Some thoughts on property taxes and school funding
By Carl Bonham and James Mak Voters will soon be weighing in on a possible amendment to Hawaii’s constitution. The ballot question is, “Shall the
October 19, 2018
Blogs
Vog: Using Volcanic Eruptions to Estimate the Health Costs of Particulate
By Tim Halliday, John Lynham, and Aureo de Paula Since its inception, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States has proven itself to
August 20, 2018
Variable Pricing and the Cost of Renewable Power
By Michael Roberts How much will it cost to eliminate use of fossil fuels? There is reason for optimism. Technological progress has lowered the cost
June 19, 2018
Is the Hawaii Convention Center Profitable?
By James Mak In his testimony before the House Committee on Tourism on February 13, 2018, Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) CEO George Szegeti said “In
June 4, 2018
A Pocket Full of PIMs
By Michael Roberts In the arcane parlance of utility regulation, PIMs are “Performance Incentive Mechanisms.” This is where we’re headed because, slightly against my expectation,
May 15, 2018
Should regulators fear bond-rating agencies?
By Michael Roberts It seems that our political and administrative leaders worry about the bond rating agencies. Their fear is understandable. The cost of capital
April 23, 2018
Linking land and sea to inform ahupua‘a (ridge-to-reef) management in Hawai‘i – NSF Coastal SEES
By Jade Delevaux A community member from Haʻēna, located on the windward side of Kauaʻi (see Fig 1A), said “come” as she offered her hand
March 19, 2018
Bringing multiple values to the table in local decision making – NSF Coastal SEES
By Leah Bremer “Want to carry one up?” the natural resource management team with Limahuli gardens in Haʻēna, Kauaʻi asks us as they hand out
December 16, 2017
Bringing together energy and climate change policy
By Sherilyn Wee We hear a lot about Hawaii’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) which requires 100% of the utilities’ net electricity sales to come from
December 4, 2017
State Government Revenue Sources
State governments raise revenue from a variety of sources, with most revenue coming from personal income taxes and general sales taxes. According to the Pew
November 1, 2017
Cost-Effectiveness of Herbicide Ballistic Technology to Control Miconia in Hawaii
By James Leary, Kimberly Burnett and Christopher Wada UHERO is working with Dr. James Leary (CTAHR) to assess cost effectiveness of Herbicide Ballistic Technology (HBT)
June 5, 2017
The Role of Policy and Peers in EV Adoption
By Sherilyn Wee, Makena Coffman and Sumner LaCroix Electric vehicles (EVs) can be a cleaner means of transportation compared to cars with traditional gasoline engines.
June 2, 2017
Science and Community Engagement to Improve Water Management in Hawaii
‘Ike Wai (from the Hawaiian ‘ike, meaning knowledge, and wai, meaning water) is a five-year National Science Foundation project. The multidisciplinary research team from UH
May 23, 2017
Raising Property Taxes to Improve Public Schools
By James Mak and Carl Bonham Hawaii’s public school teachers’ union (HSTA) is back at the State Legislature this session to ask lawmakers to help find
February 3, 2017
How Many Tourists is Too Many?
By James Mak Honolulu Star Advertiser columnist, Lee Cataluna, recently asked: “How many tourists is too many tourists?” 1 Apparently, she already knew the answer.
January 26, 2017