Category: Business & Technology

Potential for progress this legislative season


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By Keli‘i Akina

Photograph by Charley Myers

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The 2023 Hawaii Legislature is now in session, and for organizations just like the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, this is without doubt one of the busiest occasions of the yr. 

In previous periods, my Institute colleagues and I’ve usually spent extra time making an attempt to cease dangerous concepts than see good ones make it to the end line. This yr, nevertheless, we’ve got excessive hopes for a couple of concepts that might make an actual distinction for our state. 

Specifically, we’ve got been advancing particular reforms to assist decrease the price of dwelling, enhance the availability of housing and enhance healthcare entry for the folks of Hawaii — and it seems possible that some, if not all, of those proposed reforms will likely be warmly acquired.

Concerning extra housing, the hot button is to cut back Hawaii’s land-use and zoning laws, which research present are considerably associated to housing shortages and better costs.

Keli‘i Akina

When it comes to land use, the Legislature might reform the state Land Use Fee’s permit-approval course of, which provides to the time and prices of homebuilding. One repair can be to lighten the LUC’s allowing docket by growing the variety of acres that counties are allowed to rule on. At present the restrict is 15 acres. Something bigger in the intervening time is as much as the LUC.

Zoning codes, in the meantime, are a county operate, however the state can assist body how they’re utilized. For instance, the Legislature might require that the counties permit extra multi-unit houses resembling duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes. It additionally might place restrictions on so-called inclusionary zoning laws, which traditionally have held again smaller, mid-range housing developments. 

Lastly, the Legislature might assist nonprofits resembling faculties and hospitals with their recruitment and housing points by making it simpler for establishments to construct housing on their very own lands.

Within the realm of healthcare, one of many largest issues in the intervening time is Hawaii’s perpetual scarcity of docs, nurses and different healthcare employees. 

Lawmakers might tackle this by permitting out-of-state license holders to apply in Hawaii — just like what we skilled underneath Gov. David Ige’s emergency orders through the coronavirus disaster. This might be achieved unilaterally or by becoming a member of the interstate compacts for physicians, nurses and different medical professionals, by which every member state acknowledges the licenses of all the opposite member states. 

Licensing, nevertheless, is simply a part of the issue. We additionally have to make Hawaii a friendlier state for personal apply docs. Meaning taking a tough have a look at the state’s common excise tax, which makes it troublesome for personal practices to outlive, particularly in the event that they take Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE sufferers. 

For the previous few months, the Grassroot Institute has been working a marketing campaign to exempt medical providers from the final excise tax, and now could be the right time for the Legislature to behave. Not solely would such an exemption assist appeal to extra docs to our state, it additionally would decrease healthcare prices for Hawaii residents.

Talking of taxes and drugs, we’ve got a prescription for the Legislature in the case of taxes and the funds, and it’s taken immediately from the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no hurt. 

In different phrases, this isn’t the time to contemplate tax hikes of any sort. The state is swimming in extra revenues and has no want for extra. With so many Hawaii residents struggling to make ends meet, lawmakers as an alternative needs to be methods to chop taxes.

As well as, we’d prefer to see a balanced funds that features no revenue-draining boondoggles, no new borrowing and no profligate spending. Perhaps even give slightly little bit of the state’s anticipated $3 billion surplus again to the folks, maybe after bolstering the state’s wet day fund and addressing its unfunded liabilities.

My sense is that these are all sensible and politically palatable concepts that will convey down housing prices, strengthen healthcare entry and, basically, decrease our ridiculously excessive value of dwelling. Not would we’ve got to fret about our household, buddies and neighbors leaving the islands for better alternatives elsewhere.

If the Legislature embraces these concepts, we will likely be properly on our solution to making Hawaii a spot by which we are able to all dwell and thrive.
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Keli‘i Akina is president and CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

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Scale back property tax charges to offset greater property values


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By Keli‘i Akina

Hawaii’s inhabitants has been declining for six straight years, and if policymakers don’t do one thing rapidly to avert the looming enhance in county property taxes, that’s prone to proceed.

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That’s as a result of taxes are a key element of Hawaii’s excessive value of dwelling, which surveys present is the No. 1 motive individuals have been leaving.

As I wrote in my Dec. 17 column, “Counties shouldn’t revenue from Hawaii housing disaster,” the potential spike in county property taxes is because of greater property assessments, which in flip are due largely to excessive house costs and accelerating inflation.

Since property taxes are primarily based on property assessments, the counties stand to obtain a windfall of tax revenues — with out even having to lift their charges.

Keli‘i Akina

Little question, some county officers would like to get their palms on that extra cash. However for Hawaii householders and renters, it might imply an unanticipated and presumably disastrous greater value of dwelling. It might imply having to sacrifice spending on issues resembling meals, medication, clothes, transportation and easy leisure simply to allow them to maintain roofs over their heads.

Is it any surprise so many Hawaii residents are struggling to make ends meet, that so many individuals within the state have left or are planning to go away, and that so many residents are homeless?

I’m not making this up. That is actually occurring. And it seems destined to proceed occurring — until county officers step up and discover methods to counter it.

For instance, a revered, longtime native couple wrote in Honolulu Civil Beat on Thursday about how they may don’t have any selection however to extend the lease for his or her long-term tenants if the brand new assessments lead to greater property taxes. In their very own case, their Kailua house simply moved up to the county’s Residential A (Tier 2) property tax class, which doubles the tax charges of nonowner-occupied properties value greater than $1 million.

For county lawmakers who haven’t settled on what to do about this example, I’ve a couple of recommendations:

>> Within the quick run, decrease the property tax charges to offset the valuation will increase. 

>> One other short-term choice is house owner exemptions.

>> Within the longer run, all of the counties ought to overview their property tax methods to eradicate favoritism and promote simplicity and equity.

>> On Oahu, Council members ought to take a tough have a look at the Residential A classification, which applies to all nonowner-occupied residential properties. It is perhaps greatest to eradicate that designation altogether, however at a minimal, its Tier 2 threshold must be considerably elevated from $1 million, which is simply too near the median Hawaii house worth.

>> To make sure that property taxes don’t spike in future years, the counties might put a cap on how a lot the property tax income can enhance in any given 12 months. For instance, the typical annual enhance over the previous decade was 6.05%, so a restrict of about 5% a 12 months would stop the counties from benefiting from Hawaii’s housing disaster.

>> Generally, at each the state and county ranges, taxes must be lowered. Whether or not we’re speaking about property taxes, revenue taxes, company taxes, excise or different taxes, tax discount is likely one of the strongest instruments we might use to make Hawaii extra affluent and inexpensive.

This isn’t a time for half-measures. County lawmakers should act now to stop a dangerous property tax enhance. Allow us to finish the pattern of individuals leaving Hawaii, which has been tearing aside our households and communities and weakening our economic system.

This isn’t simply a possibility to stop a disaster. It is also step one towards making Hawaii extra inexpensive for everybody.
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Keli‘i Akina is president and CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

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Gov. Inexperienced responds positively to teams searching for larger transparency


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The next was issued as a information launch by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii on Jan. 12, 2023.
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In a Jan. 6 letter, over two dozen neighborhood and media organizations urged modifications that could possibly be applied by government order

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HONOLULU, Jan. 12, 2023 >> Hawaii Gov. Josh Inexperienced has responded favorably to a letter signed by greater than two dozen neighborhood teams and media shops that urges government motion to make sure larger authorities transparency and open data, in accordance an official with the Civil Beat Legislation Heart for the Public Curiosity.

Brian Black, the legislation middle’s government director, stated in an e mail despatched Monday to signers of the letter that the governor “responded positively” to the Jan. 6 letter and instructed him throughout a cellphone dialog that he had already tasked the state lawyer basic to judge it.

Black, who spearheaded the letter, stated the governor additionally expressed a need to be extra out there to the media.

In a separate assertion issued yesterday to the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, one of many teams that signed the letter, Blake Oshiro, senior adviser within the Workplace of the Governor, stated, “Gov. Inexperienced believes within the significance of transparency, and his administration will adhere to all authorized necessities to make sure requests for info are taken critically.”

Oshiro added that the Jan. 6 letter “set forth a number of authorized positions and citations which we are going to want a while to digest.”

Keli‘i Akina, Grassroot Institute president and CEO, praised the governor’s remarks.

“I’m glad Gov. Inexperienced was receptive to the concept of selling transparency in state authorities,” Akina stated. “The Jan. 6 letter lays out a transparent path to information the administration towards making Hawaii’s state authorities extra accessible and accountable to the general public.”

Along with the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, organizations that signed the letter had been the League of Girls Voters of Hawaii, Widespread Trigger Hawaii, the Tax Basis of Hawaii, the Hawaii Appleseed Heart for Legislation & Financial Justice, Earthjustice, Surroundings Hawaii, Lifetime of the Land, Hawaii’s Thousand Pals, Pals of Mahaʻulepu, Maui Tomorrow Basis, the Sierra Membership of Hawaii, ACLU of Hawaii, the Hawaii Well being & Hurt Discount Heart, the Hawaii Innocence Challenge and the Group Alliance on Prisons.

Media organizations that signed the letter included the Hawaii chapter of the Society of Skilled Journalists, the Hawaii Affiliation of Broadcasters, Honolulu Civil Beat, Hawaii Public Radio, KHON2, KITV, The Maui Information, Hawaii Information Now, Large Island Press Membership, Media Council Hawaii,  the Hawaii chapter of the Asian American Journalists Affiliation, All Hawaii Information and Ililani Media.

The letter to the governor urged three main coverage modifications Gov. Inexperienced might implement by way of government order.

>> “State companies ought to presume that authorities paperwork are public and invoke exceptions to disclosure provided that they have to, not just because they will.”

>> “Requests made within the public curiosity — by information media and nonprofit organizations that search to teach the general public — needs to be charged, at most, solely precise copying prices, not large search, evaluation, and redaction charges.”

>> “The Workplace of Info Practices should serve its authentic function, which is to advertise openness, in keeping with the spirit and intent of the general public data legislation.”

Akina agreed that these three actions would go a good distance towards selling authorities transparency. He additionally harassed the necessity for accountability.

