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Entries for 'Grassroot Institute'
Monday, April 5, 2021 |
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Fiscal notes could help Hawaii avoid fiscal calamity
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:50 PM :: 2175 Views :: Hawaii State Government
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... for the most part, Hawaii lawmakers are just guessing about how their proposed bills will affect Hawaii’s economy ....
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Tuesday, March 30, 2021 |
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Is Bitcoin illegal in Hawaii?
By Grassroot Institute @ 11:27 PM :: 3338 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Small Business
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... options to buy crypto are very limited at the moment. That’s because of a little-known rule from a little-known government organization ....
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Monday, March 29, 2021 |
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Frankenbill: SB56 Tax Hikes Grafted on to HB58
By Grassroot Institute @ 9:12 PM :: 2188 Views :: Taxes
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... three guests invited by Hawaii Public Radio to talk about tax bills at the Legislature this year, including the notorious SB56, many parts of which have now been attached to HB58, creating a “Frankenbill” ....
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Friday, March 26, 2021 |
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Hawaii per-capita state tax revenues highest in nation, research shows
By Grassroot Institute @ 3:33 AM :: 3258 Views :: Hawaii Statistics, Taxes
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... A Grassroot Institute of Hawaii analysis finds Hawaii residents paid more than double the national average in state taxes during 2020 ....
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Thursday, March 25, 2021 |
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House Budget: Irresponsible record-breaking spending spree
By Grassroot Institute @ 8:34 PM :: 3335 Views :: Economy, Hawaii State Government, Taxes, COVID-19
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... Keli’i Akina says House members should have aimed to pay off more debt instead of go on a record-breaking spending spree ....
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Monday, March 22, 2021 |
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SB56 tax scare could have long-lasting effect
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:02 PM :: 2573 Views :: Health Care, Taxes
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... it is doubtful any of Hawaii’s proposed tax increases this year will, if enacted, achieve the goal of increasing state revenues. More likely, they will further damage the economy and prompt even more of our family, friends and neighbors to move away ....
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Monday, March 22, 2021 |
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Doctors Tell State of Hawaii: ‘I’m leaving’
By Grassroot Institute @ 12:00 AM :: 9214 Views :: Hawaii Statistics, Health Care, Taxes, COVID-19
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... There are few things more nonsensical than encouraging doctors to leave a state during a pandemic, but that is exactly what the Hawaii State Legislature is doing ....
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Saturday, March 20, 2021 |
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Former Hawaii doctor tells why he moved to the mainland
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:39 PM :: 5946 Views :: Health Care, Cost of Living
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... I have a 5,000-square-foot, five-bedroom house on half an acre with a view that stretches to a river, and that house costs me $539,000 ....
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Saturday, March 20, 2021 |
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"No new taxes"-- Testimony to Hawaii Tax Review Commission
By Grassroot Institute @ 7:28 PM :: 2108 Views :: Taxes
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... the Hawaii Tax Review Commission conducts a systematic review of Hawaii’s tax structure ....
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Friday, March 19, 2021 |
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Grassroot Institute Legislative Update
By Grassroot Institute @ 4:55 AM :: 3717 Views :: Ethics, Development, Hawaii State Government, Taxes, COVID-19
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... Hawaii's Legislature is about halfway through its 2021 session, and if we're lucky, the good will outweigh the bad when it's over ....
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Friday, March 12, 2021 |
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Public outrage grows after Senators OK huge tax hike
By Grassroot Institute @ 2:16 AM :: 3135 Views :: Taxes
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... SB56 contains so many tax increases it's hard to fathom, yet at the end of the day, only one Hawaii senator opposed it ....
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Thursday, March 11, 2021 |
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How 'Affordable' Housing rules often result in no homebuilding
By Grassroot Institute @ 1:04 AM :: 4177 Views :: Maui County, Development, Land Use, Cost of Living
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... A Maui bill to increase affordability requirements is the backdrop for a discussion on how current housing policy can be improved ....
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Wednesday, March 10, 2021 |
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Alaska cruising crisis shows need for flexibility in U.S. maritime law
By Grassroot Institute @ 5:13 AM :: 2381 Views :: Jones Act, Tourism
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... Like Hawaii, Alaska relies heavily on tourism ....
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Sunday, March 7, 2021 |
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Grassroot Institute supports Alaska bid seeking exemption from cruising ban
By Grassroot Institute @ 8:50 PM :: 2822 Views :: Jones Act, Tourism, COVID-19
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... Alaska's tourism industry is in deep trouble because foreign cruise ships may not carry passengers between U.S. ports without a foreign stop ....
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Saturday, February 27, 2021 |
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ALOHA Homes: Unintended Consequences
By Grassroot Institute @ 8:17 PM :: 3261 Views :: Development, Cost of Living
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... the ALOHA homes program as currently envisioned in SB1 likely would result in an expensive, non-sustainable government project that would fail ....
