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    Population:  Still Losing

    Tom Yamachika
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    Population:  Still Losing

    This week, we get to look at Census numbers, distilled and brought to us by Pacific Business News, that tell us whether we gained or lost people during 2021-2022.

    We lost. Again.

    According to the data, 67,257 people left Hawaii for somewhere else in the U.S., while 56,209 moved in.  The top five destinations for the people we lost were California, Washington, Texas, North Carolina, and Nevada. Interestingly, three of these five states (Texas, Washington, and Nevada) don’t have an individual income tax. In any event, it’s a net loss of about 11,000 people, comparable to recent years.

    Yes, “years.”  For the past decade, Hawaii has been consistently losing population. A loss of 11,000 in 2021-2022 might not even be news to some.

    2022, however, was a post-COVID recovery year. Our economy was going like gangbusters. So, we can’t simply say the population loss was a result of lackluster economic forces. That excuse may have held up in the COVID lockdown years. 

    A separate analysis by background check and employee screening company Checkr also tracked population migration within the U.S., observing that “Remote work — and its popularity that sprung from Covid-19 — has, for many, completely transformed daily life and even allowed individuals across America the opportunity to relocate to a place better suited to their lifestyles and budget.”

    In other words, people appear to be moving to follow their own lifestyle and budget and appear to be less constrained by the requirements of their employers.

    How does that relate to us?  We really need to be careful that we don’t make the problem worse for ourselves. For example, in 2024 there will be a lot of pressure in the Legislature to do something about the poor folks on Maui whose homes and businesses were burnt to the ground. “Doing something,” of course, costs money. Right now, the recovery efforts from State government are being funded, in part, by diverting money that was appropriated for other things. In the 2024 legislative session, those projects from which resources were diverted will have constituents who will want the diverted money to be restored, perhaps with a little extra to pay for the delays resulting from the diversion.

    So, who pays for the restoration of these resources?  Hint:  Governments don’t pay taxes. Taxpayers pay taxes.

    We expect that the 2024 legislative session will be debating scads of “revenue enhancement” proposals. “The wealthy must pay their fair share,” you are likely to hear. But who’s “wealthy” and what’s a “fair share”?  Those questions have come up before and the answers are different depending on who’s answering.

    So, we leave you this week with a word of warning. Are we going to put more pressure on our taxpayer base to dig into their pockets ever more deeply?  If we are, we shouldn’t be surprised when more and more people buy one-way plane tickets and head for the airport.

    Your Voice and Your Health: Thyroid Stimulation Through Vocal Vibration

    Sydney Ross Singer
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    Your Voice and Your Health: Thyroid Stimulation Through Vocal Vibration

    Case History #1 

    Lynn P. is a 52 year old married woman living in the suburbs of Sacramento. She has been feeling sluggish and depressed and has just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. She does some part time work on the Internet, and has little contact with others since her husband divorced her 2 years ago. Her two children are grown and living in another part of the country. Lynn likes to sing and belongs to a choir but hasn’t been singing since her divorce. Most of her communication with others is through email. Instead of taking thyroid medication she 

    decided to actively sing again each day, upon the advice of this author. Within a month her energy level rose and she no longer showed signs of low thyroid. 

    Case History #2 

    Mark, a quiet man, retired to Hawaii after a career as a cameraman. He built a house along a small coastal road. However, drivers along this road usually drove much faster than the speed limit and actually hit Mark’s dog. This turned Mark into an anti-speed vigilante, as he yelled at speeding cars to 

    “SLOW DOWN!” Several months later Mark showed signs of hyperthyroidism, which the doctor treated by ablating Mark’s thyroid with radioactive iodine and putting him on lifetime thyroid medication. 

    Lynn had used her voice all her life as a singer, but depression and life changes stopped her from singing. This coincided with a reduction in thyroid function. Returning to singing restored her thyroid activity. 

    Mark was a quiet person and used his voice minimally with his work as a cameraman. However, his thyroid became overactive following his yelling at cars speeding by. 

    Is there a link between how people use their voice and the health of their thyroid? 

    Thyroid Regulation 

    The thyroid gland is responsible for making the hormone thyroxine, which controls the rate of metabolism. Every cell of the body is influenced by this hormone. Too little of it, and you experience low metabolism, causing weight gain, fatigue, constipation, sensitivity to cold, and other signs of a sluggish system. This characterizes hypothyroidism. 

    Too much of the hormone, and you feel the opposite. You get hot easily, feel anxious and hyperactive, lose weight, have trouble sleeping, have heart palpitations. These are signs of hyperthyroidism. 

    The proper balance of the thyroid hormone is essential for life and is apparently controlled by the brain. 

    Thyroxine is stored in the thyroid gland in a gel-like substance. The thyroid gland releases thyroxine by a classic feedback loop between the thyroid gland, the hypothalmus in the brain, and the pituitary gland. 

    According to this pathway, the hypothalmus region of the brain detects the thyroxine concentration in the blood. It thyroxine is too low, the hypothalmus produces Thyroid Releasing Hormone, or TRH, which then stimulates the nearby pituitary gland to produce Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, or TSH. TSH then travels through the bloodstream to the thyroid gland and stimulates it to release more thyroxine. This newly released thyroxine is ultimately sensed by the hypothalmus, lowering its production of TRH. 

    This feedback loop is taught to every medical student as the only way the thyroid is regulated. It is assumed that any thyroxine excess or deficit is a result of either a problem with the thyroid gland, or a problem with the hypothalmus or pituitary. Or it could be a result of too little or too much iodine, an essential component of the thyroxine hormone. 

