Senator Ige Can't Be Trusted On Pension Taxes

David Ige Was For Pension Taxes Before He Was Against Them

News Release from Hawaii Republican Party

HONOLULU (October 28, 2014) -- Throughout the campaign, Senator David Ige has sought to reinvent himself despite his 29 year record of raising taxes that make the cost of living even worse for Hawaii families. This includes a tax on pensions, which Senator Ige had welcomed numerous times before he was against it during an election year.

"Senator Ige is trying to undergo an election year conversion, but his record of raising taxes and making the cost of living worse for Hawaii's middle-class families is clear. Four more years of Senator Ige's same failed policies will not grow the economy and make Hawaii more affordable." --Hawaii Republican Party Communications Advisor Ted Kwong

BACKGROUND:

During The Most Recent Debate, Senator Ige Admitted He Considered A Pension Tax Before He Decided Against It. "I take responsibility for the fact -- when I became chair, the deficit was 200 million. Within three months it had grown to $1.2 billion in a $5 billion budget. It was clear to me that we had to look at all options. So yes I did look at the pension tax as an option. I did look at raising the GET tax." (Senator David Ige, Hawaii News Now Debate, 10/15/14)

Senator Ige Welcomed A Pension Tax As Part Of His Senate Budget In 2011. "The Senate, like the House and Abercrombie, would rely on separate revenue-generating bills to balance the budget and close the deficit. Ige said the Senate’s plan will likely include the repeal of a state income tax deduction, a pension tax, a limit on hotel-room tax revenue that goes to the counties and an increase in the liquor tax. Today the Ways and Means Committee will hear a bill that would raise the general excise tax and temporarily suspend GET exemptions on certain business activities. The two options are the largest sources of potential new revenue to lower the deficit."(Derrick DePledge, "Furlough days stay in Senate budget," Honolulu Star Advertiser, 4/6/11)

Senator Ige Once Sponsored A Measure To Tax Seniors' Pensions In 2003. (SB438, 1/17/03)

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Senator Ige Can't Be Trusted On The General Excise Tax

David Ige Was For Raising The GET Before He Was Against It

News Release from Hawaii Republican Party

HONOLULU (October 29, 2014) -- Throughout the campaign, Senator David Ige has sought to reinvent himself despite his 29 year record of raising taxes that make the cost of living even worse for Hawaii families. This includes trying to raise the General Excise Tax, which affects nearly everyone and adds to the cost of food, medicine and clothing, among other family essentials.

"Before it was an election year, Senator Ige was more than willing to raise the general excise tax on groceries, medicine and clothing among other things. Clearly, Senator Ige cannot be trusted to lower the cost of living when he tried to make it even worse for Hawaii's middle-class families and small businesses." --Hawaii Republican Party Communications Advisor Ted Kwong

BACKGROUND:

During The Most Recent Debate, Senator Ige Admitted He Considered Raising The GET Before He Decided Against It. "I take responsibility for the fact -- when I became chair, the deficit was 200 million. Within three months it had grown to $1.2 billion in a $5 billion budget. It was clear to me that we had to look at all options. So yes I did look at the pension tax as an option. I did look at raising the GET tax." (Senator David Ige, Hawaii News Now Debate, 10/15/14)

• "The strangest twist is that Ige, during the debate over how to close the deficit in 2011, did try to advance an increase in the general-excise tax, which would have had far greater economic impact than a pension tax." (Derrick DePledge, "Admits," Honolulu Star Advertiser, 10/27/14)

• “Tomorrow morning the Senate Ways and Means Committee will hear a bill — HB 793 — that includes both a GET increase and the suspension of exemptions. The two options involve the largest potential sources of new revenue to close a projected two-year budget deficit estimated at about $1.3 billion. The bill would raise the general excise tax — the state’s largest source of revenue — by 1 percentage point for two years, roughly a 25 percent increase.” (Derrick DePledge and B.J. Reyes, “Budget talk turns to tax,” Honolulu Star Advertiser, 4/5/11)

• “A few senators have privately questioned why the Senate has forced a politically sensitive GET debate when both Abercrombie and the House appear adamant. The tax has not been raised statewide since 1965, and, because of its broad application and regressive nature, a potential increase causes public outcry every time it comes up as an option.” (Derrick DePledge and B.J. Reyes, “Budget talk turns to tax,” Honolulu Star Advertiser, 4/5/11)

The General Excise Tax Affects Over 99 Percent Of Personal Income. “Hawaii has the broadest sales tax in the United States, but it taxes many products multiple times and, by one estimate, ultimately taxes 99.21 percent of the state's personal income. This base is far wider than the national median, where the sales tax base applies to 34.46 percent of personal income.”(Scott Drenkard, Liz Emanuel and Jordan Yahiro, “State and Local Sales Tax Rates Midyear 2014,” Tax Foundation, 9/16/14)

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