Hawaii fares poorly when it comes “temporary” taxes or new taxes that were promised to always stay low and targeted.
Exhibit A: the state’s “temporary” 5 percent transient accommodations tax, which now is permanent and so far up to 10.25 percent.
A new proposal — going before Hawaii voters in November for an up or down vote — would allow the state to tap into property taxes as a way to help fund the state’s education system. Its backers have promised that the rate would always be low and the revenues always targeted.
Can you believe that? If so, we have a bridge we’d like to sell you.
Thank you to Civil Beat for publishing our take on the issue, which you can read here.
