TAX MAN: Brush up on our legislative history
In my role with the Tax Foundation of Hawaii and in private practice as a lawyer, I often have occasion to visit the Capitol website, capitol.hawaii.gov, to do research. The more I have gotten to know the site, the more I understand that it has a great deal of resources to do legislative research.
State OKs Spectrum’s Kauai application
HONOLULU — The state’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs on Monday approved the Spectrum Oceanic LLC Application for Renewal of Cable Franchise for the County of Kauai.
Hawaiian Airlines to offer locals-only discounts
Hawaiian Airlines today is introducing a new locals-only program that could reshape the competitive neighbor-island landscape much in the way that Southwest Airlines’ bodacious long-running $39 one-way fares did after the carrier entered Hawaii’s interisland market.
TAX MAN: Charging convenience fees for our kids
Back in the Dark Ages when I was going to public school here in Honolulu, I could get my school lunch for a quarter. An extra half-pint carton of milk was a dime. Nowadays, a school lunch costs $2.75 for most kids, and for those who qualify for low-income treatment, it costs 40 cents.
Hawaiian Telcom launches Hawaii’s ‘Fastest Internet’
HONOLULU — In November, Hawaiian Telcom announced the launch of a 3 Gig Symmetrical Internet Service available to households in all fiber-enabled areas throughout Hawaii.
Business picks up at Lihue Airport in October
LIHUE — The domestic passenger count started the shoulder season on an upbeat note at Lihue Airport.
Visitors and spending fall in September on Kauai
LIHUE — A significant drop in the number of visitors to the island of Kauai in the final month of summer, weighed heavily on the money people spent while on holiday during the period.
Destroyed store gives new lease on life in Kekaha
KEKAHA — In the heart of Kauai’s west side, a new generation of roots is rising and bringing a historic corner store back to life to support its community and entrepreneurship.
Projected air seat declines underscore tourism softening
Total trans-Pacific airline seats for Hawaii’s top U.S. market are projected to drop in November and December, with losses widening at the start of next year and remaining evident into April, according to Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau market data.
Young Brothers seeks 2 kinds of rate increases for interisland ocean cargo
Hawaii companies and consumers could face multiple rate increases for interisland ocean cargo over the next few years as part of last week’s regulatory request by Young Brothers LLC.
TAX MAN: Autocorrect makes the mistake, but you pay up!
Most of us with smartphones are aware of the “autocorrect” feature that sometimes can be a great help, at other times a major annoyance.
Young Brothers seeks rate hikes
The cost to ship most cargo between islands in Hawaii could jump 20 percent on average, and in instances up to 45 percent, next summer under a plan by the state’s regulated interisland tug-and-barge operator.
Summer ends on a down note at airport
LIHUE — The domestic passenger count tailed off in September, as Lihue Airport wound down its slowest summer vacation period in the post-pandemic era.
Tahiti Nui celebrates 61 years
LIHUE — Christian and Nanea Marston, and Tahiti Nui, were recipients of a Kauai County Council congratulatory certificate during the council’s meeting at the historic County Building on Wednesday.
TAX MAN: I. T. E. M. (Incompetence Takes Everyone’s Money)
Our latest major government snafu comes to us courtesy of the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE). Their teachers are underpaid enough as is, but through some mysterious turns of events, they wound up stiffing hundreds of teachers for multiple pay periods.
Bringing life to the other side of Kukui Grove
LIHU‘E — Since the departure of Macy’s, and especially Genki Sushi, people have been asking, “What’s going to happen to the vacated spaces?”
1,800 hotel workers strike at Hilton Hawaiian Village
HONOLULU — More than 1,800 hotel workers went on an open-ended strike Tuesday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, and their union, UNITE HERE Local 5, says they will not return to work until they have a new contract.
Jobless rate creeps up in August on Kauai
LIHUE — The unemployment rate on the island of Kauai inched up amid a drawdown of employees in a couple of key economic sectors in the second full month of summer.
TAX MAN: Raise your awareness with the Hawaii Budget Primer 2024
This week we wanted to bring special attention to a 32-page pamphlet recently published by the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, simply called “Hawaii Budget Primer 2024-25.”
TAX MAN: State workers have immunity – even without being Trump
As we watched the current Presidential election campaign this year, a decision popped out of the U.S. Supreme Court that made some of our eyes glaze over. It was about Presidential immunity, and the decision said that the President of our country has the right to do certain things without worrying about civil liability or criminal prosecution for those things later.