New Study Shows Abercrombie-Ige Tax Hikes Leave Hawaii Far Behind

News Release from Hawaii Republican Party

A new study from over the weekend using data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows Hawaii is one of the worst states in the country when it comes to people's personal incomes after taxes paid and the cost of living -- yet another sign that the Abercrombie-Ige policy agenda is taking Hawaii in the wrong direction.

"Instead of addressing the soaring cost of living facing Hawaii's middle-class families, Senator Ige and Governor Abercrombie piled on even more taxes over the past four years, making matters worse. It's more clear than ever that the status quo is simply not an option and Hawaii needs new leadership to get back on track." -- Hawaii Republican Party Communications Advisor Ted Kwong

BACKGROUND:

A New Analysis Ranked States Based On Taxes Paid, Personal Income And Cost Of Living.  "This year for the first time, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released cost of living data for each state. Data on personal income and average taxes paid, meanwhile, has been available for a long time. Everyone knows these three metrics vary greatly by state. But what happens when you combine the three?" (Dan Dzombak, "Which States' Residents Have the Most Cash to Spend?" The Motley Fool, 10/5/14)

Hawaii Ranked In The Bottom Five Worst States. "Of the original top five, the biggest drop came from New Jersey, which fell from No. 4 in nominal per-capita disposable income to No. 11 in real per-capita disposable income, at $42,163. The $5,945 drop was matched only by New York and Hawaii, which each dropped comparable amounts. While Hawaii is one of the happiest states in the U.S., it is in the bottom five as ranked by real per-capita disposable income." (Dan Dzombak, "Which States' Residents Have the Most Cash to Spend?" The Motley Fool, 10/5/14)