Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, January 18, 2019
How we can keep our children in Hawaii?
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 5:52 PM :: 5606 Views :: Economy, Jones Act, Taxes

How we can keep our children in Hawaii?

by Kelii Akina, PhD, Grassroot Institute, Jan 18, 2019

The Hawaii Legislature convened this week for its 2019 session, and the continuing decline of Hawaii’s population seemed to be one of its top agenda items.

Addressing his colleagues on the opening day, Senate President Ron Kouchi talked about how his “greatest passion was to create a Hawaii where each and every one one of our children could come home.”

That’s a goal we agree with. But the continuing flight of our neighbors — as highlighted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s “Why we left Hawaii” series — will not be halted by following the same path that we’ve been on.

Many of our legislators badly want to do something about it, but many of their proposals would only make things worse. For example:

>> Big increases in the minimum wage would hurt both local businesses and salaried workers without reducing the number of people living in poverty.

>> More spending projects would come at a time when we should be preparing for a possible recession.

>> New taxes and fees would make it more expensive to live here, not less.

If Hawaii’s policymakers want real change, they need to start thinking outside the box. For example:

>> Loosen restrictions on housing development. The lack of affordable housing has been exacerbated by land-use and zoning regulations that hamper development and drag out the permit and construction process for years. Allowing more development would increase the supply of housing and drive down prices.

>> Lower taxes and reduce surcharges and fees. Instead of trying to force businesses to pay their employees more, cutting taxes would be a way for Hawaii residents to get more value for the earnings. Most of us are overwhelmed with add-on charges related to our utility bills, car registration, gasoline taxes, garbage fees and more.

The state’s general excise tax, meanwhile, is especially regressive, siphoning off a significant proportion of income from Hawaii’s poorest families. The Legislature should consider reform or replacement of the GET, or at least create exemptions for necessary goods like groceries, drugs and clothing.

>> Reform the state’s public pension system. The state’s unfunded public pension liabilities are a major source of concern, especially with the possibility of a recession looming, and it’s important for the state and counties to continue their planned catch-up payments.

We also should be looking at ways to stop abuses such as pension-spiking, and improve the sustainability of the system through hybrid plans or other options explored in the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s recent report, “How to resolve Hawaii’s public pension debt crisis.”

>> Urge Congress to reform the Jones Act. It is well known that America’s maritime cabotage law known as the Jones Act increases the cost of living in Hawaii. Our new Congressman, U.S. Rep. Ed Case, has said he intends to introduce legislation seeking its reform, and it would help greatly if the Hawaii Legislature were to offer its support.

These are just a few of the policy options at our Legislature’s disposal that could help bring our children back home — and make Hawaii a place where we can all live and thrive.

House Speaker Scott Saiki said on the Legislature's opening day, “As you all know, regular people (in Hawaii) are having an increasingly difficult time making ends meet.”

Yes, we know. Now let’s do something productive about it.

E hana kākou! (Let's work together!)

Keli'i Akina, Ph.D.

President/CEO

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

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 Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT