Podcast appearances and mentions of tom yamachika

Hawai'i Hurricane Relief. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. Many of us in Hawai'i are aware that we have an Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund, enshrined in chapter 328L, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to save money for a 'rainy day'--that is to say, an emergency. In the most recent legislative session, the state budget bill provides for an additional one billion dollars to be socked away into that fund, $500 million a year.But, as it turns out, that's not the only 'reserve fund' we have.As the Department of Budget and Finance kindly explains on its website, we have the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund (HHRF). This fund was set up in 1993 to provide hurricane insurance coverage for property owners here in Hawai'i Nei in case the private insurance market proved unreliable. This was thought to be a good idea when Hurricane Iniki whacked us in 1992.In the years since Iniki, however, private insurers returned to the market. The HHRF shut down in 2002. But we still, to this day, have $186.7 million in the fund.The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7GPlease visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Where Hawai'i Fits in National Trends. The host for this show is Tom Yamachika. The guest is Paul Jones. Paul Jones is a reporter from Tax Analysts whose beat includes state developments in Hawai'i. He joins us to talk about his role in getting relevant news to the public, and his focus areas. Some of the issues being tracked include: (1) Wealth tax, proposed simultaneously in seven states including Hawai'i; and (2) Passthru workaround, which already has been adopted in several states to alleviate the federal $10,000 cap on deducting state tax, when the tax is from a partnership or S corporation. We may also discuss the Green Affordability Plan and where it is now.The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7GPlease visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Looking Out for Business Nationally. The host for this show is Tom Yamachika. The guest is Patrick Reynolds. Our guest is one of the Senior Counsels of the Committee on State Taxation (COST), an organization that focuses on the impact of state taxes on businesses across the country. He speaks on what COST is and how it works, and some of the issues that are of importance to businesses around the country.The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7GPlease visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Need It, Want It, Hate it. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. Here in Hawaii, we officially have a love-hate relationship with tourism. How do we love it? Look no further than the Hawaii Tourism Authority, which has been awarding lucrative marketing contracts – tens of millions of dollars per year. How do we hate it? We have been taxing the bejeebers out of tourists. Tourists looking at their hotel folios are greeted with a state TAT of 10.25%, a county TAT of 3%, a state general excise tax of 4%, and, for most counties, a county surcharge on state tax of 0.5%. That's a whopping combined tax rate of close to 18% under current law. With all of these mixed messages going out to what is, happily or unhappily, our No. 1 economic driver, the possibility of economic waste looms large. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

The State is Not All-Powerful. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. We discuss three bills that may impact state-county issues (or why they cannot). One bill addresses a Payment in Lieu of Property Tax (PILOT) program. A second addresses the Department of Transportation's attempt to force counties to exempt the State from stormwater fee assessments. A third looks at a program to establish Creative Districts and 'allows' the counties to give eligible businesses breaks on property taxes and/or user fees. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Legally Required but Some Refuse. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. One of the other duties that legislators have is oversight of our Executive Branch agencies. This is a normal function of government. We elect legislators. Legislators control the purse strings, and they need to make sure that the tax money we entrust to them is being spent wisely and efficiently. To facilitate this oversight function, we have a number of laws that bear on the budgeting process. One of them, HRS section 37-75, requires agencies to come up with a 'variance report' that is supposed to list how much they were budgeted, how much was spent, and a narrative explanation for any significant difference. Agencies are also tasked with selecting some metrics that will help the legislators and the public see how they did, and with posting those metrics. These reports are due 30 days before the start of the legislative session. They are collected by the Department of Budget and Finance. Some agencies cooperate. Some thumb their noses at the process. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Broad Tax Relief And.. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. We discuss the signature bills in the Governor's package, including a bill to give the citizenry broad income tax relief, another bill to enact GET exemptions for groceries and medicine, and a bill containing the 'Visitor Green Fee.' We go over the particulars of the Governor's proposals, designated GOV-01 to GOV-04 and GOV-06, time permitting. GOV-01 adds new tax credit for teacher's expenses. Increases the amounts for the income tax brackets, personal exemption amount and standard deduction amounts. GOV-02 is a GET exemption for certain groceries, feminine hygiene products, incontinence products & over the counter drugs. GOV-03 establishes the Visitor Green Fee program. GOV-04 establishes the Climate Impact Special Fund, allocates five cents per barrel from the barrel tax to the Climate Impact Special Fund. GOV-06 is a GET exemption for construction of affordable housing units. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Not What Candidate Green Promised. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. We discuss the tax proposals taking shape at the Legislature, and the reaction of key legislators to the initiatives set forth by then-Candidate Josh Green on the campaign trail. Simply put, an exemption for food and medicine might not be in the cards, so Green seems to be backpedaling to asking for a rebate for the middle class, something perhaps similar to the $300 per taxpayer rebate in 2021. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Legislative Bills Addressing Bottlenecks. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. Last year's Legislature approved $600 million to our Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) to reduce the monstrous waiting list of Hawaiians waiting for homestead lands. The catch, however, is that DHHL needs to spend the money, or enter into a contract to spend it, by June 30, 2025. Otherwise, the money goes back to the general fund. On December 6, 2022, DHHL published a strategic plan to accomplish this lofty goal. In that plan, it noted that Act 279, SLH 2022, the legislative act appropriating the money, also required the agency to submit to the legislature by December 10th any proposed legislation that the agency considered necessary or desirable. The legislative proposals, although they may be thought of as a wish list, seem to take direct aim at several key items that impede housing development today. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Ridicule, Violent Opposition, Acceptance. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer wrote that all truth goes through three stages: 1st it is ridiculed; 2nd it is violently opposed; 3rd it is accepted as self-evident. This is what has been happening in our state government. At the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), the possibility of financial irregularities was pooh-poohed at first; when the CliftonLarsonAllen report came out, OHA management and leadership were out to shoot the messenger; and now that the Plante Moran report corroborated many of the findings, the truth is accepted as self-evident. Now we need to look at the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources. The Auditor's report came out and was dismissed out of hand. Then a House committee ostensibly formed to follow up on the matter came out to attack the Auditor. We are waiting for the third stage now. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

A Historical Perspective. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. We focus on the City and County of Honolulu, where efforts are under way to deal with the highly backlogged state of affairs at our Department of Planning and Permitting. Apparently, one reason for the backlog is the sheer number of projects that are in the queue. The lion's share were for renovations and maintenance. But when do you even need to get a building permit for renovations or maintenance? We go through the recent 20 years or so of Honolulu ordinances. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Cracking Down on Vacation Homes. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. One of the ideas that has been kicking around in the state and county legislatures for a couple of years now is the idea of an ʻempty homes tax.ʻ The idea seems to be gaining steam now, since our federal court has struck down Honolulu's recent ordinance clamping down on transient vacation rentals. Basically, the idea is that if you own a house or condo, you don't live in it, and you don't allow anyone else to live in it, then you need to pay a hefty tax. The devil here is in the details. How can such a tax be enforced? The Honolulu Real Property Assessment Division has misgivings. And there has been a parallel effort at the State legislature to enact a tax at that level. Can it succeed? The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

'F' from Truth in Accounting.org. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. About one year ago, the nonprofit Truth in Accounting put out a report called 'Financial State of the States 2021.' That report compared published financial information from all of the states for fiscal year 2020, graded all of the states, and ranked them based on fiscal health. Hawaii received – you guessed it – an 'F.' The report compared assets with bills, and the shortfall came to about $37,000 per taxpayer. What can we as a state do to pull ourself out of this mess? The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Public-Private Partnerships. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. Our state has a love-hate relationship with public-private partnerships (P3). P3s are where public (government) interests and funds partner with private companies to cooperate and share risks and benefits. The most recent and visible example is our iconic Aloha Stadium. This turn-around in the middle of the project is unfortunate. But it is not the only instance of P3s getting sacked. The debate about P3s seems to have many elements that are similar to the debate about privatizing some government services. Would it be justifiable if P3 can provide those goods or services at lower cost to the taxpayers without an appreciable reduction in quality? Would it be justifiable if the vendor is as transparent and accountable to the public as the government agency is or was? If we think it is good for our State, what risk is there that in a few years the government leaders will change and pull out the rug? The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Potholes Ahead for Drivers. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. Hawaii Department of Transportation has been studying implementation of a Road Usage Charge (RUC). Such a charge would be assessed to a driver based on how many miles they've driven on our highways and byways, and it's (at least in theory) designed to replace the fuel tax that is now the primary contributor to the state's Highway Fund. But there is a contingent of people who are pushing a carbon tax. A carbon tax collects money to pay for the societal costs of pollution, global warming, and other environmental damage wrought by fossil fuel burning. Given that many of the environmental damages have already occurred, the goal of the tax is to fix the past damage and not simply compensate for current social costs. Furthermore, it is there to disincentivize (i.e., penalize) fossil fuel use. Rather than getting rid of the existing tax on gasoline, they want to jack it up big time. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Debunking the Remote Buyer Myth. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. The guests are Malia Hill and Jensen Ahokovi. Hawaii is renowned for high housing prices. Lawmakers have blamed them on wealthy out-of-state buyers with little more than anecdotal evidence. As a result, lawmakers have proposed punishing new taxes such as an empty homes tax and steep hikes in the state conveyance tax. But a study from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii analyzes the evidence and debunks this theory. We hear from the people who did the research and looked at the data, and we come to different conclusions about the cause of the problem and more effective ways to address it. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

