Allowing Virtual Currency in Hawaii. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Alexandra Gaiser. Hawaii has higher legal barriers to virtual-currency companies than any other state, and state lawmakers could do a lot to make it easier for them to operate here, according to Alexandra Gaiser, director of regulatory affairs for […]
Hawaii’s Healthcare Shortage (Hawaii Together)
Hawaii Island Residents Concerned. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Lisa Rantz. Residents on Hawaii island are voicing their concerns about the shortage of healthcare, according to Lisa Rantz, executive director of the Hilo Medical Center Foundation. Host Keli‘i Akina discusses with Rantz about reform options, such as lowering taxation […]
Court Strikes Down ‘gut and Replace’ (Hawaii Together)
Legal Expert Robert Thomas Weighs in. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Robert Thomas. Robert Thomas, Grassroot Scholar, Senior Attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, and a director emeritus with the Honolulu law firm Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert, weighs in on the Hawaii Supreme Court ruling this month against “gut […]
Vacation Rentals on Maui in Jeopardy (Hawaii Together)
Why Maui Should Allow Vacation Rentals. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Jen Russo. In a conversation with host Keli’i Akina, Jen Russo, executive director of the Maui Vacation Rental Association, discusses a Maui County Council proposal that aspires to create more housing on Maui by phasing out about 7,000 […]
Hawaii’s Puzzling Coronavirus Rules (Hawaii Together)
Government Leaves Public in the Dark. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Kam Napier. Hawaii officials have not been transparent about the data and reasoning behind the multitude of government proclamations, mandates and shifting rules during the coronavirus era, according to guest Kam Napier, editor-in-chief of Pacific Business News. He […]
Hawaii’s Big Government Bureaucracy (Hawaii Together)
How Red Tape Threatens the Individual. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Jensen Ahokovi. The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s newest research associate, Jensen Ahokovi, quoted founder Dick Rowland’s quip, “The bigger government gets, the smaller you get,” in a recent commentary in Honolulu Civil Beat. Ahokovi wrote about Hawaii’s stunningly […]
The Maui Chamber on Vaccine Mandates (Hawaii Together)
How COVID Rules Affect Maui Businesses. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Pamela Tumpap. Pamela Tumpap, president of the Maui Chamber of Commerce, talks with host Keli‘i Akina, president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, about Mayor Mike Victorino’s executive orders mandating customers of restaurants and other establishments […]
Will Honolulu Hike Taxes Again (Hawaii Together)
New Tax Proposals at the Honolulu Council. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Tom Yamachika. The Honolulu City Council is considering adding a new tier to its property tax structure, bringing into question whether “taxing the rich” is a good policy to pursue. At the same time, the county will […]
Why State Emergency Powers Reform Failed (Hawaii Together)
Hear What Lawmakers Had to Say. The host for this episode is Keli’i Akina. The guests for this episode are Melissa Newsham and Malia Hill. As Hawaii’s 2021 legislative session came to a close on April 29, many Hawaii residents were disappointed by the failure of the Legislature to approve HB103, which would have placed […]
Why Hawaii residents are moving away (Hawaii Together)
State taxes a major driver of the exodus. The host for this episode is Keli’i Akina. The guest for this episode is Dan Mitchell. Hawaii has experienced several years of negative migration as more and more residents leave for the mainland. Polls indicate that residents usually leave due to the high cost of living and […]