Hawaii Together
What Hawaii Can Learn from the UK. The host for this show is Joe Kent. The guest is Gerard Dericks. Gerard Dericks, Ph.D., is the new director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education at Hawaii Pacific University. He has taught business management and economics at the London School of Economics and the University […]
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 […]
First Responders Oppose Vaccine Mandate (Hawaii Together)
Governor’s Vaccine Mandate Challenged. A class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court on Friday for City and County workers who believe they are being forced to take the COVID- 19 vaccine or face termination. Attorneys Shawn A. Luiz and Kristin Cocarro say “Honolulu County workers want reasonable testing mandates, not vaccine mandates. […]
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 […]
Vaccine passports for Honolulu bars? (Hawaii Together)
Isle bar owners allege unfair treatment. The host for this episode is Joe Kent. The guest for this episode is Bill Commerford. Honolulu bar owners currently are required to accommodate only customers who have had a vaccine against COVID-19. But Bill Commerford, president of the Hawaii Bar Owners Association, says some bar owners feel arbitrarily […]
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 […]
Reform Jones Act and PVSA for Hawaii (Hawaii Together)
Recent waivers show flaws in the laws. The host for this episode is Keli’i Akina. The guests for this episode are Colin Grabow and Jonathan Helton. President Joe Biden recently issued two Jones Act waivers to help facilitate fuel transport from Texas to the East Coast after the Colonial Pipeline shutdown. He also waived the […]