Layoffs and Taxes -- Senate budget proposal raids hotel tax, foresees counties imposing sales levy

The Senate Ways and Means Committee yesterday approved its version of the state budget, which cuts the original Lingle administration budget by $1.9 billion.

The budget is partially balanced by taking the hotel room tax that usually goes to the counties.

To replace that, Senate leaders are proposing, in House Bill 1605, to permit the counties to raise their own money with a new tax.

Budget scenarios from both the House and Senate envision layoffs of more than 300 state workers. The House version would eliminate 375, and the Senate 315.  Yesterday, Sen. Donna Kim, Ways and Means Committee chairwoman, said in the committee hearing that the effort was to preserve jobs for those who provide direct services to the public.

Kim said those losing jobs would be "exempt, special assistants and PR types."

Advertiser:  Draft budget includes job, spending cuts; separate bills would raise taxes , Nonprofits rally for funds

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Chances weaken for passage of altered civil union measure

After a 45-minute Democratic caucus yesterday, Senate Vice President Russell Kokubun was tasked with polling the 23 Democratic members to see if there was support for any more action on the issue this year.

"I would say it is less than 50-50," Kokubun said when asked about the chances of the bill moving ahead.  Noting that the bill is still alive for consideration next year, Kokubun said he thinks that "time is running out for any amendment."

Sen. Brian Taniguchi, Judiciary Committee chairman, said "there are a lot of obstacles" to reviving the same-sex or civil-union issue this year.

The Legislature is set to adjourn May 7. According to internal legislative timetables, House bills to be voted on in the Senate have to be ready by Tuesday.

Supporters like state Board of Education member Kim Coco Iwamoto spent yesterday lobbying senators.  The proposed amendment would open civil unions to any two unrelated people and take out references to marriage.  Hanabusa said yesterday that the renewed interest in the measure came after the meeting with Iwamoto.

(DoE is fighting for $$$ in the budget and what is Mr KimCoco Iwamoto doing???)

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LA Times: Hawaii, suffering tourism drop appeals to Obama

In a letter to Obama last month, Gov. Linda Lingle and 95 government leaders, business owners and tourism officials urged the president to block any policies that would limit business travel in the future.
Lingle said that since Jan. 1, 132 meetings and business trips had been canceled for this year and next, representing a loss of 87,003 room nights. The cancellations amount to losses of $58.8 million in direct revenue and 694 full- and part-time jobs in the state's tourism industry, according to the letter.

RELATED: Gov. Lingle, LtGov Duke Aiona, Mayors, tourism industry leaders urge Pres. Obama to support business travel

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Be careful in listing tax delinquents' names online

The department sent letters to 41 of them who are in arrears of a total of $23 million, asking them to meet their obligations or work out plans to clear their debts to keep their names off online display....However, it is essential that officials don't list someone by mistake. Government power to use information about taxpayers should be wielded with caution.

(There must be some Legislators on that list....)

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Pork Dreams: More than $100M in earmarks for Hawaii sought in U.S. House

(While layoffs and tax increases are coming, here is what the Hawaii Democrat Congressional Delegation is focused on....)

Some of Hawai'i's top earmark requests for the 2010 budget include: