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 […]
Tax Reform Blueprint in Nebraska (Talking Tax)
Attracting People and Opportunities. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guests are Tom Yamachika and Jim Smith. Blueprint Nebraska, a campaign dedicated to increasing Nebraska’s economic growth and competitiveness over the next decade, has released its proposed framework for bringing Nebraska’s tax system into the 21st century. Blueprint Nebraska’s Taxation & Incentives […]
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 […]
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 Only the Little People Pay Taxes (Talking Tax)
GOP Strategy Openly Favors the Rich. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Roger Epstein. Roger Epstein, tax attorney, helps us cover the New York Times piece entitled Should Only the Little People Pay Taxes; the GOP Strategy Openly Favors the Rich. Republicans negotiating over a possible infrastructure […]
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 […]