by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. | Jan 18, 2019 | Cost of Living, Featured, President's Column, Regulation, Website
The Hawaii Legislature convened this week for its 2019 session, and the continuing decline of Hawaii’s population seemed to be one of its top agenda items. Addressing his colleagues on the opening day, Senate President Ron Kouchi talked about how his “greatest passion...
by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. | Dec 28, 2018 | Cost of Living, Featured, President's Column, Website
It’s too expensive. That’s why most people move away from their beloved Hawaii. Consider the story of Christopher Peralta, who left Honolulu in 2009 and now lives in Portland. He told the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii: “I was working three jobs and had nothing to show...
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 | 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 Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. | Oct 19, 2018 | Accountability, Cost of Living, Education, Featured, President's Column, Taxes, Website
When even a Hawaii Supreme Court Justice isn’t sure who is supposed to pay a new tax, you know you have a confusing ballot measure. On Thursday, Hawaii’s highest court heard the counties’ arguments against the wording of the proposed state constitutional amendment...
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...
