This commentary was originally published in the March 20, 2021, edition of Hawai Filipino Chronicle. ___________ Hawaii residents were spooked last week by Senate passage of a bill that would increase the state’s highest personal income tax from 11% to 16% on annual incomes of more than $200,000, making it
Photo by Charley Myers This commentary was first published, with a different headline, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. ________________ After almost a year spent in a state of emergency, it’s time for the people of Hawaii to get a bigger say in the state’s COVID-19 response. Gov. David Ige has
This commentary was published originally in The Garden Island newspaper on Nov. 16, 2020. _______________ Gov. David Ige is rightly considering cuts to the state budget to compensate for Hawai‘i’s dizzying drop in tax revenues due to the coronavirus lockdown. One tool that could help would be for the state
This commentary was originally published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sunday, November 15, 2020. ________________ Gov. David Ige in his 2018 State of the State address said, “One value that has guided this administration is to not simply pass our debts to our kids and grandkids.” But that value seems
This article was originally published in The Maui News on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. _______________ It’s no secret that Maui is suffering from a housing crisis. Lack of housing is one of the most common complaints of those who leave the state, and the high price of housing is an
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
This commentary originally was published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sept. 28, 2020. _____________ Transporting freight between Hawaii ports just became significantly more expensive, thanks to a 46% rate increase granted in August to Hawaii’s monopoly tug and barge company, Young Brothers LLC. Effective Sept. 1, the increase was awarded
This article was originally published in the “Proof Positive” section of Midweek on Sept. 16, 2020. _______________ Few things demonstrate the need for government watchdog groups like a statewide emergency. At the nonpartisan Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, our small but productive staff began the year preparing for another legislative session. Our
This article was originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat on Sept. 21, 2020. ______________ Faced with a $2.3 billion budget shortfall caused by Hawaii’s coronavirus lockdowns, Gov. David Ige on July 17 suspended the state’s required fiscal 2021 payment of $388 million to the government employees’ health benefits fund. It was a desperate move
This commentary was originally published Aug. 10, 2020 by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. __________ Hawaii already has one of the highest costs of living in the United States, and many economists believe the Jones Act only makes things worse. The federal law requires that all goods carried between U.S. ports be
This commentary was originally published in the March 20, 2021, edition of Hawai Filipino Chronicle. ___________ Hawaii residents were spooked last week by Senate passage of a bill that would increase the state’s highest personal income tax from 11% to 16% on annual incomes of more than $200,000, making it
Photo by Charley Myers This commentary was first published, with a different headline, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. ________________ After almost a year spent in a state of emergency, it’s time for the people of Hawaii to get a bigger say in the state’s COVID-19 response. Gov. David Ige has
This commentary was published originally in The Garden Island newspaper on Nov. 16, 2020. _______________ Gov. David Ige is rightly considering cuts to the state budget to compensate for Hawai‘i’s dizzying drop in tax revenues due to the coronavirus lockdown. One tool that could help would be for the state
This commentary was originally published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sunday, November 15, 2020. ________________ Gov. David Ige in his 2018 State of the State address said, “One value that has guided this administration is to not simply pass our debts to our kids and grandkids.” But that value seems
This article was originally published in The Maui News on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. _______________ It’s no secret that Maui is suffering from a housing crisis. Lack of housing is one of the most common complaints of those who leave the state, and the high price of housing is an
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
This commentary originally was published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sept. 28, 2020. _____________ Transporting freight between Hawaii ports just became significantly more expensive, thanks to a 46% rate increase granted in August to Hawaii’s monopoly tug and barge company, Young Brothers LLC. Effective Sept. 1, the increase was awarded
This article was originally published in the “Proof Positive” section of Midweek on Sept. 16, 2020. _______________ Few things demonstrate the need for government watchdog groups like a statewide emergency. At the nonpartisan Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, our small but productive staff began the year preparing for another legislative session. Our
This article was originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat on Sept. 21, 2020. ______________ Faced with a $2.3 billion budget shortfall caused by Hawaii’s coronavirus lockdowns, Gov. David Ige on July 17 suspended the state’s required fiscal 2021 payment of $388 million to the government employees’ health benefits fund. It was a desperate move
This commentary was originally published Aug. 10, 2020 by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. __________ Hawaii already has one of the highest costs of living in the United States, and many economists believe the Jones Act only makes things worse. The federal law requires that all goods carried between U.S. ports be
