I’m sometimes asked how we can achieve true fiscal reform here in the Aloha State. It’s easy to imagine an end goal, with government spending within its means and with no gargantuan liabilities (the big two are the State’s defined … Read More
This week, we focus on a study that has just come out of the national Tax Foundation (with whom the Tax Foundation of Hawaii shares a name but not much else). That study looks at IRS and census data to … Read More
Here in Hawaii, we have weathered a major pandemic. The primary driver of our economy is, and has been for a long time, tourism. Tourism was in the toilet during the pandemic, with our Governor going so far as to … Read More
Our state has a love-hate relationship with public-private partnerships (P3). P3s are where public (government) interests and funds partner with private companies to cooperate and share risks and benefits. The most recent and visible example is our iconic Aloha Stadium. … Read More
Our Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is charged with administering about 200,000 acres of public lands that are to be leased to Native Hawaiians. Those lands were set aside due to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, a … Read More
We at the Foundation have been warning lawmakers for several years now that our state has been losing people. News media and some local nonprofits have been trying to find out why. The people leaving have said that they are … Read More
As many of you already know, the Hawaii Department of Transportation has been studying implementation of a Road Usage Charge (RUC). Such a charge would be assessed to a driver based on how many miles they’ve driven on our highways … Read More
It’s been no secret that housing costs are astronomical here in Hawaii (even if you aren’t the TMT observatory). It’s been a tougher problem to determine why this is so, and then try to find solutions. Lawmakers have often latched … Read More
Last month, the website money.co.uk published an article giving our Honolulu a claim to international fame (or infamy). It listed the city as having the highest tourist tax of any city in the world. It noted our 10.25% transient accommodations … Read More
On Thursday, August 18, the state Board of Education voted to create two new deputy superintendent positions, at least until the next legislative session when permanent funding can be asked for, setting their base salaries at $190,000, and hiring two … Read More