“The poor are less often dismissed, I hope, from our conscience today by being branded as inferior and incompetent… The dignity of the individual will flourish when the decisions concerning his life are in his own hands, when he has the assurance that his income is stable and certain, and when he knows that he has the means to seek self-improvement.” -Dr. Martin Luther King … [Read more...] about A Dream Deferred: A week after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the war on the poor continues
Politics
Is Regulation to Blame? Perspectives on the prevalence of out-of-state homebuyers and lack of attainable housing in Maui County
“The [Hawai‘i state] legislature pronounced that the problem of the critical shortage [of housing for low- and middle-income earners] was the high cost of housing. The causes of this high cost were said to be the ‘cost and availability of land, the cost of development, the cost and availability of financing, the cost added by government regulation, the cost and availability of … [Read more...] about Is Regulation to Blame? Perspectives on the prevalence of out-of-state homebuyers and lack of attainable housing in Maui County
Nearly Half of Maui Homes Sold in Last Decade Were Bought by Non-Residents, DBEDT Reports
Forty-eight percent of homes purchased in Maui County during the last decade were sold to buyers outside the state, according to data from the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. That’s twice the percentage of out-of-state homebuyers for Hawai‘i as a whole, which was 24 percent during the last decade according to DBEDT chief economist Eugene Tian. … [Read more...] about Nearly Half of Maui Homes Sold in Last Decade Were Bought by Non-Residents, DBEDT Reports
Decriminalization! What you need to know
Last year, Hawai‘i joined the league of states that have enacted laws to decriminalize or legalize marijuana for recreational use. According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), that makes us the 26th state (including the District of Columbia) in the union to enact such a law. HB1383, as the decriminalization bill was titled, goes into effect … [Read more...] about Decriminalization! What you need to know
Maui County Council Establishes Climate Action and Resilience Committee
In other restructuring business, the County Council established the Climate Action and Resilience Committee on Friday, Dec. 27. The new committee follows a resolution passed on Dec. 20, authored by Councilmember Kelly King, titled “Acknowledging a climate emergency and committing to an immediate just transition and emergency mobilization effort to restore a safe … [Read more...] about Maui County Council Establishes Climate Action and Resilience Committee