Entries for 'Grassroot Institute'

"...if you really want things to change substantially, you gotta let the private sector do it, not the county be a developer, not the state be a developer....”

... the effect this measure might have on existing STR operators, small businesses and the broader Hawaii Island economy ....

... The governor signs a Grassroot-backed bill that lets home cooks sell their products online, by mail and through third parties ....

... Hawaii Island lawmakers consider more liberal beekeeping rules while Honolulu County lawmakers ponder making them tougher ....

... another victory for greater healthcare freedom in Hawaii ....

... if Honolulu were to revise upward all the other development standards as well — the minimum setbacks, the height limits, the maximum lot coverage and minimum lot widths and depths — the number of newly legal units could skyrocket ....

... The county cannot ignore the constitutional rights of Maui property owners in its race to address its housing problems ....

... virtually all local economists realize the main cause of Hawaii’s housing crisis is the state’s extremely high number of land-use and other housing-related regulations that have hindered homebuilding ....

... The Leeward Planning Commission voted favorably on a bill that would make it easier for beekeepers to expand their businesses ....

... Almost every day, there are articles and studies being published that illustrate why this protectionist maritime law needs to be updated ....

“...Increasing the maximum value of the credit is a good idea because it would offset some of the effects of increased assessments...."

... a household making the median income in Hawaii of around $91,000 that currently owes about $5,300 in income taxes will incrementally see that amount owed go down to $1,600 by 2031 ....

... Despite the bill's timidity, passage of the bill was still a welcome move .... 

... four of the districts have no representation, which could raise questions about fairness over any recommendations the planning body might make ....

... Akina said HB2404 will incrementally provide Hawaii taxpayers with the biggest income tax cut in state history ....

... It was mostly a good year for Hawaii at the 2024 Legislature, and policy experts from Grassroot will explain how that came to be ....

... The County Council actually improved on a tax cut proposed by Mayor Roth, but neither version gives a break to industrial or commercial properties ....

... a $3.49 million tax increase on hotels and resorts and a $4.15 million increase on vacation rentals ....

... huge wins in the areas of taxes, healthcare and housing reform ....

... HB2404 will lower the state income tax burden for average families by almost 70% by 2031 and save taxpayers roughly $5 billion during that same period ....

... Carriers such as Matson and Pasha say the Jones Act is a “line of defense” against China, yet are happy to do business with China when it suits them ....

... The plan will have its first hearing on June 25 before the Maui Planning Commission ....

... Most of the targeted savings would come from the operating budget of the city’s Department of Information Technology ....

"What would you do to rescind or revise the Jones Act?”

... Resolution 24-61 would set the property tax rates for fiscal year 2025 ....

... there is still plenty of work to be done to reduce the cost of living in Hawaii ....

... legislators earmark $1 billion to cover costs such as emergency housing and rental assistance ....

... nonprofit hospitals are exempt from the GET, but small physician practices and clinics are not ....

... rate would increase by 82% for B&Bs worth $3 million or more ....

... harm to society is minimized if individuals are responsible for the own actions ....

... Get inside scoop at upcoming events on how good bills managed to prevail ....

... Maui’s circuit breaker offers relief to people who own and live in their homes and have filed for property tax homeowner exemptions ....

... “spontaneous order” — the myriad interactions that occur among individuals who are free to make voluntary decisions ....

... SB3202 is in conference committee ....

... Higher prices for smaller U.S.-built ships is a losing combination for captive consumers in Hawaii and throughout the nation ....

... allow the Hawaii County Department of Public Works to issue pre-approved model plans for multi-family housing — as it already does for single-family dwellings ....

... Resolution 24-78 would set property tax rates for the coming year ....

... County officials are seeking significant property tax increases while doing virtually nothing to cut spending or spend wisely ....

... Tax hikes would burden average Maui homeowners the most ....

“...if you look through the bill, it’s a bunch of blank spaces. It says conveyance taxes will increase by blank percent. Or short-term rental taxes are gonna have a blank percent tax on them....”

... Hawaii County treats beehives like piggeries ....

... To address the problem, Yamachika suggested that legal action might be necessary ....

... highlights, frustrations at 2024 Legislature ....

... Comerford said his 45 years of living in Hawaii and 25 years of being a business owner are likely to end due to a recent state decision to collect taxes on federal Restaurant Revitalization Funds received during the COVID-19 lockdowns ....

“...30% respondents reported that if there was not a home and vacation rental option during their recent stay in Hawaii, they would not have made the trip....”

... TABOR, a constitutional amendment approved by Colorado voters in 1992, limits the growth of government by limiting tax increases ....

... regulations and objections by various special interests ....

... The bills would enable starter homes, widen mixed-use housing, attract nurses to Hawaii and exempt doctors from the state GET ....

“The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A Free Market Odyssey”

... Twenty years later, we are still having the same conversations ....