii is struggling to cope with a surge in crime, a slump in tourism and the social strains caused by two decades of rapid growth. Laments Honolulu Mayor Eileen Anderson:...