When bureaucracy grows, housing does not. That’s because more bureaucracy nearly always results in more regulation and delays — and I hope someday soon the majority of our policymakers in Hawaii will figure this out. The latest bureaucratic wrench to be thrown into the gears of homebuilding, especially on Maui,
This commentary was originally published originally in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Aug. 3, 2022. _____________ Candidates for political office in Hawaii have suddenly started talking about a policy option that has been kicking around for years: Exempt food and medicine from the state general excise tax (GET). The reasoning is that such an exemption
Hawaii desperately needs to fix some of the problems that have been bedeviling us for so long, such as the housing crisis and shortage of healthcare personnel. But there is a right way to do so and a wrong way. The wrong way is for the governor to declare an emergency
Except for maybe a few outliers, I think virtually everyone in Hawaii agrees that we need more affordable housing, right? So why, then, do we so often see such strident public opposition to new projects or zoning reforms that might expand the stock of housing for our families, friends and
In a misguided effort to create more affordable housing, the Maui County Council is about to make the problem worse. The Council is considering a measure, Bill 107 (CD1), that would lower the cost of homes designated as “affordable” by changing the rules that govern how the sellers can price them.
Photo by Charley Myers It’s not just Hawaii residents who are being priced out of paradise. Slowly but surely, tourists are also wondering whether they can still afford to visit here. A survey by Anthology Research of almost 4,000 tourists during the 2022 first quarter found that visitors from the
This weekend is a time for celebrating the Declaration of Independence, which was the inspiration behind the founding of the United States of America. In Hawaii, this July 4th can be additionally meaningful, as we have the opportunity to defend liberty and uphold the system of political checks and balances
Photo by Charley Myers Boundless optimism may be a great trait in a friend, but it’s not what you need when you’re dealing with billion-dollar projects and long-term cost projections. From the beginning, the folks in charge of the Honolulu rail project have been relentlessly sunny in their projections. It
Prices are going up everywhere, and Hawaii families and businesses are hurting as a result. We see it at the gas pump, where motorists have to weigh the cost against their other bills, such as food, medical, housing or daycare. We see it at the grocery store, where the prices
The good news is that Hawaii residents will be able to keep trading in cryptocurrency. The bad news is that Hawaii’s policymakers haven’t given up the dream of regulating it into oblivion. For years, Hawaii residents who wanted to buy or sell cryptocurrency were stymied by the state’s Money Transmitters Act,
When bureaucracy grows, housing does not. That’s because more bureaucracy nearly always results in more regulation and delays — and I hope someday soon the majority of our policymakers in Hawaii will figure this out. The latest bureaucratic wrench to be thrown into the gears of homebuilding, especially on Maui,
This commentary was originally published originally in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Aug. 3, 2022. _____________ Candidates for political office in Hawaii have suddenly started talking about a policy option that has been kicking around for years: Exempt food and medicine from the state general excise tax (GET). The reasoning is that such an exemption
Hawaii desperately needs to fix some of the problems that have been bedeviling us for so long, such as the housing crisis and shortage of healthcare personnel. But there is a right way to do so and a wrong way. The wrong way is for the governor to declare an emergency
Except for maybe a few outliers, I think virtually everyone in Hawaii agrees that we need more affordable housing, right? So why, then, do we so often see such strident public opposition to new projects or zoning reforms that might expand the stock of housing for our families, friends and
In a misguided effort to create more affordable housing, the Maui County Council is about to make the problem worse. The Council is considering a measure, Bill 107 (CD1), that would lower the cost of homes designated as “affordable” by changing the rules that govern how the sellers can price them.
Photo by Charley Myers It’s not just Hawaii residents who are being priced out of paradise. Slowly but surely, tourists are also wondering whether they can still afford to visit here. A survey by Anthology Research of almost 4,000 tourists during the 2022 first quarter found that visitors from the
This weekend is a time for celebrating the Declaration of Independence, which was the inspiration behind the founding of the United States of America. In Hawaii, this July 4th can be additionally meaningful, as we have the opportunity to defend liberty and uphold the system of political checks and balances
Photo by Charley Myers Boundless optimism may be a great trait in a friend, but it’s not what you need when you’re dealing with billion-dollar projects and long-term cost projections. From the beginning, the folks in charge of the Honolulu rail project have been relentlessly sunny in their projections. It
Prices are going up everywhere, and Hawaii families and businesses are hurting as a result. We see it at the gas pump, where motorists have to weigh the cost against their other bills, such as food, medical, housing or daycare. We see it at the grocery store, where the prices
The good news is that Hawaii residents will be able to keep trading in cryptocurrency. The bad news is that Hawaii’s policymakers haven’t given up the dream of regulating it into oblivion. For years, Hawaii residents who wanted to buy or sell cryptocurrency were stymied by the state’s Money Transmitters Act,
