fbpx

Why are there so many mansions on Hawaii Island?

Ever wonder why so many mansions are being built on Hawaii Island? It’s because they don’t involve a lot of red tape or public opposition. The catch is they are being built on agricultural lands, where regulations allow one house per acre. This is why so many agricultural parcels are

Read More →

Why is Hawaii so expensive?

The following is the transcript for a video narrated by Joe Kent that was posted Sept. 14, 2022, on the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s “Hawaii Matters” YouTube channel. To see the video itself, go to the end of the transcript. ___________ Why is Hawaii’s cost of living so high? Hawaii

Read More →

Are outsiders buying up Hawaii?

The following is the transcript for a video narrated by Joe Kent that was posted Sept. 14, 2022, on the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s “Hawaii Matters” YouTube channel. To see the video itself, go to the end of the transcript. ___________ Are outsiders buying up Hawaii? Hawaii has the most

Read More →

Why housing in Hawaii is expensive

The following is the transcript for a video that was posted Sept. 14, 2022, on the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s  “Hawaii Matters” YouTube channel. To see the video itself, go to the end of the transcript. ___________ Why are Hawaii’s housing prices so high? Hawaii has the highest median home prices

Read More →

Restrictions hurt Hawaii’s stake in cryptocurrency market

Photos by Charley Myers The following commentary was published originally on Jan. 17, 2022, in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. _______________ Hawaii has the highest barriers in the nation for companies that exchange cryptocurrency, and those restrictions could worsen if lawmakers don’t hurry and open the door for this potentially prosperous new

Read More →

State budget windfall should be shared with taxpayers

The following commentary was published originally on Jan. 8, 2022, in Hawaii Filipino Chronicle. _______________ Hawaii lawmakers are wracking their brains about how to balance the state budget, only this time, the problem isn’t too little money, it’s too much. And maybe some of it should go back to Hawaii

Read More →

‘Tourist tax’ surcharges threaten Hawaii recovery

Photo by Charley Myers The following article was published originally in the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle on Dec. 18, 2021. ______________ In their zeal to “save” the state budget, Hawaii’s lawmakers created new monsters — the county TAT surcharges — which threaten to drag down Hawaii’s economy Are more taxes on

Read More →

SB56 tax scare could have long-lasting effect

This commentary was originally published in the March 20, 2021, edition of Hawai Filipino Chronicle. ___________ Hawaii residents were spooked last week by Senate passage of a bill that would increase the state’s highest personal income tax from 11% to 16% on annual incomes of more than $200,000, making it

Read More →

Why are there so many mansions on Hawaii Island?

Ever wonder why so many mansions are being built on Hawaii Island? It’s because they don’t involve a lot of red tape or public opposition. The catch is they are being built on agricultural lands, where regulations allow one house per acre. This is why so many agricultural parcels are

Read More →

Why is Hawaii so expensive?

The following is the transcript for a video narrated by Joe Kent that was posted Sept. 14, 2022, on the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s “Hawaii Matters” YouTube channel. To see the video itself, go to the end of the transcript. ___________ Why is Hawaii’s cost of living so high? Hawaii

Read More →

Are outsiders buying up Hawaii?

The following is the transcript for a video narrated by Joe Kent that was posted Sept. 14, 2022, on the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s “Hawaii Matters” YouTube channel. To see the video itself, go to the end of the transcript. ___________ Are outsiders buying up Hawaii? Hawaii has the most

Read More →

Why housing in Hawaii is expensive

The following is the transcript for a video that was posted Sept. 14, 2022, on the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s  “Hawaii Matters” YouTube channel. To see the video itself, go to the end of the transcript. ___________ Why are Hawaii’s housing prices so high? Hawaii has the highest median home prices

Read More →

Restrictions hurt Hawaii’s stake in cryptocurrency market

Photos by Charley Myers The following commentary was published originally on Jan. 17, 2022, in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. _______________ Hawaii has the highest barriers in the nation for companies that exchange cryptocurrency, and those restrictions could worsen if lawmakers don’t hurry and open the door for this potentially prosperous new

Read More →

State budget windfall should be shared with taxpayers

The following commentary was published originally on Jan. 8, 2022, in Hawaii Filipino Chronicle. _______________ Hawaii lawmakers are wracking their brains about how to balance the state budget, only this time, the problem isn’t too little money, it’s too much. And maybe some of it should go back to Hawaii

Read More →

‘Tourist tax’ surcharges threaten Hawaii recovery

Photo by Charley Myers The following article was published originally in the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle on Dec. 18, 2021. ______________ In their zeal to “save” the state budget, Hawaii’s lawmakers created new monsters — the county TAT surcharges — which threaten to drag down Hawaii’s economy Are more taxes on

Read More →

SB56 tax scare could have long-lasting effect

This commentary was originally published in the March 20, 2021, edition of Hawai Filipino Chronicle. ___________ Hawaii residents were spooked last week by Senate passage of a bill that would increase the state’s highest personal income tax from 11% to 16% on annual incomes of more than $200,000, making it

Read More →