Lahaina 'Settlement' behind insurance price jump?

Dear Editor,   August 20, 2024

My hurricane insurance bill was a whopping 77% more than last year -- from $742 to $1316! 

It’s like if gas was $4.66/gallon and then rose to $8.25/gallon!  Or like the Hawaii median home price of $1,150,000 jumping to $2,035,500!

When I inquired, the insurance company representative simply said the State approved the rate increase. 

Don’t think we had a recent hurricane that caused massive statewide damage, so the incredible rate increase is a mystery (or my old age forgetfulness).  So, one would suspect that the BILLIONS insurance companies are going to LOSE because of the Maui Wildfires may have something to do with it.  Somebody might not only be robbing Peter to pay Paul but murdering Mary as well.

Maybe being priced out of paradise will ACTUALLY be due to the current growing insurance crisis, especially for seniors on a fixed income.  Thank God, I’m too old for life insurance!

Leighton Loo

Mililani, Oahu

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Is it a ‘privilege’ to do business in Hawaii?

Dear Editor,  August 8, 2024

One of the things Hawaii really needs is the rephrasing of the GET rules.

It mentions that the GET is for the PRIVILEGE of doing business in Hawaii. I have had a GET license since the early 1990s and always paid my taxes. I don't consider it a privilege to do business in Hawai'i, I consider it a contribution to the tax base (even if these days a lot of my business is out of state sales through aggregators).

What would happen if everybody in Hawaii would cease doing business?

In the best case most of us would starve because the importation of food would stop - and most people would lose their paychecks.

We need easier rules and for at least the smaller businesses, less paperwork, even if most of the paperwork can be done online these days. I am one person who also has a day job - which incurs 200+ email per day. For my S corp (STVR these days) I would also like to be able to delete my withholding tax account as I don't  have employees but  I haven't been able to do so so far.

Maren Purves

Hilo, Hawaii