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    National think tank warns about Hawaii counties evading housing law

    Grassroot Institute
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    National think tank warns about Hawaii counties evading housing law

    Niskanen Center researchers note that local governments often try to circumvent state laws aimed at providing more housing

    In an attempt to address Hawaii’s longstanding housing crisis, Hawaii lawmakers enacted a bill this year, SB3202, that requires the state’s four counties to allow at least two ADUs on single-family lots.

    It will be a challenge, however, to make sure the counties follow the spirit of the law, according to three housing analysts from the Niskanen Center, based in Washington, D.C.

    The bill was strongly supported by Gov. Josh Green, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, both the Senate and House housing chairs, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and many other pro-housing groups and individuals.

    But in an article published Tuesday, the Niskanen analysts write that SB3202 has a critical weakness: “It gives local governments broad discretion to impose development standards that can make ADUs infeasible.”

    George Ashford, Andrew Justus and Alex Armlovich write that such a flaw “is not uncommon; most states making their first effort to allow ADUs leave exploitable loopholes, which result in underwhelming initial outcomes.”

    They note that California enacted a similar law in 2016 and it, too, needed a lot of follow-up attention to make it work as intended. In particular, they write, as California’s local governments “imposed new standards to limit ADU development, the state created new exemptions from those standards.”

    The result, they write, “has been an explosion in ADU production” in the Golden State, with ADU permits issued in 2023 totaling almost 28,000 — about a fifth of all housing permits issued — compared to only about 1,000 in 2016.

    In their article, “What Hawaii can learn from California’s long and bumpy road to ADU stardom,” the authors recommend that Hawaii lawmakers create standards for ADU sizes and in-lot placement; mandate that the counties offer pre-approved ADU permits; and waive owner-occupancy requirements, parking mandates for ADUs built near transit operations and numerous fees.

    They conclude: “If Hawaii’s legislators hope to achieve positive outcomes from their work in the 2024 legislative session, they should follow California’s example by shielding ADUs from burdensome local restrictions. … California’s experience indicates that doing so will pay off in new, affordable housing, and lots of it.”

    ‘If it can happen in Hawaii, it can happen everywhere’

    Grassroot Institute
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    ‘If it can happen in Hawaii, it can happen everywhere’

    By Keli’i Akina

    Hawaii is no longer a footnote to what’s happening politically and economically in America’s 50 states. Instead, we are one of the main attractions.

    That became apparent to me when I was in Phoenix earlier this week representing the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii at the 32nd annual convention of the State Policy Network.

    The national group brings together thousands of state and local leaders from independent think tanks throughout the nation to exchange ideas about how to best advance the ideals of individual liberty, economic freedom and limited, accountable government.

    Grassroot staff have been attending these annual gatherings for years. But this time, instead of spending most of our time trying to learn more from the other states, it was we who were being asked for advice, following our legislative victories this year in the areas of taxation, housing, healthcare and other issues.

    In fact, Grassroot was even honored with an award for “The Biggest Win for Freedom” during the past year, in recognition of our work supporting the historic tax cut as proposed by Gov. Josh Green and approved unanimously by the Legislature. 

    The tax cut was considered momentous because Hawaii has long been regarded as one of the bluest of all the so-called blue states, where tax increases and adding more red tape have historically been the norm. 

    The takeaway for SPN members from Grassroot’s recent experience is that positive change can be achieved no matter what state you live in.

    As I told the SPN audience when I accepted the award: “If it can happen in Hawaii, it can happen everywhere.”

    Of course, this recent head-turning shift in public policy in Hawaii didn’t just happen overnight. It was the result of many people working hard for several years, which is why I expressed gratitude during my brief speech to Grassroot’s staff, board members and numerous financial supporters.

    Gov. Josh Green and the Legislature also deserve praise. They showed they are open-minded enough to embrace new ideas aimed at solving our state’s housing and other cost-of-living issues — and courageous enough to take the action necessary to put those ideas into practice.


    Finally, much of what we achieved during the 2024 Legislature was the result of collaboration with many other individuals and groups. Indeed, we have become a national example of how solid research and working together with others on an issue-by-issue basis can achieve results that benefit us all. 

    Grassroot’s award at the Phoenix convention doesn’t symbolize just a win for us and our state — it can be seen as a beacon of hope for any groups interested in making a difference in their communities.
    _____________

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

    A California “Fix” Back to ‘66

    Tom Yamachika
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    A California “Fix” Back to ‘66

    “Lucky you live Hawaii,” the saying goes.  Sometimes we take it for granted; sometimes we consider it hype; but sometimes we really do have it better than some of our neighbors.

    This week, we focus on a development in our neighboring state of California that was brought to our attention by our counterpart organization there, the California Taxpayers Association or CalTax.

    It turns out that there is a formula that exists in the laws of Hawaii, California, and several other states that looks at certain statistics of a multistate taxpayer’s income to sort out which states get to tax how much of that income.  That formula, part of the Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes Act or UDITPA, was enacted in California in 1966.  The law was also enacted in several other states at about the same time, including in Hawaii in 1967.

    Part of the formula is called the “Sales Factor.”  It compares how much gross income a taxpayer has brought in from the taxing state with the gross income the taxpayer has received everywhere.  If the Sales Factor is higher, the taxing state imposes more tax.  If it’s lower, the taxing state imposes less tax.  This calculation is important especially for large companies that do business in several states or countries.