How the GET Contributes to the Problem. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. The guest is Scott Grosskreutz. According to a study by the University. of Hawaii School of Medicine, there is a shortage of physicians in Hawaii. The school has forecasted that the gap between supply and demand is now close to 1,000 doctors, and it's been getting worse over the years. https://bit.ly/3wQWsGP The GET contributes to the issue because insurers won't pay it. Medicare, for example, will only reimburse medical work at 'reasonable charges' and will not reimburse the doctors for the GET they have to pay. Doctors won't or can't surcharge their patients for it, meaning they have to account for yet another expense amidst Hawaii's high cost of everything. There may be people out there thinking that, well, doctors are rich fat cats, so why shouldn't we tax them up the wazoo? The short answer is that they are going to jump on a plane and get the heck out of here – which is backed up by the statistics discussed earlier in this article. Then, of course, they won't be around when you need them. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Figuring Out who Benefits. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. There has been a lot of talk these days about possibly adding a General Excise Tax (GET) exemption for food and medicine. The three Democratic candidates for governor all support it, as Hawaii News Now reported. The argument that most people make is that the GET, which applies to most purchases of things including food, is regressive. Thus, it falls more heavily on those less able to make ends meet. But, as Director of Taxation Isaac Choy pointed out, it doesn't necessarily follow that the tax burden falls more heavily on the poor because of existing exemptions and tax credits. He reasons that these new proposed exemptions would primarily benefit wealthier folks and tourists. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Why it's so Hard to Follow the Money. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. Most of the money in the state, and the place to which many (but not all) tax collections go, is the general fund. The Hawaii Constitution explicitly mentions this fund in provisions that together require a balanced budget. There are also, however, numerous other funds, called special funds, revolving funds, and trust funds. In 2020, there were close to two thousand of them. Money also can be and is routinely transferred between funds, sometimes by a special law, sometimes automatically. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Fighting to Drop GE Taxes on Nonprofits. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. We look at Senate Bill 3201, a bill to lower general excise taxes paid by charities and other nonprofits, which passed the Legislature this past session. The Department of Taxation objected that it's possible to read the bill to make taxable types of income that has been traditionally exempt. For example, research grants earned by the University of Hawaii. Is this threat bluster or substance? The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

To Get Milk You Still Have to Feed the Cow. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. On June 6, the financial site WalletHub put out a study called “2022's Best and Worst State Economies.” In that site, our humble little state had lots of reasons to be humble, coming in at a bottom-scraping 48th out of 51 (50 states and the District of Columbia). Of three categories of metrics, Hawaii pulled in at 33rd on Economic Health, solidly in the middle of the pack, but was blown out in Economic Activity (47th) and Innovation Potential (50th). The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

How our Bill Prices Compare. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. Sometimes we wonder just how lucky we are to live in Hawaii. We all know it's a pricey place, but sometimes it takes raw statistics to drive that point home. This week, we are looking at statistics from doxo, a bill payment network that boasts that they have 7 million subscribers throughout the United States covering 97% of U.S. zip codes, and dealing with 120,000 unique billers. We compare Hawaii bills to the national average. Ours is the highest in the nation and 45% above the national average. But by types of bills, the comparison gets interesting. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Hidden Charges at the Pump. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. Many of us who drive cars now dread the day when we've got to go to the gas station. Between COVID-19, Russia vs. Ukraine, and other economic factors, gas prices have already passed the $5 per gallon mark and don't appear to be falling anytime soon. What we might not know, however, is that there are a lot of different taxes that go into the price at the pump. They are non-trivial now, and under some legislative proposals they will be much more intrusive. Under consideration, for example, are carbon taxes and/or road usage charges. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

The Challenging Ones. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. We discuss a number of "questionable" bills including: SB 3040, allowing DAGS to impose a user fee on those wanting to get paid for goods or services furnished to the State; HB 2179, which allows DOTAX to convert tax liens into civil judgments and extend the life of a tax debt from 15 to possibly 35 years (compare federal 10-year life); HB 137, which cuts off an avenue of cooperation between county liquor inspectors and DOTAX investigators with respect to liquor tax and other tax issues; and SB 2379, which expands the scope of responsibility of DOTAX's special enforcement section. Not that they need to, but DOTAX could use the money. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Bills on the Governor's Desk. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. The Hawaii Legislature is done for the year. Its last day for this session was May 5th. It has done all its work on new laws for this season. Some of the bills it finally passed have already been signed into law. Others are awaiting the Governor's action. Now the important deadlines are June 27, 2022, when the Governor needs to give notice of intent to veto a bill, and July 12, 2022, which is the deadline for the Governor to sign or veto any bills. We discuss: SB 514, which proposes to give every resident a tax refund. SB 3201, which radically changes how GET applies to nonprofits. HB 2511, which authorizes a $600 million infusion into DHHL. SB 3289, which establishes the Hawaii Retirement Savings Program. SB 2475, which exempts stevedoring, wharfage, and demurrage from GET. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Taxes You Don't See. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii tries to follow and report on bills proposing new taxes. They follow any bill that mentions taxes, or affects the tax codes. But that's not enough. Lawmakers can be very crafty and propose things that don't look like taxes. Here are some examples. HB 2399, for example, establishes an “Extended Producer Responsibility Program” that is designed to slap a “fee” on anyone who imports or sells “fast-moving consumer goods,” which means anything non-durable like food or drink. The Department of Health is tasked with administering the program. Senate Bill 3040, sponsored by the Department of Accounting and General Services, deals with state procurement, namely where the State buys goods and services from other businesses. The bill directs the state procurement administrator to procure and administer automated procurement systems, and then collect a transaction fee from all vendors using those systems. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

More Persecution of the State Auditor. The hosts for this show are Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika. The House Special Investigative Committee was supposed to be looking into problems at the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Agribusiness Development Corporation because of a less-than-glowing report by the State Auditor. But guess who got slammed by the Committee just as much, if not more? The Auditor. Over one-third of the Committee's report was on the Auditor's Office (which was never supposed to be part of the Committee's focus according to the House Resolution authorizing the Committee). It was also telling that the Committee issued its draft report before even hearing the testimony from all of the scheduled witnesses. That sure makes it seem like the Committee had predetermined a lot of things. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Wading Through Hawaii Tax Forms. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. A few years ago, in 2017 to be exact, our lawmakers enacted an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which then was touted as a truly wonderful way to deliver tax relief to working families. If it is properly claimed, that is. One alert reader, in a Star-Advertiser letter to the editor, wondered out loud how people are supposed to figure out how to claim the credit…and with good reason. So, we walk through the return and give you some spoilers. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

What's Hot, and Not, in Tax. The host for this show is Tom Yamachika. The guest is Kevin Dayton. We speak with veteran reporter Kevin Dayton, now with Civil Beat. We cover various tax bills, including: (1) Some that got trashed, and deservedly so; (2) Some bills that are still alive despite their content; (3) Some that are likely to get resurrected or with their content inserted into another vehicle; (4) Some that represent inefficient use of taxpayer dollars. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. The physician shortage in Hawaii, although highlighted by the pandemic, has been years in the making. Its causes include a low Medicare reimbursement rate, General Excise Tax (GET) applying to medical practices, and our sky-high cost of living. Medicare will only reimburse medical work at “reasonable charges” and will not reimburse the doctors for the GET they have to pay. Doctors usually wind up absorbing the tax rather than attempting to surcharge their patients for it, meaning they have to account for yet another expense amidst Hawaii's high cost of everything. A bill now being considered at the Legislature shines a spotlight on hospitals and caregivers who try to deal with GET and aren't doing a great job of it. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Why the Push to Increase Hawaii Taxes. The host for this show is Keli'i Akina. The guest is Tom Yamachika. “Why the push to increase Hawaii taxes?” Hawaii legislators are aiming to increase taxes on fuels, property and capital gains, but that might be more trouble than it's worth, according to Tom Yamachika, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii. Host Keli‘i Akina, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii president and CEO, discusses with Yamachika why lawmakers should keep focus on other issues. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6nA87XBgqRzAmCFmG39Wg_X Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

