Hawaiʻi nonprofits want more say in how state spends federal virus aid
More than 60 nonprofits want the state to expand its safety net to help immigrants and other marginalized groups.
5 questions with retired head of the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center, Victor Geminiani
Our state and county leaders have critical work ahead to deliver on those values. Let’s hope we put ones in who are ready to chart the future we all want.
Aim higher for Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage
Job losses have not been linked to past raises. The EITC has not sufficiently offset poverty levels. Nearly half the population barely gets by.
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.
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.
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.
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.