    The issue that came up in California is whether there are kinds of income that “do not count” in the Sales Factor.  If there is income that does not count, then getting that kind of income from outside the taxing state does not dilute the Sales Factor, meaning that the taxing state is taking a larger bite.

    California has a history of court decisions and administrative decisions stating that, for purposes of the Sales Factor, everything counts.  But there are some people who want California to have more tax, so they are pushing for interpretations of the law saying that there are classes of income that don’t count.

    When California was considering its budget act this year, its legislature shoved in a last-minute amendment adding statutory language to the Sales Factor formula.  The amendment says it’s a “clarification” of the law, and it says that certain kinds of out-of-state income don’t count.  The California Legislature passed the budget bill with the amendment in it just three days later, and the entire budget was signed into law a mere two weeks after that.  The amendment says that the “clarification” is both prospective and retroactive without limit.  It also gives the California taxing authorities the ability to write rules and regulations and adopt them without public hearing or input.

    The California revenue estimators scored the amendment as wiping out a potential revenue loss of $1.3 billion for past years and $200 million a year for future years.  Which means that the law is intended to go back to 1966, namely 57 years, so tax authorities could potentially rake taxpayers over the coals again for tax years that they already paid.

    This kind of legislation, as you might expect, has all kinds of constitutional problems, such as the violation of taxpayers’ due process rights.  CalTax recently marched into Fresno County Superior Court with the backing of a high-powered, multinational law firm with offices in London and Washington, DC as well as in California.  We are confident that justice will be done.

    And, in the meantime, be lucky you live Hawaii.

    Viking Security Safe VS-12SX Lockbox

    Robert Kay
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    Viking Security Safe VS-12SX Lockbox
    Editor’s note: This is the fourth and final article in a series on mechanical and electronic “lock boxes”. In this piece we’ll review the Viking Security Safe VS-12SX Lockbox. Priced very competitively and chock full of cool features, it’s an excellent option for gun owners or folks who just want to keep their valuables safe.

    The official name of this product is the Viking Security Safe VS-12SX Two Gun Capacity Pistol Handgun Safe with Mechanical Simplex Lock.

    This is a full-on mechanical safe.

    It opens on top with a Simplex Lock 5 pushbutton mechanism. As explained on the Viking website, there are “no electronics, no keys, and no batteries to worry about”. (Well, you will need batteries for the light but it’s not going to impact the locking system).

    There’s plenty of room for everying. I like the pouch on the lid. Good place to keep your passport(s). At right is the gas-assisted strut lift. The lid is heavy! The light can come in handy but if you need more room you can remove it easily. (Rob Kay photo)

    A mechanical lockbox is something to seriously consider. I tend to forget about installing batteries and I suspect a lot of other folks fall into this category. Of course the caveat is you won’t be able to wave a magic wand (an RFID tag) and have the box open.

    You’ve got to do it manually with the push-button style lock.

    The good news is that the Simplex lock is a proven, decades-old system. You can refer to the video below for an excellent primer on how to set a Simplex lock. The fellow that made the video, Dave Goetzinger, strikes me as an unbiased pro and through his video review I became familiar with the Viking Security Safe VS-12SX.

    Dave is the founder of Handgun safe research whose mission is to find the flaws in handgun safes and make these discoveries transparent. If Dave says a safe is well engineered I suspect it is. That was his determination with this Viking product.

    I would suggest watching this video to learn the nuances of a Simplex lock.

    His work, which includes hacking lock boxes, has resulted in the recall of a several products. His bottom line is:

    “Handgun safes are not required to meet standards before being put on the market in the United States. As a result, these devices are not properly evaluated for security vulnerabilities before being sold to gun owners.”

    Goetzinger has a beef with most imported safes from China. The issue for him is that many Chinese safes “are built from copied and recycled designs. No engineering, says Goetzinger goes into Chinese-made safes.” (The Viking website explains that the safe was “designed in San Francisco but made in China”.)

    So back to the product.

    The VS-12SX is a very robust container. It has a heavy-duty lid with a gas assisted strut lift. Inside is an LED light (powered by batteries) to illuminate the interior. (This light is the safe’s only electrical component and has nothing to do with the lock system).

    Inside the lid there’s a (removable) pouch to store whatever you like. (Maybe a passport or cash?) There’s a housing for the Simplex lock inside the cover so it can’t be knocked off from the outside.

    The Simplex lock, which is standard on the higher end products, is well, simple to use and incredibly dependable. It’s been around for decades and is a proven product.

    Dave Goetzinger, founder of Handgun Safe Research, suggests that you practice opening the safe and write down the combination someplace for future reference!

    If you use it to stash valuables (other than handguns) you can place it in a less obvious place than the bedroom. Some experts suggest under the kitchen sink, in the pantry or underneath a bathroom sink (other than the “master” bathroom).

    The interior storage area, roiughly 9 1/2 by 11 inches, slighly bigger than a piece of typing paper, is sufficient for keeping a couple of full sized pistols and a few magazines or perhaps a box of ammo. The interior is lined with foam on the bottom and on the sides.

    Need a little more depth in the box? Just remove one of the foam liners on the bottom. That way you can store up to three handguns if need be. Two on the bottom and one on top. Just protect the bottom two with the second liner.

    When changing the combination you need to press this pin. It’s more accessible than the setup on the Ft. Knox safe. (Rob Kay photo)

    If you have any questions on set up, customer support at Viking is quite responsive. When I review products this is always part of the equation.

    If you’re planning to make this a bedside gun safe, you’ll want to secure it to to the floor, wall, or similar anchor point. You don’t want someone walking away with your unopened safe. It comes with a cable as well as lag bolts (and four holes drilled into the bottom of the case) which will enable you to anchor the safe down. (FWIW Mr. Goetzinger is not crazy about using the cable. He reckons it’s better to use the bolts to secure the safe).

    Additional Specifications:

    • Laser-cut alloy steel construction with a 5mm door top opening with Gas Assisted Strut Lift.
    • Fully Mechanical Genuine Simplex 5 Pushbutton lock with single PIN access combo among 1000 combinations to choose from
    • Stainless steel 40mm deadbolt
    • Lock Chamber shields the Simplex Lock on the inside, preventing forceful intrusions while keeping the safe locked.
    • Heavy-duty steel construction with seamless welding and scratch-resistant military coating
    • Foam interior all around, LED light, and accessory pouch
    • Impact-resistant and pry-resistant by design
    • 100 % Service & Solution warranty provided
    The “box” comes with lag bolts (and four holes drilled into the bottom of the case) to anchor the safe down. You don’t want someone walking away with this after they have invaded your bedroom. (Viking photo)

    Bottom Line:

    How does the VS-12SX storage compare to the competition? I’d say very favorably. The popular Ft. Knox Pistol box’ inner dimensions are 11 5/8″W X 3 5/8″H X 10 1/4″D. The V-Line Brute is 12” x 9” x 3.25″. In other words, almost exactly the same.

    Michael Scharf, a certified NRA instructor from New Jersey I spoke to says, “the VS-12LSX is perfect for the house or transport”. Says Scharf, “I use the VS-12LSX to store my firearm in the car when required.” (Carry laws around the country often forbid gun owners to bring firearms into certain places such as banks and daycare centers so they must temporarily be stored in an automobile).

    Scharf is also a fan of the Simplex lock. “I have three boys”, he told me and keeping the firearms away from his kids is a prime concern. He’s sold on the VS-12LSX security features and feels it offers great value. (He also is a fan of Viking’s customer service, which was responsive to his questions).

    That brings us to the competition and the pricing. The Viking VS-12SX runs $239 on Amazon. The V-Line Brute runs $372 and a the Ft. Knox pistol safe is $300.

    It can fit up to three handguns. Note that I added one of the foam pads before placing the third gun in the box. (photo Rob Kay)

    Essentially the VS-12SX is a clone-like version of the Ft. Knox pistol safe with exactly the same locking system. It’s less expensive than similar products but there’s nothing “cheap” about it.

    How can they sell it less expensively?

    It’s made it China. That’s not a deal breaker. As mentioned above, what you don’t want as part of the equation is the design or engineering done in China. In this case it’s engineered in the U.S.

    It has a few more bells and whistles than the Ft. Knox product which is the closest competitor. This includes the lighting system, the nifty pocket inside the lid, lagbolts (which saves a trip to the hardware store) and a cable with a lock.

    Dave Goetzinger of Handgun Safe Research did a terrific review of the VS-12SX in the video above.

    The lighting system is powered by two batteries (which are provided by the manufacturer). At first I figured the lighting falls into the “nice-to-have-but-not-necessary” department. After a while, when I started experimenting on where to actually put the safe I realized the lights come in very handy. Let’s say, for example, you’ve elected to put the Viking in a dark corner of a closet or pantry. A light really helps to see what the heck is in there.

    If you want to remove the light to make more room for your stash, that’s easy to do. (You can even remove the pocket on the lid, which would also provide incrementally more room).

    If you haven’t figured it out already, I really like the Viking Security Safe VS-12SX Lockbox. It’s priced right and does the job. And no, you’re not sacrificing quality or security with the lesser price. Just remember to write the combination down someplace!

    Rob Kay is a technology columnist for the Honolulu Star Advertiser and the creator of FijiGuide.com. He is also the editor of the On Target Hawaii section of Hawaii Reporter where he covers firearms related products.

    Animal Research: The Rot at the Core of Medicine

    Sydney Ross Singer
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    Animal Research: The Rot at the Core of Medicine

    In the mid-1800’s, a researcher named Claude Bernard set in motion a vile practice that has since become the standard operating procedure in medicine. It involves experimenting on animals with the hope of discovering something of value to medical science. Most notable was his experiments on dogs, who were kept alive for days with their abdomens surgically exposed, tied down and crying in pain without anesthesia. The discoveries obtained through these bloody and cruel experiments led to some human medical discoveries, and began the period of animal research, or vivisection, as a cornerstone of modern medicine. 

    At the same time in history, the ethical theory of utilitarianism was being promoted, which holds that we should do the greatest good for the greatest number, while minimizing the harms done. It sounds like a reasonable principle to want the greatest gain with the least cost. But when applied to ethics, it means you can harm some people if it benefits more people. It’s like robbing from the rich few to give to the populous poor. It means accepting a small evil for a larger good. 

    Applying this to animal research, it seemed clear to Claude Bernard, and still does today to many medical researchers, that the ethical harm of torturing animals in research is justified if it may yield results that can aid humanity. It’s an ends-justifies-the-means ethics, where there are no absolute ethical boundaries you cannot cross. Everything can be justified by a higher cause.

