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  • #31
    Re: New public transportation will raise taxes

    The US House of Representatives just approved a transportation bill that will bring Hawai'i $32 million in highway money that the State badly needs. Among the items scheduled for funding include $7 million for repairs to the H-1, $3 million to widen the Queen Kaahumanu Highway on the Big Island, and $3 million for another bypass on Kauai. The money is also supposed to be used for construction of a light rail system in Honolulu, although no specific amount was given.

    This means that the State and City and County governments are going to have to ante up some money from their budgets too, since most federal funding is contingent upon the State contributing a portion of money too.

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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    • #32
      No New Taxes: Rail We Do Not Need It!!!!!!!!!

      HOTway Costs Far Less, Carries Far More

      As posted to HawaiiReporter.com


      (emphasis added)

      Do we need it? Can we afford? Can we maintain it? Those are the right questions and should be answered by tough-minded financial analysis rather than wishful thinking.

      The National Tax Foundation’s Business Tax Climate Index rates Hawaii as the worst state in the Union. And we are already the fourth highest taxed state per capita in the nation. Can the average hard-working taxpayer with two jobs afford an increase of $900 a year?

      Read the complete piece
      at this link.


      ________________________________

      Liberals want to take away more of your personal funds. Always.

      I'm still here. Are you?

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      • #33
        GET Increase ?

        Evidently the bill that would've raised the GET statewide has died. But the
        sister bill House Bill 1309 is still alive. The latter bill would give the counties
        the right to increase GET.

        If you want to voice your opinion against this.....

        http://www.hawaiirealtors.com/misc_s...excise_tax.asp
        Check out my blog on Kona issues :
        The Kona Blog

        Comment


        • #34
          Re: GET Increase? NO!

          The Hawaii Realtors are going all out with a media campaign to get people to tell their legislators that they don't want a general excise tax increase. Look for their ad with a bag of rice on it soon.


          I'm still here. Are you?

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          • #35
            Re: GET Increase? NO!

            Lawmakers on the Verge of Raising State G.E. Taxes

            This article posted today at HawaiiReporter.com:

            Twelve of 15 members of the Senate Ways and Means committee, chaired by Sen. Brian Taniguchi, D-Manoa, voted yesterday to increase Hawaii’s general excise tax by 12.5 percent to fund a fixed rail system on Oahu.

            Those who voted for the measure in the WAM committee include Democrat Sens. Brian Taniguchi, Shan Tsutsui, Kalani English, Wil Espero, Carol Fukunaga, Gary Hooser, Lorraine Inouye, Brian Kanno, Donna Kim, Russell Kokubun, Clarence Nishihara, and Norman Sakamoto. All of the Republicans on the committee opposed the measure and spoke out against it including Sens. Fred Hemmings, Sam Slom and Gordon Trimble.

            The bill earlier passed the state House with House members voting to increase the G.E. Tax by 25 percent.

            Hawaii already has the overall highest tax burden in the nation and one of the highest costs of living.

            Are the lawmakers who voted for this tax increase, which affects every level of sale on goods and services in Hawaii, heroes or scoundrels?

            You vote and let them know what you think.
            Go to this link and cast your vote.


            I'm still here. Are you?

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            • #36
              Raising taxes for O'ahu's Rails

              Why should taxpayers on the neighbor islands pay for O'ahu's rail system? By raising taxes it's exactly what we will do. O'ahu's traffic problem is bad, but it should be a city problem ...not the State. 900.00 a year is a lot for a train I won't use.
              Listen to KEITH AND THE GIRLsigpic

              Stupid people come in all flavors-buzz1941
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              • #37
                Re: Tax Hike for Rail?

                Hi Mel...Hi Miulang, well this sure turned into a festive thread

                Being from both Honolulu and the Big Island now I can see the valid points from both sides.

                Whether Oahu needs a rail system or not, something needs to be done with it's growing population and major congestion (#1 reason why I left Oahu for the open spaces of the Big Island) and funding has to come from somewhere.

                Private transit? Well we all know how Hawaii attacks new transit ventures (i.e. Super Ferry) and other business start ups. It is hard to start a business here in Hawaii without being taxed to hell.

                Public transit? Mel's arguement seems to point out the deficiencies in this approach.

                Public/Private transit? Yeah like our bus system (MTL). I was a juror involved in a civil whistleblower case against one MTL manager against the corporation. The evidence that was presented and later restricted blew my mind to the point where having a private company manage a government funded operation wreaks of greedy hands in the til.

                So who? Well unfortunately it has to be the Government if nobody steps up.

                But I did vote against raising the GET to fund the rail program simply as Aloha Bear and Mel indicated: We on the neighbor islands will have to help fund a transit system that we won't be able to utilize. If there should be any government funding it should come primarily from the county for which that transit system will benefit (with the aid of federal monies)

                Yes that means that Deep Pocket C&C of Honolulu won't be there to help subsidize outer island projects but hey that's the downside and you just gotta live with it.

                If Honolulu doesn't want to bear the burden alone then Honolulu has to figure out a way to reduce it's transit woes.

                When I used to ride TheBus to work I've always lamented that why should a middle-aged man in the Tax Gap Group (in other words pays the highest taxes) have to pay full fare on the bus and have to stand in the bus to get to work?

                There should be more buses during peak hours to accomodate more comfortable seating and a law that requires all passengers to be seated when the bus is moving. That way everybody gets a seat and would make public transportation (the bus) more viable.

                Adding a few more buses during these times would cost Honolulu a whole lot less and encourage motorists like myself to ride it.

                The problem with rail is that it's fixed and you cannot change it's route if the population density moves.

                On the flip side though, the arguement that a lot of motorists need their cars to pick up and drop off their kids in town when they live in Kapolei is kinda weak. Just take a look at motorists who are sitting in the parking lot known as H1/H2...they're alone in their cars. No kids there only one person. Then look at them again in the afternoon rush...same thing.

                Rail would work for those individuals who just go to work then go home. But like improving the sewer and sidewalks in front of your own home, that cost should be aimed at those who will benefit from it.

                Someone (editorial in the Honolulu Advertiser) even advocated limiting population growth! Yeah that's an easy answer keep people from moving to Hawaii or from having kids? Maybe that lady should start the movement by moving out of her house and out of Hawaii. If she thought that was such a great idea why isn't she implimenting it?

                Is there an answer? If I could answer that million dollar question then I'd be Mayor of Honolulu. Go ask Mufi...it's his job to have that answer, Mel, Miulang we can only suggest and maybe someone will see the virtues in your statements and can work with them to find a viable solution to this decades old problems of mass transit in Honolulu. Remember F.A.R.T.? Fasi Area Rapid Transit (mocking SFO's B.A.R.T)? When Frank Fasi was our beloved mayor back then, he advocated a rail system that long ago.

                For now my personal solution was to make the move away from Honolulu to do my part in relieving congestion there. Really though we need to de-urbanize Honolulu and get more working people to work closer to where they live. Kapolei was supposed to be that answer as the second city, however anyone driving townbound facing the sun in the morning then Ewa bound facing that same sun in the afternoon will tell you it ain't happening.

                Okay Mufi, you got four years to do something about it. Let's see you earn your paycheck.
                Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Re: Tax Hike for Rail?

                  Yikes. We have the same problem up here. The State Legislature just voted to increase our gas taxes by 9.5 cents over the next 3 years so we can rehabilitate 2 major thoroughfares that mostly benefit King County (Seattle and Bellevue) residents. And the people of Eastern WA are raising all kinds of cane...just like the Neighbor Islanders are...because they get to pay the taxes and don't get the benefit. Eastern WA people would like to cecede from the State of WA and start their own state (current proposed name: Cascadia) because their needs and concerns are so different from those of the more urban western WA. I can emphathize with the farmers, etc. but one fact still remains: NOBODY SAID LIFE IS FAIR.

                  One thing most people don't realize is that big city folks also help subsidize those in smaller towns too. Take phone service, for instance. The reason the land line phone rates are equal for everyone for the same set of services whether they live in Honolulu or Kahalu'u is because the people in the city are helping to subsidize the cost of the service to areas where it's not profitable for the phone company to operate otherwise. Businesses subsidize all residential phone customers because they pay higher rates for basic service. You would not have universal phone services if it was not for the city dwellers and business owners.

                  The acceptance of "urban villages" really is growing. Why would you want to have to commute for hours to get to a job and then commute all the way back home if you could find a job and all the essential services you require on a daily basis in your own neighborhood?

                  The reason why subdivisions became the norm was because cars became cheaper and we were all programmed into believing that the American Dream was a home with a yard and a white picket fence around it. Sprawlinization required more land, and available land was farther and farther away from the city core. As more and more people moved into the suburbs, they spent less time in town outside of their work hours, so small businesses began to fail because fewer people patronized them. It was more "convenient" to drive x miles to a megamall and do all your shopping in one place than it was to have to visit several businesses which might be blocks away from each other.

                  As I said before, the "village" I live in is 20 minutes north of Seattle, but I have banks, McD, a department store, a library, 3 supermarkets, multiple restaurants, schools and a somewhat decent bus line (soon to be a monorail stop too), 3 Starbucks, antique stores, car repair shops and other small retail businesses, gas stations, and 2 hospitals within 3 miles of me. When the time comes for me to permanently garage the car, I can hop on the bike and get to anything I need.

                  If the CC of Honolulu is smart, they will turn Kapolei into a true city that has all the services that Honolulu has so people can find work and live in Kapolei without putting undue stress on your already stress-filled roads.

                  Miulang

                  P.S. Here is a question to the neighbor islanders who think it unfair to spend $900 annually on a service that they can't use: what if you paid the $900 annually to your own county government so they could beef up public transportation on your island? Would that be more palatable? Because you know you have traffic problems, too.
                  "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                  • #39
                    Re: Tax Hike for Rail?

                    And that additional 9.5 cents is over and above what I pay in sales tax every year for my car (this year the bill was $531), which is also supposed to be funding public transportation up here.

                    Miulang
                    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Re: Tax Hike for Rail?

                      Hawaii's sales Tax is one of the lowest in the Nation. When I go to California I pay 8+% for sales tax, Nevada 6+%. Why can't we raise our sales tax to, say 7% and provide a calculated credit that will make the additional 3% a wash when we file for Hawaii State Taxes. In essence, we will be placing the buren on the tourists. The opposition will say that it will hurt tourism, but think about it, does anyone decide not to go to California because their sales tax is 8%? I don't think so. Additionally, we will be somewhere in the middle, just not at the low end where we are now. We can make this tax effective statewide and make the tax credit to Hawaii Residents filing their tax returns Statewide too. I'm sure it's not all that simple, but we should be looking more into those lines.
                      Whoa, Mista Buss Driva, eh, you can stop the buss o wat?

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                      • #41
                        Re: Tax Hike for Rail?

                        First off the GET tax isn't a sales tax as we all mistakenly apply. Second yes our sales tax is lower than most, however it's the cost of goods due to shipping which makes products here higher than the mainland average prices. Raising the GET will burden those Title I families who have little income to spend. My feeling is if we do raise the GET, then we exempt things like food and prescriptions alone so the poor can afford to eat and be medicated.

                        Aaron, remember your thread on Home Depot on DHHL lands? Wasn't there an issue with High-cost loop phone service and a waiver that allowed that other company to come in and provide phone service there? What was that waiver for? This is regarding Miulang's comments on the cost of phone service.

                        One thing I do understand is that all taxes won't benefit all taxpayers, however for such a massive undertaking, raising the GET to cover a very limited transit system seems unfair. When using the example of phone service, at least you get to use that service despite having a larger county pay for most of it. There is some equity in there unlike rail.

                        No I still stand on my position that the outer islands shouldn't have to pay for a system they'll never use, NEVER USE. Now a ferry service yeah I can see raising the GET to have that, all counties can benefit from it (Including Maui County if they get their act together).

                        Yes life is unfair however at least we in the United States have a voice. Voting for raising the GET isn't good and the consequences for our elected officials to do so will be seen in the next elections.
                        Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Re: Tax Hike for Rail?

                          Firstly I'm STRONGLY opposed to any GET increase. I have tried
                          to drill that home with my legislators. GET gets applied to any service, product
                          you purchase here in Hawaii. Besides that I don't want to be financing something on Oahu.... gimme a break....


                          "Aaron, remember your thread on Home Depot on DHHL lands? Wasn't there an issue with High-cost loop phone service and a waiver that allowed that other company to come in and provide phone service there? What was that waiver for? This is regarding Miulang's comments on the cost of phone service.


                          I don't know how this fits into the GET increase discussion, but for starters...
                          it wasn't about Home Depot on DHHL lands. It was about Home Depot using
                          Sandwich Isles Communications for telephone service.

                          I'm strongly opposed SIC project on the grounds it is a waste of taxpayer funds and the fact that after complete it will create a disparity between
                          DHHL and non-DHHL lands. DHHL lands will get Fiber-optic connections to the home while non-DHHL areas won't have FTTH.
                          Check out my blog on Kona issues :
                          The Kona Blog

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                          • #43
                            Re: Tax Hike for Rail?

                            Boosting the GET to an even five would at least make it easier to calculate. What the heck is this 4.16666666666 crap anyway? But since a GET is a compounding tax - charged on a product or service every step of the way, sometimes a handful of times before it gets to the consumer - I wish we'd at least add the usual exemptions for food and health care.

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Re: Tax Hike for Rail?

                              Originally posted by pzarquon
                              BWhat the heck is this 4.16666666666 crap anyway?
                              It is because its a "sellers tax" not "buyers tax" . Thus as far as I understand
                              why the tax is .041666 is because the sellers have to charge 4% of 4% of
                              the selling price to pay their state tax obligations.


                              http://starbulletin.com/2003/03/16/news/story6.html

                              Now here's where it gets tricky. Some merchants will sell you the $100 item, and add on a tax of $4.16.

                              The reason is that the excise tax is the seller's tax, not the buyer's tax as it would be in most states, counties and cities across the nation that charge a "sales tax" on the final retail sale of an item.

                              At the close of the business day, the Hawaii merchant adds up his gross receipts, including the amount he added onto the sales ticket as "tax," and then multiplies his total by 4 percent to determine how much he owes the state.

                              That means the $100 he got for the item, plus the $4 tax he added to total $104 times 4 percent to equal $4.16 he owes the state
                              Check out my blog on Kona issues :
                              The Kona Blog

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                              • #45
                                Re: Tax Hike for Rail?

                                The following link contains a brief explanation of the GE Tax from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii:

                                http://www.tfhawaii.org/taxes/get.html

                                Here's a PDF direct from the State Dept. of Taxation on the GE Tax:

                                http://www.state.hi.us/tax/brochures/ge_bro.pdf

                                No matter which it is, a tax increase is a tax increase. More money out of your pocket and more money into the coffers of government.

                                Call, fax or email your legislator. Tell them to vote "no" on HB 1309 & HB 1645.


                                No New Taxes Hawaii | HAR - Oppose the GE Tax Increase!
                                I'm still here. Are you?

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