Entries for April 2017

2015: State Sues Tech Firm for Buying Influence with Abercrombie Administration....

Early agreements include funds for Medicaid increases, telehealth, housing....

The 30-day public comment period begins today, Tuesday, April 18, and will run through Thursday, May 18, 2017....

Corporate income taxes are one of the smallest sources of state and local tax revenue....

...Schatz asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Airbnb's impact on rising housing costs, at the AHLA's urging....

...after the Legislature finishes raising taxes, Hawaii will be back up to 50th....

...because a caliphate is in place, more and more Muslims are beginning to practice their religion....

...there is new criticism of the Food for Peace program and the requirement that much of the food aid be grown in the U.S. and transported on U.S. flag ships....

...attorneys representing Abigail Kawananakoa effectively debunk arguments used by the LLC lawyer Kimberly Greeley in opposition to an earlier open records request--which is still pending--from Hawai'i Free Press....

Tax Freedom Day is the day when the state as a whole has earned enough money to pay its total tax bill for the year....

The Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation will honor the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Office of Maunakea Management (OMKM) for its outstanding preservation efforts of Maunakea....

Affordable housing, homelessness, the high cost of living, and unfunded state worker liabilities. These are just a few of the serious problems facing Hawaii's economy....

Grassroot Institute President Kelii Akina interviews Andria Tupola and Shirlene Ostrov....

The 2nd Annual Maui County Carnival, scheduled for April 6-9, 2017, has been cancelled. Skyrocketing state government fees have been blamed....

There have been a raft of studies recently isolating the effect of certain elements of the House GOP tax reform “Blueprint” on various industries and even the 50 states....

...business and education partners including the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) and the Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training Fund....

With only 10 of Hawaii's 51 state representatives voting against SB 510....

'Maunakea World Park' Advanced by Hawaii Mayor Kim at ILOA Galaxy Forum Kona....

At nearly 100 years old, it is still able to defeat reform efforts … despite a mountain of evidence that it cripples the economy, fails to achieve its aims and is badly in need of modernization....

...an additional $1.2 billion funding package for the City’s financially troubled rail project....

This is the first in a four-part map series in which we will examine the primary sources of state and local tax collections....

Willes K. Lee of Honolulu was sworn in today as the newest member of the National Rifle Association's board of directors....

I asked why CFS and other groups like Shaka aren’t informing followers of rat lungworm disease....

...Hawaii has 8 ‘A’ Hospitals out of 12 total hospitals....

...Trying To Get Their Hands On Your Beneficiary Funds....

10 House Members voted against the measure....

Much of the university’s request is not included in either the House or Senate version of the budget....

In 2015, Hawaii had the highest SNAP spending at $222.99, while New Hampshire had the lowest at $103.87—a difference of 115 percent....

In our third year of rating the state, ACU found that the Republican average decreased by 21 points—from 67 out of 100 in 2015, to 46 out of 100 in 2016....

On March 6 Hawai’i Free Press carried an article reporting on SB501: “Hawaii lawmakers are censoring pro-lifers who were defending free speech”.  Now the Attorney General has weighed in....

“This shows that the city is committed to funding and completing the rail project,” said Mayor Caldwell....

...Neera Tanden, a close confidante of Hillary Clinton and president of the Center for American Progress, took to Twitter on Friday to urge Hawaiians to vote Gabbard out of Congress....

• Senate: Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch
  
• House: Employee Stock Sales
• House: Self-Insured Health Plans

...Jones Act distorts U.S. economy, endangers military....

Terms being bandied about include exemptions, deductions, and tax credits, and among tax credits there are the “CreditAbles” – refundable, nonrefundable, and assignable credits.....

In 2013, the Hawaii State Hospital moved for a court order authorizing the involuntary administration of medication to Lawrence after he refused to accept medication....

... Tuesday April 11 at 9AM ....

...the Star-Adv omits any reference to “Hanapohaku Project Manager Linda Schatz”, also known as Mrs Brian Schatz....

...and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs ponied up $500K buying Kamanao Crabbe the chance to MC the event....

For Randy Perreira, head of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the problems at Hawaii’s airports are just a matter of not enough kumbaya....

...Upcoming Legislative Dates....

...the Makauwahi Cave Reserve be the recipient of $125,000 for a supplemental environmental project to be funded by Hawai‘i Dairy Farms....

Gov. Ige’s signing of the new IECC will pave the way for the eventual adoption of the code by Hawai‘i’s counties, requiring that all new commercial and residential construction meet the code....

“Settling these claims now spares all parties years of litigation and lets HDOT use existing project monies to pay subs for the work that was done,” said Doug Chin....

When first introduced, HB1518 put forth a very worrisome proposal....

Pension obligations must be fulfilled eventually....

...ending a 40-year-long battle to preserve the area....

...Total Tax Burden: 11.27% – #2 in USA....