Working for a better economy, better governANCE and a better society
Akina goes riding with Perry & The Posse
Hawaii radio star Michael W. Perry hosted Keli’i Akina on his hugely popular “Perry & The Posse” radio show on Thursday, May 28, 2020, to talk about the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s new “Road map to prosperity: How Hawaii can recover and...
Our new road map puts you in the driver’s seat
There is no quick fix to Hawaii’s economic problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot spend our way back to a robust economy. We can’t flip a switch and simply “restart” it as if there had never been a lockdown. But there is a path forward that could help...
This is no time for a minimum-wage hike
This commentary was published originally in the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle, April 18, 2020, page 10. ___________ If we want Hawaii’s economy to recover from the coronavirus shutdown, we have to put aside any possibility of a minimum-wage hike. As I write this, Hawaii...
The green case for Jones Act reform
When we talk about the costs of the Jones Act, we’re usually focused on how it results in higher prices for consumers and businesses and its overall effect on Hawaii’s economy. But those are not the only costs imposed on us by the 100-year-old protectionist law that...
Minimum-wage increases: What we can learn from Seattle
Minium-wage researcher Jacob Vigdor appeared on Keili’i Akina’s “Hawaii Together” interview program on Monday, March 2, 2020, to talk about what Hawaii can learn from Seattle’s recent increase in its minimum wage. In Hawaii, the state...