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.
Our Santa wish list for Hawaii
Well, it’s Christmas season again, so here is what I drafted recently for Santa to consider: Dear Santa, We at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii were very good this past year about defending the free market. We helped educate policymakers, stood for transparency and...
The problem with rail isn’t PR
This is a letter to the editor that was published Thursday, Dec. 20, in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. We commend the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for putting the spotlight on the failed public relations efforts of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (“Loss on...
Minimum-wage hike hurts workers
This article was originally published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. Leah is the young mother of a small family in Hawaii working at a small family restaurant for the legal minimum wage. Like many families in Hawaii, she and her husband...
Ige can count us to help Hawaii ‘move forward’
I heard something strangely familiar in Gov. David Ige’s inauguration address last week. As the governor began speaking of the challenges facing our state, he issued a plea that we all work together to make things better. He even unveiled the theme of his speech: ʻOni...
Washington hears our message on Jones Act
Aloha, from Washington, D.C. Or as the locals say, “Get out of my way! That light has been green for two nanoseconds now!” I traveled here to the nation’s capital to participate Thursday in a conference about the Jones Act. Hosted by the Cato Institute, the event...
Public pension reform will benefit government workers
This is a letter to the editor that was published Monday, Dec. 3, in The Garden Island, which headlined it, "Pension problem needs solving." Your recent guest column, “Don’t begrudge pensions for public employees,” (TGI, Nov. 27) misrepresented the position of groups...
Not all public-private partnerships are good
In the past, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has been favorably disposed to public-private partnerships (P3s). While not quite the same thing as privatization, these partnerships are often a good way to improve public services and relieve taxpayers of some of the...
Beware of Maui County’s ‘shiny new ball’
This article was originally published in The Maui News on Thursday, Nov. 29. Maui County Council members this month voted to “go vertical” and move forward on financing a proposed $81.2 million Wailuku Civic Complex, but policymakers would be wise to focus less on the...
Public pension crisis could have silver lining
This article was originally published in The Garden Island on Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018. Soaring public pension and health benefit costs will be slamming Hawaii’s county governments in coming years, forcing them to consider cutting important government services or...
Giving thanks to you
Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. This is a day when we stop to count our blessings. We are thankful for the freedoms and great opportunities we all enjoy in America — and to the many men and women who fought for and...
Maui rental fines not fine
Say you’re in desperate need of money and decide to rent a room in your Maui home through Airbnb. You look at the other rentals being offered and decide to make your price competitive at $100 a night. You know this won’t make you a millionaire — you’re just hoping it...
HART’s P3 Plan Another Bad Sign For Rail
This article was originally published as a "Community Voice" in Civil Beat on Nov. 14, 2018. The Honolulu rail system is projected to lose millions of dollars every year after opening in 2026. So it’s baffling that any company would want to partner with the Honolulu...
Vacation rental fines inviting legal trouble
This article was published as a letter to the editor in The Maui News on Nov. 14, 2018. On Nov. 6, Maui voters decided to drastically increase the fines for illegal short-term vacation rentals on Maui, which could expose the county to dangerous legal challenges....
Hawaii rank goes up, but not its economic freedom
The Economic Freedom of North America 2018 report outlines Hawaii’s statistical paradox HONOLULU, Nov. 13, 2018 >> Hawaii moved up a surprising eight notches this year in a national ranking measuring economic freedom in all 50 states, from 45 in 2017 to 37. That...
Hawaii moved up in rankings, despite lower score in economic freedom
At first it would seem like great news that Hawaii moved up a surprising eight places in the latest annual "Economic Freedom of North America" index, from 45th among all U.S. states in 2017 to 37th in 2018. But things are not always what they seem. In this case,...
Higher taxes do not make housing cheaper
Many Hawaii taxpayers breathed a sigh of relief after the state Supreme Court on Oct. 19 voided a ballot question that would’ve allowed the state to raise taxes on investment real property. Supporters of the proposal had argued that higher taxes could be the key to...