Akina said according to Bloomberg Journal, of all the 50 states, Hawaii is hurt the most by the Jones act. Without the law, our prices for almost everything in the islands could fall by more than 30 percent.
According to the Freedom in the 50 states, only California (of course), New Jersey, and New York are more repressive than Hawaii. Much of Hawaii’s (and California’s) repression comes from the land-use regulation, which makes building a home or starting or expanding a business very expensive.
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii focuses on education reform. Education reform is extremely important. Digital Learning Now! has been publishing a series of papers on education reform, the most recent of which, titled Funding, Student Options, and Achievement, considers the problem of archaic education-financing structure as a barrier to education reform and innovation. The report’s guidelines echo recommendations that have been championed for several years by reformers: in essence, education reform requires funding that is weighted, flexible, portable, and performance based.
To the Hawaii Legislature:
Hawaii families face skyrocketing healthcare costs and a shortage of doctors. Exempting medical services from Hawaii’s general excise tax would result in millions of dollars in savings for residents and help bring doctors back.
