1X
The episode examines Hawaii's prolonged economic stagnation since 1990 and competing diagnoses of its causes. Pearl Imada Iboshi, chief economist for the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, projected long-run sustainable growth at roughly 2% and called for regulatory reform. Kathryn Bilkiss, a Honolulu businesswoman with three decades of experience in real estate, argued that a hostile business climate and high taxes were the primary problem and demanded immediate action, including resolution of the privatization contracting dispute left unresolved by the legislature. Charles Reppun, a Waiahole Valley family farmer, contended that Hawaii's economy was structurally dependent on population growth — driven largely by construction — and that pursuing indefinite growth was a dead end. Larry Johnson, chief executive officer of Bank of Hawaii and president of the Hawaii Business Roundtable, called for reducing the size of government, improving tourism quality, reforming land-use regulations, and diversifying the economy. The standing question is whether Hawaii should pursue renewed economic growth — and what kind — or restructure toward a lower-growth, sustainable model.
Transcript
Read or download the full transcript (.txt). Speaker labels were assigned automatically and may contain errors.
Companion newspaper commentaries
Commentaries by the guests, published in The Honolulu Advertiser around the broadcast.