But Can They Spend it. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) administers about 200,000 acres of public lands to be leased to native Hawaiians, upon which they may live, farm, ranch, and engage in commercial or other activities. The list of Native Hawaiians awaiting homestead land leases has been growing steadily from nearly 26,000 in 2010 to more than 28,700 today. It's no exaggeration to say that scores of Hawaiians have died on the wait list. This year's Legislature proposes to provide $600 million, more than any other year in history, to DHHL. But can they spend the money? Experience with the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant program gives us cause for concern. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Hawaii Makes the Bottom Ten. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guests are Tom Yamachika and Katherine Loughead. Every year, the Tax Foundation (no relation to the Tax Foundation of Hawaii) puts out research paper called the 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index. For years, Hawaii has been around the 20s and 30s among the states, but this year Hawaii has broken into the Bottom Ten, finishing at 41st. We are joined by a Senior Research Analyst from the Tax Foundation to see how we got there. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

400 Million in Unused Federal Money. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. One of the ways our government provides a safety net for those less fortunate is through a program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. TANF was enacted in 1996 as a program that replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), which used to provide cash assistance to families with children experiencing poverty. Under TANF, the federal government provides a block grant to the states, which then use these funds to run their own programs. To receive federal funds, states must also spend some of their own dollars on those programs and face severe fiscal penalties if they fail to do so. This state-spending requirement, known as the “maintenance of effort” (MOE) requirement, replaced the state match that AFDC required. So what have we done with the federal TANF money? We've let it pile up unused. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Federal Programs that Preempt Taxes. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. In this country, a foreign trade zone (FTZ) is a geographical area, in (or adjacent to) a United States Port of Entry, where commercial merchandise, both domestic and foreign, receives the same Customs treatment as if it were outside the United States. The zones help American businesses to be competitive in the global economy by reducing tariff burdens on the importation of foreign inputs and on exported finished products. For a while, the Department of Taxation was telling folks that a FTZ was a “federal enclave,” where the laws of the states just don't apply. They have since figured out that they made a mistake, and they are seeking compensation (back taxes) from everyone involved. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

The Unending State of Emergency. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. A “state of emergency,” which causes the Governor's emergency powers to kick in, is supposed to terminate automatically after sixty days. Our Governor has gotten around this limitation by proclaiming a continued emergency just before the sixty-day clock runs out, thereby restarting the sixty-day clock. Most of us have lost count of the number of emergency proclamations. Legislators, understandably, are getting perturbed that they are being left out, and will be introducing measures to give the Legislature a veto power over all or a part of an emergency proclamation. The Governor, on the other hand, says that Hawaii is doing better than most states because of the emergency powers he has wielded. “I would say this: Virtually every single state that tied the governor's hands has regretted it,” Ige is quoted as saying. In this episode, we discuss the tension over the Governor's emergency powers and possible action to be taken in the 2022 Legislature. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

A Rumor Greatly Exaggerated. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. On November 4, the Supreme Court of Hawaii released its decision in League of Women Voters v. State. The decision was a huge step in the right direction. But will it get rid of all gut-and-replaces and eliminate Frankenbills (where pieces of dead bills get new life by stuffing them into tangentially related other bills with a suitable title)? Probably not. Amendments are still allowed. A person challenging a bill still needs to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the bill is unconstitutional. And remember, it took a 3-2 vote to hold that recidivism and hurricane shelters are unrelated. The standard the court seems to be adopting is “whether the amendments and the original bill constitute a unifying scheme to accomplish a single purpose.” Determining what is or is not germane is not going to be easy in most cases. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

HART Board Actions May be Challenged. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. HART was having difficulty in mustering a quorum and gathering the necessary votes to get things passed. The problem came up as an unintended side effect of 2017 bailout legislation that empowered the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate to each appoint two non-voting members to the HART governing board, whether or not the rest of HART wanted them there. It turned out that a City Charter quorum and voting provision that was incorporated by reference appeared to require eight “yes” votes for anything to pass, although there were only nine voting members. An eight “yes” voting requirement made it tough to get anything done, especially when voting members who weren't able to show up were deemed to be voting “no.” In July, when Hoyt Zia took the chair of HART, he announced that things would be changing. Six votes would be enough, just as it was prior to the 2017 bailout. Who's right? Sen. Kurt Fevella, as a private citizen, sued to find out. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