    Of course, when it comes to human rights, our ethics is more absolute. We are not supposed to experiment on people without their consent, even if it gives us important information. At least, we are not supposed to do this while admitting it. There have been some lapses, as with the Tuskegee Syphilis experiments, which exploited black men with treatable syphilis to discover the end point of this disease without treatment. The Nazis did experiments on Jews. More recently, we all experienced the public health experiment of mandatory, untested COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations. This latest example of utilitarian medicine rationalized forcing vaccines, despite knowing there would be side effects, using the justification that it is for the good of others. The greater good trumped the individual’s choice to be vaccinated or not. It disempowered everyone who did not want to participate in the experiment, and forced compliance for the “greater good”. 

    Animals are the most disempowered group of society. Despite their similarity to humans in many psychological and physiological ways, they are not given similar ethical consideration. Vivisectors rationalize their exploitation of mice, rats, dogs, cats, monkeys, pigs, and every other creature they can use, saying that the ends justify the means. They admit the animals will often suffer pain, as well as loss of life. Many of these animals will be subjected to unbelievable harm, in order to simulate human disease and trauma. Many are now genetically modified to be born with a genetic disease that is meant to simulate a human disease. They are born to suffer, and do. 

    We are told by defensive animal researchers that the field of medicine relies on animals for discoveries. They admit that the results may not apply to humans, but insist that it’s easier to use animals in a lab than use humans, who can sue for damages. They use the same excuse of utilitarianism, that the benefits of their research outweigh the harms done to the animals, which they assure the public they are trying to minimize. 

    When it comes to your own health, it’s okay to be utilitarian. You may be willing to do something at the cost of your health, if it has a greater benefit. You may be willing to abuse yourself with stressful hours of work, for example, or a daily alcoholic drink to relax, admitting these are bad for you, but insisting that the benefits outweigh the costs to your health. But when you make that decision for someone else, you get into an ethical problem. 

    Nobody should be able to decide who gets harmed so that others may benefit.We would see that as immoral when directed at ourselves as the harmed person. But that is what happens in modern, utilitarian medicine. 

    Would you want to be treated by a doctor who believes that the few can suffer if it benefits the many? Would you trust a doctor who is willing, for any reason, to harm someone? Probably, not. That someone could be you.

    Would you trust a doctor who would not harm a human (knowingly), but who is willing to harm a kitten, or puppy? How about a monkey? How comfortable are you with that doctor, knowing that he or she justifies animal abuse for medical experimentation? 

    This gets to the core rot within the field of medicine. The sad fact is that animal research is at the core of medicine. And it is rotten. 

    Animal research is rotten for many reasons. The differences between species makes the results of research on non-humans uncertain and confusing when applied to humans. The results of animal research are not considered valid in a court of law. Human studies are needed. This has helped many harmful industries get off the hook in lawsuits for releasing carcinogens and poisons into the environment, since the proof of human harm requires human studies. Animal studies are not considered legally valid for proving human impacts.

    However, the problem with animal research is more than being bad science, or being unethical and immoral. Those arguments have been made for years, yet vivisection still defines the medical world. The unmentioned problem, which is a greater problem for humans, is that the people who can do animal research are not the kind of people you want working on your healthcare.

    Keep in mind the essence of what happens with vivisection. Innocent animals are deliberately harmed by researchers. In medical school, for example, we read in our textbooks about how the eyes develop in infancy. This was studied and illustrated by sewing shut the eyelids of baby monkeys and kittens. Student doctors needed to learn this, the implicit lesson being that animals suffer so that humans can live better, and that it’s okay to torture a baby monkey or kitten for science. 

    The people who can torture animals for science are psychopaths, especially those who know that the animals are suffering. To cause suffering to an innocent animal, and justify that suffering for something you value, is a sign of psychopathy. Empathy is lost, and a living, feeling non-human is objectified and exploited for what the experimenter regards as important scientific discovery. This is utilitarian medical ethics, where the suffering of some is rationalized as acceptable for the greater good. 

    Medical ethics affects humans as well as animals used in research. When it comes to healthcare, there are limited resources. How these are distributed will depend on the ethics of those making the decisions. Are you one of the groups of people the decision-makers value? Do they have empathy for you? These are important questions, since they are part of a medical enterprise that, for the last 200 years, has been torturing animals as the gold standard for medical discovery. 

    If they can rationalize animal suffering, then they can do it for human suffering, as history has shown. Medicine without clear and absolute ethics is a slippery slope towards patient abuse. Doctors already act like authoritarians, telling patients what to do. What if the advice to you isn’t tailored to your individual needs, but instead to those of the greater good? We see this in public health medicine, and we all felt its cold, authoritarian hand when forced to shut down and shoot up experimental vaccines, for the greater good. 

    Socialized medicine is this medical utilitarianism on steroids. Efficiency of medical care delivery and reduced costs are treated as more important than treating individual healthcare needs. A system with explicit protocols has been developed, with insurance companies and the government playing along. Some peoples’ individual health needs will not be met, but the majority of people get a level of care deemed adequate for the whole. Resources may go to someone or some group the medical system values more. Sorry. 

    The fields of medicine and biomedical research, bloated to the multi-billions of dollars of funding every year, insists it must exploit millions of animals annually for its research. Even as some try developing alternatives to animal research, they still use animal studies as a gold standard, since it has been done that way for 200 years. We are told there is no better way to study human disease than by studying non-humans. The cruelty and suffering caused to the non-humans is something we just need to accept as a necessary evil, they insist. The key is to stop caring about the suffering of the animals, and just take your medicine, which was developed using those animals, and many more. 

    The question is, can you trust anything that is said by someone who tortures animals, or condones their torture? Put differently, can you trust the character of someone who is willing to abuse animals for science?

