We’ve heard the mantra for many decades: Hawaii’s economy needs to diversify. But lately we’re hearing it even more, thanks to the collapse of our state’s biggest industry, tourism, due to the coronavirus lockdowns implemented in March that continue to this day. The idea of diversification, of course, has merit. It’s
This commentary was originally published, without the footnotes, in The Garden Island on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. _____________ Warren Buffett once said, “You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.”[1] That includes states, and now that the tide has receded, it’s easy to see that
At the beginning of the year, our governor boasted about his efforts to put the state on a “sound financial footing.” What a difference a few months can make. That quote from Gov. David Ige’s State of the State address in January was a reference to the plan to pay down the
Nobody likes to hear, “We told you so,” but … For years, the Grassroot Institute had been warning state and county policymakers that their approach to spending and taxation was unsustainable, and that Hawaii was unprepared for a major crisis, whether economic or natural. Well, that crisis finally came, and
During “normal” years, late summer is when I usually talk about what Hawaii needs to do to improve its economy relative to other states. But this is not an ordinary year. This was brought home to me when I looked at the newest edition of “Rich States, Poor States,” the
This commentary was published originally in The Maui News on June 23, 2020. ______________ Maui is slowly getting back to business after the COVID-19 lockdown, but for residents who are surveying the economic damage, there is a serious question to be addressed. Can the economy be “restarted” effectively? After all,
Some of our ideas might be considered unrealistic in normal times, but these are not normal times Those of you who have been supporting us at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii know we have been warning for six years that the state was spending too much during the good years, and
After over two months of compulsory lockdowns, Hawaii’s state and county governments in May finally started reopening the economy. At the time, Hawaii had among the lowest number of total coronavirus infections and fatalities nationwide, and it still does. The state’s public health status appeared to be mostly in the
Businesses and workers throughout Hawaii have suffered huge financial losses over the last few months due to the state and county lockdowns intended to contain the coronavirus pandemic. As it turns out, the state’s hospitals and healthcare system have not been insulated from this economic destruction. In the early stages
Life comes at you fast, even while in quarantine. With so many new developments coming every day, it’s hard to keep up with all of the issues that need to be addressed. So this week, instead of picking just one topic to explore, I thought it might be a good idea
We’ve heard the mantra for many decades: Hawaii’s economy needs to diversify. But lately we’re hearing it even more, thanks to the collapse of our state’s biggest industry, tourism, due to the coronavirus lockdowns implemented in March that continue to this day. The idea of diversification, of course, has merit. It’s
This commentary was originally published, without the footnotes, in The Garden Island on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. _____________ Warren Buffett once said, “You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.”[1] That includes states, and now that the tide has receded, it’s easy to see that
At the beginning of the year, our governor boasted about his efforts to put the state on a “sound financial footing.” What a difference a few months can make. That quote from Gov. David Ige’s State of the State address in January was a reference to the plan to pay down the
Nobody likes to hear, “We told you so,” but … For years, the Grassroot Institute had been warning state and county policymakers that their approach to spending and taxation was unsustainable, and that Hawaii was unprepared for a major crisis, whether economic or natural. Well, that crisis finally came, and
During “normal” years, late summer is when I usually talk about what Hawaii needs to do to improve its economy relative to other states. But this is not an ordinary year. This was brought home to me when I looked at the newest edition of “Rich States, Poor States,” the
This commentary was published originally in The Maui News on June 23, 2020. ______________ Maui is slowly getting back to business after the COVID-19 lockdown, but for residents who are surveying the economic damage, there is a serious question to be addressed. Can the economy be “restarted” effectively? After all,
Some of our ideas might be considered unrealistic in normal times, but these are not normal times Those of you who have been supporting us at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii know we have been warning for six years that the state was spending too much during the good years, and
After over two months of compulsory lockdowns, Hawaii’s state and county governments in May finally started reopening the economy. At the time, Hawaii had among the lowest number of total coronavirus infections and fatalities nationwide, and it still does. The state’s public health status appeared to be mostly in the
Businesses and workers throughout Hawaii have suffered huge financial losses over the last few months due to the state and county lockdowns intended to contain the coronavirus pandemic. As it turns out, the state’s hospitals and healthcare system have not been insulated from this economic destruction. In the early stages
Life comes at you fast, even while in quarantine. With so many new developments coming every day, it’s hard to keep up with all of the issues that need to be addressed. So this week, instead of picking just one topic to explore, I thought it might be a good idea
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