No, They Aren't God. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. In recent weeks, it's been no secret that the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) has had some concerns about their working conditions. Schools are about to start up again with in-person instruction. Teachers are then supposed to be teaching a bunch of random kids, few of whom may be vaccinated because vaccines only recently have been approved for early teenagers and still aren't approved for kids under 12. Oh, and then some teachers are concerned about vaccine mandates. So HSTA filed a “class grievance” – basically a labor complaint – and asked for some dialogue with the Department of Education (DOE) about this. DOE's response basically told HSTA to go away because the rules were suspended per Governor's proclamation. Can DOE simply tear up the HSTA contract in that fashion? The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

Auditor Les Kondo on Recent House Action. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guests are Tom Yamachika and Les Kondo. Following investigative audits by State Auditor Les Kondo, the State House has convened a special committee to investigate the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Agribusiness Development Corporation. But could the target of the investigation actually be the State Auditor instead? We hear a view of the proceedings before the House investigative committee to date, from the person who very well may be in the crosshairs himself. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

Attracting People and Opportunities. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guests are Tom Yamachika and Jim Smith. Blueprint Nebraska, a campaign dedicated to increasing Nebraska's economic growth and competitiveness over the next decade, has released its proposed framework for bringing Nebraska's tax system into the 21st century. Blueprint Nebraska's Taxation & Incentives Industry Council took insights from surveys, public forums, and tax policy research to develop a plan that gives Nebraska a regionally-competitive tax climate that is more inviting to workforce talent. The headline benefits for Nebraskans include allowing taxpayers to earn up to $50,000 free of state income tax, dedicating an additional $2 billion to property tax relief over the next ten years, and an elimination of Nebraska's inheritance tax. This is in addition to new student loan relief programs and a doubling of Research and Development investments. We discuss what lessons Hawaii might be able to learn from Nebraska's efforts to attract people and opportunities. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

Tax attorney Tom Yamachika of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii explains how the types of taxes states have, or the way they are designed, can cause states to lose revenue or to impose higher tax rates than necessary.

Can this Even be Enforced. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. Recently, the Honolulu City Council has taken up the idea of imposing a different tax rate for residences that are vacant. The idea is contained in Bill 76 (2020), a bill that started off last year, was referred to the Council Budget Committee, and was postponed by the committee in November 2020 after a couple of public hearings with only a couple of members of the public weighing in. Now, KHON2 is reporting that there is new momentum for the bill following some discussion by the city's Real Property Tax Advisory Commission. “The idea is to get folks who have vacant homes to rent them out, or to sell them, hopefully to other local people,” Honolulu City Council chair Tommy Waters is quoted as saying. The contemplated tax would add between 1% and 7%, in other words, an increase of up to 2000%. But how do you prove that a home is vacant, or, if you're accused of having a vacant home, how do you prove that you live in it? The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

Is Hawaii at or near that Point?. The host for this show is Jay Fidell. The guest is Tom Yamachika. One fundamental assumption that has been made over the years by our lawmakers is that if you enact a tax, money will be raised. What if that weren't true? In late 2019, a pair of economists, Enrico Moretti and Daniel Wilson, published a paper titled “Taxing Billionaires: Estate Taxes and the Geographical Location of the Ultra-Wealthy.” In that paper, they followed the movement of 400 of the nation's richest people (the “Forbes 400”) and came up with a mathematical model to predict the chances that a particular rich person would move out of state in response to either an enactment of or a hike in that state's estate tax. If the person moved out, that person's contribution to the state's income and sales taxes would significantly drop, or dry up entirely. They predicted that Hawaii would LOSE money if it raised its estate tax. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

New Tax Proposals at the Honolulu Council. The host for this show is Keli'i Akina. The guest is Tom Yamachika. The Honolulu City Council is considering adding a new tier to its property tax structure, bringing into question whether “taxing the rich” is a good policy to pursue. At the same time, the county will decide whether to adopt a newly allowed county-level transient accommodations tax, of up to 3 percentage points above the existing 10.25% state TAT. Will it go for the entire 3 percentage points? And should the over-budget and behind-schedule Honolulu rail project get a portion of the revenues? The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6nA87XBgqRzAmCFmG39Wg_X

Government Takes Your Money and Time Too. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika. “The Atlantic” argues persuasively that government not only taxes people by taking their money, but also imposes administrative burdens that waste countless precious hours of people's time. American benefit programs are, as a whole, difficult and sometimes impossible for everyday citizens to use. Our red tape entangles millions of people who are struggling to find a job, failing to feed their kids, sliding into poverty, or managing a disabling health condition. Nationally, the time tax is regressive, falling most heavily on the poor, the less educated, the ethnic minorities. Agencies implementing the laws want to weed out the fraudsters and the liars, and those otherwise unworthy. As a result, claimants, if they find out about the benefit at all, face an uphill battle between navigating through complex qualification requirements and dealing with an agency that is more focused on having a claimant run the gauntlet than in cooperating to get that claimant the benefits allowed by law.. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6lmEllOKP493URXssFT4N7G

Legislative Investigation May Bring Reform. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guests for this episode are Tom Yamachika and Keith Chun. Jay, Tom and Keith discuss legislative issues: 1. 2019 Audit & Legislature's Investigative Committee 2. State owns approx. 1.3 million acres of public lands, most are “ceded lands”. 3. State has Fiduciary Duty in managing public lands (Constitution; Admissions Act, HRS) 4. LD's Management consists of: Tsuji, Moore, Hirokawa 5. LD has repeatedly failed to meet its fiduciary duties in managing public lands. 6. LD generally only takes action after mismanagement disclosed publicly 7. Improper Authority Granted to LD to Transfers Ceded Land Revenues to SLDF

Like what you see? Please give generously. http://www.thinktechhawaii.com They can be very effective, but sometimes expensive. Tom Yamachika, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, wil discuss some of the tax incentives that have been adopted and implemented in Hawaii, how effective they've been and whether they can be effective going forward. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Like what you see? Please give generously. http://www.thinktechhawaii.com Horses, being, of course the Hawaii economy. Tom Yamachika of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii will discuss the Parable of the Two Hoses and the Hawaii Economy. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Like what you see? Please give generously. http://www.thinktechhawaii.com What new taxes, deductions and credits should we consider. Tom Yamachika, President of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, will help us understand future fiscal needs and what new taxes, deductions and credits we should consider in dealing with it.The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Like what you see? Please give generously. http://www.thinktechhawaii.com Its intersection with tax policy. This will be a continuation of our discussion last time. We'll touch on how fiscal policy connects with state tax policy, and with federal tax policy. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Like what you see? Please give generously. http://www.thinktechhawaii.com On Talking Tax. Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika will give a 30 year tax analysis.The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika will give a 30 year tax analysis.The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Like what you see? Please give generously. http://www.thinktechhawaii.com Are we resilient in case of unexpected expenditures. Has Hawaii been responsible in terms of taxing and spending. Tom Yamachika president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii will help us understand how healthy we are, and whether we can weather the storm of unexpected expenditures such as those associated with extreme weather or other statewide casualties. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

DLNR's Special Land and Development Flund came to light in a recent audit by the state auditor, and is of some concern. Tom Yamachika of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii will discuss the findings of the audit, and what this questionable arrangement means for fiscal responsibility in our state. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Like what you see? Please give generously. http://www.thinktechhawaii.com How well did the Governor do. Tom Yamachika of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii looks at the tax bills passed, signed and vetoed this session to see what has happened and how it will affect our state and our economy. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Tom Yamshika, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii will discuss the tax bills passed and not passed by the Hawaii State Legislature, and the tax bills signed and not signed by Governor David Ige. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Like what you see? Please give generously. http://www.thinktechhawaii.com Talking Tax with Tom. Tom Yamachika, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, will review the tax bills that have been in play in this session of the Legislature, including the GET bill, the AirBNB bill, the REIT bill, and others. The host for this episode is Jay Fidell.

