Fevella’s Film Feud (Talking Tax)
Pushing Film Credit Changes with Teamsters. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. On Wednesday, May 31st, there was a press conference held at the State Capitol regarding the Hawai’i movie and TV production tax credit. Two of the main speakers were Kevin Holu of Hawai’i Teamsters Local 996 and Senator […]
Another Rainy Day Slush Fund (Talking Tax)
Hawai’i Hurricane Relief. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. Many of us in Hawai’i are aware that we have an Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund, enshrined in chapter 328L, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to save money for a ‘rainy day’–that is to say, an emergency. In the most recent legislative session, […]
A Requiem for Tax Relief (Talking Tax)
How it all Happened. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. This legislative session, death has befallen the broad-based tax reform proposal that would have widened our income tax brackets, increased the standard deduction, and hoisted the personal exemption amount. The proposal was initially made by the Governor as a key […]
Continued TANF Hoarding (Talking Tax)
378 Million Dollars Idle. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. About a year ago, we tried to shine the spotlight on a federal program for families and children called TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. That program provides assistance for struggling families and children – but not directly. The federal […]
Yes Virginia, There is a Tax Press (Talking Tax)
Where Hawai’i Fits in National Trends. The host for this show is Tom Yamachika. The guest is Paul Jones. Paul Jones is a reporter from Tax Analysts whose beat includes state developments in Hawai’i. He joins us to talk about his role in getting relevant news to the public, and his focus areas. Some of […]
Council on State Taxation (Talking Tax)
Looking Out for Business Nationally. The host for this show is Tom Yamachika. The guest is Patrick Reynolds. Our guest is one of the Senior Counsels of the Committee on State Taxation (COST), an organization that focuses on the impact of state taxes on businesses across the country. He speaks on what COST is and […]
Love-Hate Relationship with Tourism (Talking Tax)
Need It, Want It, Hate it. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. 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, which has been awarding lucrative marketing contracts – tens of millions of dollars per […]
Bills on State-County Relations (Talking Tax)
The State is Not All-Powerful. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. We discuss three bills that may impact state-county issues (or why they cannot). One bill addresses a Payment in Lieu of Property Tax (PILOT) program. A second addresses the Department of Transportation’s attempt to force counties to exempt the […]
Report Cards for State Agencies (Talking Tax)
Legally Required but Some Refuse. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. One of the other duties that legislators have is oversight of our Executive Branch agencies. This is a normal function of government. We elect legislators. Legislators control the purse strings, and they need to make sure that the tax […]
What’s in the Governor’s Bill Package (Talking Tax)
Broad Tax Relief And.. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. We discuss the signature bills in the Governor’s package, including a bill to give the citizenry broad income tax relief, another bill to enact GET exemptions for groceries and medicine, and a bill containing the ‘Visitor Green Fee.’ We go […]