The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. I magine what would happen if a genie came up to you and said, “Here’s a pot of money for you. All you need to do is spend it by the end of the year. If you don’t, whatever you haven’t …

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. T wo weeks ago, in this space, we discussed the unemployment tax and insurance system and how employers are likely to be hit with a significant and automatic rate increase at the end of this year. For many nonprofit …

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. O ur Legislature has reconvened and has adjourned for the year.  If you blinked and missed it, you probably are not alone.  This year, there was a huge focus on passing only essential items.  As a result, only 86 …

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. I f you are one of the lucky people who have managed to buy an electric vehicle and get a special plate for it, you probably know that several benefits came with that special plate, including the ability to …

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. M ultiple readers have asked about unemployment insurance and how it is going to fare after the pandemic.  This will give you an idea of how the system works. State unemployment insurance (SUI) is largely funded by employers.  Most …

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. S everal articles in this space have been about features in Governor Ige’s emergency proclamations.  We are now on the tenth one and counting, which makes us wonder about the 60-day limit written into the emergency powers statutes (see …

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. This week we’ll look at another general excise tax exemption that the State Auditor has put under the microscope in Report No. 20-05. It affects the construction industry, and the price tag the Auditor put on it, based on 2018 …

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. Y ou may remember back in the 1992 U.S. Presidential campaign, independent businessman and candidate Ross Perot argued, on live TV:  “We have got to stop sending jobs overseas. It’s pretty simple: If … you can move your factory …

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. Our Legislature will be reopening soon, and some lawmakers are undoubtedly thinking of ways to make our budget balance because the grim reality is that much of our economic engine has ground to a halt and is no longer spinning out …

The opinions and information expressed in the Community Viewpoint are solely those of the authors and not the MAUIWatch Community Network. T his week our Legislature will be recessing after working on one of its important tasks:  figuring out how to spend $1 billion of federal money that is being made available to Hawaii under the CARES Act. This federal …