Say no to surcharge
I read Mr. Hooser’s article about the “surcharge on investment properties” to support education.
It’s called a “surcharge” but to me it sounds like a tax.
I worry that if the surcharge/tax is on investment properties, doesn’t this include apartment buildings?
Can someone clarify how much the investment properties will be taxed/surcharged? Fifty percent tax increase? One hundred percent? One hundred and fifty percent?
Hawaii Legislature is known for gut-and-replace legislation.
Hawaii is also one of the most heavily taxed states, and taxes never decrease or go away.
Perhaps that is why taxpayers are saying “No” to more and more taxes.
I am all for improving education in Hawaii, but I need to see why all the taxpayer money we currently pay isn’t working?
Hawaii taxpayers are ranked in the Top 15 states on how much we pay for education.
Is an apartment building an investment property?
How much is the surcharge going to be?
Has the state ever tapped into property taxes on any of the islands before?
For now, I am voting no.
M. Martin, Lihue
DOE audit long overdue
Thursday’s article regarding the proposed amendment to create a surcharge tax to support Hawaii’s public schools was an eye-opener. How can a state have a $2 billion a year budget item (DOE) and not have an annual audit? Where are our legislators?
Do our legislators think that their only job is to spend our money? They are the planners, caretakers and verifiers of every state and federal dollar that is spent by the state entities. Can it be true that in creating bills and budgets they have failed to create the means by which these funds are monitored?
Unconscionable. Yet here we are again. The Garden Island reports that it has been since 2003 that any form of audit has been done, and it has been not since 1973 that a comprehensive audit has been performed in this department.
I doubt that there is a $2 million (versus $2 billion) business organization in the state that does not have an annual audit with a written audit report wherein each department head is called to respond to the audit, make appropriate changes and/or face job loss should the findings show serious mismanagement. Let’s get this fixed.
There is no doubt that our teachers deserve to be paid well and commensurate with the job they are doing, but I think they and their union should be looking to the state to assure them that there are no monies being wasted in areas that do not serve the teachers and the students. Let’s first look at what we are doing with the funds we have.
How many good-sense responses to the perceived effect of this proposed amendment does the Legislature need to recognize the need to create a more-well-thought-out plan for the future funding of our school system? When will the state create an audit process that is ongoing for this and all state-funded departments?
Doris Jaynes, Wailua
Hawaii is taxed to death because it produces nothing, and still, for some unholy reason, has not gotten out from under the Jones Act.
Taxing the residents, and taxing to death the Tourists, produces more government (produce nothing) jobs.
Thank you Mr. Martin and Doris!! Excellent letters and voices of reason!
How can this be? Elders will be draining the state welfare funds. No left for their kids. True. $10,000 dollars is my price. Pay me.
So many give this following lip service while attempting to appear noble:
“There is no doubt that our teachers deserve to be paid well and commensurate with the job they are doing”
Then…………wait for it………….”BUT WE’RE JUST NOT GOING TO DO IT!”
or words to that same effect.
As a former state auditor I can assure you that without proper accounting procedures and annual audits the fox is indeed guarding the hen house. There can be no excuse for this other than the powers that be don’t want to be exposed. The last Kauai auditor uncovered significant discrepancies and misappropriations. As I recall he was dismissed for his efforts. There needs to be an independent audit by a reputable CPA firm of Kauai’s records and the results made public.
He was dismissed for being a crook!