“It’s all too simple for presidency bureaucrats to develop into unaccountable,” he stated, “which is why the general public, the media and watchdog teams should all proceed to press for larger transparency.”

To learn your entire letter to the governor, go right here.

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Counties mustn’t revenue from Hawaii’s housing disaster


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By Keli‘i Akina

Hawaii property taxes are going up, and that’s not cool.

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The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Dec. 14, 2022, that the most recent property worth assessments of all actual property on Oahu went up by 12.4% in contrast with the earlier 12 months. And that’s simply the typical. 

On the North Shore, residential property values went up by 20.4%. East Honolulu properties elevated by 10.1%. And properties labeled as “Residential A” — corresponding to vacant land, condos, and properties that don’t get the “dwelling” or owner-occupied exemption — went up by 39.9%.

Neighbor island residents are more likely to see related will increase in assessed property values, as all islands are affected by the identical financial forces. These embody inflation, which is near spiraling uncontrolled, and Hawaii’s housing crunch, for the reason that state’s shameful lack of housing development helps drive up dwelling costs. 

Keli‘i Akina

Some folks have mistakenly blamed rich mainlanders for the upper property values, however as defined within the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s current report on “The ‘outsider’ principle of Hawaii’s housing disaster,” there isn’t a statistically vital correlation between “outdoors patrons” and residential costs.

What is definite is that increased dwelling values translate to increased property taxes for Hawaii’s owners. Mixed with inflation and the weak economic system, that is one other blow for taxpayers already having a tough 12 months. For retirees and others on fastened incomes, this might push them out into the streets. 

And it received’t have an effect on solely owners. Renters additionally will seemingly must pay extra as landlords go on some or all of their further required tax funds.

Except, after all, our county lawmakers decrease our property tax charges or discover methods to trim their spending.

Even earlier than this occurred, I had been saying that now could be the right time for the state to chop taxes, and the identical goes for the counties. The outlook for each state and county revenues is wholesome, and lawmakers at each ranges might simply give their constituents a break.

However wait a minute, some will say. Aren’t Hawaii’s property tax charges low already? Effectively, technically, sure. One purpose is that Hawaii is the one state within the nation the place public schooling is funded virtually wholly on the state stage, as an alternative of by the counties or faculty districts. 

In any case, Hawaii property values are the best within the nation, so by way of precise property tax funds, Hawaii owners nonetheless pay near the nationwide common.

In the meantime, Hawaii residents additionally pay a number of the highest earnings tax charges within the nation, and our so-called state gross sales tax, truly a common excise tax, is extensively considered regressive — falling heaviest on the poor. 

In different phrases, Hawaii residents have each proper to complain about their property taxes going up, particularly because it’s a rise constructed into the system over which they’ve little or no management. 

For county lawmakers, the upper property valuations will produce windfall tax revenues they didn’t even must vote for. It’s a present from Large Authorities heaven — however not one they need to settle for.

Can we rely on our county lawmakers to offset the upper property tax assessments with tax price or spending cuts? 

Kauai and Hawaii counties have mechanisms to guard owners from spikes in property values. On Kauai, house owners who’ve a house exemption or a useful tax price resulting from a long-term rental can’t see greater than a 3% enhance or lower in market worth. Hawaii County has an analogous cap. 

A number of counties supply tax credit for property taxes owed over a specific amount of family earnings, normally 2% to three%. And there are exemptions out there in some instances, corresponding to for the aged, disabled veterans and different teams. Clearly, as a result of property taxes are the only area of the counties, the property tax schemes, charges and exemptions can range.

The best response can be to only scale back property tax charges throughout the board. 

Or county lawmakers might enhance the house owner exemptions, or enhance the worth of the county’s actual property tax credit score for state earnings tax functions.

The one factor they need to not do is enable the upper assessments to translate into an enormous tax hike for Hawaii residents. This is likely to be a boon for county revenues, however it could be devastating to residents.

We’re in an odd place in terms of state and native budgets versus our personal pocketbooks. Whereas the state and counties are raking in revenues, the typical Hawaii household is struggling. Homelessness is rampant; many residents are leaving the state as a result of they simply can’t afford to stay right here anymore.

Counties shouldn’t be cashing in on the housing disaster and its hovering dwelling values. In the long run, county officers ought to embrace insurance policies that can enhance Hawaii’s housing inventory and assist carry down dwelling costs. 

For now, they need to search for methods to present taxpayers a break and preserve Hawaii’s value of residing from hovering even increased.
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Keli‘i Akina is president and CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

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Excessive value of dwelling continues to drive away Hawaii residents


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The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii urges lawmakers to chop taxes and ease homebuilding rules to stem the state’s inhabitants decline

HONOLULU, Dec. 29, 2022 >> Hawaii just lately skilled the fifth-highest inhabitants decline within the nation, in keeping with new knowledge launched by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Census Bureau reported earlier this month that Hawaii’s inhabitants dropped by nearly 7,000 individuals, or 0.5%, between July 2021 and July 2022, marking yet one more yr that Hawaii’s inhabitants has dwindled.

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Throughout that point interval, the state logged 15,788 births and 13,328 deaths, for a pure enhance of two,460 individuals. As for individuals transferring out and in of the state, total worldwide migration was a optimistic 5,785 individuals, however Hawaii misplaced 15,212 individuals to transferring throughout the U.S., for a complete lower of 9,427 individuals.