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Saturday, February 27, 2021 |
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Seven Tax Hike Bills on the Move
By Grassroot Institute @ 8:06 PM :: 2649 Views :: Taxes
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... many tax increases, fees, and surcharges that have been proposed this legislative session. Hawaii residents are already among the most taxed in the country; the state has the second highest overall tax burden in the U.S. ....
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Thursday, February 25, 2021 |
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Good grief, do our lawmakers not know we're in a depression?
By Grassroot Institute @ 6:34 PM :: 3098 Views :: Taxes
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... every proposal in the 2021 Legislature that would increase Hawaii's tax burden ....
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Saturday, February 20, 2021 |
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How to prevent abuse of Hawaii’s emergency law
By Grassroot Institute @ 1:56 AM :: 2797 Views :: Law Enforcement, COVID-19
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... The governor’s continued exercise of extended unilateral power also has called into question the legality of the state’s emergency powers law ....
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Monday, February 15, 2021 |
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Honest budgeting practices? Loans are not revenues
By Grassroot Institute @ 4:15 PM :: 2373 Views :: Hawaii State Government
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... The Governmental Accounting Standards Boards is considering letting states count loans as "revenues" to balance their budgets ....
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Friday, February 12, 2021 |
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Bills on the Move: Conveyance Tax, Pension Suspension, Un-Affordable Housing
By Grassroot Institute @ 3:28 AM :: 3621 Views :: Maui County, Development, Taxes, COVID-19
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... increasing Hawaii's tax burden at a time when its economy is in its worst depression ever ....
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Tuesday, February 9, 2021 |
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Four Bills to Make Housing More Affordable
By Grassroot Institute @ 5:06 AM :: 2704 Views :: Development, Cost of Living
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... lift zoning restrictions that hamper creative solutions to the lack of affordable housing ....
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Friday, February 5, 2021 |
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HB103: Rein in Power of Governor During State of Emergency
By Grassroot Institute @ 8:45 PM :: 3359 Views :: Hawaii State Government, COVID-19
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"...By requiring legislative approval for the extension of an emergency past a 60-day time limit, the bill would take a positive step toward protecting the balance of powers and the public trust...."
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Friday, January 29, 2021 |
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Managing emergencies and protecting liberties
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:31 PM :: 2126 Views :: COVID-19
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... “Lockdowns Versus Liberty,” -- civil liberties in the time of an emergency ....
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Thursday, January 28, 2021 |
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Legislators introduce dozens of tax hike bills
By Grassroot Institute @ 1:18 AM :: 3362 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Taxes
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... Hawaii's economy is on the ropes right now, but that hasn't stopped some legislators from going all in with new tax-increase proposals ....
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Monday, January 18, 2021 |
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New report calls for reform of state's emergency powers
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:00 PM :: 3430 Views :: Law Enforcement, COVID-19
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... Hawaii's Legislature needs to step in to prevent the extensive exercise of unchecked unilateral power, says the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii ....
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Saturday, January 16, 2021 |
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Grassroot Institute 10 most-viewed stories of 2020
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:16 PM :: 2498 Views :: Hawaii History, COVID-19
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... 2020 STARTED OUT like any other year, but ....
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Tuesday, January 12, 2021 |
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Delaying health benefits fund payments will add $8 billion to Hawaii taxpayer debt
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:29 PM :: 3428 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Labor, COVID-19
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... Efforts to save money now will cost taxpayers more later while putting government employees and retirees at risk, says Grassroot Institute of Hawaii ....
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Wednesday, December 30, 2020 |
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Why so many people are leaving Hawaii
By Grassroot Institute @ 5:04 AM :: 5235 Views :: Economy, Hawaii Statistics
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... Hawaii’s population has been declining over the past four years ....
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Thursday, December 24, 2020 |
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$1 billion tax hike ahead?
By Grassroot Institute @ 11:59 PM :: 4918 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Taxes, COVID-19
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... Governor being coy in new budget about tax increases totaling $1 billion ....
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Wednesday, December 16, 2020 |
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State's $1.4B deficit is equal to its overspending since 2012
By Grassroot Institute @ 9:31 PM :: 1919 Views :: Hawaii State Government
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... Respecting the state’s legal spending cap might have saved the state from having to consider furloughs for its employees ....
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Saturday, December 5, 2020 |
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Remembering Dick Rowland
By Grassroot Institute @ 8:57 PM :: 2325 Views :: Hawaii History
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... How many individuals can boast of leaving a legacy for liberty? ....
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Friday, November 20, 2020 |
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And the hits just keep on coming!
By Grassroot Institute @ 3:46 PM :: 3185 Views :: Small Business, Taxes, COVID-19
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...When businesses across the state are fighting for their lives, the state is about to levy an enormous hike in the unemployment tax....
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Monday, November 16, 2020 |
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State unemployment tax slated to automatically triple in 2021
By Grassroot Institute @ 3:52 AM :: 4781 Views :: Economy, Hawaii State Government, Labor, Small Business, COVID-19
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...Failure to address the legally required increase could discourage employers from hiring back employees after the lockdowns....