    However, there is another regulator of the thyroid that medicine never considers. It has to do with the location of the thyroid in the body. 

    Body Design 

    The thyroid is located directly beneath and partly around the thyroid cartilage, or the Adam’s apple, in the throat. Tilt your head back and feel for the most prominent cartilage sticking out. That’s the Adam’s apple. Underneath it and curving around the Adam’s apple like a butterfly is your thyroid gland. 

    While the thyroid is on the outside of the Adam’s apple, on the inside is the larynx, or voice box. You can tell this by placing your hand on your Adam’s apple and humming. 

    Try this. Hum by saying, “MMMMMMMMM”. Then say it louder and louder, until you are yelling. You will feel your throat vibrating. The louder you hum, the more it vibrates. 

    What happens to the thyroid when your throat vibrates? Naturally, the thyroid vibrates, as well. Since the thyroid is filled with a gel-like material that stores thyroid hormone, the vibration of this gel causes it to release the hormone. 

    It is already known by massage therapists that when the thyroid is massaged it releases thyroxine. This is why massage therapists avoid throat massages for hyperthyroid patients. Mechanical stimulation of the thyroid causes the gland to release thyroxine. 

    This would explain why Nature has designed the thyroid to be surrounding the voice box. In its wisdom, Nature developed a way that our activity level can influence our thyroid function. 

    That makes sense when you consider the function of thyroid hormone. This hormone is responsible for overall metabolic rate. When life is full of excitement and stimulation, we tend to talk, sing, or yell a great deal. The thyroid gets stimulated to release more hormone, stoking your fires and keeping the energy up. After times of being restful and quiet, your voice gets a rest as does the thyroid, and your fire gets turned down. 

    The throat is essentially functioning as an activity indicator, since activity is usually associated with using one’s voice. We are social animals, and our activities usually involve other people with whom we communicate by using our voice. This is true for other social animals, as well. These animals keep in regular vocal contact with one another, whether it is geese honking, chickens clucking, dogs barking, or humans chatting. In all mammals and many vertebrates, the thyroid gland is associated with vocal structures. 

    This raises a question regarding mute humans. If the thyroid is stimulated by vocalizing, and if a person is mute and unable to speak, then you would expect that that person would have an under- stimulated thyroid and display signs of hypothyroidism. Indeed, that is the case. One of the common problems mute children face as they grow 

    up is their thyroid gland does not function properly, and by adolescence they are typically put on lifetime thyroid medication. 

    But what if these mute children had their throats vibrated for them, perhaps by some voice simulator? Or what if they had their thyroids massaged? Surely, something could be done to replace the lost stimulation caused by mutism. 

    Unfortunately, the link between vocalization and thyroid function is not currently recognized by modern medicine, so this therapeutic alternative to drugs is not considered by the drug focused medical industry. 

    This link was, however, recognized by ancient Ayurvedic medicine, which recommends chanting as a way to strengthen the thyroid. 

    Reversing Hypothyroidism with Vocal Stimulation 

    Of course, mutism is the extreme case of under utilization of the voice. What about the millions of speaking people, mostly women, who are being told they have low thyroid and need lifetime medication and doctor visits? Could some of these people be under utilizing their voices, too? 

    Since we have been telling people about this thyroid-voice link, we have had numerous reports which confirm the link. One was a nun who had been in seclusion without speaking for a couple of years. She started with a normal thyroid. After her seclusion, she reported she had low thyroid. 

    We also heard from several women who had been singers and chanters for most of their lives, but some life event, such as divorce, resulted in their ending their vocalizations. Depression is often silent. And as a result, they became diagnosed with hypothyroidism. We asked them to once again sing or chant, and amazingly their spirits lifted as their thyroids were again stimulated. 

    These people may benefit from singing, humming, massaging their throats, or even letting a purring cat caress their throats. They need throat stimulation to keep their fires burning. 

    Reversing Hyperthyroidism with Silence 

    On the other hand, there are those who overuse their voices, and overstimulate their thyroids. Hyperthyroidism is associated with stress, and many people who have stress in their lives yell. Yelling really vibrates the thyroid, and could cause vibrational injury. This could cause too much hormone to be released, resulting in temporary hyperthyroidism until the vibrational injury can heal. We have come across several case histories of people who started yelling for one reason or another, and developed hyperthyroidism soon thereafter. 

    The fact is, most cases of high thyroid are transient and get better by themselves, assuming the doctor hasn’t already destroyed the thyroid with radioactive iodine or surgery. All you need to do is rest your voice and reduce thyroid stimulation. 

    Revisiting Thyroid Regulation 

    The role of the voice in stimulating the thyroid constitutes another axis for thyroid hormone control, along with the well recognized feedback mechanism from the brain’s hypothalmus and pituitary. 

    People learn to use their voices to a certain extent in their lives, and this creates a certain level of thyroid stimulation through direct mechanical vibration. Vocalization patterns begin at birth as the baby cries, and this pattern is further developed throughout childhood with various experiences. By the time they are adults, people have a relatively stable vocalization pattern. Some people become talkers and singers, while others are quiet and introspective. Whatever their vocal pattern becomes, their hypothalmus-pituitary-thyroid feedback loop is set to this vocal pattern. 

    When a person experiences a life event that alters his or her vocal pattern, thyroxine levels change. Quiet people who begin to overuse their voices develop hyperthyroidism. Those who typically use their voices and who become quiet develop hypothyroidism. Minimal changes in vocalization can be managed by the feedback loop. However, major changes require more time for the feedback loop to catch up. 

