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‘Everyone’ cannot afford another GET surcharge

New report urges ‘building out’ to ease housing crisis

Other states show we can hold rail accountable

U.S.-build rule deters ocean cargo service to Hawaii

‘Perry & The Posse’ hosts Akina on morning radio show

Unshackle Maui taxis to help them compete

It shouldn’t take audits and lawsuits for government to be transparent

Gas tax proposal just more of the same

HAWAII’S LEADING INDEPENDENT THINK TANK

Working for a better economy, better government and a better society

‘Everyone’ cannot afford another GET surcharge

by Keli’i Akina, Ph.D. | Feb 22, 2019

The road to hell is paved with good intentions … and tax increases. In November, a proposed constitutional amendment failed in the courts, eliminating property taxes as a source of funding for the state Department of Education. Now, the Hawaii Legislature is…

New report urges ‘building out’ to ease housing crisis

by Grassroot Institute of Hawaii | Feb 19, 2019

Grassroot Scholar Randal O’Toole faults artificial land scarcity for high Hawaii home prices HONOLULU, Feb. 19, 2019 >> Hawaii has the least affordable housing of any state in the nation, and that is almost wholly because of government land-use regulations that…

Other states show we can hold rail accountable

by Keli’i Akina, Ph.D. | Feb 15, 2019

Across the country, people are getting fed up with large, expensive public works projects that siphon away taxpayer funds. In January, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo canceled a plan years in the making that would have shut down New York City’s L Train for tunnel repairs….

U.S.-build rule deters ocean cargo service to Hawaii

by Jonathan Helton | Feb 13, 2019

Have you ever wondered why there are only a few ocean common carriers carrying goods between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland? Mainly it has to do with the federal U.S. shipping law known as the Jones Act, otherwise known as Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920….

‘Perry & The Posse’ hosts Akina on morning radio show

by Grassroot Institute of Hawaii | Feb 12, 2019

The host of one of Hawaii’s most popular morning radio programs, Michael W. Perry, of KSSK’s “Perry & The Posse,” wanted to know what the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii would like to see come out of the 2019 Hawaii legislative session, so he interviewed Keli‘i…

Unshackle Maui taxis to help them compete

by Josh Mason | Feb 8, 2019

In the wake of the state announcing that ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft can now pick up customers at Kahului and Kapalua airports, Maui airport taxi drivers are expressing frustration that such companies will essentially be operating as taxis while not having to…

It shouldn’t take audits and lawsuits for government to be transparent

by Josh Mason | Feb 8, 2019

As the Hawaii Legislature and county councils work into the new year, Hawaii residents should keep pressuring them to be more transparent. And it’s not like we’re asking them to do anything that isn’t already part of Hawaii law. Yet still there are state and county…

Gas tax proposal just more of the same

by Keli’i Akina, Ph.D. | Feb 8, 2019

After watching so many State of the State addresses, I’ve learned to regard them as something more than a summary of the state’s political outlook. In fact, they’ve started to seem a lot like wish lists. The governor outlines everything his party would like to get in…

Looking for housing in all the wrong places

by Keli’i Akina, Ph.D. | Feb 1, 2019

Regardless of our political differences, there are a few things most residents of Hawaii can agree on: The cost of living is high, the sunsets are beautiful, and there’s not enough housing. The difficulty isn’t identifying the problem; it’s finding a solution….