Entries for March 2019

...four material weaknesses and ten significant deficiencies in internal control over compliance with major federal programs....

... weekly update from GovTrack.us ....

...Suicide Prevention and Palliative Care bills still moving....

...Utility bills have dropped ranging from less than a dollar a month for the average residential customer in Hawaii to about $14 for the same group in Florida....

...The AOC requires Big Island Dairy owners to terminate their dairy operations, remove all their cows from confinement on the site, clean and remove the existing wastewater system, and pay $79,000 by June of 2019....

...The application must be postmarked or delivered on or before the application deadline of Thursday, June 27, 2019....

...Before the ink was dry on those judgments, the Department of Taxation produced additional assessments against the taxpayers, this time on car rental commissions....

...Hawaii lawmakers are considering a myriad of new tax increases in order to pay for their spending plans, but instead they should clamp down on their spending so tax hikes aren’t needed....

...Stress tests help validate increases in state, worker contributions....

...The Hawaii Rifle Association today filed a lawsuit challenging Hawaii’s extreme requirement that a concealed carry license can only be issued in “urgent” or “exceptional” instances.... 

“…the court finds as a matter of law that OHA owns, and has authority and control over the operation and management of the LLC’s operations….”

...Trustees now have an opportunity to address the Spending Policy, and other financial policies that are under review....

...Hawaii Visitor Statistics Released for February 2019....

...We found that DAGS fundamentally misunderstands its responsibilities under Act 1, performing unnecessary busy work that not only wastes time and money but also increases the risk of improper payment....

...We already have a good stadium.  And this consultant now admits Aloha Stadium is located in the best possible place.  So why tear it down for yet another unnecessary boondoggle?....

...a byzantine structure of taxes and fees, with effective tax rates on consumers often exceeding 30 percent....

“Would you accept a rate increase to modernize the grid? How much of an increase? What about a 5%, 10%, 15% increase to your current bill?”

...Among the projects approved is Hoohana Solar 1 in Kunia, which is planned for a parcel zoned as prime agricultural land, where renewable energy projects are currently not permitted....

...The new term for the Commissioner will begin July 1, 2019 and run for four (4) years, expiring on June 30, 2023....

...with a month to go, legislators will have plenty of time to raise your taxes....