Columnist

Neal Milner

Neal Milner is a former political science professor at the University of Hawaiʻi where he taught for 40 years. He is a political analyst for KITV and is a regular contributor to Hawaii Public Radio's "The Conversation." His most recent book is The Gift of Underpants. Opinions are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Civil Beat's views.
Neal Milner: Sometimes, Preserving A Neighborhood Is Exactly The Wrong Call Stephen Edmonds/Wikimedia Commons

Neal Milner: Sometimes, Preserving A Neighborhood Is Exactly The Wrong Call

There are good reasons to oppose a North Shore tramway, but not all projects deserve automatic rejection.

Neal Milner: Modern Technology Can Suck The Life Out Of You Caleb Hartsfield/Civil Beat

Neal Milner: Modern Technology Can Suck The Life Out Of You

Slip-on shoes that don’t require you to bend over are one more product designed to enfeeble you.

Neal Milner: How To Interrupt Violence — And Avoid Building More Prisons Curt Sanburn/Civil Beat/2015

Neal Milner: How To Interrupt Violence — And Avoid Building More Prisons

There are two traditional philosophies for reducing violent crime, and they’re both wrong.

Neal Milner: Capitol, Convention Center, Stadium Are All Great Landfill Sites Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

Neal Milner: Capitol, Convention Center, Stadium Are All Great Landfill Sites

Why develop a brand new venue for Oʻahu’s garbage when it would fit right in at these places?

Neal Milner: In Its Battles With Trump, The Legal System Is The Underdog The White House/2025

Neal Milner: In Its Battles With Trump, The Legal System Is The Underdog

By the time he loses in court, the president has often already won.

Neal Milner: Hawaiʻi’s Uncounted Homeless Are The People Sleeping On Your Couch Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Neal Milner: Hawaiʻi’s Uncounted Homeless Are The People Sleeping On Your Couch

The uncomfortable truth is that Hawaiʻi likely has thousands more homeless people than the narrow definition used in the official count accounts for.

Neal Milner: Peeling Back The Tapestry That Explains The Legislature David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

Neal Milner: Peeling Back The Tapestry That Explains The Legislature

What just happened at the Capitol is one more chapter in the story of how our lawmakers roll.

Neal Milner: Use Civics Classes To Fight Back Against Authoritarianism Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

Neal Milner: Use Civics Classes To Fight Back Against Authoritarianism

Teachers will have to walk a fine line, but itʻs not OK to pretend our democracy is functioning properly.

Neal Milner: Mass Layoffs Are Easy If We Dehumanize Government Workers AP Photo/Evan Vucci/2025

Neal Milner: Mass Layoffs Are Easy If We Dehumanize Government Workers

Supporting whatʻs happening to federal employees requires buying into the stereotype of lazy bureaucrats.