Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Rail Tax Hike: How They Voted
By Andrew Walden @ 1:14 AM :: 6644 Views :: Honolulu County, Rail, Taxes

HB134 passed the House and Senate Tuesday May 5, 2015 and is headed to Governor Ige's desk.  The bill provides for a five year extension of the GE Tax override to pay for the Honolulu rail project.  If Ige signs HB134 into law, the 0.5% GE Tax hike will be extended from its current 2022 sunset to 2027.

HB134: Text, Status

Reauthorizes the counties' authority to establish a county surcharge on state tax for a limited time period, with the surcharge to be effective until 12/31/2027, if adopted. Requires counties to adopt an ordinance to establish or extend a surcharge prior to 7/1/2016. Limits the use of surcharge revenues by counties that have already established a county surcharge on state tax to capital costs. Expands the definition of capital costs for counties with a population greater than 500,000. Amends the definition of "public lands" to include the air rights over any portion of state land upon which a county mass transit project is developed after 7/11/2005. (HB134 CD1)

  *   *   *   *   *

5/5/2015 Senate -- Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1).

21 Ayes; (including with reservations)

3 Ayes with reservations: Senators Gabbard, Ihara, Shimabukuro.

4 Noes: Senators Riviere, Slom, L. Thielen, Wakai.

0 Excused: none.

  *   *   *   *   *

5/5/2015 House -- Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1

39 Ayes; (including with reservations)

1 Aye with reservations: Representative Cullen;

12 Noes: Representatives Brower, Johanson, Kobayashi, Kong, C. Lee, Lowen, Nishimoto, Ohno, San Buenaventura, Thielen, Tupola, Ward

none excused (0).

  *   *   *   *   *

VIDEO Statements:

Ige: Rail Tax Hike would 'Condone Mismanagement'

April 6, 2015: Hawaii Gov. David Ige isn’t saying whether he will approve or veto any extension of a General Excise Tax surcharge that is being earmarked for Honolulu’s $6 billion rail project.

But he does acknowledge that he’s worried an estimated $910 million shortfall in construction costs will continue to balloon. And he’s not sure taxpayers should be penalized for potential mismanagement.

At an editorial board meeting with Civil Beat editors and reporters last week, Ige noted that until very recently rail project officials had assured the public that the project was on time and within budget. But a few months ago, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation officials said the project was coming up significantly short of money.

“There’s a big difference between on budget and on schedule and a $1 billion shortfall,” Ige said. “That’s a concern. An extension would essentially embrace the notion that if in fact the project was mismanaged from a financial perspective, that we are authorizing or condoning that activity.” ...

Like lawmakers, Ige wants to see the city take more ownership of the project and its finances. At the very least, he said it should be a point of debate since the project is funded with state and federal money.

“They’re seeking an extension to the tax so that we can pay cash for the project,” Ige said. “(But) the City Council has talked about floating bonds as short-term financing. Should we have a conversation that the city can be floating bonds to fund a portion of the construction costs rather than paying all cash for the project?”

read ... Condoning Mismanagement

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT