Braiding someone’s hair shouldn’t make you an outlaw. But that’s exactly what can happen under Hawaii’s restrictive licensing laws. I bring this up because I noticed the Institute for Justice, based in Arlington, Virginia, just released the third edition of its “License to Work” study, which looked at state regulations nationwide and concluded
One of the most information-packed episodes of “Hawaii Together” I’ve ever seen aired this past Tuesday on the ThinkTech Hawaii, and I wasn’t even a part of it. It was hosted by my Grassroot Institute of Hawaii colleague Joe Kent, who was sitting in for me because I was representing the
Thanksgiving is at our doorstep and Christmas is just around the corner, but everything is not joyful. Considering Hawaii’s high cost of living and the nation’s record inflation, many Hawaii families are taking a hard look at their finances and calculating how inflation and recession will affect their holiday plans,
Most of the results are in from the election, and there are rumors of change in the air. Hawaii’s newly elected or reelected lawmakers have not yet taken the reins of government, but we still remember their campaign promises and are optimistic about seeing them addressed. Some people like to
I’ve been playing a new online game, but no matter what I do, I can’t seem to win. It’s a real-life simulation about getting authorized to build a house for your family. But I keep getting tripped up by Honolulu’s permitting process. The creative folks at Honolulu Civil Beat have
You probably have heard that if you want less of something, all you need to do is tax and regulate it. Politicians are aware of this idea, which is why we have taxes and regulations on things such as alcohol, e-cigarettes and other products they consider “sinful,” unhealthy or a
Usually, when we say that “government” is responsible for the high price of housing in Hawaii, we are talking about bureaucracy: the rules, regulations, permits and barriers in general that make it difficult, time-consuming and expensive to build homes. But there is another side to the government’s role in the housing
“Do something,” goes the popular political call to action. But perhaps it would be better if politicians added a line from the medical field: “First, do no harm.” In the case of housing, the urge to “do something” too often means expanding the role of government, which research shows is
The following commentary was originally published Oct. 15, 2022, in the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle. ____________ Hawaii has the highest level of government regulation related to homebuilding in the country. It also has the highest average home prices in the nation. This is not a coincidence. Multiple studies have established that
The greatest takeaway from three forums last week about Hawaii’s doctor shortage was the realization that we are dealing with an undeniable human tragedy. Sponsored by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, the forums on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii island made it clear that the state’s acute shortage of physicians —
Braiding someone’s hair shouldn’t make you an outlaw. But that’s exactly what can happen under Hawaii’s restrictive licensing laws. I bring this up because I noticed the Institute for Justice, based in Arlington, Virginia, just released the third edition of its “License to Work” study, which looked at state regulations nationwide and concluded
One of the most information-packed episodes of “Hawaii Together” I’ve ever seen aired this past Tuesday on the ThinkTech Hawaii, and I wasn’t even a part of it. It was hosted by my Grassroot Institute of Hawaii colleague Joe Kent, who was sitting in for me because I was representing the
Thanksgiving is at our doorstep and Christmas is just around the corner, but everything is not joyful. Considering Hawaii’s high cost of living and the nation’s record inflation, many Hawaii families are taking a hard look at their finances and calculating how inflation and recession will affect their holiday plans,
Most of the results are in from the election, and there are rumors of change in the air. Hawaii’s newly elected or reelected lawmakers have not yet taken the reins of government, but we still remember their campaign promises and are optimistic about seeing them addressed. Some people like to
I’ve been playing a new online game, but no matter what I do, I can’t seem to win. It’s a real-life simulation about getting authorized to build a house for your family. But I keep getting tripped up by Honolulu’s permitting process. The creative folks at Honolulu Civil Beat have
You probably have heard that if you want less of something, all you need to do is tax and regulate it. Politicians are aware of this idea, which is why we have taxes and regulations on things such as alcohol, e-cigarettes and other products they consider “sinful,” unhealthy or a
Usually, when we say that “government” is responsible for the high price of housing in Hawaii, we are talking about bureaucracy: the rules, regulations, permits and barriers in general that make it difficult, time-consuming and expensive to build homes. But there is another side to the government’s role in the housing
“Do something,” goes the popular political call to action. But perhaps it would be better if politicians added a line from the medical field: “First, do no harm.” In the case of housing, the urge to “do something” too often means expanding the role of government, which research shows is
The following commentary was originally published Oct. 15, 2022, in the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle. ____________ Hawaii has the highest level of government regulation related to homebuilding in the country. It also has the highest average home prices in the nation. This is not a coincidence. Multiple studies have established that
The greatest takeaway from three forums last week about Hawaii’s doctor shortage was the realization that we are dealing with an undeniable human tragedy. Sponsored by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, the forums on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii island made it clear that the state’s acute shortage of physicians —
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.
