Entries for 'Keli'i Akina PhD'

... we are witnessing the breakdown in trust that occurs when there is not enough transparency in government decision-making ....

... Hawaii’s bars might be among those that have suffered the most under the confusing COVID-19 tier system ....

... Put together a coalition of voices behind one cause and you instantly become “strong,” worthy of attention ....

... If you want to find something that perfectly captures Hawaii’s schizophrenic tourism policy, you couldn’t do much better than House Bill 862 .... 

... it would be appropriate if our legislators spent some of that time addressing the balance of powers and the emergency management statute that has ruled our lives for the past year ....

... such as in Alaska where Alaskan Native people individually own shares of their corporation’s stock ....

... I’ve watched my children leave for the mainland to start college or their careers. And I know there’s a good chance they won’t be coming back, except for short visits ....

... State taxes a major driver of the exodus ....

... More than a year into the COVID-19 emergency, we’re still experiencing the many ways in which the government can regulate and limit our daily lives ....

... Hawaii businesses might be reopening, but Hawaii government agencies still have a ways to go ....

... President Joe Biden recently issued two Jones Act waivers ....

... When you turn ordinary behavior into criminal behavior overnight, you need to be prepared for some unjust results .... 

... The median price of a home on Oʻahu has just reached $950,000 ....

... A case of maritime-related common sense has broken out in Washington, DC. ...

... A look at SB540 ....

... If a shipping law that ostensibly protects “national security” has to be waived every time there’s a crisis, maybe the problem is the law itself ....

... We want a Hawaii where everyone who wants to buy a home can buy one in their price range ....

... why housing prices have soared statewide and why affordability mandates won’t have the desired results ....

... Marked “Confidential (Not for Distribution),” the document contains analyses of both the original plan for the rail and 27 alternatives ....

... During the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers demonstrated strong interest in matters concerning the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) ....

...The Fumble or The Phantom Punch....

... the spotlight is moving toward Gov. David Ige .... 

"...This is a great loss to OHA‘s beneficiaries. There are numerous questions of accountability and transparency which will go unanswered without the state legislative audit...."

... How to make housing affordable and help stop the exodus .... 

"... Uno said he has come to the conclusion that the rail is neither a construction project nor a transportation project. Instead, it is “a political project” — one in which all concerns about costs, waste and transparency are subordinate to political goals ...."

... Joe Uno, HART Board member, speaks in his private capacity as a citizen to host Keli‘i Akina about whether a ‘Plan C’ may help salvage the troubled project ....

... This would give Maui the second most restrictive affordable-housing law in the country ....

... Native Hawaiians own 3,147 firms in Hawaiʻi, constituting 11.1% of all businesses in the state ....

... Why do our legislators never remember that in the Robin Hood stories, the tax collector was a villain? ....

... unlike your cousin, they didn’t even bring over a box of malasadas as a “thank you” gift ....

... Hawaii is down by more than 1,000 physicians, with no prospect of the situation improving ....

... Lawmakers may impose the highest income tax in the nation on Hawaii residents making over $200,000, and this may be damaging to Hawaii's health system ....

“...Hawaii: First in taxation, last in affordability....”

... The Hawai'i Legislature may be hard at work, but it looks like common sense is on vacation ....

... Lawmakers are planning to increase taxes and regulations this year, but there are better ways to help Hawaii's economy prosper ....

... virtually no development has taken place on this valuable property since OHA acquired it ....

... Instead of creating more affordable homes, they reduce development and cause prices to go up ....

... When it comes to budgets and accounting, politicians have successfully convinced voters that the ordinary rules of fiscal accountability shouldn’t apply to government ....

... flawed government accounting standards allow lawmakers to spend more and sweep debt under the rug ....

... it’s the start to a very important year. ...

" ... I don’t remember a legislative session that began with so many bills worthy of our support .... "

... new tax bills, sometimes dressed up as “surcharges,” “fees” or “closing loopholes” ....

... A survey commissioned by the agency in 2015 found that the public regarded OHA as the least favorable of the major Hawaiian-serving organizations ....

... a perpetual emergency status ....

... that $2 billion in “savings” is going to end up costing the taxpayers almost four times as much in the long term ....

... This week, we got our first real glimpse of Gov. David Ige’s proposed budget. ...

... As I enter my second term, I recommit myself to a three-fold vision that guided my first term ....

... I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a fresh start ....

... If only it were possible to fill a stocking with economic freedom and leave lots of new jobs under the tree .... 

... the only two things that are certain in life are debt and taxes ....