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Entries for 'Keli'i Akina PhD'
Saturday, December 21, 2024 |
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My wish list for Santa
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 11:26 PM :: 383 Views :: Development, Jones Act, Taxes, Cost of Living
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... a few requests for the people of Hawaii ....
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Saturday, December 14, 2024 |
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"Empty homes" tax deferral shows your voice matters
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 11:51 PM :: 1156 Views :: Honolulu County, Taxes, Cost of Living
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... the credit for this win goes to you, the people who got involved and made their voices heard ....
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Tuesday, December 10, 2024 |
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Hawaii’s continuous exodus could get a whole lot worse
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 12:26 AM :: 938 Views :: Hawaii Statistics
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... 70% of 1,500 local workers interviewed are either planning to move away or considering it ....
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Sunday, December 8, 2024 |
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Dream home in paradise leads to 'total dismay'
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 2:44 PM :: 1416 Views :: Hawaii County , Ethics, Development
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... Kafkaesque issues that so far have been unresolvable ....
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Sunday, November 24, 2024 |
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Put "empty homes" tax proposal on pause
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 8:10 PM :: 1236 Views :: Honolulu County, Taxes, Cost of Living
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... the third time won’t be the charm ....
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Saturday, November 16, 2024 |
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I see people leaving
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 11:56 PM :: 1882 Views :: Development, Cost of Living
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... it could get worse ....
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Saturday, November 9, 2024 |
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Hawaii's permitting headaches: 'stories of anger and frustration'
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 2:50 PM :: 1359 Views :: Development, Cost of Living
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... these roadblocks hinder homebuilding, which fuels the ongoing housing crisis that impacts us all ....
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Friday, November 1, 2024 |
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4-3 Vote: OHA Trustees Decide not to seek Exemption from Sunshine Law
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 1:50 AM :: 1686 Views :: Ethics, OHA
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... The Board of Trustees voted not to pursue the exemption ....
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Sunday, October 27, 2024 |
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Hawaii's historic tax cut must be protected not because we want it, but because we need it
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 1:35 AM :: 966 Views :: Taxes, Cost of Living
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... Hawaii’s lawmakers listened to the people and did the most effective thing they could to significantly lower our incredibly high cost of living ....
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Sunday, October 20, 2024 |
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Emergency: Stop Amending Building Codes
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 2:48 AM :: 904 Views :: Development, Hawaii State Government
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... Gov. Green steps in where Legislature faltered ....
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Saturday, October 12, 2024 |
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Permitting nightmare on Big Island
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 11:04 PM :: 1796 Views :: Honolulu County, Development
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"That's not possible. If the building permit doesn’t have a final, you would not have issued me a remodeling permit.”
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Sunday, October 6, 2024 |
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To bee or not to bee?
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 8:10 PM :: 905 Views :: Hawaii County , Honolulu County, Agriculture
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... just as Hawai‘i County lawmakers were working on freeing the bees, the Honolulu County Council began making an unexpected beeline in the opposite direction ....
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Sunday, September 29, 2024 |
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Will rent stabilization reduce housing costs? Hardly.
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 2:50 AM :: 1205 Views :: Maui County, Development, Cost of Living
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... Price control will always have the same effect: scarcity, a distorted market and higher prices ....
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Monday, September 23, 2024 |
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Is Jones Act unconstitutional as it applies to Hawaii, Alaska?
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 2:53 AM :: 1083 Views :: Jones Act
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... a new legal theory against the Jones Act ....
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Wednesday, September 18, 2024 |
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Healthy habits for a healthy economy
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 4:14 AM :: 788 Views :: Taxes
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... the largest personal income tax cut in state history ....
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Sunday, September 8, 2024 |
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“Everybody knows you’re probably going to die before you ever get to the top”
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 5:30 PM :: 1255 Views :: Maui County, Development, Small Business
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... Maui County’s extremely long wait times and high fees to obtain water meters and add fixtures ....
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Sunday, September 1, 2024 |
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Will Front Street become just a fond memory?
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 4:58 AM :: 1297 Views :: Maui County, Development, Hawaii History, Small Business
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... Let the people who have lost their properties and are bravely committed to rebuilding do just that — and enable them to do it quickly ....
