Letter for Friday, March 23, 2018

Mel is right about tax distribution

This letter is in support of County Council Chair Mel Rapozo’s editorial in the March 9, 2018 TGI.

I sympathize also with long-time visitor Jack Marin Sr.’s observation that it is not visitors who cause water pollution, roadway traffic congestion or island crime. The population and vehicle numbers/facts point to residents, not visitors, for traffic congestion.

My observation, like Martin’s, is that pollution is definitely caused by residents rather than visitors. You simply do not see litter on trails, beaches or roadways used by tourists. (But you do see litter on areas frequented by residents only.)

Back to TAT tax returns to counties, including Kauai: the Legislature simply must become more fair in its distribution of tax proceeds. As Rapozo’s message in TGI iterated, over the past 10 years the four counties have received from the state, only $2.2 million more in TAT funds, whereas their expenses have increased by $220 million!

This is less than a 1 percent increase in taxes in 10 years! Unconscionable! Those TAT funds collected from the tourist industry belong to the entities that collect them (i.e the counties), to mitigate the effects of those tourists (i.e necessary increase in police, fire, medical and park or road repairs for that additional usage).

I urge the County Council and Kauai representatives to the state government to continue to press for fairer distribution of taxes so that counties (especially Kauai, so dependent on tourism, compared to other businesses) have the funds collected here and needed here for structural expenses incurred by tourism.

People arrive here hoping/expecting to see Ke’e Beach, Lumahai Beach, Hanalei Beach, Waimea Canyon, Kokee Trails-bringing lots of money for that reason. As long as increases in tourism are to be encouraged, park, beach and roadway facilities should also be improved to accommodate this all-important economic asset.

Bonnie Manion, Hoopeston, Ill., a 48-year-long visitor