In Honolulu, some people have dealt with the housing crisis by building “monster homes.” As one prominent real estate company has described them, they are large houses built in land zoned for single-family homes. They “tend to take up more … Read More
This week we look at Governor Green‘s Emergency Proclamation Relating to Housing, and his use of the emergency statutes to suspend many of the laws that account for delays upon delays in housing starts. The proclamation has been on the … Read More
We’re still well into the aftermath of the Maui and Hawaii County wildfires. Our governments have opened up their coffers and have begun doling out lots of money toward disaster relief and emergency assistance. Legitimate questions now need to be … Read More
On August 18, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service announced “expansive tax relief” for Hawaii wildfire victims in Maui and Hawaii counties. Generally, what that means is that if a tax filing or payment for an affected taxpayer is due between … Read More
Instead of “here today, gone to Maui,” it really was, “here today, [Lahaina is] gone tomorrow.” It is a tale of devastation and heartbreak that is still unfolding as residents and authorities gradually pick up the pieces. We in Hawaii … Read More
Over the last several years, we have been saying plenty about the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE), and not all of it has been peachy. We’ve talked about DOE fighting with other agencies regarding getting kids to school in Kihei. … Read More
According to Kali Watson, director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), we have a new emergency in Hawaii state government. But it’s probably not the kind you’re used to. They need to spend money. Quickly. As you probably … Read More
“Lucky you live Hawaii,” goes the famous phrase. Sometimes it’s really true, as we recently found out from our good friends in the California Taxpayers Association, publishers of the Caltaxletter. California has two different tax agencies. The Franchise Tax Board, … Read More
Let’s start with a simple proposition. Taxpayers pay our government to get things done. Taxpayers don’t pay our government agencies to fight each other so that nothing gets done. We focus this week on Kihei, Maui, where our Department of … Read More
Image by Freepik One concept that has popped up again, more often than the little animals in a Whack-a-Mole game, is the prospect of an “Empty Homes Tax.” Simply put, if someone owns property here but doesn’t live in it … Read More