How a second Trump presidency could impact the pocket books of Hawaiʻi’s working families
Outside of the top 5 percent richest households, families will likely see significant tax increases, while the cost of consumer items would spike under proposed tariffs.
Census poverty data for 2023 highlights the importance of government assistance
Promising trends for families across the nation, but many continue to feel the lasting effects of widespread unemployment during the pandemic, a rising cost of living, and inadequate government assistance.
Hawaiʻi’s elected leaders buy-in to costly “trickle-down” myth
Passing an “historic” tax cut that mostly benefits the wealthiest Hawaiʻi residents is not the path to a healthy economy that works for working people.
Trickle-down estate tax break bills are bad policy for Hawaiʻi
After decades of evidence, we know “trickle-down” economics is a smokescreen to aid the wealthy in creating preferential tax policies.
Hawaiʻi is even less affordable after the pandemic
How have jobs, wages and costs changed from before the COVID pandemic compared to after? These charts show changes from 2019 to 2022 that have affected livability for Hawaiʻi residents.
Federal spending reduced overall poverty last year despite the pandemic-recession
But in Hawaiʻi, tens of thousands of residents below the poverty line still struggled to make ends meet.
Coming soon: The Hawaiʻi Budget and Policy Center
Hawaiʻi Appleseed is creating a new think tank focused on research and analysis of state budget and tax policy—the Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center (HBPC).