Blog
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii blog offers news and commentary on a wide variety of topics related to economic freedom and individual liberty. Come back frequently to see the latest from our staff, contributors and Grassroot scholars.
Free speech beats ‘free rider’
In a month that has seen several controversial Supreme Court decisions, the Justices may have saved the biggest one for last. On Wednesday, the Court handed down its decision in Janus v. AFSCME, which challenged the constitutionality of requiring government employees...
Cost of living to go up — again
Get ready to pay more for goods you purchase on the internet. A new Hawaii law, Act 41, that goes into effect July 1 will subject internet retailers that have neither persons nor property in Hawaii to the state's general excise tax, so long as they make more than...
Brave new world for taxis
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Tuesday (June 19) vetoed a bill that would have capped surge pricing for ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft. And kudos to the mayor for that. The City Council has until July 19 to override the veto, but at the moment economic...
HPR, Akina talk lava disaster
Chris Vandercook of Hawaii Public Radio this morning (June 18, 2018) interviewed Keli'i Akina, president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, about how state law encouraged people to build homes in Lava Zones 1 and 2 on Hawaii Island, where more than 500 homes now...
Oh, the irony!
HART violating FTA deal?
MEDIA RELEASE from Grassroot Institute of Hawaii CONTACT: Joe Kent, (808) 987-7322 or jkent@grassrootinstitute.org HONOLULU, June 15, 2018 >> A leading board member of the Honolulu Area Rapid Transportation (HART) is worried that the semi-autonomous city agency may be...
‘Audit the rail’ still a good idea
The state of Honolulu’s rail project has become so problematic that even a board member for Honolulu Area Rapid Transportation (HART) is asking to press the pause button. But that’s not all. The Grassroot Institute recently obtained a letter (see full letter here)...
As least we’re not as bad as California …
This week I am writing to you from Dallas and the Economic Freedom of North America (EFNA) conference. Every year I join with leaders of policy think tanks from other U.S. states, plus from Canada and Mexico, to meet with economists who measure and study ways to...
A ‘first’ Honolulu doesn’t need
MEDIA RELEASE from Grassroot Institute of Hawaii CONTACT: Joe Kent, (808) 987-7322 or jkent@grassrootinstitute.org HONOLULU, June 7, 2018 >> The Honolulu City Council yesterday approved what could be the nation’s first ban on “surge pricing” by ride-hailing...
Akina on ‘Heartland’ podcast
In this episode of the Heartland Daily Podcast, Heartland Institute research fellow Jesse Hathaway talks with Grassroot Institute of Hawaii President Keli'i Akina about how the state government’s housing policies have gone up in flames — literally. Lava flows from the...
‘Big Brother is listening’
Blowing the whistle on HART
It’s difficult to protect workplace whistleblowers if intimidation is present in the very place where they would blow their proverbial whistles. But that is what appears to be happening at the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), which has been...
Caution: Government at work
Pension risk includes lava
How is a volcano like a dip in the stock market? That’s not a riddle, though I’m sure our witty members could come up with some clever responses. Rather, it is a different perspective on how the Kilauea eruption might have a long-term effect on the state’s unfunded...
Holding the state accountable
I'm delighted to let you know that The Wall Street Journal has just published exclusive research by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. Our story on how the Hawaii state government encouraged the building of homes in the currently erupting lava zones has now gone...
Good intentions pave road to homelessness
We are all aware of Hawaii’s "pay to play" culture and "friends and family" cronyism, but the high cost of housing does not appear to be the result of widespread corruption. It is more a case of good intentions gone awry. That was the message of David Callies, law...