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Saturday, November 14, 2020 |
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Today is your lucky day!
By Grassroot Institute @ 6:53 PM :: 2360 Views :: Economy, COVID-19
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... to get right to the heart of what it means to have a healthy economy ....
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Friday, November 13, 2020 |
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Federal aid is not the cure
By Grassroot Institute @ 3:09 PM :: 2573 Views :: Economy, COVID-19
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...to bail out Hawaii's politicians at the local level, who have been doing little during our prolonged coronavirus lockdowns to trim the state's extravagant spending, despite the collapse of the state's private sector and evaporation of its tax stream....
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Friday, November 6, 2020 |
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Same old, same old won't do
By Grassroot Institute @ 9:49 PM :: 2223 Views :: Hawaii State Government
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...At the county level, there could be some changes....
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Friday, October 30, 2020 |
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Federal PVSA is pilau
By Grassroot Institute @ 6:43 PM :: 3024 Views :: Jones Act, Tourism
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... As Hawaii struggles to rebuild its economy following the COVID-19 lockdown, we are faced with big questions about the future of our tourism industry. ...
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Thursday, October 29, 2020 |
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Will Hawaii's emergency lockdowns ever be declared illegal in court?
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:01 PM :: 3212 Views :: COVID-19
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... The state Constitution says emergency proclamations expire after 60 days, but Hawaii now is in its eighth month of lockdown ....
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Monday, October 26, 2020 |
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Remember when U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye led the charge for Jones Act reform?
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:36 PM :: 3286 Views :: Hawaii History, Jones Act
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... “If you are going to get the cost of living down … you are going to have to get the Jones Act amended.” -- Alaska Gov. Walter Hickel, speaking to the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, Sept. 12, 1967 ....
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Friday, October 23, 2020 |
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Rail and Bill 80 two peas in a pod
By Grassroot Institute @ 7:43 PM :: 3690 Views :: Honolulu County, Labor, Rail, Tourism
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...Two examples of the old way of thinking, both in Honolulu....
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Wednesday, October 21, 2020 |
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Old federal maritime law holds back Hawaii tourism, new report shows
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:53 PM :: 3249 Views :: Jones Act, Tourism
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...Ocean cruising has been suspended during the coronavirus lockdowns, but when it resumes, the industry needs more freedom to benefit Hawaii....
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Monday, October 19, 2020 |
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Bill 80 Imposes Rehiring Formula on Hotels
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:03 PM :: 3642 Views :: Honolulu County, Labor, Tourism
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...rehire employees according to a strict formula based on an occupancy ratio....
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Saturday, October 17, 2020 |
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How to diversify Hawaii's economy
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:35 PM :: 3540 Views :: Environment, Agriculture, Tourism
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“...If all of us had to go back and work in the agricultural sector, we’re not as productive in that, and we would lose income....”
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Thursday, October 15, 2020 |
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COVID: Hawaii debt increases by $9 billion
By Grassroot Institute @ 11:12 PM :: 3204 Views :: Economy, Hawaii State Government, Hawaii Statistics, COVID-19
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...Hawaii’s unfunded liabilities for infrastructure and public health benefits have increased so far this year to $97 billion....
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Thursday, October 15, 2020 |
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: "We must lift the Jones Act, which has exploited Puerto Rican consumers and strangled the economy"
By Grassroot Institute @ 9:24 PM :: 3897 Views :: Jones Act
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...U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) used the recent three-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria's devastation of Puerto Rico to call for a lifting of the Jones Act....
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Saturday, October 10, 2020 |
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How to stop the exodus
By Grassroot Institute @ 6:04 AM :: 3486 Views :: Economy, Cost of Living, COVID-19
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...Hawaii’s negative migration of the past several years in a row is going to accelerate....
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Thursday, October 8, 2020 |
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Great Lockdown Crash of 2020 is wake-up call for Hawaii lawmakers
By Grassroot Institute @ 4:57 AM :: 3444 Views :: Economy, Tourism, COVID-19
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...Hawaii’s leading industry, tourism, has virtually disappeared; unemployment is at historic highs; hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses have permanently closed; state and county tax revenues have evaporated....
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Friday, October 2, 2020 |
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Rein in this red-tape rascal
By Grassroot Institute @ 2:02 PM :: 3353 Views :: Development, Land Use, Cost of Living
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...When your state lacks sufficient housing, the last thing you should do is make building a difficult, risky and lengthy process. But that’s exactly what Hawaii has done....
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Friday, September 25, 2020 |
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Pollyana approach not working
By Grassroot Institute @ 8:08 PM :: 3498 Views :: Economy, Hawaii State Government, Labor, COVID-19
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... At the beginning of the year, our governor boasted about his efforts to put the state on a “sound financial footing.” What a difference a few months can make ....
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