It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that’s true, then it helps explain why Hawaii business leaders are so pessimistic about the state’s economy. The latest semiannual BOSS Survey of local business owners and executives
Each of Hawaii’s four counties levies a property tax on owners of homes, businesses, farms and all other types of property, and those ever-increasing tax bills contribute to the state’s cost of living. So which county residents pay the most in property taxes? The answer depends on the measurement. As
My late friend and mentor Dick Rowland didn’t start the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii 25 years ago to be politically divisive. He would explain that instead of thinking about what is “left” or “right,” we must consider what will bring us down toward a more intrusive state — in which the
State lawmakers considered raising taxes last session in response to possible federal funding cuts. They ended up deciding against many of the tax hike proposals, but just how much federal funding was at risk? Grassroot policy analyst Jonathan Helton appeared on the H. Hawaii Media network with host Johnny Miro
Aug. 12, 2026, 10 a.m. Honolulu Hale To: Honolulu City Council Tommy Waters, Chair Andria Tupola, Vice Chair From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns RE: Bill 47 (2026) — RELATING TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE WEIGHT TAX Aloha Chair Waters, Vice Chair Tupola and other members
Anticipating that federal funding cuts could force the state to cover more of its own costs, Gov. Josh Green and some lawmakers earlier this year considered walking back the historic income tax cuts they approved in 2024. The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii challenged the narrative that the state could no
July 14, 2026, 9 a.m. Honolulu Hale To: Honolulu City Council Committee on Budget Val A. Okimoto, Chair Scott Y. Nishimoto, Vice Chair From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns RE: Bill 47 (2026) — RELATING TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE WEIGHT TAX Aloha Chair Okimoto, Vice
July 8, 2026, 10 a.m. Honolulu Hale To: Honolulu City Council Tommy Waters, Chair Andria Tupola, Vice Chair From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns RE: Bill 47 (2026) — RELATING TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE WEIGHT TAX Aloha Chair Waters, Vice Chair Tupola and other members
The following “Island Voices” commentary was first published on July 8, 2026, in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser under the headline “State ‘millionaire tax’ might backfire.”_____________ Lawmakers sometimes forget that tax policy does not play out in a vacuum. Tax hikes, for example, can nudge people to reduce discretionary spending, cut back on charitable
The biggest takeaway from the 2026 legislative session is that lawmakers appear to still be focused on addressing Hawaii’s affordability crisis, especially when it comes to passing housing reforms and turning down major tax increases, according to Ted Kefalas, the Grassroot Institute’s director of strategic campaigns. Kefalas joined H. Hawaii
It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that’s true, then it helps explain why Hawaii business leaders are so pessimistic about the state’s economy. The latest semiannual BOSS Survey of local business owners and executives
Each of Hawaii’s four counties levies a property tax on owners of homes, businesses, farms and all other types of property, and those ever-increasing tax bills contribute to the state’s cost of living. So which county residents pay the most in property taxes? The answer depends on the measurement. As
My late friend and mentor Dick Rowland didn’t start the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii 25 years ago to be politically divisive. He would explain that instead of thinking about what is “left” or “right,” we must consider what will bring us down toward a more intrusive state — in which the
State lawmakers considered raising taxes last session in response to possible federal funding cuts. They ended up deciding against many of the tax hike proposals, but just how much federal funding was at risk? Grassroot policy analyst Jonathan Helton appeared on the H. Hawaii Media network with host Johnny Miro
Aug. 12, 2026, 10 a.m. Honolulu Hale To: Honolulu City Council Tommy Waters, Chair Andria Tupola, Vice Chair From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns RE: Bill 47 (2026) — RELATING TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE WEIGHT TAX Aloha Chair Waters, Vice Chair Tupola and other members
Anticipating that federal funding cuts could force the state to cover more of its own costs, Gov. Josh Green and some lawmakers earlier this year considered walking back the historic income tax cuts they approved in 2024. The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii challenged the narrative that the state could no
July 14, 2026, 9 a.m. Honolulu Hale To: Honolulu City Council Committee on Budget Val A. Okimoto, Chair Scott Y. Nishimoto, Vice Chair From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns RE: Bill 47 (2026) — RELATING TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE WEIGHT TAX Aloha Chair Okimoto, Vice
July 8, 2026, 10 a.m. Honolulu Hale To: Honolulu City Council Tommy Waters, Chair Andria Tupola, Vice Chair From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns RE: Bill 47 (2026) — RELATING TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE WEIGHT TAX Aloha Chair Waters, Vice Chair Tupola and other members
The following “Island Voices” commentary was first published on July 8, 2026, in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser under the headline “State ‘millionaire tax’ might backfire.”_____________ Lawmakers sometimes forget that tax policy does not play out in a vacuum. Tax hikes, for example, can nudge people to reduce discretionary spending, cut back on charitable
The biggest takeaway from the 2026 legislative session is that lawmakers appear to still be focused on addressing Hawaii’s affordability crisis, especially when it comes to passing housing reforms and turning down major tax increases, according to Ted Kefalas, the Grassroot Institute’s director of strategic campaigns. Kefalas joined H. Hawaii
