04-30-2013, 04:03 AM
The letter I sent:
I would like to comment on SB 1077. As a current Oahu resident, with plans to retire in Puna, this new bill appears to be bureaucratic intervention and unnecessary oversight at its finest. I fail to see any need for this additional restriction, unless its intent is to pander to the construction industry and prevent owner builders from being able to build their own homes in a cost effective manner. It is even more restrictive than the current law prohibiting owners from doing plumbing and wiring on their homes, and would inhibit new construction in our more rural areas.
Requiring owners to pay payroll taxes on day labor is ridiculous. As an owner builder, I fully intend to comply with all current laws, to include hiring licensed contractors when necessary to supplement my personal construction effort. Independent contractors are
responsible for withholding on their own earnings in this way. Requiring owner/contractors to calculate payroll taxes does nothing but make it ever more difficult for those who choose to build their own home, and in many cases will make it impossible to do so.
In addition, this bill will only add to the oversight required by local agencies. As these agencies are typically short staffed, with backlogs under the current requirements, I fail to see how enforcement will be possible- this would become one more law on the books enforced only when complaints are received, applied in a sporadic manner at best. Our tax dollars would be better served enforcing the laws currently on the books, reining in unpermitted construction, and enforcing current building code requirements.
I would like to comment on SB 1077. As a current Oahu resident, with plans to retire in Puna, this new bill appears to be bureaucratic intervention and unnecessary oversight at its finest. I fail to see any need for this additional restriction, unless its intent is to pander to the construction industry and prevent owner builders from being able to build their own homes in a cost effective manner. It is even more restrictive than the current law prohibiting owners from doing plumbing and wiring on their homes, and would inhibit new construction in our more rural areas.
Requiring owners to pay payroll taxes on day labor is ridiculous. As an owner builder, I fully intend to comply with all current laws, to include hiring licensed contractors when necessary to supplement my personal construction effort. Independent contractors are
responsible for withholding on their own earnings in this way. Requiring owner/contractors to calculate payroll taxes does nothing but make it ever more difficult for those who choose to build their own home, and in many cases will make it impossible to do so.
In addition, this bill will only add to the oversight required by local agencies. As these agencies are typically short staffed, with backlogs under the current requirements, I fail to see how enforcement will be possible- this would become one more law on the books enforced only when complaints are received, applied in a sporadic manner at best. Our tax dollars would be better served enforcing the laws currently on the books, reining in unpermitted construction, and enforcing current building code requirements.