 Aloha, I'm Kaley Akina, although I'm a trustee in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and President of the Grassroot Institute, the views in this commentary are exclusively my own and do not necessarily represent those of any institution. Earlier this year, the Grassroot Institute pointed out that the state legislature had discovered a new tactic for meeting its financial obligations, passing the costs on to the county budgets. Now, Isle counties are about to feel the pinch. The good news is that there's a concerted effort in place to pay down Hawaii's unfunded liabilities and meet its pension obligations. This includes an increase in contributions which will help offset the impact of the increased payments required. However, Act 17, signed by Governor Ege this year, requires counties, not just the state, to step up payments to the pension fund. This means that island counties will undergo a series of increased pension payments. For example, in fiscal year 2017, Honolulu County paid $125 million, but in 2018 they'll need to pay $137 million. That number will increase to $148 million in 2019, $172 million in 2020, and a whopping $193 million in 2021. Now in just five years, the amount Honolulu will have to pay will go up by 50%. Between fiscal 2018 and 2021, Honolulu will pay an extra $150 million. The same kind of payment increases will happen in all counties in the Aloha state, which leads to the all-important question, where will the money come from? For years, we've warned that the state's unfunded liabilities can only be met by cutting services and or raising taxes. Realistically, it's going to require both, and Hawaii citizens are likely to see a series of tax increases before the county begins to tighten its belt. Already, counties across the state have raised taxes. In theory, this was for better services, but simple math demonstrates that something will have to give. Either the counties and the state will have to limit the growth of government spending or taxes will continue to spiral out of control. For a long time, Hawaii's policymakers have tried to avoid this reckoning. Those who are ready to take measures to deal with the unfunded liabilities should be commended for tackling the problem. But there are some unpleasant truths still ahead for any politician who thinks they can keep promising expensive new programs while the state is trying to get its financial house in order. I'm Kili Ikeena, Aloha.