Like what you see? Please give generously. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=wOeJJadtCKGg5vYrkwGrAxeTPcjiElKt4Sa2G1y_Oir0nKbFgEa7SE-6K8vrP1t8jM6Vp0&country.x=US&locale.x=US Talking Tax with Tom. Jay and Tom Yamachika talk about "heading into the 9th inning" of the tax game The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Like what you see? Please give generously. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=wOeJJadtCKGg5vYrkwGrAxeTPcjiElKt4Sa2G1y_Oir0nKbFgEa7SE-6K8vrP1t8jM6Vp0&country.x=US&locale.x=US 14 revenue raising bills being carefully tracked by Senate WAM Chair.. Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika talk about 14 revenue raising bills The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

After the Crossover. Jay Fidell and Tom Yamachika talk about what tax bills are still standing after the crossover The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

The Tax Beat Goes On. Jay and Tom will talk about the most recent legislature regarding taxes The host for this episode is Jay Fidell. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

Tax Season. It's legislative season again, so taxpayers beware! Tom Yamachika gives us a round up of the latest proposals to raise taxes on Hawaii residents. Find out what makes sense and what doesn't. The host for this episode is Keli'i Akina. The guest for this episode is Tom Yamachika.

This episode of the Grassroot Institute with Dr. Keli’i Akina, we talk with: - Joe Kent, Grassroot's Vice President of Research and Development, shares what he's learned about Maui's water meter list and bus system - Grassroot researcher Aaron Lief talks about Education Savings Accounts - Andrew Walden, publisher of Hawaii Free Press, joins Dr. Akina for a weekly update - Grassroot researcher Andy Slaven brings us the latest on Hawaii's catch limits - Tom Yamachika explains the dangers of an illegal law passed by Hawaii's legislature - Ken Schoolland, author and Economist, brings us another chapter from his book "Jonathan Gullible" The Grassroot Institute with Dr. Keli’i Akina is a radio show on Maui 96.7 FM KAOI, Maui’s premiere talk radio station. The show is Maui’s only free market radio talk show, hosted locally by the President of the Grassroot Institute, Dr. Keli’i Akina, and produced by Joe Kent. The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a 501c3 non-profit independent think tank working to advance individual liberty, the free market, and limited, accountable government.

This episode of the Grassroot Institute with Dr. Keli'i Akina, we talk with: - Tom Yamachika, president of the Tax Foundation - Dr. Phil Eskew, founder of DPC Frontier - Sen. Maile Shimabakura, - Thomas Rubin, mass transit consultant - Andrew Walden, publisher of the Hawaii Free Press - Ken Schoolland, author and Economist The Grassroot Institute with Dr. Keli'i Akina is a radio show on Maui 96.7 FM KAOI, Maui's premiere talk radio station. The show is Maui's only free market radio talk show, hosted locally by the President of the Grassroot Institute, Dr. Keli'i Akina, and produced by Joe Kent. The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a 501c3 non-profit independent think tank working to advance individual liberty, the free market, and limited, accountable government.

Tom Yamachika fills us in on what's new with Maui's hospital privatization.

This episode of the Grassroot Institute with Dr. Keli'i Akina, we talk with: - Tom Yamachika, Tax Foundation - Baylen Linnekin, Attorney - Maile Shimabukuro, Senator - Jason Hirose, Grassroot researcher - Andrew Walden of Hawaii Free Press - Ken Schoolland, author and Economist The Grassroot Institute with Dr. Keli'i Akina is a radio show on Maui 96.7 FM KAOI, Maui's premiere talk radio station. The show is Maui's only free market radio talk show, hosted locally by the President of the Grassroot Institute, Dr. Keli'i Akina, and produced by Joe Kent. The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a 501c3 non-profit independent think tank working to advance individual liberty, the free market, and limited, accountable government.

Tax day is on it's way, and soon you may be paying even more. That's because an avalanche of new tax increases are moving through the legislature, and today we talk with Tom Yamachika of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii to learn more about this issue.

This episode of the Grassroot Institute with Dr. Keli'i Akina, we talk with: - Tom Yamachika, of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii - Andrew Walden, publisher of the Hawaii Free Press - Bill Bergman, director of research at Truth in Accounting - Paul Harleman, Senate Minority Budget Director - Meg Garvin, executive director at the National Crime Victim Law Institute - Ken Schoolland, Author and Economist The Grassroot Institute with Dr. Keli'i Akina is a radio show on Maui 1110 AM 96.7 FM KAOI, Maui's premiere talk radio station. The show is Maui's only free market radio talk show, hosted locally by the President of the Grassroot Institute, Dr. Keli'i Akina, and produced by Joe Kent. The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a 501c3 non-profit independent think tank working to advance individual liberty, the free market, and limited, accountable government.