Finally Tackling a Crappy Situation
Hold your nose if you must but don’t look away if you love the ocean or swim in it. This story is about cesspools in Hawaiʻi, a problem that was kicked down the road for decades but one we are…
Government
Fixing the Backlog of Native Hawaiians Waiting for Homesteads
28,000 Native Hawaiians are on the home lands waiting list. Getting more of them into homes or farms will take partnerships, collaborations and a willingness to try different things. Here are some ideas. bout 28,500 adults who are at least…
Hawaii Contractors Face New Costs and Restrictions on State and City Bid Protests
For the second time in less than a decade, new legislation is discouraging contractors from asking for hearings to decide government bid protests. In its 2019 regular session, the Legislature voted to require bid protesters to pay a fee of…
Government and Civic Engagement in Hawai‘i Need to Change
Change will happen when all citizens are involved, including leaders and employees from government, businesses and nonprofits This report is one of six reports on CHANGE because Hawai‘i must change its path. CHANGE stands for six interconnected major issues identified…
What's Next for OHA
The organization serves thousands of Native Hawaiians each year, but its scandals, infighting and negative image often overshadow its good work. Here’s a look inside OHA and how its problems are being addressed. For 16 years the staff of nonprofit…
Proposal Would Offer State Savings Plan for Hawaii Workers
Can a state-facilitated retirement savings plan address Hawaii’s retirement security crisis? Like many small-business owners, Larry Stenek, of Art Nelson Sailmaker in Honolulu, needs all hands on deck. “There are six of us here. … My wife is the office…
My Job: Building Resilience into a Whole County
Name: Joshua Stanbro Age: 47 Job: Chief Resilience Officer and Executive Director, Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resilience, City and County of Honolulu Start: The California native graduated from the Berkeley School of Law in 2001 but says he…
Minimum Wage Dilemma
In the restaurant sector, trying to balance the financial interests of employees, customers and owners is difficult. A higher minimum wage will drastically change that equation. A proposal to raise Hawaii’s minimum wage from $10.10 to $15 an hour has…
New State Law Imposes Fines for Fake Service Animals
America loves dogs more than ever. In 2019, with nearly 90 million of man’s best friends living in 55 percent of American households, the retail pet industry expects to fetch $86 billion in sales. Also on the upswing in recent…
How To Replicate Kahauiki Village
Dealing with homelessness is not just the responsibility of the government or nonprofits. As Kahauiki demonstrates, everyone has to pitch in. What was once a barren stretch of dirt, gravel and nondescript trees and shrubs is now a dynamic community…
Hawaii’s Tax Revenue vs. Its Expenses: A Closer Look [Sponsored]
Hawaii currently has a structural deficit of 3.1%, meaning tax revenues only cover 96.9% of the state’s expenses. It’s a gap that has persisted over time, according to research highlighted here. This issue will be addressed in the upcoming legislative session, as it has in the past:…
Keeping A Close Eye on Hawaii State Taxes [Sponsored]
Established in 1953, the Tax Foundation of Hawaii is your eye on State taxes. We are an IRC 501(c)(3) organization that educates and encourages the efficient and effective use of public funds (our tax dollars) to operate government and deliver…
Should You Vote Yes or No on Property Tax Measure?
The state Legislature is asking voters to approve a major restructuring of our tax system The state Legislature is trying to muscle into the counties’ main area of taxation, property taxes, and voters will choose Nov. 6 whether to let…
The Future of Recycling in Hawaii
A City & County of Honolulu leader wants to recycle less because she says it doesn’t make sense economically or environmentally. Environmentalists say “refusing” and “reusing” are much better than recycling. Here’s what you should know. Recycling is changing on…
Child Care: Unaffordable and Unavailable
Part I: The High Cost and Shortages Child care is too costly for many working families and there are too few openings for all the children who need proper care. We examine the problem and the responses, including efforts by…
Tax Reform: Good or Bad for Hawaii?
Now that you are done with your 2017 federal taxes, you may be thinking: How will tax reform affect me? We test local opinion with surveys of 426 residents and 443 business leaders. QUESTION #1 Do you think the…
Talk Story: Trevor Ozawa, Honolulu City Council
This talk story features Honolulu City Councilmember Trevor Ozawa, who received the inaugural Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association Award for Leadership In the Industry: Young Achiever It’s become a tradition for Honolulu City Councilmember Trevor Ozawa to volunteer his time to…
Don’t Laugh: Our Political Inefficiency Is Really A Gift
When this magazine published its “Power Issue” in October 2009, we asked “Who Runs Hawaii?” The answer, of course, was complicated, but we managed to sum it up in a two-page chart listing the main players and in our lead…
5 Things You and Your Business Should Know About Tax Reform
The first significant federal tax reform in 30 years will provide major savings for Hawaii businesses and corporations starting with this tax year but the changes are complex and still evolving, according to a panel of experts assembled by Hawaii Business.
Who Should Manage and Protect Mauna Kea?
Those who believe astronomy and Hawaiian culture can coexist on the volcano disagree about who should be in charge For the three years since the confrontational protests atop Mauna Kea, the volcano’s future has been discussed, debated, dissected and disputed…
Maternity Tourism in Hawaii
These two companies help pregnant Chinese women obtain visas and fly to Hawaii so their children are born here and get U.S. citizenship Goen Gao runs a tourism company for Chinese visitors called Hawaii Lulutrip, and a side business called HI…
What Are Your Biggest Problems?
The BOSS survey examines what’s holding back your business Government Regulations The BOSS survey presented 402 local business leaders with five regulatory issues. They were asked if each one presented an individual challenge to their companies. Afterward, those who…
Paperwork Clogged Up Local Liquor Sales
But a simple form helped resolve the problem and got drinks flowing again. A chronic bottleneck at local IRS offices forced as many as two dozen small bars, restaurants and storefronts in Hawaii to temporarily halt liquor sales each summer,…
More Than A Mere Messenger [Sponsored]
It’s an honor for Adrian Kamalii to represent some of his childhood heroes professionally. The 35-year-old entrepreneur is the president of Pae Aina Communications. He is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools Kapalama and Hawaii Pacific University. As a student,…