“Too many native households who’ve lived in Hawaii for generations are seeing their youngsters transfer to the mainland or in another country to higher assist themselves,” Grassroot Institute of Hawaii President and CEO Keli’i Akina mentioned.

“Along with going through this emotional toll, these of us who nonetheless stay in Hawaii are left to foot the invoice for our outsized authorities.”

Hawaii’s inhabitants has declined yearly since 2016, and surveys have proven that the state’s excessive value of dwelling is the primary cause.

“Now, we want lawmakers to take concrete steps to reverse this development,” Akina mentioned, noting that state and county lawmakers might begin by reducing taxes and making it simpler to construct housing.

The Institute’s conversations with individuals who left Hawaii, documented in its “Why we left Hawaii” collection, affirm that prime housing prices are driving residents away.

“Lease is way too excessive, even when splitting the prices with a pal,” former Wahiawa resident Colyn Slocum instructed the Institute this fall. He now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Someday, I do want to return. However till the financial potentialities make it interesting sufficient, there’s little to incentivize something apart from a couple of return journeys,” Slocum mentioned.

Stated Akina, “Lawmakers ought to intention to chop down on the scale of presidency and scale back taxation in 2023 to make Hawaii extra reasonably priced.”

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For the way forward for Hawaii, be taught extra concerning the Jones Act


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Joe Kent, left, posed a query to Colin Grabow concerning the Jones Act throughout a discussion board final week on Maui. Photograph by Sean Mitsui.

By Keli‘i Akina

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As you might need heard, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii hosted two boards on the Jones Act final week on how we will make the Jones Act work for everybody.

The featured speaker was Colin Grabow, a commerce coverage analyst on the Cato Institute, a Grassroot Scholar and co-editor of the e book “The Case Towards the Jones Act” — which incorporates an essay by me, by the best way.

Lots of you’ve gotten heard me speak concerning the Jones Act earlier than. In a nutshell, the 1920 regulation limits delivery competitors between U.S. ports by requiring all items moved between U.S. ports to be on ships which are constructed and flagged within the U.S., and largely owned and crewed by Individuals.

Keli‘i Akina

It’s a regulation that works nice for the few U.S. shipyards, ocean service corporations and mariners concerned in home oceangoing delivery. However for the remainder of us, particularly these of us who dwell in locations like Hawaii and Puerto Rico, it means larger costs throughout regular instances and life-threatening product shortages throughout instances of emergency.

Grabow gave two talks concerning the regulation, one on Oahu and the opposite on Maui. The Oahu speak, which I moderated, is already posted on the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii web site, and what an incredible speak it was. 

The format was for Colin to reply questions all through, initially from me after which from the viewers. The aim was to make it clear how the regulation truly works in contrast with its alleged objectives — and likewise the way it is likely to be modified for the advantage of the higher good whereas giving its protected beneficiaries a sleek solution to finally stand on their very own two ft. 

It was a tall order, however Colin did nice, and so did the viewers.

On Maui, my Institute colleague Joe Kent moderated the occasion, which additionally turned out nice. A video of that gathering might be posted to the Institute’s web site inside the subsequent few days. Each movies additionally might be accompanied by full transcripts.

As on Oahu, the attendees had some terrific questions for Colin. 

For instance, one voiced a quite common concern, specifically that altering the Jones Act may probably damage Hawaii by leaving us depending on new rivals that may come into the market when it’s worthwhile, then abandon us in a time of disaster.

Colin responded that it is a hypothetical state of affairs that doesn’t replicate financial actuality. He used the instance of the 2 grocery shops he makes use of on the mainland, stating that if one had been to exit of enterprise, somebody would come alongside to exchange it. Equally, delivery could be very aggressive, the place not restricted by regulation, so if Matson or one other firm had been to go out of enterprise, others would undoubtedly fill the hole. 

It’s good to recollect, he stated, that American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands are each exempt from the Jones Act — and so they prefer it that means. Each have resisted being included within the Jones Act, as a result of neither has had issues with delivery reliability.

Requested if Hawaii has sufficient warehouse house to accommodate international delivery traces with longer commerce routes, Colin responded that the reply ought to at all times return to competitors and value.

Attempting to excuse larger prices of the Jones Act based mostly on warehouse availability, he stated, ignores the truth that the free market can determine what technique has the perfect worth. Why forestall that competitors when native retailers and shoppers are those who stand to achieve probably the most?

Some viewers members nervous concerning the high quality of ships in-built different international locations. However Colin defined that the designs being utilized in U.S. shipyards are already largely international and that each one ships are constructed to the identical requirements. Furthermore, due to the best way that shipbuilding works nowadays, parts are sometimes made in different international locations and assembled right here. 

One Maui attendee requested concerning the variety of jobs that may be affected if the U.S.-build requirement had been eradicated. However once more, the reply wasn’t the nightmare situation so usually offered by Jones Act proponents. 

As Colin defined, most U.S. shipbuilding jobs revolve round constructing ships for the navy, so releasing up the civilian shipbuilding market would have little impact. What’s extra, research have advised that effectivity beneficial properties may truly result in extra maritime business jobs.

