A Rumor Greatly Exaggerated. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. On November 4, the Supreme Court of Hawaii released its decision in League of Women Voters v. State. The decision was a huge step in the right direction. But will it get rid of all gut-and-replaces and eliminate […]
What it Takes to Have a HART Quorum (Talking Tax)
HART Board Actions May be Challenged. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. HART was having difficulty in mustering a quorum and gathering the necessary votes to get things passed. The problem came up as an unintended side effect of 2017 bailout legislation that empowered the Speaker of the […]
DOE Tyranny (Talking Tax)
No, They Aren’t God. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. In recent weeks, it’s been no secret that the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) has had some concerns about their working conditions. Schools are about to start up again with in-person instruction. Teachers are then supposed to be […]
Probing Management of State Lands X 2 (Talking Tax)
Auditor Les Kondo on Recent House Action. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guests are Tom Yamachika and Les Kondo. Following investigative audits by State Auditor Les Kondo, the State House has convened a special committee to investigate the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Agribusiness Development Corporation. But could […]
The Vacant Homes Tax (Talking Tax)
Can this Even be Enforced. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. Recently, the Honolulu City Council has taken up the idea of imposing a different tax rate for residences that are vacant. The idea is contained in Bill 76 (2020), a bill that started off last year, was […]
When Raising Taxes Doesn’t Raise Money (Talking Tax)
Is Hawaii at or near that Point. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. One fundamental assumption that has been made over the years by our lawmakers is that if you enact a tax, money will be raised. What if that weren’t true? In late 2019, a pair of […]
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 […]
The Time Tax (Talking Tax)
Government Takes Your Money and Time Too. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika. “The Atlantic” argues persuasively that government not only taxes people by taking their money, but also imposes administrative burdens that waste countless precious hours of people’s time. American benefit programs are, as […]
How your State Lands are Managed (Talking Tax)
Legislative Investigation May Bring Reform. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guests for this episode are Tom Yamachika and Keith Chun. Jay, Tom and Keith discuss legislative issues: 1. 2019 Audit & Legislature’s Investigative Committee 2. State owns approx. 1.3 million acres of public lands, most are “ceded lands”. 3. State has […]
Should We Resist Government Overreach? (Talking Tax)
If we don’t, who will? The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika. There have been several instances of alleged government overreach over the last several years. The rail tax was subjected to a 10% skim. Information flow to taxpayers and reporters was initially stonewalled at the […]