Business fees go down! –Huh?
In the news recently was a story about business and licensing fees actually going down.
The Strange Case of Bank of America
Once upon a time, there was a big bank called Bank of America. It wanted to try doing business in Hawaii, since it was already in many of the other western states, so it reached a deal to buy Honolulu Federal (do you remember HonFed?) and took over all of their branches in Hawaii. This was in 1992.
If housing costs in honolulu are bad now …
The cost of having four walls and a roof over your head in Honolulu has been staggeringly expensive relative to the rest of the nation for a while now. The median price of a single-family home on Oahu in July reached $835,000, while the median price of a condominium rose to $460,000, according to a report from Honolulu real estate firm Locations Hawaii.
They’re taking their business elsewhere
A few months ago, we tried to remind folks about “It’s the Economy, Stupid.”
Effects of the Jones Act
Here in Hawaii, we are intensely dependent on goods that come into the State from faraway places, whether it be the U.S. mainland, Asia, or anywhere else in the world.
Thirty years of state taxes, part 2
Q: We continue our series on the past 30 years of state tax with our researcher, the Hawaii State Tax Watch Doggie’s wife.
Fight over Honolulu vacation rentals begins
The fight over short-term rentals in Honolulu has entered another phase.
Here’s to 30 years of state tax law, part 1
Q: The number 30 has been in the news a lot these days because of the telescope that’s supposed to be getting built on the Big Island. This week, we’re going to look at the past 30 years of state tax. To help me is our intrepid researcher, the Hawaii State Tax Watch Doggie’s wife.
Protesters not allowed to block Mauna Kea road
On Wednesday, August 14, the Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs held an “informational briefing” so senators could question the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands over various topics, including on “Mauna Kea Access Road (ACT 14).”
Leadership on the Mauna
Leadership entails not only planning for possible obstructions to your chosen plan of action, but also having the resolve to follow through with your plan.
Soft on crime – because of the money
In the news recently was a stunning announcement by Justin Kollar, who is the Kauai County prosecutor. State law says that for folks driving without a license or driving without insurance, heavier fines and more jail time apply to repeat offenders.
Withholding could be the root of all evil
Withholding is making someone who isn’t liable for tax, but who pays money to someone who is, responsible for collecting and paying the tax to the government. Employers, for example, must withhold federal and state income taxes out of wages paid to their employees.
The Special Land and Development Fund
In this week’s spotlight is the Special Land and Development Fund or SLDF, which is administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Into that fund goes all land rents the State receives for land that is either leased or used under a revocable permit (such as those used by airport or harbor-based businesses).
The Special Land and Development Fund
In this week’s spotlight is the Special Land and Development Fund or SLDF, which is administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Into that fund goes all land rents the State receives for land that is either leased or used under a revocable permit (such as those used by airport or harbor-based businesses).
Resort fees designed to pay for amenities
It’s July 2019, and already we are starting to see laws passed in the 2019 Legislature take effect.
Work together to form the best of our civilized society
Every so often, the news reports on people who deny the legitimacy of the government we have here in Hawaii. “We’re not subject to those laws,” they say, “so we don’t have to follow rules or pay taxes.” It pains me to read stories of people who lost their homes after being told that they didn’t have to pay back their mortgages because the laws under which they were made were invalid in Hawaii.
The Honolulu proposal to tax ‘ghost homes’
The Hawaii State Tax Watch Doggie is discussing a new Honolulu property tax proposal with his wife, the consummate researcher.
Across the four counties, it’s the economy, stupid
“It’s the economy, stupid,” is a catchphrase made famous by Bill Clinton when he ran for president in 1992 and won.
HI-5: The leakage hasn’t stopped yet
Just three months ago, the Hawaii State Auditor released the latest in a series of reports over the years on the Hawaii Deposit Beverage Container Program, known as HI-5.
DOE, please fork over that general ledger
The Hawaii State Tax Watch Doggie’s son has come home from school, and today he has a few more questions than usual.