    Thyroid Self Study 

    Unfortunately, the current paradigm in medicine regarding the thyroid does not consider the role of vocal vibration in thyroid function. As a result, when a person goes to the doctor for a thyroid problem, he or she will often be placed on lifetime thyroid hormone replacement, often following the destruction of the thyroid by the doctor using radioactive iodine or surgery. Even if the thyroid is left intact, taking thyroid pills daily will lower the stimulation of the thyroid, as the brain senses higher levels of the hormone and reduces its production of TSH. 

    In other words, going to the doctor for a thyroid problem (which may be temporary and which might be reversible by returning to one’s normal vocalization pattern) can result in a permanent thyroid problem, and lifetime medication. 

    If you want to preserve or regain thyroid health, try this before you go to a doctor. 

    First, examine your lifestyle and what is happening in your life to see if you are under or over utilizing your voice. If you feel you are under vocalizing, then talk, sing, chant, and hum each day. Maybe read a book aloud. Try using your voice for a couple of hours each day. 

    On the other hand, if you have recently overused your voice, be quiet and whisper. Your thyroid needs a break and rest. 

    In either event, give it some time, since the effects of thyroid hormone take several days to be apparent. In a month you should be feeling some difference in energy levels. 

    So tell your friends with low thyroid that there is good news they can, and should, shout about. And tell your hyperthyroid friends to just shut up. 

    References:

    A.P. Wagner,a S. Chinnathambi,a I.R. Titze,b,c and E.A. Sandera, Vibratory stimulation enhances thyroid epithelial cell function Biochem Biophys Rep. 2016 Dec; 8: 376–381.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5614476/

    How Bras Cause Lymph Stasis and Breast Cancer

    Sydney Ross Singer
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    How Bras Cause Lymph Stasis and Breast Cancer

    When it was first announced back in 1995, the world was in shock. Bras cause breast cancer! You’re kidding, right? How could this foundation garment that lifts and shapes the breast be a source of disease? If this was true, then why hasn’t this information been announced before now by mainstream medicine? It must be false!

    As medical anthropologists, we examine the cultural causes of disease. We became personally involved in our own breast cancer scare when Soma, my wife and co-researcher, discovered a lump in her breast. We were in Fiji at the time, and she was pregnant. The shock sent us back to the US in fear and anxiety as we desperately tried to figure out what she could have been doing to her breasts to have caused the lump. Soma was otherwise a healthy person. It made no sense that she would have breast cancer. 

    Looking for clues, we examined the red marks and indentations in her skin left by her bra. Most women experience these same signs of constriction. We had seen them every day, but ignored them as a normal part of bra-wearing. Now, they were clues into what might have caused Soma’s lump.

    When you think about it, the first thing to suspect when it comes to foot disease are shoes. If you are having breathing problems, the first thing to suspect is smoking. And when it comes to breast problems, the first thing to suspect is the bra.

    We discovered that doctors knew bras were causing breast cancer as far back as the 1930’s. For example, Dr. John Mayo, one of the founders of the Mayo Clinic, wrote in the article “Susceptibility to Cancer” in the 1931 Annals of Surgery, that“Cancer of the breast occurs largely among civilized women. In those countries where breasts are allowed to be exposed, that is, are not compressed or irritated by clothing, it is rare.” A bra patent in 1950 stated, “Even in the proper breast size, most brassieres envelop or bind the breast in such a fashion that normal circulation and freedom of movement is constricted. Many cases of breast cancer have been attributed to such breast constriction as caused by improperly fitted brassieres.”

    The problem caused by bras is due to their constriction of the breasts, particularly of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for eliminating toxins, cancer cells, bacteria, viruses, and cellular debris from the breasts. The lymphatics are an essential circulatory pathway of the immune system. Constrict the microscopic, easily compressed lymph vessels with tight bras, and the result is lymph fluid congestion in the breasts, or lymph stasis, along with tissue toxification. This can cause breast pain and cysts (which are filled with this lymph fluid). Over time, as the breasts progressively become toxic from impaired lymphatic drainage, cancer could result. 

    Realize that the lymphatic system is our immune system’s circulatory pathway leading from the tissue spaces to lymph nodes, which screen the lymph for signs that an immune response is needed. The lymph fluid starts around the cells and drains the tissue spaces of fluid and any bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, toxins, and cellular debris. The nodes are factories for white blood cell production, to fight any detected infections or developing cancer cells. The lymph ultimately returns to the blood stream. Interfering with this pathway results in lymph stasis, a stagnation of the lymph fluid that results in various diseases, including cancer. Sometimes this lymph stasis is obvious to see, as with lymphedema and swollen tissue. At other times, lymphedema could be mild but chronic and cumulative.

    Recently, pathologists have identified a new organ in the body that medicine never realized existed. It’s proposed name is the “interstitium”, and it consists of a lymph-fluid filled space that surrounds cells and flushes fluid to the lymphatics, acting as a pre-lymphatic space. This space was not previously recognized because the method of tissue examination destroyed it. Modern probes can be inserted into living tissue and observe this space. Cancer cells travel through the interstitium, making its flow important for cancer prevention and recovery. Of course, obstructing the interstitium with tight bras would impair lymph flow, causing lymph stasis. 

    In addition to tissue toxification from reduced lymphatic clearance, another problem caused by lymph stasis is that cancer cells and their immune markers cannot easily get to the lymph nodes. This poor communication between the tissues and the lymph nodes results in reduced immune response to cancer, and increased tumor growth, as recent dermatology studies show. Keep in mind that the breasts are accessory skin organs. 