    If you met anyone who was sewing shut the eyes of a monkey or kitten, would you trust that person? Would you think it possible that their lack of ethics towards innocent animals may hint at their lack of trustworthiness in general? I think you would.

    Now, if another person was doing the same thing, but explained that they were doing it to better learn about eye development, would that change your mind about them? Would a veneer of scientific curiosity cover the stain of animal abuse, and make that person someone you would trust? Would you trust them with your healthcare?

    Psychopathy is a psychological condition of lacking empathy and being willing to abuse others. Psychopaths make good utilitarians, since the suffering of the few for the greater good doesn’t phase them in the least. Their feelings are numb to the suffering they cause. This makes medicine and biomedical research a magnet for attracting psychopaths, who get to torture animals in the name of science, and get grant money to do it, too. 

    Of course, not all researchers and doctors are psychopaths. But those who support animal research show all the signs. For those in medicine and research for humanitarian reasons, there can be no reasonable, ethical or scientific excuse for barbarism and cruelty, period. The species of those who suffer doesn’t matter. Medicine should be about ending suffering, not causing it. Unfortunately, psychopaths are more assertive and aggressive, and have risen to the top of the medical industry food chain, making sure that medicine continues to chew up animals in the machine of medical research. 

    This is an important issue for medicine, and for patients. Our medical advice is coming from people who have their own utilitarian agenda and a willingness to cause suffering to others to get what they consider a greater good. The psychopaths are running the medical show. 

    This means several things:

    1. You cannot trust what the medical experts are telling you. They all have an agenda, and your life and health may be the cost they are willing to pay to get the greater good they seek.
    2. You cannot trust medical research done on animals. Not only is the research sketchy, given false interspecies equivalences. And not only is the research cruel. It’s also that the results are being reported using the honor system. Researchers are supposed to be honest, but they take no oath, and they torture animals. They are willing to cross the line of cruelty to animals to study what they cannot legally study in humans. How can you trust someone who abuses animals for a living? Can you trust a psychopath to be honest about research results, especially when grant money may be at stake. 
    3. Ask your doctor what they feel about using animals in research. If he or she says animal research is unfortunately a necessary evil for medical advancement, then get another doctor. If they don’t respect the life of an innocent animal, then why would they respect yours? No evil should be tolerated in medicine.
    4. Take all public health advice with a grain of salt. Public health ignores the needs of the individual and only focuses on the public as a whole. Never forget what public health did to everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic — shutdowns, mandatory vaccinations, and cancelling of anyone questioning their agenda. The “greater good” was used as a bludgeon, keeping everyone in line and erasing individual need and preference. That’s utilitarian medicine.
    5. Don’t donate to medical charities which fund or sanction animal research. Tell them that you will only donate to organizations that have a strict moral code against any form of human or animal abuse.
    6. Avoid using drugs, which are all developed on animals. Try alternatives that are cruelty-free. 
    7. Realize that the culture is the greatest threat to your health. That includes the impact your culture has on the environment, and on the attitudes, behaviors, lifestyles, industries, fashions, and institutions it gives us. We need to study ourselves and our lifestyles to find the answers to our problems. 
    8. Don’t expect anything good from evil sources that create disease in innocent beings. 
    9. Hold the medical world to the highest standard of ethics. These people control your life. We need people with empathy and compassion, not people who can shut off their feelings and cause suffering. 
    10. Make sure that your local animal shelter does not send dogs or cats to research facilities. People don’t realize that their pets can become experimental animals if lost or stolen and sent to a pound. 
    11. Be nice to the animals in your life. They are just like us in many ways. This means we should defend them, as we would a child or baby. Of course, the medical world has no problem aborting human babies at various stages of development, which is a utilitarian way of improving the lives of would-be, but don’t-want-to-be, mothers. The weak and helpless should be protected from brutality, not subjected to it by doctors. 
    12. Remember that medicine is a business. The goal is money, your money. The way to get it is to treat you for as many conditions as possible, even preventatively, i.e., before you get sick, so long as you pay for treatment. There is nothing that says they need to be good, honest, trustworthy, compassionate, kind people. They just need to please their stockholders, which is a higher priority goal than helping people. 

    Animal research has defined modern medicine and its drug approach to disease. It is an anachronism from the mid-1800s. It came from a time of the horse and buggy, and the telegraph line. It was from a time before medicine knew about germs, or had anesthesia. Cruelty to animals at the time of the US Civil War was a drop in the bucket of blood and guts of that period. Vivisection was tolerated, although Claude Bernard’s neighbors did complain about the howling of the dogs.

    It may seem impossible to stop this cruelty. It’s institutionalized. But it must stop. We need compassionate and ethical medicine. We need to stop funding questionable research of unquestionable immorality. Otherwise, the slope is slippery, as we all become someone else’s lab rat, exploited for the benefit of others. We need compassionate medicine, not utilitarian medicine that justifies animal abuse.

    References: 

    1. The Psychopathology of Animal Researchers (Vivisectors) 
    2. Stop Vivisection: Human Research for Human Disease

    Another Emergency Proclamation for … Insurance

    Tom Yamachika
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    Another Emergency Proclamation for … Insurance

    Recently in the news, we’ve seen that we in Hawaii are facing another crisis.  If you live in a condominium, you may be having a huge problem because fewer (if any) insurance companies are willing to insure your building.  Maybe it’s because of recent events like wildfires.  Maybe it’s the fear of natural disasters caused by climate change.  Whatever the reason, it’s a big problem for those who want to buy or sell condo units. If you can’t get insurance on the unit, you can’t get financing.  Which messes up the market for housing even more than it already is.