There was a lot extra concerning the Jones Act that Colin was in a position to clarify in a relaxed and simply understandable method. Should you had been unable to attend both of the occasions your self, I hope you’ll take the time to view the movies on the Institute web site, since higher data concerning the Jones Act is essential to updating this failed regulation for the twenty first century. 

In reality, surveys present that the extra folks know concerning the Jones Act, the extra doubtless they’re to assist its reform. For the way forward for Hawaii, think about spending a while to be taught extra concerning the Jones Act. Once more, you may watch Colin’s Oahu presentation right here. The Maui occasion might be posted shortly.
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Keli‘i Akina is president and CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

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Good Bread is Good Drugs

Panasonic SDR2550
Panasonic SDR2550 makes breadmaking simple.


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My neighbor and longevity guru, Bradley Willcox, is aware of a factor or two about wholesome growing old. As a Professor and Director of Analysis on the Division of Geriatric Drugs, John A. Burns College of Drugs he’s fond of claiming, “the intersection of wholesome growing old and expertise is within the kitchen.” In different phrases, good bread is nice medication.

So, what does this should do with a bread making machine?

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“Wholesome growing old”, says Dr. Willcox means “growing old with minimal continual ailments and excessive bodily and cognitive operate.”

What in regards to the ‘kitchen’ a part of the equation?

“Meals is medication”, he informed me. “It’s an Okinawan expression and it’s true.”

Looks as good as it tastes
Oh yeah, good bread is nice medication…

Does nourishing bread rely as medication?

“You guess,” he replied. “Individuals eat plenty of bread and plenty of it’s no good. Maintaining a healthy diet bread made with complete grains is fiber wealthy and related to a decrease threat of diabetes, coronary heart illness, varied cancers, and higher intestine well being.”

It was time, with expertise, to make my very own bread.

Why go to all this bother? I’m a healthy-food fanatic and the bread accessible commercially is mostly not all that good. Sure, there are some exceptions. For instance the Breadshop on Waialae avenue does a exceptional job of manufacturing healthful, scrumptious bread. At round $10 a loaf or extra, it higher be. However as they are saying, you get what you pay for.

So what in regards to the half about making your individual? Properly it’s a helluva lot of labor, except in fact, you might have a kind of new fangled bread making machines.

That brings us to the topic of this text.

My selection of bread maker, a Panasonic SDR2550, was hardly scientific. My neighbor, Ray Madigan, a yoga instructor, and retired nurse has owned a Panasonic bread maker for over 10 years and has been bragging about his bread for years. I lastly tried a toasted slice.

That was all of the empirical proof I wanted.

It's as easy as hit the button and walk away...
Merely add the elements to the bucket within the correct order, hit the button and stroll away. (The bucket is detachable).

Panasonic’s newest mannequin, the SDR2550 in my kitchen, is a high-tech system with 20 pre-set packages which provides choices to bake all the things from French bread, brioche, sourdough to dense German type rye bread. It should additionally make gluten-free bread, cake, pizza dough and pasta dough.

I used to be primed. I bought yeast, complete wheat flour, rye, and so on.  I acquired many of the elements on Amazon. You possibly can presumably discover it on the town however as everyone knows, it’s simpler to do issues on-line, and regardless of the transport, cheaper than a spot like Entire Meals.

I preppred by studying by way of the guide and watched YouTube movies. The principle factor they drum into your head is to make use of exact measurements and observe the recipes to the letter. Additionally they insist that you just add the elements within the correct sequence, i.e. yeast first, then flour, salt, water, butter, and so on. 

All the things is added to a bit of bucket kind container with a paddle on the underside that mixes and kneads the dough. There’s a tiny dispenser if you wish to add nuts or raisons. After all, this system additionally bakes the bread. There are heating parts, like in your oven. 

Every recipe additionally has a corresponding menu setting on the LED management panel. You set the scale of the loaf, crust shade and if wanted, you’ll be able to program when to start the method.  

This sandwich looks as good as it tastes
You possibly can even make nice sandwiches together with your do-it-yourself bread.

I attempted my first loaf and naturally, broke a few guidelines.

My old school scale wasn’t precisely an atomic clock when it got here to precision however evidently it was shut sufficient. Panasonic prefers that you just weigh probably the most of elements, however I discovered so long as the proportions have been correct, i.e. three cups of flour, the bread got here out advantageous. (Erring on the aspect of warning, I later purchased a digital scale. That stated, I’ve had fairly good luck with recipes that provide the quantity of the elements, ie one cup, one teaspoon, and so on. moderately than the exact weight in grams).

All of the elements have been added within the proscribed order, however I made a decision so as to add some buckwheat (not within the recipe) as a result of I had some within the pantry, so I substituted some wheat flour for buckwheat.  

I pushed the button, anticipating the machine to start out mixing issues however nothing occurred. I checked the guide once more and was reminded that the system has a double sensor that adjusts for room and inner temperature to calculate how a lot time the dough must rise and relaxation. 

It should heat up for about half-hour and the pc program takes it from there. (Somebody needed to write plenty of code for this merchandise).