    In a 2014 paper in the journal Clinical Dermatology, entitled,  “Lymphedema and subclinical lymphostasis (microlymphedema) facilitate cutaneous infection, inflammatory dermatoses, and neoplasia: A locus minoris resistentiae”, the author explains, “Chronic lymph stasis has numerous consequences, including lipogenesis, fibrosis, inflammation, lymphangiogenesis, and immunosuppression. For example, lymphedema’s disruption of immune cell trafficking leads to localized immune suppression, predisposing the area affected to chronic inflammation, infection (cellulitis and verrucosis), and malignancy (angiosarcoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer).”

    In other words, lymph stasis in the breasts reduces the ability of the immune system to fight cancer cells. Other researchers have discovered that surgical damage to the lymphatic system promotes tumor growth by this mechanism. For example, in the 2017 study in the Journal of Dermatological Science, called, “Surgical damage to the lymphatic system promotes tumor growth via impaired adaptive immune response”, the authors conclude, “These results strongly indicate that surgical damage of the lymphatic system may promote tumor progression via impaired adaptive immune response.”

    A 2018 article published in the Journal of Dermatological Science, called, “Lymph stasis promotes tumor growth”, echoes that 2017 study’s findings. 

    These findings come as no surprise to us who for a long time have been aware that alterations in regional lymphatic flow may produce dysregulation in skin immune function and consequent oncogenesis. In fact, since 2002, our team has held the view that lymphedematous areas are immunologically vulnerable sites for the development of neoplasms as well as infections and immune-mediated diseases. In recent years, increasing evidence has confirmed this assumption…. several other cutaneous malignancies have been reported to appear in the presence of lymph stasis, such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, melanoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and lymphoma. Further evidence of the oncologic vulnerability of lymphedematous regions ensues from the occurrence of multiple skin malignancies in the presence of lymph stasis. More than 20 basal cell carcinomas occurred on a patient’s leg after recurrent erysipelas and chronic lymphedema…. In simple words, lymph stasis functionally means immune stasis.

    When regions of the skin (or breasts) become immunocompromised it is termed an immunocompromised cutaneous district, or ICD. In the 2014 article, “The immunocompromised district in dermatology: A unifying pathogenic view of the regional immune dysregulation”, in the journal Clinical Dermatology, the author explains, 

    The factors responsible for localized immune dysregulation are multifarious, being represented by chronic lymphatic stasis, herpetic infections, ionizing or ultraviolet (UV) radiations, burns, all sorts of trauma (especially amputation), tattooing, intradermal vaccinations, and others of disparate nature (eg, paralytic stroke, poliomyelitis). Whatever the cause, in time an ICD may become a vulnerable site, prone to developing opportunistic infections, tumors, or dysimmune reactions (often of granulomatous type), strictly confined to the district itself… The pathomechanisms involved in this sectorial immune destabilization may reside in locally hampered lymph drainage that hinders the normal trafficking of immunocompetent cells.

    It should be explained that these studies have not considered the bra as a cause of lymph stasis of the breasts. That conclusion is logical from these skin studies. Tight clothing impairs the interstitium and the lymphatic vessels, which is evidenced by seeing indentations and marks in the skin. This compression of the tissues impairs lymphatic function and immune competence. 

    As research into the interstitium and lymph stasis progresses, it is hoped that pathologists can look up from the microscopic view of the human body to see the macroscopic way we treat our bodies, which is all conditioned by our culture. Human beings are not merely biological units. Our biology is modified by our culture and the things it leads us to do, such as wear tight clothing to alter body shape. You cannot change shape without changing lymphatic flow, since pressure must be constantly applied to soft tissue to achieve the desired shape. 

    This pressure impairs lymph flow and increases cancer risk, along with the creation of other diseases of constriction. For the breasts this includes pain and lymph-fluid-filled cysts. It also makes the breasts heavy with lymph, resulting in increased breast droop. Women who stop wearing bras report rapid improvement in breast health, including reduced pain and cysts, and a lifting and toning of the breasts. 

    Clearly, further research is needed to better demonstrate the impact of chronic clothing constriction on the body. In the meantime, women should be warned about the hazards of tight bras, and all people should consider the tightness of their clothing and undergarments. 

    References and further reading:

    1991 Harvard study (CC Hsieh, D Trichopoulos (1991). Breast size, handedness and breast cancer risk. European Journal of Cancer and Clinical Oncology 27(2):131-135.). This study found that, “Premenopausal women who do not wear bras had half the risk of breast cancer compared with bra users…”

    1991-93 U.S. Bra and Breast Cancer Study by Singer and Grismaijer, published in Dressed To Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras (Second Edition, Square One Publishers, 2018). Found that bra-free women have about the same incidence of breast cancer as men. 24/7 bra wearing increases incidence over 100 times that of a bra-free woman.

    Singer and Grismaijer did a follow-up study in Fiji, published in Get It Off! (ISCD Press, 2000). Found 24 case histories of breast cancer in a culture where half the women are bra-free. The women getting breast cancer were all wearing bras. Given women with the same genetics and diet and living in the same village, the ones getting breast disease were the ones wearing bras for work.

    A 2009 Chinese study (Zhang AQ, Xia JH, Wang Q, Li WP, Xu J, Chen ZY, Yang JM (2009). [Risk factors of breast cancer in women in Guangdong and the countermeasures]. In Chinese. Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao. 2009 Jul;29(7):1451-3.) This article found that NOT sleeping in a bra was protective against breast cancer, lowering the risk 60%.