    To find and suggest solutions to this problem that could be implemented by legislation, a task force, with legislators including members of the House and Senate, the insurance commissioner, and others, was convened. They came up with some recommendations and put them into a bill that can be introduced next session.

    But the task force then went one step further.  To ensure the speedy implementation of their recommendations, they asked the governor to issue an emergency proclamation suspending certain laws.  And the Governor did so.

     Certainly, the “condo insurance crisis“ is a matter of concern for several people, but is it really an emergency justifying the suspension of our duly enacted laws?

    Our emergency management law defines an “emergency” as “any occurrence, or imminent threat thereof, which results or may likely result in substantial injury or harm to the population or substantial damage to or loss of property or substantial damage to or loss of the environment.”  The law also says that the governor is the sole judge of whether a danger or threat is an emergency. But it seems to me that this is bending the law quite a bit.  After all, insurance is supposed to protect people from emergencies like storms or fire or floods.  Insurance, or the unavailability of it, isn’t supposed to be an emergency by itself, right?

    In authoritarian countries, the dictator can make whatever laws he wants and suspend whatever laws he wants.  In the United States and here in Hawaii, we are supposed to have separation of powers, which means that one institution (the legislature) makes the laws, another one (the executive branch, headed by the governor) enforces them,  and yet a third (the judiciary) interprets those laws and make sure that they are within the constitutional limits that were given to the government by the people. An emergency management statute that permits the executive branch to suspend any law for whatever might be considered an emergency, without limits, makes it possible for our government to look and feel authoritarian.

    To prevent the possibility of turning our government into a dictatorship, we need to enact reasonable limits on emergency powers that can’t easily be evaded. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, for example, the sixty-day limit on the length of a proclaimed state of emergency was ineffective because the Governor kept issuing emergency proclamations in a chained fashion.  Just before Proclamation #6 was about to end, for example, along comes Proclamation #7 with much of the same material cut and pasted from Proclamation #6.  The chain went on for over 20 proclamations.  At a minimum, the Legislature should have the power to cut the chain, by concurrent resolution perhaps, to give policymaking control back to the Legislature where it belongs. There also need to be understandable and enforceable limits on what an emergency is and what kind of laws can be swept aside.

    Good intentions not enough to make ’empty homes’ tax work

    Grassroot Institute
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    Good intentions not enough to make ’empty homes’ tax work

    By Keli‘i Akina

    In politics, it’s important to differentiate between good intentions and good policy. Otherwise, you could be just wasting time and possibly also making things worse.

    Consider, for example, Bill 46, the latest “empty homes” tax proposal being considered by the Honolulu City Council. This is far from a new idea. We saw similar proposals in 2020 and 2022.

    The well-intended belief behind this idea is that a property tax surcharge would encourage the owners of so-called empty homes to sell or rent their properties to people who need housing. 

    It would be like a “sin” tax, but instead of trying to discourage tobacco or alcohol use, the tax would be aimed at people who let their residential properties sit “empty” — in this case for at least six months a year.

    And how would county officials know that a particular home is empty?

    Well, basically, because Oahu’s 280,000 residential property owners would be required to file a “property status declaration” every year stating that their homes either are or are not “empty.” 

    There would be 14 official reasons the homes could remain empty without the owners being penalized — up from 11 in the 2022 proposal. But it would still be up to the property owners to fess up every year about the status of their properties.

    And how would the county know whether the homeowners are telling the truth? 

    By requiring under threat of steep fines or even property foreclosures that the owners provide private information as proof, such as military deployment orders, occupancy agreements, death certificates, utilities records or any number of other personal documents. 

    This reminds me of folks who say that if you aren’t doing anything wrong, then you have nothing to worry about when it comes to invasions of your privacy. 

    I’m thinking, however, that it’s actually quite reasonable to be concerned about how much personal information you might have to give to city investigators in order to qualify each year for the empty homes tax exemption.

    Another concern is whether the county department charged with enforcing the tax, the Honolulu Department of Budget and Fiscal Services, could even handle this level of oversight. 

    Processing more than a quarter-million forms each year — and trying to check for false statements — clearly could have serious budget implications, and any potential revenues could be offset by the currently unknown costs of enforcement.

    In short, Bill 46 raises many questions about privacy and the administrative burdens it would create. 

    Some people might argue the tax would be worth it if it were to persuade some homeowners to rent or sell their properties to people who need housing. But unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that would happen in any meaningful way. 

    According to the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s excellent May 2023 report “The ’empty homes’ theory of Hawaii’s housing crisis,” an empty homes tax might increase rental occupancy rates, but it might not. 

    There is data suggesting that the proposed tax could generate county revenue. But even if that were so, we don’t know how much money it would bring in when weighed against the costs of administering it. 

    As far as using any of the revenues to fund affordable housing, I have pointed out many times that there are better ways to spur homebuilding than relying on taxpayers to foot the bill. For more information about that, see Grassroot’s also excellent report “How to facilitate more homebuilding in Hawaii,” issued this past December.

    Like everyone else, I want to see more housing for our friends, family and neighbors who out of desperation have been moving to the mainland. But an empty homes tax would not be the best way to accomplish that, no matter how well-meaning its proponents might be.
    _____________

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

    Hobie Floating Eyewear–use them on the water or in your car

    Robert Kay
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    Hobie Floating Eyewear–use them on the water or in your car

    Editor’s note: In this article we’ll look at a couple of very cool, new sun glasses from Hobie–the Bluefin and the Hank Cherry Mojo Float.

