Entries for 'Tom Yamachika'

In 2016, Hawaii ranked 40th among the states with an OPEB funding ratio of 29.2 percent....

...the tax credit program boosted California’s economy only minimally, if at all....

In March, the Honolulu Zoo was denied re-accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for the first time in its 100-year history....

One year ago, DHHL was sitting on about $55 million in federal funds unspent, as a result of which HUD stopped providing additional funding....

...a $4 million federal grant to come up with a “reimagining” of the taxes we currently pay....

...Apple owed Ireland 13 billion euros....

In Hawaii, we have a beast called a Taxation Board of Review that is quickly following the dodo bird down the path to extinction....

It seems that 15%-20% of our surcharge is being paid by “tourists” in the strict sense, but when you include military families and the federal government you do come up with a percentage closer to a third....

Divide $200 million by 1 million people, and you get $200 a year per person....

...it is very tempting when lawmakers find a large cache of unused money....

...it’s daunting to add up the numbers that are being bandied about....

...what happens if a benefit plan does get disqualified? According to the IRS’ website, there are potentially severe consequences to the employer, the employees, and the plan itself....

The special treatment applies only to subcontractors....

...a tax bill that tries to reverse progress made toward fairness and taxpayer rights....

...the Code doesn’t require an earmarked tax before an agency can commit....

...it looks bad for individual council members to secure money for such organizations....

...the Department has been raking in the retail rate GET from both the charities and the catering providers....

Someone needs to take remedial action before the thermonuclear bomb hits....

Many agencies relish the ability to spend public money with little or no accountability....

...making the shipping more expensive and thereby directly adding to the cost of living....

"All patients of all ages will be negatively impacted by service cuts, so please support privatization.”

A U.S. Supreme Court case decided in April shows us the extent to which some tax agencies will go in order to enforce their laws....

Every day, ten men go out for dinner....

If this credit does indeed become law, expect to see a lot of begging and pleading....

Forced exactions to fund our government don’t always come from taxing agencies....

Today we are looking at a bill in our Legislature that contains nothing....

Renewable fuel proponents took another shot this year at enacting a renewable fuels credit....

On Friday, April 1, April Fool’s Day, a respectable delegation of county politicians gathered in the House Finance Committee hearing room....

December 31, 2015 not only marked the end of the top Hawaii individual income tax rates, but also of some fuel tax provisions....

One of the more interesting bills still alive and being considered this session, is one that would commission a study on the effects of Hawaii’s low real property taxes....

...it seems a bit much to ask the brokers to be policemen for the counties ....

"Judge Nacino’s ruling doesn’t say that no problem exists, but just says that his court isn’t the one that can fix it”

...the Department of Taxation and its customer service, or lack thereof....

...the lowest 20% of our population pays 13.4% of its income in state and local taxes, while the top 1% pays 7.0%....

In this context, conformity means similarity to the federal tax code....

...This repetitive idiocy can cost lots of taxpayer money very quickly....

Our Legislature is in full swing now and is actively considering a number of bills that will increase our cost of living in Hawaii....

Every year, lawmakers seeking to fund their favorite programs or services inevitably ask themselves....

Apparently GEMS is an attractive target for raiding because a 2014 bond issue raised $150 million for the program and little, if any, capital has been deployed to date....

...allowing a lottery in Hawaii could open the door to other things....

...he released seven chickens in the revenue office lobby....

The low bidder for the Kamehameha Highway Stations Group appeared to be Watts Constructors, which bid $112.7 million for the project. The job went to Nan Inc., which bid $115.8 million. Why did that happen?....

Serious students of history may wonder what is going on. There is, after all, a federal law that prevents Hawaii taxes from touching an airline’s gross income....

Hawaii was one of fifteen states that were grandfathered....

DHHL was listed as having $55 million in federal housing funds awarded for Native Hawaiians but unspent, resulting in HUD suspending additional funding....

...our government has forced our utilities to jack up our electric bills to pay for this financing program that, to date, has not been able to underwrite a single kilowatt....

Students often owed $40,000 or more in college loans – holding a degree they claimed was inadequate at best....

...Uncle Sam is giving us money. But we are not spending that money so the federal agencies are saying, “Looks like you don’t need this, so why should we give you any more?”....

...the Honolulu City Council is considering an ordinance to extend the rail tax....