Issues
Event on Maui and Oahu: The Cost of Public Employment
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Luncheon: Will Obamacare really be repealed?
Oahu Event January 10th, 2017 and Maui Event January 11th, 2017. Sign up today!
New report urges ‘building out’ to ease housing crisis
Grassroot Scholar Randal O'Toole faults artificial land scarcity for high Hawaii home prices HONOLULU, Feb. 19, 2019 >> Hawaii has the least affordable housing of any state in the nation, and that is almost wholly because of government land-use regulations that...
Other states show we can hold rail accountable
Across the country, people are getting fed up with large, expensive public works projects that siphon away taxpayer funds. In January, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo canceled a plan years in the making that would have shut down New York City’s L Train for tunnel repairs....
U.S.-build rule deters ocean cargo service to Hawaii
Have you ever wondered why there are only a few ocean common carriers carrying goods between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland? Mainly it has to do with the federal U.S. shipping law known as the Jones Act, otherwise known as Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920....
‘Perry & The Posse’ hosts Akina on morning radio show
The host of one of Hawaii’s most popular morning radio programs, Michael W. Perry, of KSSK’s “Perry & The Posse,” wanted to know what the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii would like to see come out of the 2019 Hawaii legislative session, so he interviewed Keli‘i...
Unshackle Maui taxis to help them compete
In the wake of the state announcing that ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft can now pick up customers at Kahului and Kapalua airports, Maui airport taxi drivers are expressing frustration that such companies will essentially be operating as taxis while not having to...
It shouldn’t take audits and lawsuits for government to be transparent
As the Hawaii Legislature and county councils work into the new year, Hawaii residents should keep pressuring them to be more transparent. And it’s not like we’re asking them to do anything that isn’t already part of Hawaii law. Yet still there are state and county...
Gas tax proposal just more of the same
After watching so many State of the State addresses, I’ve learned to regard them as something more than a summary of the state’s political outlook. In fact, they’ve started to seem a lot like wish lists. The governor outlines everything his party would like to get in...
Looking for housing in all the wrong places
Regardless of our political differences, there are a few things most residents of Hawaii can agree on: The cost of living is high, the sunsets are beautiful, and there’s not enough housing. The difficulty isn’t identifying the problem; it’s finding a solution....
Grassroot Institute testifies on wage bill
January 31, 2019, 3:00 p.m. Hawaii State Capitol Conference Room 224 To: Senate Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts Sen. Brian T. Taniguchi, Chair Sen. Les Ihara, Jr., Vice Chair From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Joe Kent, Executive Vice...
Public pension crisis? We’re on it!
The good news is that Hawaii’s legislators are eager to solve our pension crisis. The better news is that we have the solutions they need. On Thursday, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii sat in on the Legislative Fiscal Academy, held at the state Capitol and sponsored...
Jones Act a costly failure
"The Jones Act is expensive and ineffective. Trying to prop it up with questionable studies and faulty logic is a path to disaster." That was the conclusion of Malia Hill, policy director of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, as stated in a commentary published...
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...
Hawaii’s coming recession
Talk of recession is in the air, but are Hawaii legislators listening? I wouldn’t presume to predict the future, but there have been indications that an economic downturn might be in Hawaii’s future. Gov. David Ige in his most recent budget projected state revenues...
First part of HART audit is bad; will rest be worse?
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii denounces the “egregious” behavior so far uncovered HONOLULU, Jan. 10, 2019 >> The first installment of a four-part audit by the state auditor is more proof that the over-budget and behind-schedule Honolulu rail project has been...
‘Singapore model’ doesn’t sing for Hawaii housing
A proposal to build high-rise housing in Hawaii based on the so-called Singapore model could end up costing Hawaii taxpayers dearly — and distract from implementing the more effective solution of simply streamlining land-use regulations so it would be easier to build...
Happy New Year, Hawaii, now pay up!
It doesn’t rank up there with trees, gifts and turkey dinners, but New Year’s Day does mark an annual tradition: increases in our taxes. Perhaps most notable are the increases in the general excise tax on Kauai and Hawaii Island. These took effect after the state...
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...
Our Santa wish list for Hawaii
Well, it’s Christmas season again, so here is what I drafted recently for Santa to consider: Dear Santa, We at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii were very good this past year about defending the free market. We helped educate policymakers, stood for transparency and...