     2011 a study was published, in Spanish, confirming that bras are causing breast disease and cancer.  It found that underwired and push-up bras are the most harmful, but any bra that leaves red marks or indentations may cause disease.

    2014 Lymphedema and subclinical lymphostasis (microlymphedema) facilitate cutaneous infection, inflammatory dermatoses, and neoplasia: A locus minoris resistentiae. Clin Dermatol. 2014 Sep-Oct;32(5):599-615.

    2015  Comparative study of breast cancer risk factors at Kenyatta National Hospital and the Nairobi Hospital     J. Afr. Cancer (2015) 7:41-46.  This study found a significant bra-cancer link in pre-and post-menopausal women.

    2016  Wearing a Tight Bra for Many Hours a Day is Associated with Increased Risk of Breast Cancer     Adv Oncol Res Treat 1: 105. This is the first epidemiological study to look at bra tightness and time worn, and found a significant bra-cancer link.

    2016 Brassiere wearing and breast cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis  World J Meta-Anal. Aug 26, 2015; 3(4): 193-205 “This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between 8 areas of brassiere-wearing practices and the risk of breast cancer. Twelve case-control studies met inclusion criteria for review. Although the meta-analysis shows statistically significant findings to support the association between brassiere wearing during sleep and breast cancer risk, evidence was insufficient to establish a positive association between brassiere wearing (duration and type) and breast cancer risk. A large-scale epidemiological study is needed to examine the relationship between various forms of brassiere exposure and breast cancer risk.”

    2016 Lymphatic Vessels, Inflammation, and Immunity in Skin Cancer Cancer Discov. 2016 Jan; 6(1): 22–35. 

    2017 Surgical damage to the lymphatic system promotes tumor growth via impaired adaptive immune response Journal of Dermatological Science April 2018Volume 90, Issue 1, Pages 46–51 “These results strongly indicate that surgical damage of the lymphatic system may promote tumor progression via impaired adaptive immune response.”

    2018 Mechanical forces in skin disorders  Journal of Dermatological Science Available March 2018 “Mechanical forces are known to regulate homeostasis of the skin and play a role in the pathogenesis of skin diseases….Acral melanoma predominantly occurs in the weight-bearing area of the foot suggesting the role of mechanical stress. Increased dermal stiffness from fibrosis might be the cause of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa associated squamous cell carcinoma.”

    2018 Lymph stasis promotes tumor growth Journal of Dermatological Science “[t]hese findings come as no surprise to us who for a long time have been aware that alterations in regional lymphatic flow may produce dysregulation in skin immune function and consequent oncogenesis. In fact, since 2002, our team has held the view that lymphedematous areas are immunologically vulnerable sites for the development of neoplasms as well as infections and immune-mediated diseases. In recent years, increasing evidence has confirmed this assumption.”

    2018 Structure and Distribution of an Unrecognized Interstitium in Human Tissues Scientific Reportsvolume 8, Article number: 4947 (2018).

    Thank you for working together to help Hawaii succeed

    Grassroot Institute
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    Thank you for working together to help Hawaii succeed

    By Keli‘i Akina

    Aloha, and Happy Thanksgiving!

    I hope you and your loved ones are celebrating all that we have to be grateful for — including our freedoms and the opportunity to voice our views on how best to advance the goal of a better Hawaii.

    Keli’i Akina

    And thank you so much for reading my weekly “President’s Corner” column, where I share my perspective on the biggest policy issues affecting our island life.

    I might not have solutions for all of Hawaii’s policy woes, but my hope is that by working together and listening to diverse viewpoints, my colleagues and I at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii can find ways to improve our lives in the islands and make Hawaii a more affordable and prosperous place to live.

    Indeed, it has been heartwarming to see the increasing willingness of state and county policymakers to consider the suggestions we have been making.

    Earlier this year, I wrote about an ”An amazing day at the Capitol,” as lawmakers passed several tax breaks and a landmark piece of legislation authorizing Hawaii to join an interstate compact that will offer doctors outside the state an easier pathway to practice here.

    Thanks to Gov. Josh Green, those tax breaks and the compact were eventually signed into law, making for an “amazing year” for better policies in the Aloha State.

    At the county level, I wrote about a pair of bills that I hope will help resolve Honolulu’s notorious permitting quagmire, and also about efforts in every county intended to provide property tax relief.

    With sadness, I also wrote about the tragic wildfires in Lahaina, but I have been extremely grateful to see how the rest of Hawaii has come together to help its many victims recover and rebuild.

    As I said at the time: “There has been shock and despair at the images we have seen of Lahaina, but there has also been an amazing outpouring of concern, volunteerism and giving. The community is coming together at all levels to help our Maui ohana.”

    But there is still so much to do.

    Again, please accept my heartfelt thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts with you every week, and for standing with the Grassroot Institute in its quest to build a better Hawaii.

    If you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.

    If you have any comments you would like to share with me about what I write, please do. I very much appreciate your feedback.

    Again, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones. I hope you are able to make the most of this wonderful holiday season.
    __________

    Keli‘i Akina is president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

    Wholesaling:  What You Don’t Know

    Tom Yamachika
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    Wholesaling:  What You Don’t Know

    Every so often, we at the Foundation are asked about Hawaii tax laws. A couple of recent inquiries focused on when the “Wholesale Rate” in the Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) kicks in.

    The answer is that you as a taxpayer can never really know, but you can protect yourself just the same.

    Huh?

    Most of us are familiar with the GET retail rate. It’s 4% or 4.5%, and it appears on invoices as 4.166% or 4.712%. (This is because any dollar billed for tax becomes part of the seller’s revenues and is taxed the same as the rest of its revenue.)

    The wholesale rate applies when a seller’s goods or services are being resold by its customer. So, if a farmer sells an avocado to a market for $1 and the market sells it to me for $1.50, the market pays the retail tax (4.5% of $1.50) and the farmer pays the wholesale tax (0.5% on $1.00).  County surcharge is not allowed on wholesale sales, so the 0.5% doesn’t get doubled to 1%.

    But think about it for a minute. How does the farmer know what the market is going to do with the avocado once the sale takes place?  Sure, markets usually resell their inventory to retail buyers like you or me. But the farmer still doesn’t know what happens to the avocado he sold. Maybe the market owner gets hungry and uses it in a sandwich. Maybe some punk sneaks into the store and swipes it. And if that avocado isn’t in fact resold, then the farmer’s wholesale rate may be in trouble.

    Fortunately, there is a solution to this information gap. It’s called a resale certificate (Form G-17 for goods).  Basically, the market signs a paper saying that it intends to resell the avocado and gives that paper to the farmer. In that form, the market agrees that if it lied on the form and that lie caused the farmer’s tax to go up, then the market would pay the farmer the difference in tax.

    In that way, the farmer really doesn’t know what is going to happen to the avocado but is protected by the market.

    And if the market isn’t willing to sign the paper, then the farmer can simply treat the avocado as sold at retail.

    There are other kinds of wholesale sales recognized by the GET Law. If, for example, an accounting firm asks me to resolve a client’s tax question, I bill the accounting firm, and the firm bills its client, then my service is being resold and I get the wholesale rate. Just as with the farmer, however, I don’t necessarily know whether my service is in fact resold. So, I ask the accounting firm to give me a resale certificate. For services the form number is G-82.

    The determination of whether some good or service is being resold can get very complicated. If Ms. Clean manufactures little bars of soap and sells them to a hotel for them to leave in guest rooms, is that a resale on the theory that the hotel’s guests are buying the amenities from the hotel with their room rate?  (Under Hawaii law, the answer is yes.)  In this situation also, Ms. Clean has only a general idea how the soaps are supposed to be used and, therefore, needs a resale certificate from the hotel saying that its soaps are going to be used in that way.

    The wholesale rate under GET is not easy, but protecting yourself when the rate is claimed is not difficult.

    Harvest your Christmas tree with DeWALT’s 20V MAX XR Compact Reciprocating Saw

    Robert Kay
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    Harvest your Christmas tree with DeWALT’s 20V MAX XR Compact Reciprocating Saw

    A reciprocating saw is an essential part of anyone’s tool kit.

    The utility of this device makes it essential. For example I recently had to remove a ton of screws and nails from posts and planks in a deck project on my home. Usually you can use a hammer or crowbar for this but on occasion it’s a real pain in the okole to remove a rusted nail where the head has simply disintegrated. In that case your trusty reciprocating saw–in this instance the DeWALT DCS367–was ideal quickly cut the protruding object.

    It’s also handy for cutting 2x4s, 2x8s or even thicker wood.

    If you’re a pro (and I’m not) it’s also wonderful as a demolition tool. You’re not going to get the kind of smooth, finished cut that you’d get from a circular blade but it doesn’t matter if you’re demolishing something. That’s where this tool shines.

    For example, in the demo department, you can use a reciprocating saw to disembody pallets or cut a variety of other materials like metal or PVC pipes. On my deck it was quick work to cut a rotten 4×4 post that needed replacement.

    You can easily cut through all sizes of wood such as this rotted out 4×4 on my deck. (Rob Kay photo)

    What’s also useful, especially in Hawaii, is how handy it is to prune tree limbs or even the ubiquitous hale koa. The other day I whacked a bunch of bamboo from an elderly neighbor’s yard with the DeWALT DCS367. (Of course I used a pruning blade for that job). There are a plethora of blades available specifically for the task. I ordered a 10 piece set from DeWALT on Amazon that provided blades for every task for $20.

    Now that we’ve established the importance of owning a reciprocating saw (sometimes called a ‘Sawzall’) let’s talk about this particular DeWALT which has a “brushless” motor upgrade to an earlier version.

    One of the most attractive things about this tool was it’s compact size—14.5 inches long and 8.5 inches high. Commensurate with the trim size is its low weight—a little over 6 pounds with battery. That means you can shlep it around without getting a hernia or too tired.

    The compact size of this tool comes in very handy for pruning such as this bamboo in a neighbor’s yard. (Rob Kay photo)

    It also includes a pivoting shoe, an LED light and a lever-action blade release on the side of the handle. The LED light turns on when the trigger is depressed and remains on for 20 seconds after the trigger is released. The light is bright and points directly to where you’re working.

    Perhaps the coolest feature is the capability to set the blade in 4 different positions vis a vis the teeth:

    • pointed down (the most common)
    • pointed up
    • to the left
    • to the right

    Think versatility. Think safety too. (Be sure when you’re changing the blade that you do so when the battery is off!)

    It also has a rubberized anti-slip grip which helps absorb vibration and reduction of hand fatigue.

    Perhaps the coolest feature is the capability to set the blade in 4 different positions. Just flip up the lever (upper left) and swap out the blade.

    My bottom line:

    This a pro-caliber tool.

    From my research, it may not be the most powerful saw on the market but it’s formidable and is comfortable to use. The compact size is ideal for tight spots and, its light weight makes it practical to carry around my property–or anywhere else for that matter.

    DeWALT (and I’m admittedly a big fan of this company) makes ergonomic products and this is no exception. I can do everything from whack pesky nails to prune my mango tree.  

    The 3 year- limited warranty, 1-year free service, 90 days money back guarantee makes the DCS367 a compelling choice.

    Note that this kit (DCS367P1) comes with a battery, charger and carrying case for $288. Another option, if you already have a battery and charger is to get the tool with blades included for $177.

    Rob Kay writes a column on technology for the Honolulu Star Advertiser and is a travel writer. He recently returned from Italy where he was researching a family memoir about the Second World War.

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    NORTH KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS Hawaii Conference — December 4, 2023

    Guest Contributor
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    NORTH KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS Hawaii Conference — December 4, 2023
    The Global Strategy Committee (Chairperson, Annie M.H. Chan) of the Peaceful Unification  Advisory Council (PUAC) of the Republic of Korea, the East-West Center, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Honolulu, and the Hawaii Chapter of PUAC will host a conference on North Korean Human Rights on Monday, December 4th at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

    The “North Korean Human Rights Hawaii Conference 2023” will be the first-time ever  gathering in Hawaii of two Ambassadors representing the North Korean human rights issue from the US and South Korea – Ambassador Julie Turner, the United States Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights; and Ambassador Shin-wha Lee, the Republic of Korea Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights, who will be the keynote speakers. 

    Ambassadors Turner and Lee will be joined by the following noted scholars and experts: Suzanne Vares-Lum, President of the East-West Center; Ralph A. Cossa, President Emeritus of the Pacific Forum; Dr. Stephen Noerper, President of Asia Dialogue; Ambassador Morse Tan, Dean of the Liberty University School of Law; and Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. 

    In addition to the four co-hosts, this Conference will be co-presented with the following organizations: The Pacific Forum; Asia Dialogue; the Korea-US Alliance Foundation USA (KUSAF USA); and One Korea Network (OKN). 

    This Conference comes at a critically important time in continuing to raise awareness regarding the North Korean human rights issue, in light of this year’s 10 year anniversary of the establishment of  the United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI), and next year’s 10-year anniversary of the release of the Report on the North Korean human rights situation; and in light of the continuing threats and provocations by the Kim Jong Un regime and China’s policy of repatriating North Korean refugees. 

    Please join us in Honolulu, Hawaii as we hear from Ambassadors Turner and Lee and other experts in highlighting and working together to improve and enhance the human rights of all North Koreans.  
    “North Korean Human Rights Hawaii Conference 2023”Monday, December 4, 2023; 1:30pm to 6pm; Hawaii Convention Center
    (Oahu Meeting Rooms 3rd Fl., 313 A-C; 1801 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu HI 96815)

    For DETAILED INFORMATION and to REGISTER: GlobalStrategyKorea.com
    For media inquiries and other questions regarding the Conference,
    please contact: 202-394-7005; info@onekoreanetwork.com.  

    Kaylee Shimizu: From the time she shocked everyone at a Karaoke Performance to The Voice Spotlight

    Daniela Stolfi-Tow
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    Kaylee Shimizu: From the time she shocked everyone at a Karaoke Performance to The Voice Spotlight

    This is the day I knew Kaylee Shimuzu was going places.

    On November 2, 2022, Kaylee Shimizu was at our Hawaii Creators event at the Tipsy Pig in Honolulu. It is a creator collaboration event so everyone is in different rooms and areas talking story and making content.

    Kaylee Shimizu stepped up to sing in the karaoke room, and the whole place just stopped. We were in the next room filming and suddenly we hear this voice. We all just dropped what we were doing and sprinted to the karaoke room.

    Kaylee is so sweet and she is very petite. So when you see this big voice come out of her your brain can’t even process it. Her karaoke rendition of “I have nothing” by Whitney Houston, left us all speechless. And let me tell you, with this crowd, that is nearly impossible. I looked around and everyone’s jaws were on the floor!

    Kaylee Shimizu was at our Hawaii Creators event at the Tipsy Pig in Honolulu. It is a creator collaboration event so everyone is in different rooms and areas talking story and making content. She starts singing and the whole place went quiet.

    The impromptu performance had 1300 live Instagram viewers.

    Shortly after, Shimizu went viral hitting the infamous Mariah Carey whistle note.

    WHO IS KAYLEE SHIMIZU

    Hailing from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, the 17-year-old received a four-chair turn during the Voice auditions with her rendition of the Beatles’ “Golden Slumbers,” showcasing elite high notes, impeccable control, and a musical prowess that earned praise from John Legend himself.

    Legend, impressed by Kaylee’s delivery of seemingly impossible notes, recruited her to join his team. “You know you could win The Voice, right?” he remarked. 

    Fast forward to The Voice Knockouts on November 6th, where Kaylee continued to captivate audiences with a soulful cover of an Aretha Franklin classic. 

    Kaylee Shimizu is making jaws drop worldwide now! She is a standout contestant on The Voice, proving that her journey from the Tipsy Pig to the national stage is one worth following along.

    You can find her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/kayleeshimizu

    The Lahaina Recovery Fund

    Tom Yamachika
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    The Lahaina Recovery Fund

    One of the more innovative items announced by the Governor’s office when it comes to disaster relief measures is the creation of a Lahaina Recovery Fund.