    Before getting into my Hobie Floating Eyewear review I thought it fitting to talk about the company’s deep roots in the Aloha State.

    History counts for a lot, and Hobie has been synonymous with Hawaii for many years. So let’s take a look…

    It all began with Hobie Alter. The company’s history has deep roots in Hawaii. (courtesy Hobie)

    Founded by Hobie Alter in the 1950s, the company initially gained prominence with its revolutionary surfboards, which were influenced by Hawaii’s surfing culture. Alter, an avid surfer, drew inspiration from our waves and the seasoned surfers he encountered here.

    Thus, Hawaii’s surfing heritage played a pivotal role in shaping Hobie’s product line.

    The development of Hobie surfboards and other products were influenced by Hawaii’s surfing culture.

    Hawaii’s waves served as a testing ground for Hobie’s surfboards, allowing the company to refine its designs and develop boards that could handle the local environment. The feedback and insights gained from the local surfing community helped Hobie create boards that were durable, responsive and well-suited to Hawaii.

    In addition to boards, our waters sparked Mr. Alter’s interest in sailing and kayaking. The company developed innovative sailboats and kayaks equipped with advanced features such as pedal-driven propulsion systems and “MirageDrive” technology used on entry level kayaks.

    These products were designed to provide enthusiasts with a new way to explore Hawaii’s coastal waters while minimizing their impact on the environment.

    This brings us to eyewear.

    The Bluefin (courtesy Hobie)

    Protective eyewear in this envoronment is essential. The sun, even reflecting off the water, can be intense, and polarized sunglasses, are crucial for reducing glare and enhancing visibility while surfing, sailing, or engaging in other water-based activities. Damage to eyes from eye sunburn, cataracts and macular degeneration are not just “empty” health threats. Wearing full coverage surf sunglasses with 100% UV protection drastically reduces these risks.

    The bottom line: You gotta wear shades around here.

    The Bluefin Float

    The first item to consider is the Bluefin Float. They don’t call it “float” for nothing. 

    The Hank Cherry Mojo Float really does float! (courtesy Hobie)

    Of course, that’ the standout feature of the Hobie Bluefin Float Glasses. For anyone who has experienced the frustration of watching their sunglasses sink to the bottom of the ocean, this innovation is a game-changer. The Bluefin Float incorporates a buoyant material into the frames, ensuring that they remain on the surface if accidentally dropped into the “drink”. This not only prevents loss but also saves you the hassle of diving in to retrieve them—if you can even find them!

    Beyond their buoyancy, these glasses provide excellent eye protection. Constructed with polarized lenses, they effectively reduce glare from the water’s surface, allowing for clear vision even in bright sunlight. Whether you’re navigating choppy waters or casting a line, the polarized lenses enhance visibility, enabling you to focus with precision.

    Constructed with high-quality materials, including TR-90 nylon, these sunglasses are built to withstand the rigors of outdoor adventures. They’re resistant to impact, scratches, and corrosion, ensuring longevity even in harsh marine environments.

    The Bluefin (courtesy Hobie)

    Comfort is another area where the Hobie Bluefin Float Glasses shine. The lightweight frames and adjustable nose pads ensure a snug yet comfortable fit for extended use. Whether you’re engaged in high-intensity water sports or simply relaxing by the shore, these glasses remain securely in place without causing discomfort or irritation.

    Style-wise, the Hobie Bluefin Float Glasses strike the perfect balance between functionality and fashion. As far as functionality goes, keep in mind that they are in the words of the Hobie website an “Extra Extra Large Fit”. If you’re a big guy (or girl) these are made to order. (I don’t fit into either of these categories but they worked fine for me).

    They are designed for big heads which you don’t usually find.

    Available in a range of sleek designs and vibrant colors, they complement any outdoor attire, adding a touch of flair to your watersports ensemble. Mine were grey, with black frames, which suited me perfectly. (They are priced at $109 on Hobie’s site).

    Hank Cherry Time

    The Hank Cherry Mojo Float has a distinct flavor. (courtesy Hobie)

    The second pair of eyewear from Hobie is the Hank Cherry Mojo Float.

    So who in the heck is Hank Cherry?

    A pro surfer? No, he’s a professional bass angler from North Carolina, recognized for his success in competitive bass fishing tournaments. One of his most notable achievements came in 2020 when he won the Bassmaster Classic, one of the most prestigious events in professional bass fishing.

    So now you know. As a world class angler, Mr. Cherry is not going to put his name on mediocre products.

    Will I be bass fishing in Hawaii? Probably not (although believe it or not, I have). I did however take these out on a hike up the Mauʻumae Ridge Trail above my home in Kaimuki. And yes, the glasses were a great accoutrement.

    I also took them with me on a recent U.S. State Department assignment to East Timor and they were perfect for social events and out in the backcountry.

    Hank Cherry Mojo Float from the side. They worked for me on a hike and a visit to the U.S. Embassy in Dili, the capital of East Timor. (courtesy Hobie)

    East Timor, or Timor Leste as they call it locally, is an island nation with an amazing reef system so the Hank Cherry Mojo Float was right at home in this remote venue. Thank goodness I didn’t lose them!

    What I like about the Hobie eyewear, are their durable frames which endure impact and scratches. I’m hard on my gear. Who hasn’t accidentally sat on their glasses in the car? That’s also where the next paragraph comes in.

