Giving thanks to you
Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. This is a day when we stop to count our blessings. We are thankful for the freedoms and great opportunities we all enjoy in America — and to the many men and women who fought for and...
Maui rental fines not fine
Say you’re in desperate need of money and decide to rent a room in your Maui home through Airbnb. You look at the other rentals being offered and decide to make your price competitive at $100 a night. You know this won’t make you a millionaire — you’re just hoping it...
Hawaii moved up in rankings, despite lower score in economic freedom
At first it would seem like great news that Hawaii moved up a surprising eight places in the latest annual “Economic Freedom of North America” index, from 45th among all U.S. states in 2017 to 37th in 2018. But things are not always what they seem. In this...
Rail vote breaks promise – again
Sometimes, addressing rail funding can feel like you’re standing on the tracks, politely asking Hawaii’s policymakers to consider hitting the switch and redirecting the train before it runs us over. That is why the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii last week was at a...
Court victory welcome, but what about public schools?
Last week’s action by the Hawaii Supreme Court to boot the “education tax” proposal from the Nov. 6 ballot was a victory for accountable government and the democratic process. Had it been approved by the voters, it would have authorized the state to tax real property...
Aaron Lief is a writer and researcher for the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.