Working for a better economy, better government and a better society
How we can keep our children in Hawaii
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...
Why are residents leaving Hawaii?
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...
Beware of Maui County’s ‘shiny new ball’
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...
Lower cost of living to help teachers, everyone
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...
More taxes not a cure
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...