    One of the coolest things about owning Hobie shades are is the case it comes with. They provide excellent protection and style. These cases are crafted from what seems to be a rigid nylon, which is lined with a felt like microfiber to prevent scratches on the lenses and frames. The the surface is slightly textured or matte, providing a non-slip quality that feels comfortable in your hand. It’s easy to stuff in your backback or suitcase. It has some give but will still protect your glasses.

    The other brand of glasses I’ve worn gets easily scratched but not the Hobies. I’m a believer.

    I love the case to stash the glasses. You get this with every pair of Hobie Eyewear. (Rob Kay photo)

    So you don’t have to be sailing or surfing or even fishing to appreciate these glasses. They work very well driving west, down H1 at 5 PM with the sun right in your face or, as I can say in a fast boat, dodging coral reefs in East Timor.

    That folks, is where the rubber meets the road.

    The Hank Cherry Mojo Float glasses are priced at $109.99.

    Rob Kay is a technology columnist for the Honolulu Star Advertiser and the creator of FijiGuide.com. He is also the editor of the On Target Hawaii section of Hawaii Reporter where he covers firearms related products.

    Grassroot’s way of helping Lahaina has been to focus on zoning reforms

    Grassroot Institute
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    Grassroot’s way of helping Lahaina has been to focus on zoning reforms

    By Keli‘i Akina

    As most of us are acutely aware, Thursday was the one-year anniversary of the terrible wildfires that swept through West Maui and destroyed the town of Lahaina. 

    Many of us have family and friends on Maui, and those first few weeks after the disaster were marked by fear and sorrow as we came to terms with what happened.

    But amid our collective grief and disbelief, the people of Hawaii came together to help. Volunteers, philanthropists, elected officials, community leaders, government agencies, private organizations and so many more offered what they could to help the people of Maui.

    In my role as president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, I felt it was Grassroot’s kuleana to give its best to the people of Maui as well. 

    As a policy research organization, Grassroot has the capacity to suggest how government policies can be adjusted to make Hawaii a place where we all can thrive and prosper. 

    So as rebuilding efforts began, it became clear that Grassroot could best help by supporting policies that could speed up homebuilding and lighten the financial burden for the thousands of residents who lost their homes to the fires.

    One of the initial proposals that we supported was to extend tax relief to all damaged properties, which was enacted last December.

    In January, Gov. Josh Green unveiled the Maui Interim Housing Plan. In response, I sent a memo to him, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, all state and Maui County lawmakers and the regional Federal Emergency Management Agency director praising the plan and presenting five additional policies that would encourage faster homebuilding for Maui’s displaced residents. 

    Those proposals included updating the county’s emergency permitting law, which the Maui County Council approved in March.

    And just last week, Grassroot released a follow-up brief recommending six more ways lawmakers could speed up the recovery and rebuilding of Lahaina. Those included waiving permitting fees, expediting permits in special management areas, granting nonprofit organizations exemptions from certain building and zoning rules, and allowing the reconstruction of nonconforming buildings and the restoration of nonconforming uses. 

    But the recovery of Lahaina, and Maui as a whole, is not about us. Our policy recommendations and testimonies before the Maui County Council come from conversations with the very people who are trying to rebuild and get back on their feet.

    A year ago, we were overwhelmed with sorrow and the enormity of the challenge before us. Since then, it has been an honor and a privilege to be part of the broader community working together to help Lahaina rebuild.

    I know there will be more challenges ahead, but we will continue to do what we can to help our Maui ohana.
    _____________

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

    Grassroot brief suggests six ways to speed up homebuilding in Lahaina

    Grassroot Institute
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    Grassroot brief suggests six ways to speed up homebuilding in Lahaina

    The nonpartisan group targets regulations and fees that could be removed or waived to more quickly help displaced residents

    The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has released a second policy brief regarding how to speed up homebuilding on Maui in the wake of the deadly August 2023 wildfires that killed 102 people in Lahaina and left thousands of people homeless.

    The brief, “Six ways to speed up the recovery and rebuilding of Lahaina,” was sent yesterday to Gov. Josh Green, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, all members of the Maui County Council and Hawaii State Legislature, and local Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Robert Fenton Jr.

    Written by Grassroot staffers Jonathan Helton, Malia Hill and Jasmine Rocha, the brief outlines actions that could facilitate more homebuilding not only in Lahaina but throughout Maui.

    Specifically, it urges lawmakers to:

    >> Waive building permit fees for the rebuilding of destroyed housing or construction of new temporary housing.

    >> Waive special management area fees and create an expedited process for approving SMA permits.

    >> Allow nonconforming buildings to be reconstructed and nonconforming uses to be restored.

    >> Emphasize existing laws that provide liability protections for the county and builders of temporary housing.

    >> Grant nonprofit builders exemptions from certain county zoning and building rules through a “Yes, in God’s backyard” law, as urged by the 2024 Legislature’s House Concurrent Resolution 122.

    >> Legalize more dwellings in residential zones.

    In a foreword to the brief, Grassroot President and CEO Keli’i Akina says: “It is my hope that these detailed proposals will make it easier to build new housing and contribute to a revived Lahaina that respects the past and the visions of the area’s property owners for the future.

    “The recovery process still has a long way to go,” he says, “but we owe it to our Maui ohana to stay engaged in those efforts, and we at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii remain committed to helping in every way we can.”

    To read Grassroot’s first policy recommendations in response to the Lahaina tragedy, issued in January, go here.

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