ONLINE EXTRAS

2005 LEGISLATIVE RATINGS

Mayor Mufi Hannemann signed the GE Tax increase bill on August 24. He is shown at the with Democrat leaders and the Governor at a press conference in July announcing the passage of the GE Tax authorization bill that came out of the legislature this year.

City Council Passes GE Tax Increase

The City & County of Honolulu Council, meeting in Kapolei Wednesday, August 10, voted 7 - 2 to raise the General Excise Tax by 12¹/2% (4 - 4.5%) to finance an undefined train project, beginning January 1, 2007.

Only Council members Barbara Marshall and Charles Djou voted against the further fleecing of small businesses and island residents. As usual, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, joined by big developers, big business and big organized labor, testified in favor of the massive tax increase - the largest in Hawaii's history. SBH, NFIB, RMH, the Honolulu Board of Realtors, and nearly every other business organization, testified against the devastating new tax burden on top of recently enacted tax and fee increases.

The GET hike will yield an estimated $150 million-plus per year and will be collected years before any dirt is turned for the transit boondoggle. The Mayor previously stated 1/2% is not enough and that anouth increase will be necessary.

Hawaii does not have a sales tax, it is the only state to have a General Excise Gross Income tax that pyramids to an equivalent rate of 12 - 16% on every business transaction, good and service at every level of transaction. SBH has vowed to continue the fight before the tax become operable in 15 months.

Webmaster's Note: Mayor Mufi Hannemann signed the GE Tax bill into law since this article was originally written.

HOW YOUR CITY COUNCILMEMBER VOTED ON BILL 40:

Dist 1 Todd Apo	YES
Dist 2 Donovan Dela Cruz	YES
Dist 3 Barbara Marshall	NO
Dist 4 Charles Djou	NO
Dist 5 Ann Kobayashi	YES
Dist 6 Rod Tam	YES
Dist 7 Romy Cachola	YES
Dist 8 Gary Okino	YES
Dist 9 Nestor Garcia	YES