Opinion
Talking story about values.
The staff reporters at Aloha State Daily have a clear mission on the news side of the house: to tell you what happened, not what to think or how to feel about what happened. Here in the opinion section, we want to talk story about values — what we think Hawai‘i should do, or should not do, and why. This is where we welcome informed debate and where people can argue for their perspective.
Community Voices: No, we don’t have low property taxes
Property tax bills are based on assessed values, and Hawai‘i has extremely high property values. So when you calculate the actual money owed, we’re closer to the middle of the pack. In addition, Hawai‘i is the only state that does not use property taxes to fund public education, so of course you would expect its county property tax rates to be relatively low.
Keliʻi Akina & Ph.D.May 30, 2025
Community Voices: Legislators ignore rules for special funds
The state Office of the Auditor analyzed 86 proposed special and revolving funds proposed by the Legislature in this past session. Not a single one of them met the legal criteria for establishing such funds.
Tom YamachikaMay 26, 2025
Community Voices: Cleaning up Hawai‘i’s permitting mess
A new report from the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization shows that Hawai‘i permit delays in 2024 were at some of the worst levels ever. But I’m glad to report policy changes at the state and county levels that could make a real dent in these delays.
Keliʻi Akina & Ph.D.May 22, 2025
Community Voices: Economic prosperity rises from the bottom up
Special for ASD, the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice looks at the recent Legislative sessionʻs hits and misses.
Will CaronMay 21, 2025
Community Voices: 2025 Legislative Also-Rans
This week, we will be looking at a few bills that passed both houses of the legislature, but did not make it through conference. Those bills may come back to haunt us next year, including capital gains taxes, "green fees" on Hawai‘i visitors and more.
Tom YamachikaMay 19, 2025
Community Voices: Another chance to make things right on civil asset forfeiture
A plea for Gov. Josh Green to sign into law HB126, which would limit civil asset forfeiture to only cases in which the property owners have been charged with a crime.
Keliʻi Akina & Ph.D.May 14, 2025
Community Voices: Your Zip code shouldn’t determine your access to mental health care
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we must confront the reality that where you live can define whether you receive life-saving care or none at all.
Amanda Pump and Michael Young & Child & Family ServiceMay 08, 2025
Community Voices: Partnering is a proven process for building stronger teams, securing better outcomes and preventing disputes
For organizations looking to improve internal alignment, stakeholder engagement, and/or internal or external collaboration, this structured, facilitation-based process offers a compelling alternative to traditional problem-solving and strategic planning models.
Gerald “Jerry” ClayMay 08, 2025
Community Voices: Legislature on a housing-reform streak
Bills were passed this session that would cut back on the school impact fees, permitting delays, and layers of rules that impede housing.
Keliʻi Akina & Ph.D.May 07, 2025
Community Voices: The major raid that wasn’t
The state Legislature came close to raiding nearly $320 million from 97 different special funds this session.
Tom YamachikaMay 05, 2025
Community Voices: Small victory
This session, the Legislature eliminated a procedural trap that kept taxpayers from being to appeal to the Tax Appeal Court. Here's what that issue was all about.
Tom YamachikaApril 28, 2025
Community Voices: Backyard Kuleana 2025 – When the systems fail, we must return to each other
We are looking at a collapse of many systems that our communities rely upon to sustain themselves. We will all need to step up our service going forward. Here, I share more about that forward-looking evolution.
Keone KealohaApril 21, 2025