Beekeepers Looking to Boost Industry. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Harry Holm. Hawai’i Island helps feed the United States and Canada with a unique export: bees, which are essential for the pollination of plants that farms produce. In fact, beehives on Hawai’i Island supply three-quarters of the queen bees […]
‘Surprise’ Tax Last Straw for Bar Owner (Hawaii Together)
Bill Comerford Closes Shop. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Bill Comerford. Before the COVID-19 lockdowns, Bill Comerford owned four of Honolulu’s most popular restaurant bars: Kelley O’Neil’s, Irish Rose Saloon, Anna O’Briens and O’Toole’s. But the forced closures during the lockdown years and later heavy taxation led him to […]
CPRs, ADUs and Other Housing Options (Hawaii Together)
Ways to Maximize Current Zoning Laws. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Abe Lee. The practice of building more housing in existing urban areas — ‘infill’ homebuilding — is one of the hottest trends in the country right now, and today’s guest on ‘Hawaii Together,’ Abe Lee, has a great […]
Fireside Chat with Trustee Akina (Hola y Aloha)
E Hana Kākou, Let’s Work Together. The host for this show is Marysol Ruiz. The guest is Keli’i Akina. Trustee Akina has been serving The Office of Hawaiian Affairs as Trustee-At-Large since 2016. He is also the President/CEO of the Grassroot Institute. He and his four children are proud graduates of Kamehameha Schools, where he […]
Hawaii’s Short-term Rental Crackdown (Hawaii Together)
State, County Bills Threaten Residents. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Joshua Montgomery. State and county bills loom over the future of Hawaii’s short-term vacation rental industry. Several state bills would allow counties to phase out short-term rentals and impose higher taxes on them, while a Hawaii Island initiative would […]
Reviewing the Governor’s Housing Orders (Hawaii Together)
A Blueprint for Permanent Reforms. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Andrew Luff. Hawai’i Gov. Josh Green made national news this summer when he announced his emergency order suspending all manner of regulations related to homebuilding, including zoning, land-use, civil service and environmental. Green has since restored some of the […]
Empowering Food Entrepreneurs (Hawaii Together)
Education, Policy Changes Needed. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Brynn Foster. Hawaii’s local food entrepreneurs could play a key role in making the state more food independent and fostering a sense of community, but there are a few state rules holding them back. Brynn Foster, the founder of Voyaging […]
A Housing Boondoggle (Hawaii Together)
A Tax Credit with a Checkered past. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Randal O’Toole. Affordable housing sometimes comes at great public cost. One joint federal-state program intended to provide low-income housing is being accused of costing taxpayers far more than it should, due to dubious practices involving a tax […]
The Wrath of CON (Hawaii Together)
Updating Hawaii’s Healthcare Policy. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Matthew Mitchell. Hawaii’s hospitals, walk-in clinics and other healthcare providers have been held back for decades by arcane regulations known as ‘certificate of need’ laws, or CON laws for short. These rules dictate that anyone wanting to open a new […]
Yes, in God’s Backyard (Hawaii Together)
Reviewing California’s Housing Reforms. The host for this show is Keli’i Akina. The guest is Chris Calton. A new law in California — called the ‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ law — makes it easier for churches and other religious institutions to build housing on their properties. Chris Calton, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Oakland, […]