    In a press release announcing the measure, the Governor’s Office said that the concept was similar to the 9/11 Fund created in the aftermath of the destruction of the World Trade Center. The idea is that the government, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, and others who might be facing lawsuits would pay into the fund. Claimants who want a distribution from the fund agree not to sue the fund contributors.

    It was a controversial enough plan that the Star-Advertiser conducted an informal “Big Q” online poll to see if its readers thought the fund was a good idea. (As of this writing, supporters were a little more than twice the number of detractors.)

    Typical of the opposition was this post on X: “So in other words, what our state government deems is the value of your loss is all you will receive because you sign your rights away to sue for more?!? DON’T DO IT #LAHAINA!”

    In a previous column, we urged the government to create this type of fund. The primary advantages are (1) claimants get money in months, not years; (2) claimants typically won’t have to contend with attorneys’ fees, which could otherwise be a huge amount like a third of the recovery; and (3) people can get on with their lives instead of worrying about discovery, depositions, trial, and possible appeals.

    The fund being proposed has a voluntary participation element, like many class actions. If someone thinks that they can get a better result by suing, they are certainly free to do so.  And even for folks who sue, it’s tough to get past the idea that the payment will “be a payment of the State’s choosing.”  After all, if there is a settlement of any kind (90% of litigated court cases are settled), the government will have to sign off on the payment because it would be a defendant in the litigation.

    Those who want to be purists about it would need to settle in for the long haul. Take-no-prisoners litigation would need at least a couple of years to get to trial. Many more years could be added to that if appeals follow. Those purists will be waiting a long time for their money.

    So, how much is each participant going to get if they opt into the fund?  The exact amount isn’t known at this point. This is because negotiations are still ongoing with the potential defendants who would be putting money into the fund, and folks don’t yet have a clear idea of how many people would be participating. This is not unusual even for mass tort litigation and other class actions.  The Governor says that the amount per participant will be north of $1 million. Obviously, this is not a case where the government is trying to get people to sign off for a pittance like 20 bucks in some preloaded gift card. This is serious money and should be considered by the claimants seriously.

    People who are thinking about being a possible claimant of the fund need to thoughtfully consider the dollar amount, whether the claimant could do better if he or she filed a lawsuit, and the cost of that lawsuit. Attorneys don’t come cheap, and a “contingency fee” where the attorney is paid only if there is a recovery may cost a third (or more) of the total recovery. Add to that the uncertainty of when, or if, litigation recovery will be paid. The recovery fund, in contrast, will be ready to pay out in months, not years.

    Maui claimants can be the adults in the room. They can and should make their own choices about their own future. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to a Lahaina claim. We congratulate the Governor’s office for putting this option on the table.

    We need a reality check for the proposed new stadium

    Grassroot Institute
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    We need a reality check for the proposed new stadium

    By Keli‘i Akina

    Let me just cut to the chase: In the spirit of wise spending, it’s time that our lawmakers take a closer look at the proposed New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District and really ask themselves if it is an appropriate use of our ever-dwindling state funds.

    See, being a steward of taxpayer money carries with it a certain responsibility to avoid wasteful spending, excessive debt and other policies that can become a burden on taxpayers, as well as questioning the so-called sunk-cost fallacy that leads to spending more money on questionable projects simply because so much money has already been spent on them.

    Keli’i Akina

    Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Green wisely decided to abandon the idea of putting the full cost of a new stadium on the state — opting instead for a plan that would limit the state’s investment to $400 million; form a public-private partnership to complete the new stadium’s construction, operation and maintenance; and create a mixed-use development district.

    Given the expense and difficulties involved in the original plan, backing away from a heavy financial commitment to a New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District was the right move.

    But even the slimmed down plan is worrisome. Concerns about its financial feasibility have some people wondering whether we’ll ever see a new stadium, much less be able to watch University of Hawaii football games there by 2028, as has been promised.

    No doubt the vision for a new stadium has some attractive features. Who can argue with new sporting and other events set in a thriving neighborhood that will include affordable housing, retail outlets and restaurants, as well as easy accessibility via the Skyline — aka the over-budget and behind-schedule Honolulu rail.

    Speaking of which, our experience with the still-unfinished rail has done nothing but teach us that promises are not guarantees, and that big government projects tend to come with unexpected costs and delays. Fancy new stadiums might garner a lot of public support, but the promises of additional revenues generated by sports and other events rarely pan out.

    Even UH officials seem to be having doubts about the need for a new stadium in Halawa. Since Aloha Stadium closed in December 2020, they have been upgrading their on-campus T.C. Ching Field to accommodate football games, and for a variety of reasons, they might be better off for doing so.

    A main advantage is that UH now receives 100% of the revenues from its football games on campus, and does not have to negotiate leases and schedules with a separate stadium authority.

    The point is, no matter how big of a UH fan you might be, building a brand new stadium in Halawa mainly to host football games for Oahu residents is not sufficient reason to take on a big project like the proposed New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District.

    The issue is not whether we like the vision behind New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District — or whether it would be a nice place to watch a game. Instead, it is whether a new stadium and accompanying mixed-use development would be the best use of that land and hard-to-obtain taxpayer dollars.

    There is nothing wrong with changing our minds before sinking yet more money and time into an uncertain project. Especially in light of the state’s ever-changing economic conditions — such as those caused by the destructive and deadly Maui wildfires in August — taking a new look at the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District proposal is the most fiscally responsible move our leaders could take.

    Let’s not fall for all the hype and get distracted by yet another shiny object. Hawaii has so many other issues that better deserve our attention and our limited taxpayer dollars.
    __________

    Keli‘i Akina is president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

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