Minimum wage hike bill advances, but critics say it’s still not enough
A bill to hike Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage is moving to the full house, but critics say it still falls short of what a person needs to live in the 50th state.
Civil Cafe 2020 legislative preview rehashes minimum wage, homelessness
While it is terrific that state legislators acknowledge that the cost of living is out of reach for most Hawaiʻi residents, it is also clear that the proposed $13 an hour is not a “livable wage.”
Advocates rally at the Capitol to demand higher minimum wage
Signs read, “Don’t make me leave Hawaiʻi,” echoing the frustration from advocates for raising the minimum.
Hawaiʻi’s economy will benefit from a higher minimum wage
Opponents can only make disingenuous arguments that rely on irrelevant information.
PHOCUSED joins forces with Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center
Together, the organizations will jointly pursue policy changes that benefit Hawai‘i’s most vulnerable populations.
The Conversation: Preparing for a slowing economy
Hawaiʻi's leaders ought to be preparing for the next economic recession now, according to Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center's Beth Giesting.
Hawaiʻi has one of the lowest poverty rates in the U.S.—until you factor in the cost of living
The Census Bureau's supplemental poverty report, which considers additional factors in like the cost of living, places Hawaiʻi at the 13th highest poverty rate in the nation.
High costs make Hawaiʻi’s poverty rate higher than U.S. average
New census data shows that the poverty rate is down from last year but that Hawaiʻi residents still struggle with the high costs of housing and other necessities.
Longtime social justice champion celebrates well-deserved retirement
Victor Geminiani, a longtime champion for Hawaiʻi’s poor and vulnerable, retires.
Clinics worry new immigration rules are pushing patients to avoid the doctor
An upcoming Trump administration policy would deny green cards to people who use public benefits like Medicaid. Local health care clinics are feeling the ripple effect.
Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center founder-exec director to retire
Hawaiʻi Appleseed announces the retirement of Victor Geminiani, its co-founder and longtime executive director, after a 50-year public interest law career.
Champion of legal aid to Hawaiʻi’s poor announces retirement
After a 50-year career in public interest law and advocacy, Hawaiʻi Appleseed co-director Victor Geminiani announced on Wednesday that he will retire Aug. 31.
The Conversation: Lessons from the Great Recession
Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Director Beth Giesting reviews the response to and fallout from the Great Recession, and how we can prepare for the next one.
Beth Giesting discusses the funding of pensions for government workers
One of the biggest items the State of Hawaiʻi has to fund, is pensions for government workers. Public workers and retirees make up 11 percent of the state’s adult population.
Close gap between low wages, housing
Given that Hawaiʻi has the highest cost of living in the nation, in real terms we pay our workers the lowest wages compared to any other state.
Shifting salaries
Federal overtime rules were established to protect employees from being asked to work long hours without pay, yet low-wage workers doing managerial, administrative or professional duties as salaried employees could be taken advantage of by a loophole in the overtime requirement.
Isle incomes increase along with home costs
Hawaiʻi incomes are on the rise, but so is the state’s cost of living and especially the housing costs, which remain the highest in the country.
Census data ranks Hawaiʻi 9th highest for poverty
When you figure in the cost of living, Hawaiʻi’s poverty rate skyrockets from 11 percent of the population to nearly 17 percent, or 1 in 6 residents.
Many remain unemployed despite lots of job openings
The Appleseed report provides a broader vision on how to break the downward cycle: get more money into the hands of poor people, because they usually live so close to the financial edge that the smallest problem can lead to a crisis.