Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Saturday, July 18, 2015
Clean Energy? Kicking Hawaii Consumers When They're Already Down
By Grassroot Institute @ 1:53 PM :: 5561 Views :: Energy, Taxes

Kicking Someone Who's Already Down

by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D., President/CEO, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

Tax watchdog Tom Yamachika, head of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, has recently exposed more counterproductive thinking by the state government.  In an economic study for which the state paid consultants $100,000, the most significant recommendation is to raise taxes on gasoline by $.85 per gallon to discourage consumption and ostensibly improve the environment.  (Read the full article here.)

One problem with this punitive behavior is that it's like kicking a person when he's already down.  Hawaii's cost-of-living, business regulatory climate, affordable housing shortage, rising homelessness, and countless other economic problems have already crippled the average taxpayer and business owner. 

Adding a Draconian increase to what is already one of the nation's highest gasoline tax rates will not incentivize cleaner energy, but will further damage the economic capacity of middle-class and poorer residents.   Even the study points out that fuel taxes are "highly regressive," meaning that they hurt the poor the most.  And for an increasing number of people, such a tax will simply be the last straw as they flee Hawaii for other states such as Texas or Nevada.

Given the illogical premise of this tax-hike proposal, perhaps the real motive is that it aims to generate $418 million in tax dollars for the state!

  *   *   *   *   *

Video: Measuring Economic Freedom (with Dean Stansel)

In this episode of E Hana Kakou, economist Dean Stansel and host Kelii Akina discuss the importance of economic freedom and how to measure it.  They examine trends for America and discuss the low ranking of Hawaii and what can be done about it.  Stansel is principal author of Economic Freedom of North America, published by Fraser Institute.

Click the image below to view the interview in its entirety or go here to see it on You Tube.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii