Monday, September 2, 2024
More
    Home Blog Page 27

    Governor’s redevelopment plan for Aloha Stadium on right track

    Grassroot Institute
    -
    0
    Governor’s redevelopment plan for Aloha Stadium on right track

    By Keli‘i Akina

    It’s not easy being a governor when criticism can come from every quarter, no matter what you propose. 

    That’s why I want to commend Gov. Josh Green for attempting to cut in half the cost of redeveloping the old Aloha Stadium on 25 acres of land in Halawa.

    Under the old plan, the state would have contributed $400 million toward construction of a 35,000-seat stadium that would have been designed, built and maintained for 30 years by a private partner, but the state would have been the operator.

    Over the duration of the contract, the state then would have repaid the private company for its share of the construction and maintenance costs for a total taxpayer tab of about $800 million.

    The governor’s new plan attempts to cut that cost in half by reducing the size of the stadium to 20,000 seats and having the private partner operate the stadium instead of the state.

    We look forward to hearing more concrete details to many lingering questions, such as what happens after 30 years, and whether the private partner will be tasked with any additional responsibilities.

    As the governor continues to sketch out his plan, I would suggest he consider the following five ideas to ensure the project’s long-term success.

    >> Let the private partner keep the ticket sales. It’s not the role of the government to woo musical acts and sporting events to come to Hawaii. The private sector is better at doing that, especially if they are incentivized by the ticket revenues.

    >> Let the private partner bear the risk of failure. If ticket sales slump, the private partner should still be required to operate and maintain the stadium without expecting a bailout from taxpayers.

    >> Extend the contract indefinitely, beyond 30 years. Require the private partner to pay for any maintenance or rebuilding now and into the future, indefinitely. This would incentivize proper maintenance of the facility by the private partner. 

    >> Sell the stadium and naming rights to the private partner. There’s no obvious reason that the government should own it at all, especially if the private partner is running it. Let’s ensure that the government doesn’t get in the way of its success.

    >> Sell the land surrounding the stadium. The state does not have a good track record for building entertainment districts on government leasehold land. Allowing a private partner to own and manage the 73 acres of lands surrounding the stadium would ensure that it was used productively for entertainment, business or housing, and keep taxpayers off the hook.

    While not all agree that a new Aloha Stadium is the best use of taxpayer money at this time, it is clear at least that Gov. Green’s proposal to cut costs is on the right track.   

    Let’s follow through with a strategy that will give the stadium the best chance to succeed and avoid becoming another boondoggle.
    _____________

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

    California’s Surplus to Deficit 

    Tom Yamachika
    -
    0
    California’s Surplus to Deficit 

    “Lucky you live Hawaii,” the saying goes.  Long-time readers of this column may chuckle at that because we have been pointing out lots of ways the government here could be improved.  But sometimes our sister States get themselves into big piles of pickles that makes our situation look a lot better by comparison.

    Take California, for example.

    California went through pretty much the same kind of budget calamities that other states did.  They also received a ton of federal aid.  They received much more than us here in Hawaii because they have lots more area and population than we do.

    In fact, last year California was projecting a surplus of about $98 billion.  That makes the Hawaii budget surplus for fiscal year 2022, a whopping $2.6 billion, look like chicken feed.

    In 2023, California’s latest government projection is a $22 billion deficit.  That, of course, means that the $98 billion disappeared quickly and then some.  According to reporting in California, the disappearance was a combination of a couple of things:  first, some of the revenue predicted failed to materialize; and second, that the revenue that did materialize was spent in a flash.  California state law required state lawmakers to spend much of the surplus on public schools and reserve accounts.  Some of it was in new spending, such as expanding health care to all low-income undocumented immigrants.  The state also made lots of one-time expenditures in areas such as homelessness and infrastructure.  And the state sent some of the money back out to taxpayers in the form of stimulus payments, just like we did.

    The result is that just one year later, California‘s state government is now planning on spending more than it is going to take in. As a result, California‘s Senate leadership is now making noises about “common sense revenue options that protect the middle class and small businesses” which, of course, means tax increases.  It’s too early in California’s legislative session to tell what’s going to happen ultimately, but you can bet it’s not going to be pretty.

    So, here at home, can we learn from California’s experience? We would certainly hope so.  There are many constituencies that benefited here from the increase in spending in 2021 while we still had lots of money. They naturally will be screaming for that amount or more money next year, or even this year, regardless of the amount of surplus we do have. While it may be tempting to make these constituencies happy by giving into their demands, taxpayers don’t have wallets of unlimited size.  That means we simply can’t satisfy everybody. We have to live within our means.

    In the meantime, we need to engage in responsible budgeting.  The public needs to be able to figure out where the money comes from and where it goes, which is nearly impossible now because of special funds and other off-budget financial devices.  We need to clean those up and make the resulting budget transparent.  We can’t continue to hide behind excuses like “the computer system won’t allow that” and “the public isn’t allowed to see budget documentation.”

    To quote the California Senate leadership, we need to “Protect Our Progress by Maintaining Commitment to Responsible Budgeting & Resiliency, Even in Tough Times.”  Hopefully, when we apply these principles it won’t drive our current whopping surplus becoming a billion dollar deficit in a single year.

    So we can be lucky we live Hawaii.

    Free-Fall – Let It Be

    Joseph Carlisi
    -
    0
    Free-Fall – Let It Be

    Michael Benfield, one of the founders of the Green Party of England and Wales recently proclaimed “It’s too late to save the environment.” He told the BBC “I think we have succeeded in helping to educate… but we have failed in dealing with the battle for environmental survival. I’ll say to you now that it’s too late. The battle for the world’s environmental survival is, at this moment, lost.”

    The scope and scale of the solutions which he believes  necessary are simply too vast to be acceptable for any political party. The focus now, he stated, would have to be on mitigation.

    There is little doubt that the global environment is in a state of dynamic free – fall. There is also little doubt that the driving factor is sustained, destructive human activity.

    While it is important to separate fiction from fact and “wake up” to reality, expending energy on blame, emotions of guilt, remorse, belated outrage, etc. is useless and meaningless. Posturing and theatrics. It changes nothing. We have, undeniably, set a colossal process in motion. It will play out as nature seeks a new balance.

    We can, at best, as Benfield suggests, attempt to mitigate / minimize the degree and rate of destabilization by adopting more sustainable ways of living. Expecting guidance towards this end by political leaders has proven fruitless. Their focus is supporting the industrial entities that drive the degradation of the environment and finance the body politic. They are, in fact, the stewards, guardians and enforcers of the system. Neither right nor wrong, good nor bad  . . . just the way it is.

    For example: March 6 (Reuters) –

    Environmental groups sued the Biden administration on Monday to block the sale of oil and gas drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico.

    The lawsuit filed by Earthjustice, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeks to stop the U.S. Interior Department from offering up drilling rights in 73.3 million acres of the oil-rich region later this month.

    The Biden administration finalized its plan to offer the Gulf drilling rights last month and said bids are due March 28. The auction is seen as a test of industry demand for investment in the Gulf just over a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine cranked up pressure on the administration to increase domestic supplies of oil and gas.

    A classic case of positive environmental action versus industrial opportunity for profit. No contest . . . big money calls the shot. Government bends over with a smile.

    That leaves responsibility with us as individuals who can take control of our own lives and actions.

    For instance:

    The world’s oceans are polluted by a “plastic smog” made up of an estimated 171 trillion plastic particles that if gathered, would weigh around 2.3 million tons, according to a new study. (CNN). Governments won’t force manufacturers to limit production of single use plastics . . . but . . . simple solution . . . we can stop using / buying them.

    Attempting to fix and rebalance the free – fall state of destabilized core environmental elements on a global level is, as Benfield acknowledges, a lost cause.

     As the chaos of unbalance proceeds, an infinite number of dynamically linked variables come into play, resulting in unforeseeable, unknowable and unpredictable outcomes. Nature’s return to balance is a non linear process despite our attempts to fit it into understandable, linear, sequential templates and models.

    The return  to global balance is not something we can control. What we can control is our own personal behavior. Our actions are the tools of mitigation. How we behave and act affects the degree of continued damage that the environment sustains and consequently the overall extent of ecological instability and unbalance. Waiting for political / industrial leadership to guide us to a neat fix is tantamount to waiting for the devil to open the gates of heaven.

    Ain’t gonna happen.

    The world we live in . . . what we call the human world . . . does not exist in a vacuum. It is not the whole picture. Planet earth with all of the creatures that inhabit it . . . all of the drama, history, twists and turns that make up “our world” does not exist in a separate, enclosed, isolated, or in any way, special space. We are an element in an infinite, connected, evolving universe. Every event, movement, change, etc. that occurs on earth is connected to and resonates throughout the vast totality of existence. Not philosophy, spiritual belief, religion . . . just basic science.

    It seems very likely that the accelerating free – fall and destabilization of of the world that we hold as familiar is building to a grand scale and that we are on the cusp of a dimensional or quantum change.

    An incredible, exciting time to be present and conscious . . . an epochal opportunity to awaken and leave fiction and delusion behind.

    Ixtlan by Joe Carlisi

    ****************

    Joseph Carlisi – Biography     

    Born and raised in New York City, he earned BA and MA degrees in Philosophy at Hunter College of the City University of New York and then continued his graduate studies in Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence at Massachusetts Institute of Technology working under the mentorship of Marvin Minsky. Joseph worked as a part time content and copy editor for Harvard University Press (science and medicine) while attending M.I.T.     

    After ten years as a university lecturer, researcher and administrator, he started and managed an advertising / public relations firm in San Diego, CA that handled a wide range of commercial accounts. On the academic side, he published a series of seven articles on animal behavior for Harvard Magazine and two books: “A Guide to Personal Power” and most recently “Playing God on the Eve of Extinction”.

    Joseph Carlisi creates oil on canvas paintings that can be described as vivid, surreal and unexpected. His paintings have been exhibited and sold in: Honolulu, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, Miami, Tokyo, Yokohama, Amsterdam, Berlin and Salvador Brazil.

    Joe’s art is available for purchase.

    Contact him at carlisijoseph@yahoo.com.

    Will DEI make us DIE?

    Sydney Ross Singer
    -
    0
    Will DEI make us DIE?

    These days, when you want to show you care about ending oppression of marginalized groups for their race, ethnicity, religion, or gender, you show it by saying you support the DEI movement. 

    D is for Diversity. It means looking around you and asking if everyone looks the same. If they do, then you need to bring in others who are different. This adds color to the workplace and other social settings.

    E is for Equity. It’s a type of compensation given to people who have underachieved because of an oppressive system. In the workplace, this means giving the job to someone who may be less qualified, but is more socially deserving.

    I is for Inclusion. This is added to the above because, even if a social setting is diverse and equitable, there still needs to be an open-hearted engagement with the new people.  In the workplace, this means being happy about working with your new, diverse, equitably-placed fellow employees, and include them in your activities.

    One way DEI policies strive to make life better for the oppressed is to show how language perpetuates biases and prejudices, and to suggest new ways of speaking with one another that avoids offensiveness. And since a diverse group will have diverse triggers and ways of offending someone, the limits on speech can feel oppressive to those who need to change their language and ways of thinking. 

    In fact, one possible outcome of DEI policies may the opposite of that intended.

    For example, as we seek social integration at work by pushing diversity, we need to recognize that diversity is not always good in the workplace. People may work better when they are completely comfortable with their fellow employees, sharing the same sub-culture. Familiarity and similarity are not necessarily bad things. 

    It is argued that diversity brings the freshness of new perspectives and ways of thinking, which is true. Diversity might make sense for certain positions in a business, especially ones that reach out to diverse customers. But not all positions benefit from diversity. Mixing cultures may help sometimes, but it can also cause a Tower of Babel effect, where differences between people, their language, and their cultures, hampers connection and collective action.

    Sometimes, you may not want diversity as a customer. When you go to a physician, for example, do you want someone of your own gender, ethnicity, religion, and race with whom you can easily identify? Or would you like someone who seems completely different from yourself? Probably, you want someone who understands you best, and who shares your values, language, and cultural referents when you are dealing with personal issues. 

    On the other hand, diversity can be beneficial for cultural experiences, like dining, theater, music, and other forms of art and entertainment. Many people appreciate some spice in their life. This means diversity is sometimes very much desired, while at other times, we want sameness.

    Equity sounds like something that makes sense for those groups which are systematically suppressed, and whose qualifications for a job may seem inferior to others as a result of that oppression. Giving these people preference in getting a job sounds like the break they deserve. But it also means giving the job to someone who is less qualified than other applicants. For some jobs, this could be life-threatening, depending on the job. Do you want a pilot to fly your plane who was hired for their race or gender and not for their ability? 

    Hiring someone under equity considerations necessarily means that you are hiring the less qualified person. If they were equally qualified or better qualified than other applicants, then it would not be equitable to hire them. Equitable hires, by definition, are less qualified for their jobs than others. This might be a great opportunity for the person hired for political reasons with below average skills, but it is a stigma that they will need to bear. It must not be nice being known at the workplace as the less-competent token. 

    Unless everyone agrees that the less qualified deserve a break in hiring, this will create resentment, especially from those who needed to be qualified for their jobs, and for those who lost a job to a less qualified person for political reasons. 

    This means that diversity and equity can cause Division and Incompetence. 

    Forcing oil into water and shaking things up will not mix the oil and water. It will separate again. The diversity that is being artificially created through equity and forced integration disrupts coherent cultural environments where sameness is valued. The apparent diversity can be a false perception, and may lead to division among working groups where had once been unity. 

    Birds of a feather flock together. Integrating birds of different feathers creates momentary mixing, until they sort themselves out again. If you keep on mixing them up, it causes stress, anxiety, and confusion. Like attracts like. That’s a fact of nature, including human nature.  

    DEI policies try to mitigate this human tendency towards homogeneity. But while you can lead a horse to water, you can’t make people mix their drinks. 

    That’s where inclusion comes in. Inclusion calls for mixing of the elements brought together through diversity and equity, but it offers no emulsifier.

    What happens when you put Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Hindus together, and you start to talk? What words can you say that will not offend anyone? 

    The answer is that there are many words you can use, but you better think about what they are before using them.  Diversity increases the potential for offensiveness. The concern over not being offensive is causing stress and anxiety, and can lead to exhaustion.  It’s difficult for people to watch their language for any offensive triggers. Once exhausted, people will turn off to DEI altogether. They can also go in the opposite direction, and become angry and resentful, creating prejudice where it may not have existed. 

    Humans are pecking order animals. There is a social structure where some are above others. When you realize this order is unfair, and decide to take someone from below and put them on top to create diversity and equity, you’re messing with the pecking order. That is an unstable condition for our species, and sets up fights to establish a new order. The artificial order created by DEI will alway struggle against the negative elements of human nature.

    Part of the problem is that DEI policy tries to avoid offending people. This puts the burden on the speaker to watch their words, and creates a thin-skinned culture of people easily triggered. However, a thick skin can help avoid offensiveness, too. After all, the person offended is the listener. How they respond is up to them.

    This means diversity requires more tolerance, not less tolerance. As diverse cultures clash, people need to take less offense to get along. Sensitivity is not a virtue, but a weakness, when meeting diverse groups of people.

    Here, then, is the emulsifier needed to mix the masses. We need tolerance of one another and of our differences, and a thicker skin.  

    Low tolerance and easily-triggered sensitivity is not necessary for the DEI agenda.  We can integrate and work together and be fair, while still making jokes about our differences. We can still work towards social justice goals, including awareness of how hateful words can cause harm to others, without becoming too sensitive to words. After all, the more sensitive we are, the more words hurt us. 

    On the other hand, we don’t want such a thick skin that we put up with abuse that should end. Some sensitivity is needed to motivates us to change. But too much sensitivity, and you become unable to function, and drive everyone around you to exhaustion worrying about how to talk to you.

    This means the good intentions of DEI policy, without the emulsifier of tolerance, can inadvertently cause DIE, or Division, Incompetence, and Exhaustion. But too much tolerance of abuse can lead to further abuse, and prevent the measures needed to make needed change. 

    How do you create tolerance in a pecking order species which likes to form exclusive groups? How do we make people stop pecking and start kissing?

    Clearly, we need to start with children. Exposing children to diversity and encouraging inclusion can create empathy and comfort with others. When you feel comfortable with others you can start to like them. And when you do that, you can see why you would want to give someone a chance to do a job they are not yet qualified to do, because you care what happens to them.

    However, you can’t create empathy by force. You can’t make people appreciate diversity when it is forced on them, or accept affirmative action by taking their jobs away. You can’t build community by mixing people who don’t care about one another.  Empathy and tolerance are the essential keys to people liking one another and playing (or working) together in peace.

    Forcing change through coerced diversity, equity, and inclusion policies can cause a backlash of division, incompetence, and exhaustion, while creating the very prejudice it was trying to mitigate. Let’s find things to like about one another, try overlooking the things we don’t like, and realize that being human means eternally struggling to get along.

    Toxic Baby Food Is Poisoning Hawaii’s Children

    Sydney Ross Singer
    -
    0
    <strong>Toxic Baby Food Is Poisoning Hawaii’s Children</strong>

    We all are becoming increasingly aware of the toxins in our food supply. From lead, cadmium, mercury and other heavy metals, to pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemical contaminants, we are increasingly having food to die from, instead of food to die for. 

    Most affected, of course, are children, whose developing bodies are harmed by these toxins in food, especially their nervous system, which includes brain development. As a result, there is a rising problem of ADHD and autism in children throughout the US. 

    The University of Hawai’i Daniel K Inouye College of Pharmacy is sponsoring a seminar March 17, 2023, at 11:00 am on this topic, presented by toxicologist Dr. Renee Dufault, who blew the whistle on heavy metals in food. She has written about this public health catastrophe in her book, Unsafe at Any Meal: What the FDA Does Not Want You to Know About the Foods You Eat.

    In an article recently published in the World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, researchers led by Dr. Dufault reported alarming increases in the numbers of children across America requiring special education services for ADHD and/or autism. 

    Over the last ten years, numerous clinical trial data indicate heavy metal exposures and poor diet are the primary factors impacting gene behavior in children diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD. Prenatal consumption of processed foods results in poor nutrition and exposures to heavy metals, which adversely impact infant gene behavior before and after birth. 

    To make matters worse, infants and small children continue to be exposed to heavy metals in processed baby foods. These heavy metal exposures further exacerbate the development of autism and ADHD. 

    According to Dr. Dufault, who worked as a toxicologist for the Food and Drug Administration until she blew the whistle, mercury and lead exposures are significant factors in the etiology of autism and ADHD. Dozens of studies have been published showing children with ADHD and autism have elevated levels of heavy metals in their blood compared to their peers without symptoms. Lead and mercury are consistently found in children with autism and lead is found consistently in all children with ADHD.  

    For those wanting to learn more, the public is invited to attend Dr. Dufault’s seminar in person at the Hale Kiho ‘iho’I Classroom LH-A, Corner of S. A’ohoku and Nowelo Street, Hilo or via the following zoom link info:

     Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/92250323905
    Meeting ID: 922 5032 3905 Passcode: 829267

    If you have children, you need to know about this link between baby food and ADHD/autism. Attendance at the event is free.

    For more information, contact Dr. Dufault at rdufault@atsu.edu.

    Hawaii County has chance to make zoning more friendly to housing

    Grassroot Institute
    -
    0
    Hawaii County has chance to make zoning more friendly to housing

    The following commentary by policy researched Jonathan Helton was originally published March 5, 2023, by the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
    ___________

    Hawaii island’s housing supply might get a boost in the near future, thanks to an effort underway to update the county’s zoning code.

    A project team working with the Hawaii County Department of Planning has been reviewing and proposing changes to the code, which has not been overhauled since 1996.

    This update is long overdue, especially since housing continues to be unaffordable for many Hawaii Island residents, and improving the county zoning code might help change that.

    A 2022 study by the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaii found that Hawaii County has the strictest land use regulations of any county in the entire United States, and that nationwide, such regulations are significantly related to high housing prices.

    The good news is that there are many ways to make the county’s zoning laws more friendly to new housing. A good starting point would be to allow greater housing density.

    Right now in Hawaii County, more than five times as many parcels are zoned for single-family units than for duplexes, triplexes and other forms of multifamily houses, which generally are far more affordable than single-family homes.

    The county should also revisit minimum lot sizes, which specify that a land parcel has to be a certain size before a home can be built on it. All parcels in single-family residential zones must be at least 7,500 square feet. This is fine for anyone who can afford a big, sprawling yard, but many families cannot because county land values are so high.

    Other zoning laws drive up costs, too. Parking minimums make housing and business construction more expensive by forcing builders to provide a certain number of parking spaces in each project.

    A 2020 study by the Ulupono Initiative found that Hawaii County businesses can expect to pay more than $12,000 and home-builders more than $4,000 per parking space, which drives up the cost of living and doing business.

    The county should also look at promoting mixed-use neighborhoods, combining commercial and residential uses. This would promote walkability, save on transportation costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    Another important reform would be to adopt by-right approvals, whereby any project that meets existing specifications is approved automatically, without having to go through politicized public hearings where they can be delayed, which adds to building costs, or even denied.

    For Hawaii Island, this zoning update will set the tone on housing policy for years to come. If bold reforms are not adopted, housing prices on the island likely will continue to soar, forcing many Hawaii residents to keep working two or three jobs just to make ends meet, or to simply move to the mainland or even onto the streets.

    “Smart, clear regulation can spur greater home-building and help keep county ohana on the island they love,” said Joe Kent, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii executive vice president, in comments submitted earlier this month to the project team tasked with updating the codes.

    When the county seeks public comment on the code update again later this year, Hawaii Island residents should let the planners know they favor zoning reform — on behalf of themselves and the generations to come.

    Love-Hate Relationship with Tourism 

    Tom Yamachika
    -
    0
    Love-Hate Relationship with Tourism 

    Here in Hawaii, we officially have a love-hate relationship with tourism.

    How do we love it?  Look no further than the Hawaii Tourism Authority.  The HTA was established through legislation in 1998 (Act 156, Session Laws of Hawaii 1998).  The preamble to that legislation recited that the visitor industry “accounts for almost twenty-five  per cent of the gross state product and provides over thirty per cent of all civilian jobs. In light of the State’s dependence on tourism, it is extremely important that the development, marketing, and research of this industry be coordinated in a manner consistent with the needs of the State.”  As a result, HTA has been awarding lucrative marketing contracts – as Civil Beat reported, the marketing contract that the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau had been working on was worth about $21.5 million a year, and it awarded (but later took back) a marketing contract to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement worth about $34 million in its first two years.

    How do we hate it?  We have been taxing the bejeebers out of tourists.  Last year, for example, our Legislature, overriding Governor Ige’s veto of House Bill 862 (2021), stopped sharing Transient Accommodations Tax collections with the counties and instead authorized the counties to impose their own TAT on top of the 10.25% the State imposes.  All of the counties quickly jumped on that bandwagon and imposed county TAT at 3.0%, the most allowed under the law.  Now, tourists looking at their hotel folios are greeted with a state TAT of 10.25%, a county TAT of 3%, a state general excise tax of 4%, and, for most counties, a county surcharge on state tax of 0.5%.  That’s a whopping combined tax rate of close to 18% under current law.

    At the Legislature and our Executive Chambers, efforts to beat off the tourists with a stick continue.  Several versions of the “Visitor Green Fee,” which we have complained about before, are still alive within the big square building.  The bills would charge tourists $50 for a one-year license to visit our parks, beaches, and other natural attractions.  The bills sponsored by the Governor’s Office, HB 1051 and SB 1349, are both dead for this session, but similar bills such as HB 1162 and SB 636 have passed the first round of committee hearings and are now awaiting attention by the legislature’s powerful money committees.  HB 820 would have imposed an eye-popping 25% TAT rate (supposedly in lieu of the existing 10.25%, although the bill doesn’t really say that) on transient vacation rentals.  After an hour of emotional testimony by scores of people on Friday, February 24, House Finance killed the bill.  To me, it seemed remarkable that the bill even got all the way to a Finance hearing. 

    With all of these mixed messages going out to what is, happily or unhappily, our No. 1 economic driver, the possibility of economic waste looms large.  What would you think if State Agency #1 dug up a pipeline on A Street and moved it to B Street, for beaucoup bucks, and then three months later State Agency #2 dug up the same pipeline on B Street and moved it back to A Street, again for mucho moola?  Lots of money was spent, very little was accomplished.  We may not all agree on the proper strategy for our tourism industry, but our leadership needs to decide on ONE direction and devote taxpayer resources to it.  We can’t go along with different agencies or factions pushing in different directions, or (heaven forbid) fighting each other, with taxpayer funds.

    ‘Visitor impact’ fee proposal fraught with problems

    Grassroot Institute
    -
    0
    ‘Visitor impact’ fee proposal fraught with problems

    Photo by Charley Myers

    By Keli‘i Akina

    When a new policy proposal gets a heavy push from a popular new governor, people sometimes forget to ask the hard questions. 

    That’s what the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is for.

    On Wednesday, Gov. Josh Green took to Twitter to lobby for his proposed $50 “visitor impact” fee. He promised the fee would raise $400 million annually and be used to preserve coral reefs, protect forests and watersheds, remove invasive species, help endangered wildlife and fund state and county agencies and nonprofits in their conservation efforts.

    To illustrate public support for his proposal, the governor referenced a Nature Conservancy Hawaii survey that found 63% of Hawaii residents supported a visitor fee, 88% liked the idea that tourists should pay their fair share to preserve Hawaii’s natural resources, and 95% favored protecting the state for future generations. 

    Frankly, I’m surprised that the response to the last item wasn’t 100%. In any case, I have no doubt that the governor is sincere in his desire to protect Hawaii’s environment, and I believe that his proposed visitor fee is his way of trying to increase state revenues without increasing the cost of living for Hawaii residents.

    However, respecting the governor’s intentions does not mean ignoring the flaws of his proposal. The practicalities alone are mind-boggling. 

    For example, we are told that this fee — formulated in SB304 as a license fee to use parks, beaches, trails and any state-owned natural area —  would affect only visitors. 

    The bill defines a visitor as anyone who is not a Hawaii resident. That means that if your auntie had to leave Hawaii for Seattle because she couldn’t afford to live here, but she comes back for Grandma’s birthday party, she and your cousins will have to pay hundreds of dollars to go to the family barbecue at Ala Moana Beach Park.

    In addition, the bill would require signs at beaches and other public sites informing visitors that they need a license to be there and outlining the penalties for visiting the site without a license. 

    How would that be enforced? Would county or state officials be out roaming the beaches and parks, approaching anyone who “looks like” a visitor and asking for proof of their beach licenses? It’s not hard to imagine how that could go wrong.

    And let’s not ignore that multiple respected sources, ranging from UHERO — the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i — to the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, have repeatedly warned Hawaii policymakers that such visitor-only fees are unconstitutional. 

    The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against burdening the right of Americans to travel freely, and it frowns on taxes that treat nonresidents more harshly than residents.

    In other words, you can’t charge someone to enter Hawaii just because they happen to live in California or Michigan.

    As for the claim the fee would bring in $400 million a year for environmental spending, we already have a budget surplus, so why are we looking for ways to increase revenues? 

    And what would we get for that extra spending? The only thing we know for sure is that it would create an infusion of new funds for a few nonprofits and government agencies.

    Finally, we can’t overlook what this would mean for tourism, the state’s leading driver of economic activity. In fact, some of the most critical responses on Twitter to the governor’s tweet came from people who saw this as a transparent attempt to shake down tourists.

