SBH Sunrise
May 26, 2005
Malia Zimmerman
HawaiiReporter.com
Inside this Issue!
Business Battle Tax Hike
Small Business Views
SBH Sunrise May 28
Legislature Fails Business
Small Business Needs Help
Letter to Governor Lingle
Legislators Meddle
Culture of Fear
SBH Home Page
NO NEW TAXES!
See photos here.
SBH CONFERENCE
PHOTOS
GALLERY 1
GALLERY 2
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Small Business News
May 2005 | Top of the News
Hundreds of people turned out for the No New Taxes Rally sponsored by KHVH radio at the State Capitol. SBH's Darlyn Evangelista gets into the spirit of things with her 2 signs. Unfortunately, the legislature passed HB 1309 that will allow the counties to increase the general excise tax by 25% to fund fixed rail and other transportation projects. More photos at this link.
Business Battle Against GE Tax Hike
By Malia Zimmerman, HawaiiReporter
Lawmakers continue to ignore thousands of people and community groups who sent letters demanding they don’t increase the state’s General Excise Tax (GET) — or give the counties the right to do so — to fund a $2.6 billion rapid transit system for which lawmakers have no plans and no federal funding.
Lawmakers fast-tracked proposals that would increase the state’s General Excise Tax by 25 percent, from 4 cents to 5 cents per dollar, despite the fact that Hawaii already has the highest overall tax burden in the nation.
However, momentum is building locally and in the nation’s Capitol against these lawmakers, including those who signed a pledge with the Americans for Tax Reform promising never to raise taxes while in their elected office.
Groups, which have consistently rallied against the tax increase since it was introduced this session under HB 1309, are uniting to fight the proposals. Organizations span the spectrum from liberal to conservative and include the Americans for Tax Reform, National Taxpayers Union and the National Tax Foundation in Washington DC; and Small Business Hawaii, NFIB, Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Retail Merchants Association, Hawaii Association of Realtors, the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, the American Society of Travel Agents; Hawaii Business League, the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Alliance for Traffic Improvement, and the League of Women Voters.
One of the groups, The Honolulu Board of Realtors, invested a reported $200,000 to campaign against the tax increase in the last few weeks, purchasing media ads that attempt to educate the public about the proposal. The organization has a new computerized system that enables the public to log on and send letters opposing the increase directly to lawmakers. Hundreds of people have opted to do so using this site, http://www.hawaiirealtors.com
Americans for Tax Reform, which recruits lawmakers to sign a “No New Tax Pledge,” and then works to ensure the lawmakers uphold the pledge, also has been sending letters to elected officials in the state who signed the pledge reminding them of their commitment.
Those lawmakers include:: Gov. Linda Lingle; Senators Fred Hemmings, R-Kailua, Sam Slom, R-Hawaii Kai, Gordon Trimble, R-Waikiki, Bob Hogue, R-Kaneohe and David Ige, D-Pearl City.
Also Representatives Bertha Kawa-kami, D-Kauai, Bud Stonebraker, R-Hawaii Kai; Barbara Marumoto, R-Kahala; House Minority Leader Galen Fox, R-Waikiki; Lynn Finnegan, D-Stadium; Cynthia Thielen, R-Kailua; Mark Moses, R-Kapolei; Colleen Meyer, R-Kaaawa; Corinne Ching, R-Nuuanu; and Kimberly Pine, R-Ewa Beach.
KHVH’s Morning Talk Show Host Rick Hamada and hundreds of others held a “No New Taxes” rally at the Hawaii State Capitol on Tuesday morning, April 26. Many came to the rally to voice their opposition to what will be the biggest tax increase in Hawaii history.
Hamada has been one of the main cheerleaders against the tax increase proposal and the rapid transit plan. He speaks about it daily on his morning radio show and has coordinated several well-attended “No New Tax” rallies in the past, including one in 1998, where participants dressed up like American revolutionaries from the 1800s.
CALL THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND ASK HER TO VETO HB 1309
Phone 586-0034 | Fax 586-0006 | Email at this link.
For bill status, go the legislative website: www.capitol.hawaii.gov or www.smallbusiness.com.
TAX RALLY PHOTOS | TAX RALLY ON BUZZNET
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