The whole grains provide fiber. Good stuff for the microbiome
The bread is dense and the entire grains present fiber. Great things for the microbiome.

I experimented with one other half dozen or so recipes. I even made complete wheat pizza dough.

When you get used to this machine, all you do is add the elements and stroll away.

How cool is that? It comes with recipes however there are additionally some accessible on-line. You possibly can tweak the “components” a bit however don’t be stunned if it doesn’t aways work (i.e., the bread doesn’t rise). For those who persist with the recipe, likelihood is you’ll have good outcomes.

Experimentation is laudable however simply beware. What does this inform you? Baking bread is simply as a lot an artwork as a science.

The draw back? It’s about 16 x 8 x 12 so it’ll take up some room in your counter.

At $278 on Amazon, it isn’t low-cost, however boy does it make good bread.

For those who’re considering of getting one thing wholesome for your loved ones this vacation season, you received’t go incorrect with this equipment.

Editor’s observe: A model of the story beforehand appeared within the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

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Licensing legal guidelines restrict jobs, alternative


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By Keli‘i Akina

Braiding somebody’s hair shouldn’t make you an outlaw. However that’s precisely what can occur beneath Hawaii’s restrictive licensing legal guidelines.

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I deliver this up as a result of I observed the Institute for Justice, based mostly in Arlington, Virginia, simply launched the third version of its “License to Work” examine, which seemed at state laws nationwide and concluded that occupational licensing legal guidelines are a barrier to entry, so to talk, for many individuals looking for work, particularly lower-income staff.

The brand new version recognized greater than 2,700 totally different occupational licenses throughout the nation and discovered that the common license requires a yr of expertise, $295 in charges and an examination — on high of hidden prices similar to tuition charges for education.

Hawaii carried out particularly poorly within the nationwide comparability, with licenses being required in 64 of 102 lower-income occupations, versus the nationwide common of about 53. It additionally had the very best stage of qualifying burdens, leaving the state ranked fourth-worst general for its occupational licensing scheme. 

For instance, to qualify for a license in Hawaii, the common variety of days misplaced to somebody attempting to acquire the required training and expertise is a whopping 972, in comparison with the nationwide common of 350. The common charges related to Hawaii licensing complete $506, versus the nationwide common of $284.

Figuring out these info, we will perceive why occupational licensing disproportionately impacts lower-income staff and small companies — as a result of it requires them to leap by means of quite a few regulatory hoops earlier than with the ability to apply their commerce.

For people who find themselves barely making ends meet, the prospect of spending lots of of {dollars} and a yr or extra simply to get permission to work could be an insurmountable hurdle.

Which brings us again to hair braiders, for which there’s a distinct segment market in Hawaii.

The standard rationale for onerous licensing restrictions is that they’re mandatory to guard public well being and security. That appears affordable for occupations similar to physicians and nurses. It turns into much less convincing when the license entails making use of make-up or shampooing hair.

In terms of pure hair braiding — a ability that may be self-taught, is usually handed down as a part of a cultural custom and is given little consideration in conventional cosmetology colleges — the state’s requirement that braiders spend 1,250 hours at school (at their very own value) appears absurd.

The punishment for not having a license appears equally absurd: An unlicensed hair braider, make-up artist or shampooer in Hawaii may very well be fined as much as $100 a day and even jailed. 

In Thursday’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, lawyer Jessica Poitras and author Daryl James of the Institute for Justice defined that there is no such thing as a information or expertise exhibiting that the licensing of area of interest magnificence companies protects public well being or security.

Hawaii’s state auditor has studied magnificence trade licensing 5 occasions since 1980, every time concluding that the license is pointless. California and Texas have licensing exemptions for hair braiders, and there was a nationwide development towards delicensing shampooers and make-up artists. 

“General, braiders could apply with no license in 32 states, make-up artists in 14 states, and shampooers in 18 states,” wrote Poitras and James. “Salon guests stay protected in all of those jurisdictions. In the course of the first 10 years after Mississippi delicensed braiders, for instance, the state obtained zero complaints associated to well being or security.”

Time and again, we hear Hawaii policymakers discuss the necessity to develop the financial system and encourage small companies. But, laws similar to occupational licensing solely make it more durable to succeed. 

As a substitute, our lawmakers ought to search for methods to scale back boundaries to employment and entrepreneurship. They might begin by eliminating license necessities for magnificence companies similar to hair braiding, make-up utility and shampooing.

For some occupations, a much less restrictive type of oversight than a license — a easy examination or certification, for instance — may very well be enough to make sure public security.

Typically, if we actually wish to assist folks get again to work, we have to scale back the money and time it takes to enter a occupation. Or, to place it extra merely, we have to simply get out of the way in which. 
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Keli‘i Akina is president and CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

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Financial savings Bond Patrons Beware!


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Final month, the TreasuryDirect.gov web site crashed as buyers scrambled to lock within the historic 9.62% fee for the subsequent six months on Sequence I financial savings bonds forward of the Friday October 28deadline.   Regardless of the $10,000 per individual restrict, practically $ 1 billion in buy orders and greater than 70,000 new Treasury Direct accounts have been established on October twenty eighth alone.  Greater than $30 billion in I-bonds have been bought previously 12 months.  The Siren’s tune of irresistibly excessive government-guaranteed, state tax-free curiosity is tough to withstand.  Like many monetary planners, I’ve been urging customers to hop on the I-bond bandwagon.

