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Pension & Debt

Retired Government Employees Haunting for More Paychecks

Something spooky is haunting the halls of the Hawaii State Capitol.  Government retirees seem to be coming back to life — returning to work, collecting a pension check and a paycheck at the same time.  This process of getting two government checks is commonly known as “Double Dipping”. Like ghosts,

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In a Boom or Headed to a Bust?

A Report from the Grassroot Institute Panel It was only last February that Governor Neil Abercrombie declared that for the first time, the state was looking at an $844 million dollar surplus. According to Paul Harleman, Budget Director of the Senate Minority Research, that surplus may go bust in 2016.

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Grassroot Event on Unfunded Liabilities Featured on KITV Channel 4

There’s no escaping the seriousness of the state’s unfunded liabilities. This week, Grassroot Institute’s monthly Calabash featured Hawaii State Finance Director Kalbert Young, speaking on the issue of the unfunded liabilities and the state’s legal obligation to pay them. The presentation was featured by local ABC news station KITV Channel

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Grassroot Institute Talks to HPR About Unfunded Liabilities

Recently, Grassroot President Keli’i Akina appeared on Hawaii Public Radio to talk about the “Critical State of  Hawaii’s Unfunded Liabilities.”  With a funding gap singled out by numerous studies as one of the worst in the nation, Hawaii’s economic future depends greatly on what steps are taken to address the

Read More →

Hawaii Government Employees’ Retirement System

No Accountability and Improper Incentives by Kelsey Winther Imagine this scenario: You live next-door to a man with a nice job promising nice retirement benefits. Yet when he decides to retire, you are the one who will pay the bill. This is the situation for the retirement benefits of almost

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Cutting Costs and Choices for State Workers

by Pearl Hahn State and county workers are in for a few changes to be made in their prescription drug plans next year on January 1. Trustees of the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) enacted reference-based pricing for three categories of drugs that will feature cheaper alternatives to alleviate

Read More →

True lies at the state Employees’ Retirement System

Hawaii’s government Employees’ Retirement System by George L. Berish As a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, I know almost everything taxpayers are told about the Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System is false. One lie is that employee benefits depend on, or are affected by, the $10 billion of assets earmarked

Read More →

Retired Government Employees Haunting for More Paychecks

Something spooky is haunting the halls of the Hawaii State Capitol.  Government retirees seem to be coming back to life — returning to work, collecting a pension check and a paycheck at the same time.  This process of getting two government checks is commonly known as “Double Dipping”. Like ghosts,

Read More →

In a Boom or Headed to a Bust?

A Report from the Grassroot Institute Panel It was only last February that Governor Neil Abercrombie declared that for the first time, the state was looking at an $844 million dollar surplus. According to Paul Harleman, Budget Director of the Senate Minority Research, that surplus may go bust in 2016.

Read More →

Grassroot Event on Unfunded Liabilities Featured on KITV Channel 4

There’s no escaping the seriousness of the state’s unfunded liabilities. This week, Grassroot Institute’s monthly Calabash featured Hawaii State Finance Director Kalbert Young, speaking on the issue of the unfunded liabilities and the state’s legal obligation to pay them. The presentation was featured by local ABC news station KITV Channel

Read More →

Grassroot Institute Talks to HPR About Unfunded Liabilities

Recently, Grassroot President Keli’i Akina appeared on Hawaii Public Radio to talk about the “Critical State of  Hawaii’s Unfunded Liabilities.”  With a funding gap singled out by numerous studies as one of the worst in the nation, Hawaii’s economic future depends greatly on what steps are taken to address the

Read More →

Hawaii Government Employees’ Retirement System

No Accountability and Improper Incentives by Kelsey Winther Imagine this scenario: You live next-door to a man with a nice job promising nice retirement benefits. Yet when he decides to retire, you are the one who will pay the bill. This is the situation for the retirement benefits of almost

Read More →

Cutting Costs and Choices for State Workers

by Pearl Hahn State and county workers are in for a few changes to be made in their prescription drug plans next year on January 1. Trustees of the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) enacted reference-based pricing for three categories of drugs that will feature cheaper alternatives to alleviate

Read More →

True lies at the state Employees’ Retirement System

Hawaii’s government Employees’ Retirement System by George L. Berish As a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, I know almost everything taxpayers are told about the Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System is false. One lie is that employee benefits depend on, or are affected by, the $10 billion of assets earmarked

Read More →