    “Can you define fair share?” one person asked. “Is the 3% hotel surcharge and 10% state TAT [transient accommodations tax] not already taxing visitors highly? I respect Hawaii, but this is just fleecing people. Should we in California levy a tax on Hawaiians when they fly over for their ‘fair share?’”

    Another commented: “It’s already overly expensive to vacation in Hawaii. People will choose to travel elsewhere. The implication is that visitors are not wanted.”

    I applaud the governor for addressing concerns that are important to Hawaii residents. But the visitor impact fee is inherently flawed. 

    Instead, we need more debate and discussion about how to balance tourism and conservation. We must avoid the economic and legal pitfalls presented by the governor’s idealistic proposal.
    _____________

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

    SHAUN CASSIDY, BOB JAMES, JOSÉ FELICIANO & KEAHIWAI and more HEADLINE at the Blue Note Hawaii – March 2023

    Daniela Stolfi-Tow
    -
    0
    SHAUN CASSIDY, BOB JAMES, JOSÉ FELICIANO & KEAHIWAI and more HEADLINE at the Blue Note Hawaii – March 2023

    The Comedy Series Continues with Andy Bumatai, Gary Owen, Tip “T.I.” Harris and more

    Comedy takes center stage at Blue Note Hawaii this month, featuring Andy Bumatai with Augie T,  and national headliners Gary Owen, James Adomian and Tip “T.I.” Harris. Henry Kapono returns with his Artist 2 Artist Series featuring the incomparable Keola Beamer. Sultry vocalist Storm Large performs one night only and jazz legend Bob James is back with four shows. 70s pop icon and multi-platinum recording artist Shaun Cassidy makes his Blue Note debut and Mindy Smokestack presents a tribute to beloved jazz singer Etta James. LA-based singer-songwriter Joshua Radin returns followed by soul-singer Judith Hill. Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning duo Keahiwai reunites after a 15-year hiatus and Raiatea Helm performs with the Spring Wind Quintet, celebrating 40 Years of Chamber Music Hawaii. José Feliciano, acclaimed by critics around the world as “The Greatest Living Guitarist,” will appear in what promises to be three sold out nights. The Motet will bring their unique sound of funk, soul, jazz and rock to the club in their Blue Note debut. Local favorites Kalapana return after a sold-out run in 2022, and world-renowned saxophonist Mike Phillips rounds out the month.

    Parking is validated at the OHANA East Hotel for $6 for four hours and at the Outrigger Waikiki for $15 for four hours valet.

    Here is March’s complete lineup!

    Andy Bumatai Ft. Augie T

    Wednesday, March 1

    Tickets: Premium Seating $35, Loge Seating & Bar Area $25

    Showtimes: 7:00p.m.

    Doors: 6:30 p.m.

    Andy Bumatai has been a comic and businessman in Hawai’i for over 35 years. H’’s owned a nightclub, a chain of cell phone stores and an interest in one of the original ISPs in Hawaii. Starting in Hawaiʻi, the comedy icon has traveled extensively as a headliner in comedy clubs across America and as an opening act on tour with some of the biggest names in show business including Tom Jones, Paul Anka, Kenny Loggins, The Beach Boys and Lionel Richie.

    Storm Large: “Love, Storm”

    Thursday, March 2

    Tickets: Premium Seating $35, Loge Seating & Bar Area $25

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    Storm Large: musician, actor, playwright, author, awesome. Storm made her debut as guest vocalist with the band Pink Martini in April 2011, singing four sold-out concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She continues to perform with the band, touring nationally and internationally, and she is featured on their album “Get Happy.” Storm has also sung with GRAMMY®-winner k.d. lang, pianist Kirill Gerstein, punk rocker John Doe, singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer George Clinton.

    Bob James

    Tuesday, March 7 & Wednesday, March 8

    Tickets: Premium Seating $45, Loge Seating & Bar Area $35

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    Jazz keyboardist, arranger, record producer and founder of the group Fourplay, Bob James is recognized as one of the progenitors of smooth jazz and having a profound effect on the history of hip-hop, having his original works often sampled in hip-hop tracks. James’ five-decade career includes over 58 albums and innumerable awards since first being discovered by Quincy Jones in 1963.


    Artist 2 Artist: Henry Kapono & Keola Beamer

    Thursday, March 9

    Tickets: Premium Seating $45, Loge Seating & Bar Area $35

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m.

    Keola Beamer comes from a line of musicians five generations back and can also trace his roots to the House of Kamehameha and Ahiakumai, 15th century rulers of Hawaii. His great grandmother was Helen Desha Beamer, an influential songwriter and hula dancer, and his mother, Winona Beamer (“Auntie Nona”) has been one of the most important figures in the revival of Hawaiian culture since the 1940s: composer, dancer, educator, and coiner of the term “Hawaiiana,” which describes the cultural-studies area she pioneered at the Kamehameha Schools. Henry and Jerry will “jam” and “talk story” one-on-one, giving the audience insight into the spirit and aspirations of each other’s work.


    Shaun Cassidy

    Friday, March 10 & Saturday, March 11

    Tickets: Premium Seating $55, Loge Seating & Bar Area $45

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m.

    Shaun Cassidy is a writer, producer, actor and singer. While still in high school, Cassidy signed a contract with Warner Brothers records, releasing three multi-platinum albums and numerous top ten hits including “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “That’s Rock n’ Roll,” “Hey Deanie” and “Do You Believe In Magic?” Cassidy received a GRAMMY® nomination for his efforts and performed at every major arena in the country including Houston’s Astrodome and New York’s Madison Square Garden.

    Mindy Smokestack Presents A Tribute to Etta James

    Sunday, March 12

    Tickets: Premium Seating $35, Loge Seating & Bar Area $25

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    Mindy Smokestack presents a tribute to beloved jazz singer Etta James. Mindy Smokestack comes from Hamburg Germany with a powerful voice and healing energy cultivated through life’s struggles and triumphs. Growing up singing in church instilled her passion for soul music. Mindy’s vocal abilities create her eclectic sound blending Soul, Blues and modern Motown

    Joshua Radin

    Monday, March 13

    Tickets: Premium Seating $45, Loge Seating & Bar Area $35

    Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m.

    After 16 years, eight albums, and hundreds of shows, Joshua Radin still treats music as an antidote to any ailment. The LA-based singer/songwriter finds healing in between waves of acoustic eloquence and dyed-in-the-wool Americana storytelling. On his ninth album “The Ghost And The Wall,” the troubadour continues a cycle of catharsis meant to be shared among any and all receptive hearts. Don’t miss Joshua’s return to the Blue Note for a close and personal night of music.

    Judith Hill

    Tuesday, March 14

    Tickets: General Admission $35

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Judith Hill comes from a Japanese/African-American bi-racial musical family. Mother Michiko and father Robert (aka Pee Wee) met in a 1970’s funk band, and continue to perform in Judith’s backing ensemble, their contributions heard all over Baby, I’m Hollywood. After graduating from Biola University with a degree in Music Composition, Hill took off for France in 2007 to join French superstar Michel Polnareff’s touring band. Inspired upon returning to the States, Judith embarked on a meteoric ascent to soul singer, songwriter and badass bandleader.

    Local Comedy Showcase

    Wednesday, March 15

    Tickets: Premium Seating $15, Loge Seating & Bar Area $10 – $5 increase day of show

    Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:30 p.m.

    Comedy U is back for another night showcasing Hawaii’s local comics.

    Keahiwai

    Thursday, March 16

    Tickets: Premium Seating $50, Loge Seating & Bar Area $40

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    It’s been over 20 years since Keahiwai released their debut album, “Local Girls,” that took Hawaii by storm with hits like “Over and Promised Love.” The album’s success landed the duo two Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards in their rookie year. The sophomore release, “Satisfied,” was a game-changer with its chart-topping song, “Falling,” reaching international success. Band members, Lei Melket and Mailani Makainai, went on to release four more albums together before going on a 15-year hiatus. The ladies are now back on the scene for a long-awaited reunion that everyone’s been whispering about for years. Join them for what promises to be an entertaining, memorable and nostalgic evening.

    93.9 The Beat Presents

    Gary Owen

    Friday, March 17 & Saturday, March 18

    Tickets: Premium Seating $55, Loge Seating $45, Bar Area $35

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    Comedian Gary Owen has been entertaining American audiences for over more than a decade. Finding success as a stand up and an actor, Owen can be seen on his eponymous docuseries “The Gary Owen Show” on BET and his most recent comedy special, “I Got My Associates” can currently be streamed on Showtime.

    Raiatea Helm With the Spring Wind Quintet

    Celebrating 40 Years of Chamber Music Hawaii

    Sunday, March 19

    Tickets: Premium Seating $35, Loge Seating & Bar Area $25

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    Join us for a wonderful evening of mele with Nā Hōkū Award-winning recording artist Raiatea Helm with the Spring Wind Quintet as we celebrate 40 years of Chamber Music Hawaii!

    Mike Lewis Presents

    Jon Arons Horn Band Tribute Show

    Monday, March 20

    Tickets: Premium Seating $35, Loge Seating & Bar Area $25

    Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m.

    The multi-talented Jon Arons presents a Horn Band Tribute Show playing hits from Chicago to Bruno Mars, featuring local trumpeter and bandleader Mike Lewis, and his big band!

    José Feliciano

    Tickets: Premium Seating $65, Loge Seating & Bar Area $45

    Wednesday, March 22 & Tuesday, March 28

    Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:30 p.m.

    Thursday, March 23

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    José Feliciano has been acclaimed by critics around the world as “The Greatest Living Guitarist.” He is recognized as the first Latin Artist to cross over into the English music market, opening the doors for other artists who now play an important role in the American music industry. Referred to as “The Picasso of His Realm,” Feliciano’s accomplishments are highly celebrated. He’s been awarded over 45 gold and platinum records and won 19 GRAMMY® nominations, earning nine GRAMMYs® including the LARAS Award for Lifetime Achievement.

    The Motet

    Friday, March 24 & Saturday, March 25

    Tickets: Premium Seating $35, Loge Seating & Bar Area $25

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    Since 1998, The Motet have inspired the world with their unique style of dance music. Over the course of nine full-length albums, they’ve traversed the lines between funk, soul, jazz, and rock and built a diehard audience in the process. They’ve headlined Red Rocks Amphitheatre six times and sold out countless legendary venues coast-to-coast. In addition to racking up nearly 20 million total streams and views, they’ve also garnered widespread acclaim from numerous publications including Relix, Glide Magazine, and AXS. The band has also graced the stages of festivals such as Bonnaroo, Bottlerock, Electric Forest, Bumbershoot, Summer Camp, and High Sierra.

    Kalapana: The Hana Hou Shows

    Sunday, March 26 & Monday, March 27

    Tickets: Premium Seating $45, Loge Seating & Bar Area $35

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m.

    Kalapana returns to Blue Note Hawaii after their highly popular run of shows in November 2022! Kalapana emerged as one of the most popular bands on the Hawaiian music scene in the ’70s, producing a steady stream of hits. Their 1975 debut album was hailed as one of the best of the mid-70s Hawaiian renaissance. Tracks like “Naturally,” “Nightbird,” “The Hurt,” “You Make It Hard” and “When the Morning Comes” became household tunes and still enjoy frequent play on contemporary Hawaiian radio.

    Mike Phillips

    Wednesday, March 29

    Tickets: Premium Seating $35, Loge Seating & Bar Area $25

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    World-renowned saxophonist Mike Phillips is known as one of the most electrifying instrumentalists today. Mike is the first musician signed by Michael Jordan to the Nike Jordan Brand, home of the Air Jordan, and is the only musician in the world to have recorded and toured with the legendary “Big Three” of American soul and pop music: Michael Jackson, Prince and Stevie Wonder.

    Blue Note Comedy Series

    James Adomian

    Thursday, March 30

    Tickets: Premium Seating $30, Loge Seating $25, Bar Area $20

    Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:30 p.m.

    James is an actor/comedian who is well known for his characters and impressions. Conan O’Brien called him “a genius.” He can currently be seen almost weekly on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” doing various impressions like Mike Lindell and Elon Musk. His podcast, “The Underculture” on the Forever Dog Podcast Network, had one of the best podcast episodes of 2019 according to Indiewire, and in 2020 James got to interview Bernie Sanders (as Bernie Sanders). He’ll next be seen on the Netflix comedy special “Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration,”  premiering June 9 (with a documentary special to follow), and then on the upcoming series “History of the World 2,” the Mel Brooks sequel on Hulu, playing Richard Nixon.

    93.9 The Beat Presents

    Blue Note Comedy Series

    Tip “T.I.” HarrisFriday, March 31 & Saturday, April 1

    Tickets: Premium Seating + Meet & Greet $160, Premium $60, Loge Seating $55, Bar Area $50

    Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

    Doors: 5:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

    Tip “T.I.” Harris has released 11 hit albums, and won multiple GRAMMYs, Billboard BETs and American Music Awards. As an actor, he has appeared in countless blockbuster movies and top-rated television shows including, “ATL,” VH-1’s “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle,” “American Gangster” and Marvel’s “Antman,” to name a few. Now, see him live on his first ever stand-up comedy tour!

    Do we have to win ‘American Idol’ contest to afford living in Hawaii?

    Grassroot Institute
    -
    0
    Do we have to win ‘American Idol’ contest to afford living in Hawaii?

    By Keli‘i Akina

    You shouldn’t have to win on “American Idol” to afford to move back home to Hawaii. 

    But that’s the way it’s looking for more and more former Hawaii residents who felt they had to leave the state because of its high taxes and high cost of basic necessities such as housing, utilities and groceries.

    This week, our hearts were touched by the story of 18-year-old Iam Tongi, a former Kahuku resident whose singing and guitar-playing on the national talent-search program brought tears to the eyes of the judges. 

    Now living in Seattle, Tongi was asked by judge Lionel Richie, “Why on Earth would you leave Hawaii?”

    Without missing a beat, Tongi responded: “Priced out of paradise.”

    It’s the same answer given by nearly everyone who participates in the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s “Why we left Hawaii” series. It’s also the leading answer pollsters hear when they research why Hawaii’s population has been declining for the past six years.

    But now that we know why so many people leave this wonderful place, the next question is, “Why is Hawaii so expensive?” 

    My answer is that it’s mostly because of Hawaii’s excessive regulations, big budgets and high taxes. 

    They have continually added regulations that stifle economic growth and limit job opportunities, and continually expanded their budgets that must be paid for by taxes.

    Sure, many things we need have to be shipped here from afar, so that adds to our costs — and all the more so because of the federal Jones Act, which restricts shipping competition to Hawaii.

    But fundamentally, Hawaii’s cost of living is the highest in the nation because our state and county governments keep growing in size.

    At some point, this all becomes too much to afford for many of Hawaii’s struggling residents, so they leave.

    When they do, the number of people left behind who pay taxes shrinks, but our state and county government budgets don’t. The result is a downward spiral that leads to more spending, more taxes, more spending, more taxes — and an increasingly weaker and unsustainable economy.

    At what point will our policymakers step up to stop this? I can only hope that it’s soon.

    Instead, even now, with a big budget surplus and residents struggling to make ends meet due to inflation, many of our leaders are embracing tax hikes and continued high levels of spending. 

    In the 2023 Legislature, many bills are being considered that would increase our tax load — all of which I hope will be rejected.

    As for spending, Gov. Josh Green informed the Legislature last week that he wants funding for a wide variety of projects — nearly $1 billion for infrastructure and housing projects, more than $50 million for healthcare programs, more than $73 million for environment and agriculture projects, more than $62 million for education and $50 million for “government efficiency.” 

    Those are all worthy causes. But is this really the right time to increase spending?

    To his credit, the governor is also proposing to reduce taxes through some tax credits, higher personal exemptions and standard deductions for the state income tax, and indexing the state income tax brackets to inflation — actually pretty radical stuff in the current political climate.

    This prompted some observers to urge that the Legislature not cut taxes too much because the state budget might suffer. But I say the household budgets of Hawaii residents are already suffering, and what our families, friends and neighbors need now more than anything else is a break. 

    If policymakers want to make the state more affordable, they cannot afford to not cut taxes. Tongi himself said that his family moved to Washington state because it was “cheaper.”

    I’ll be rooting for Tongi to do well on “American Idol,” so one day he and the rest of his family can move back to Kahuku. 

    In the meantime, we need to work together to make our state more affordable so families like Tongi’s don’t have to leave in the first place. 
    _____________

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

    1...262728...2,035Page 27 of 2,035

    Recent

    Most Commented

    Popular

    Contact us