Nevertheless, the buying course of has its pitfalls.  Many private finance articles have highlighted the truth that the Treasury Direct web site is dated and tough to navigate.  Many have additionally cautioned customers about potential delays ensuing from points with the id verification system for establishing new accounts.  Additional, overwhelming demand has prompted the Treasury to remove e-mail help whereas the telephone queue to talk with a stay buyer help consultant is usually many hours lengthy.

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Byzantine Web site and Understaffing Confound Financial savings Bond Patrons

Whereas these points have all made headlines, there’s an excellent darker risk to customers that has acquired surprisingly little media consideration – the very actual chance that the Treasury will settle for your cash and by no means pay you again.  This isn’t hyperbole.  Shoppers who could not have understood the principles for the way to fund I-bond purchases and have over-contributed to their Treasury Direct accounts face the chance that they might not ever get their a reimbursement. Sadly, I can illustrate the overcontribution instance from private expertise.

On April 21, 2022, I established a Treasury Direct account with the intention of buying $10,000 for myself and $10,000 every for my two minor youngsters.  My plan was to switch in $30,000 from my checking account and to then present $10,000 to every little one.  Nevertheless, once I processed the switch, I instantly acquired a discover that I had exceeded the $10,000 annual contribution restrict and that I may anticipate a refund of my $20,000 over-contribution in 8-10 weeks.

The message additionally acknowledged that I’ll obtain an e-mail notification when the examine has been issued.  I then discovered that I wanted to buy the I-bonds one after the other for every little one in my Treasury Direct account as an alternative of buying first after which gifting.  I adopted the process, and transferred in an extra $10,000 for every little one for a complete of $50,000 transferred to buy $30,000 of Sequence I financial savings bonds.  

Purple Flags that Your Cash Could Be Gone – No Information/Reporting, No Assist

The primary pink flag that I won’t get my $20,000 again was raised once I logged into my Treasury Direct account and found that there’s completely no report of my over-contribution.  The $20,000 overcontribution doesn’t seem within the account exercise or within the account. The one documentation I’ve is the lone e-mail I acquired on April 21.

The second pink flag went up when, after 4 months, my cash had not but been returned.  On August 31, after weeks of recorded voice messages telling me that I will be unable to get by means of to buyer help as a result of the estimate maintain occasions exceed the japanese customary time enterprise hours for Treasury Direct staff, I bought up at 6 AM in Hawaii and waited on maintain for greater than two hours earlier than I ultimately bought by means of to a help consultant.  The girl who took my name was pleasant and appeared educated.

She suggested that Treasury Direct employees have been overwhelmed.  Nevertheless, she reassured me that overcontributions have been being processed and that they have been at present engaged on refunds to individuals who made the overcontributions in April.  She went on to advise that as a result of it had been longer than 3 months, I might earn curiosity on the over-contribution quantity and that I ought to anticipate my refund examine imminently.  I used to be relieved.

It’s now November thirtieth.  It has been extra six months since my over-contribution, and I’ve not acquired my refund.  Earlier this month, I despatched a abstract of my expertise together with documentation of my funds transfers and the unique overcontribution e-mail I acquired from the treasury. The communication was despatched by way of licensed mail.   On November 10th, I acquired an automatic e-mail telling me to anticipate a response with 13 weeks. 

The Treasury Direct Web site is Eerily Much like a Ponzi Scheme

I’ve not acquired any subsequent communication from Treasury Direct. Whereas I’ve copies of my financial institution information displaying the $50,000 switch for the $30,000 purchases, I’ve zero confidence that the Treasury will ever give me my a reimbursement. Have been a financial institution or brokerage agency to offer no reporting and/or prohibit customers from accessing their funds, the establishment could be put into receivership and the executives on the agency would seemingly be dealing with jail time.  That is decidedly not the case with the Treasury Division.    

What if I had wanted that cash to pay tuition or to make funds on debt?  The notion that the Treasury can merely preserve customers’ cash indefinitely with no reporting and no communication is unfathomable, however it is extremely actual.  I’m certain there are myriad customers in precisely the identical boat.  I-bond consumers beware!

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John H. (J.R.) Robinson, Private Finance Editor at Hawaii Reporter, is the proprietor/founding father of Monetary Planning Hawaii, Price-Solely Planning Hawaii, and Paraplanning Hawaii.  He’s additionally a co-founder retirement saving and retirement spending software-maker Nest Egg Guru.

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Is it time for Hawaii to switch zoning with a brand new metropolis planning paradigm?


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By Keli‘i Akina

Some of the information-packed episodes of “Hawaii Collectively” I’ve ever seen aired this previous Tuesday on the ThinkTech Hawaii, and I wasn’t even part of it.

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It was hosted by my Grassroot Institute of Hawaii colleague Joe Kent, who was sitting in for me as a result of I used to be representing the Institute at a convention in New York Metropolis.

Joe’s visitor was Nolan Grey, analysis director of the housing advocacy group California YIMBY (Sure In My Again Yard), who made the case for abolishing zoning.