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Tuesday, August 27, 2024 |
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‘If it can happen in Hawaii, it can happen everywhere’
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 4:57 AM :: 1115 Views :: Development, Health Care, Taxes
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... legislative victories this year in the areas of taxation, housing, healthcare and other issues ....
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Saturday, August 17, 2024 |
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Empty homes tax haunts us again
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 10:18 PM :: 1303 Views :: Honolulu County, Taxes, Cost of Living
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... it’s important to differentiate between good intentions and good policy ....
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Sunday, August 11, 2024 |
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Doing what we can to Help our Maui Ohana
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 5:18 PM :: 737 Views :: Maui County, Development
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... supporting policies that could speed up homebuilding and lighten the financial burden for the thousands of residents who lost their homes to the fires ....
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Sunday, August 4, 2024 |
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What Hawaii Businesses Really Need
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 6:52 AM :: 890 Views :: Small Business
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... How much do Hawaii lawmakers really want to help businesses thrive? ....
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Sunday, July 28, 2024 |
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Regulations gone wrong
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 2:40 AM :: 996 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Labor, Small Business
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... take a light-handed approach with occupational licensing ....
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Thursday, July 25, 2024 |
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Hawaii to Become one of the best states in terms of income tax?
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 11:50 PM :: 1362 Views :: Hawaii Statistics, Taxes
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“ ... Hawaii goes from being the second worst to one of the best states in terms of taxation .... ”
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Sunday, July 21, 2024 |
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Rebuilding Lahaina: A breath of fresh air
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 5:05 PM :: 915 Views :: Maui County, Development
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... All of these bills show that the Maui Council is making progress toward helping county residents find housing and rebuild their lives and businesses ....
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Wednesday, July 17, 2024 |
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The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 8:42 PM :: 764 Views :: Economy
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... a scholarly contradiction of the myth that population growth must lead to scarcity ....
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Tuesday, July 16, 2024 |
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Tax relief in Hawaii isn’t just affordable, it’s vital
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 9:43 PM :: 971 Views :: Taxes
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... Hawaii Council of Revenues recently estimated it expects state tax revenues to total about $9.5 billion this year ....
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Sunday, July 7, 2024 |
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Hawaii's chance to expand housing freedom
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 8:55 PM :: 970 Views :: Development, Cost of Living
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... severe restrictions on homebuilding have resulted in too few homes and some of the nation’s highest housing prices ....
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Sunday, June 30, 2024 |
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Freedom in Hawaii is having a moment
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 3:24 AM :: 1172 Views :: Development, Health Care, Small Business, Taxes
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... This year our freedoms were expanded with the passage by our state lawmakers of important legislation. Those expansions covered taxes, housing and healthcare ....
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Sunday, June 23, 2024 |
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Your Input Inspires Us
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 4:51 AM :: 853 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Cost of Living
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... we don’t know what we don’t know ....
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Saturday, June 15, 2024 |
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Can Hawaii afford its new income tax cuts?
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 6:24 PM :: 1019 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Taxes
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... Hawaii taxpayers are expected to save about $1.2 billion in 2030 ....
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Sunday, June 9, 2024 |
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Hawaii has a lot of room for new ideas
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 12:00 PM :: 839 Views :: Development, Taxes
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... staffers from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii in attendance at Gov. Josh Green's recent bill-signing ceremonies for historic tax cuts and housing reform ....
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Friday, June 7, 2024 |
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Blue Hawaii takes the plunge on tax cuts
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 4:01 PM :: 989 Views :: Taxes
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... In a deep-blue bastion where seldom is heard a peep of pushback against tax hikes, Hawaii legislators surprised everybody last month by unanimously approving a bill that is being heralded as the biggest tax cut in state history ....
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Sunday, June 2, 2024 |
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Keeping more of your own money is a good thing
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 3:26 AM :: 1505 Views :: Taxes, Cost of Living
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... passing the biggest income tax cut in state history ....
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Sunday, May 26, 2024 |
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Targeting scapegoats affects us all
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 2:21 AM :: 1185 Views :: Kauai County, Small Business, Taxes, Tourism
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... One of the most persistent myths in Hawaii politics is that you can target a single group with a tax hike and not affect anyone else ....
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Tuesday, May 21, 2024 |
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GET exemption could be turning point in Hawaii healthcare crisis
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 5:48 AM :: 1342 Views :: Health Care, Taxes
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... This year, the Legislature finally listened to their pleas and passed SB1035 ....
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Saturday, May 11, 2024 |
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Defeating Bad Bills Also a Form of Winning
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 9:31 PM :: 1801 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Cost of Living
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... helping to defeat many measures that would have harmed Hawaii’s economy and added to our already high cost of living ....
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Friday, May 10, 2024 |
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Akina lauds legislative gains, but Hamada has reservations
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 4:35 AM :: 1675 Views :: Taxes
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... Akina said “the tax cuts are gonna be huge in terms of keeping money in the pockets of people starting next year” ....
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Sunday, May 5, 2024 |
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Legislature comes through big time
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 3:00 AM :: 2039 Views :: Maui County, Hawaii State Government, Taxes
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... The best news to come out of it was that our lawmakers passed a major income tax-relief bill, HB2404, which Gov. Josh Green is almost certain to sign because it was part of his much-touted "Green Affordability Plan." ....
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Tuesday, April 30, 2024 |
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OHA Above the Law? One Trustee Says 'No'
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 6:56 PM :: 2035 Views :: Ethics, OHA
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“I am concerned that the amicus brief will be perceived as an attempt by OHA to evade accountability to state ethics laws and oversight. Courts have ruled that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is a state agency whose leadership and employees are subject to the standards of conduct and behavior expected of all state personnel.” --- OHA Trustee Keli'i Akina
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Saturday, April 27, 2024 |
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Legislature on Brink of Advancing Brighter Future
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 11:24 PM :: 1732 Views :: Development, Health Care, Taxes
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... at least five bills strongly supported by my colleagues and I at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii were passed out of conference committees and now will go for final votes at the House and Senate floor sessions ....
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Thursday, April 25, 2024 |
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OHA Trustee Keli'i Akina Files for Re-election
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 6:23 PM :: 1583 Views :: OHA
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... All registered voters in Hawaii are eligible to vote for OHA Trustees ....
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Wednesday, April 24, 2024 |
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Let’s end embarrassing tax on medical services
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 5:26 PM :: 1552 Views :: Health Care, Taxes
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... the GET makes practicing in Hawaii so financially challenging, causing many Hawaii doctors to retire or move away ....
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Friday, April 19, 2024 |
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PLA? State keeps piling on rules that increase Hawaii’s cost of living
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 9:20 PM :: 1963 Views :: Labor, Small Business, Cost of Living
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... Hawaii’s $1.5 million PLA threshold is now the lowest in the nation ....
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Saturday, April 13, 2024 |
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A tax proposal I actually like
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 11:33 PM :: 1799 Views :: Small Business, Taxes
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... the state’s estate or “death” tax can force their heirs of local businesses to sell off the assets of their companies ....
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Saturday, April 6, 2024 |
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How to Nurse Hawaii Back to Good Health
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 11:59 PM :: 1488 Views :: Health Care
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... State lawmakers took an important first step last year by passing legislation that allowed Hawaii to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact ....
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Thursday, April 4, 2024 |
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How to revive Hawaii’s downtown centers
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 4:59 AM :: 1710 Views :: Honolulu County, Development
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... The developer requested a waiver for the project, but a year later, the permit is still pending ....
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Monday, April 1, 2024 |
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How OHA Affects All People
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 6:00 PM :: 1717 Views :: OHA
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"Our decisions impact virtually every area of life on the islands."
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Thursday, March 28, 2024 |
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A hard look at the root causes of the exodus
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 4:33 AM :: 2235 Views :: Taxes, Cost of Living
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...When government is finally saying it is the problem, it’s on the right track to finding a solution....
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Sunday, March 24, 2024 |
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Cost of NIMBYism way too high
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 9:58 PM :: 2246 Views :: Honolulu County, Development, Land Use
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... Resolution 24-65 contains most of the usual anti-housing rhetoric, and even claims that making it easier to create smaller, more affordable homes would somehow result in more so-called monster homes ....
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Sunday, March 17, 2024 |
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Lets Cut Jaywalkers Some Slack
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 12:58 AM :: 1916 Views :: Law Enforcement
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... a bill moving through the Legislature that would let pedestrians cross the street carefully and responsibly, regardless of whether they are in a crosswalk ....
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