Let Hawaii Work: Willa Marten’s story

by Josh Mason | Jun 25, 2020 | Let Hawaii Work

I am the owner of two condos in Kailua-Kona, and I have depended on renting them out to make an income that allows me to meet my cost of living here. As soon as the quarantines and lockdowns were put in place in March, my bookings through June all canceled, leaving me...

Why doesn’t Hawaii privatize more public services?

by Josh Mason | Jun 20, 2019 | Featured, Privatization, Research & Commentary, Website

Hawaii’s state and county governments aren’t known for delivering high-quality public services in a cost-efficient manner. Nationwide, Hawaii has the second highest per capita tax burden, yet its taxpayers have the worst “return on investment” in terms of how...

Self-driving cars another nail in rail’s coffin

by Josh Mason | Jun 1, 2019 | Featured, Rail, Research & Commentary, Transportation, Website

Self-driving cars are just around the corner for America, but as we begin to embrace the future, Honolulu’s over-budget and behind-schedule rail project is firmly stuck in the past. Automated vehicles are expected to become the norm in the United States within the...

Unshackle Maui taxis to help them compete

by Josh Mason | Feb 8, 2019 | Featured, Regulation, Research & Commentary, Shared Economy, Website

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 | Accountability, Featured, Gut and Replace, Research & Commentary, Website

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...

The problem with rail isn’t PR

by Josh Mason | Dec 21, 2018 | Featured, Rail, Research & Commentary, Website

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...

Public pension reform will benefit government workers

by Josh Mason | Dec 4, 2018 | Featured, Pension, Research & Commentary, Unions, Website

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...

City Council broke promise on rail

by Josh Mason | Nov 5, 2018 | Featured, Rail, Research & Commentary

This was originally published as a Letter to the Editor in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sunday, Nov. 4. The Honolulu City Council’s decision to approve Bill 42 violates the promise made to Honolulu taxpayers in 2006 that city funds would not be used for the rail...