Sure, abolishing zoning.

Once I had the possibility later to look at the interview, I believed Grey’s place was extremely provocative, but additionally extremely persuasive, grounded firmly in information, historical past and sound financial reasoning.

Apart from his affiliation with California YIMBY, which has had success in liberalizing zoning legal guidelines in California, Grey’s credentials embrace being a former metropolis planner in New York Metropolis, a doctoral scholar in city planning on the College of California, Los Angeles, and writer of the brand new guide “Arbitrary Traces: How Zoning Broke the American Metropolis and Find out how to Repair It.”

Keli’i Akina

Grey mentioned the issue with zoning is that it doesn’t simply designate areas as “residential,” “industrial” or “industrial”; it additionally micromanages each single lot in a metropolis or county, figuring out exactly what’s allowed and what’s forbidden — together with how massive the heaps should be, how excessive buildings could be, what a construction’s flooring space should be, what sort of properties could be constructed, what varieties of business or industrial makes use of are allowed, what number of parking areas are required, and on and on.

For those who doubt what Grey is saying, check out the 60-plus pages of Chapter 21 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu. Or have a look at the Honolulu Metropolis Council’s Invoice 10, which takes up greater than 230 pages in an effort to “replace” Chapter 21. The quantity of regulatory trivia in each is astounding.

Grey additionally desires folks to concentrate on zoning’s nefarious origins. Most individuals assume its goal, as acknowledged in Honolulu’s Chapter 21, is to “encourage orderly improvement.” However really, zoning originated as a method to implement racial and financial segregation.

In Berkeley, one of many first cities to undertake it, zoning was used to maintain Chinese language laundries out of sure neighborhoods. Even after the Supreme Court docket put a cease to the specific use of zoning for racial segregation, the observe continued in a extra delicate means.

“What you get within the aftermath of that’s that a variety of cities scramble to pursue that sort of segregation however by different regulatory means,” mentioned Grey. “What you get as a substitute are these guidelines that say, ‘Nicely, we’re not segregating town primarily based on race, however it’s important to earn no less than sufficient cash to afford a indifferent single-family dwelling to stay on this neighborhood. On this neighborhood, you’ll want to have a ten,000-square-foot lot. In that neighborhood, you’ll want to have a half-acre lot. On this neighborhood over right here, we’ll permit flats to be constructed.’”

However even when the motives behind it are pure, zoning nonetheless is socially disruptive, pushing up costs by limiting what could be constructed and including design necessities “that don’t actually serve any well being or security perform, however do dramatically enhance the price of housing.”

There are also all of the permits, environmental evaluations and different necessities that may add years to the time it takes to construct new housing. In some locations, zoning is so strict that just about each challenge requires some sort of particular permission or variance.

Underneath the circumstances, it’s no shock that many homebuilders discover themselves constructing mansions on massive heaps fairly than smaller, multiunit properties — as has been taking place in Hawaii.

Grey mentioned the message of zoning is that, “‘We’re not legally going to help you construct that cheaper, extra inexpensive housing typology. We’re not going to help you construct these further models. We’re going to drive you to construct the costlier product — if we help you construct something in any respect.”

Grey described zoning as a “straitjacket” that restricts the best way cities can develop and adapt. Worse, fairly than preserving the character of a group, zoning undermines it.

“In so many of those cities the place they’ve primarily blocked all development, the character didn’t keep the identical. The truth is, the character will get dramatically totally different. It turns into rather more costly, rather more exclusionary, the kind of place the place younger households have to maneuver away, the kind of place the place retirees have to maneuver away once they need to downsize.

“To my thoughts,” Grey mentioned, “… the locations the place you protect character are the locations the place you permit town to proceed to develop and adapt and replicate altering wants over time.”

Grey mentioned zoning reform ought to deal with eliminating probably the most restrictive guidelines, like lot-size minimums, single-family zoning and parking mandates. In the long run, nevertheless, he mentioned we should always rethink zoning completely.

For instance, he pointed to Houston, the one American metropolis with out zoning. He mentioned Houston’s expertise demonstrates that zoning legal guidelines aren’t essential to hold industrial and residential makes use of separate. The issue has been addressed effectively and with out authorities interference.

Grey emphasised he isn’t towards metropolis planning, simply the extreme micromanaging of land use mirrored in trendy zoning.

Eliminating zoning, he mentioned, would release planners to deal with extra vital points, corresponding to infrastructure, visitors and the atmosphere.

“More and more,” Grey mentioned, “of us from all sides of the ideological and partisan spectrum are realizing, ‘Hey, the established order doesn’t work. The foundations that now we have in place have actually perpetuated a housing disaster and restricted alternative and restricted mobility for folk.’”

I used to be very impressed by Grey’s arguments and observations. I agree with him that extra folks want to grasp how zoning legal guidelines are the principle impediment to inexpensive housing.

He mentioned there’s a rising motion to finish zoning’s stranglehold on our cities, and I hope he’s proper. On the very least, we have to radically reform Hawaii’s zoning legal guidelines and produce metropolis planning and improvement into a brand new period.
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Keli‘i Akina is president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

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