by Joe Kent | Mar 15, 2019 | Featured, Housing, In the news, Website
As Maui County lawmakers search under the couch cushions for loose change that would help them meet their budgetary goals, they should remember that finding extra cash could be easy, if they would only step out of the way of island homebuilders. That’s right:...
by Joe Kent | Mar 8, 2019 | Featured, Privatization, Research & Commentary, Website
At least 11 of Hawaii’s state agencies have each saved thousands of dollars a year by privatizing some of their janitor positions, giving a rare glimpse of the savings that could be possible if more state and county agencies followed this approach. The private...
by Joe Kent | Nov 29, 2018 | Budget, Cost of Living, Featured, Government Waste, Research & Commentary, Website
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...
by Joe Kent | Nov 14, 2018 | Accountability, Budget, Rail, Research & Commentary, Taxes, Transportation, Website
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...
by Joe Kent | Nov 14, 2018 | Featured, Property, Regulation, Research & Commentary, Shared Economy, Website
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....
by Joe Kent | Nov 8, 2018 | Featured, Housing, Land Use and Zoning, Property, Regulation, Research & Commentary, Taxes, Website
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...
by Joe Kent | Oct 31, 2018 | Cost of Living, Education, Featured, Research & Commentary
This was originally published as a letter to the editor in The Maui News on Oct. 28, 2018. Lowering Hawaii’s cost of living would be a better way to help our public school teachers than the proposed constitutional amendment that was thrown out Oct. 19 by the Hawaii...
by Joe Kent | Oct 25, 2018 | Featured, Privatization, Rail, Research & Commentary, Website
Honolulu’s rail project is hoping to save costs by partnering with private companies in a process known as a public-private partnership, or “P3.” But experts say that nationally many rail P3s have enabled the government project managers to duck budgetary limits in the...
by Joe Kent | Oct 17, 2018 | Cost of Living, Education, Research & Commentary, Website
This column was originally featured in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday, Oct. 17. This version includes the charts and footnotes. A widely cited study issued last month by WalletHub erroneously stated that Hawaii public school teachers make a starting salary...
by Joe Kent | Sep 28, 2018 | Featured, Property, Research & Commentary, Shared Economy
The following article was originally featured Sept. 25, 2018, in The Maui News. Maui County policymakers have typically decried short-term rentals that are unpermitted. But rather than erect significant barriers to their operation — including a limit on their numbers...
