08-05-2008, 05:37 PM
I agree with what Royall has to say on this subject. I don't expect the County to pave my road here in HPP, and I don't expect them to build me a water system. (I had big reservations about the HPP paving project and voiced those reservations at community meetings.) In most places in the USA, it is the responsibility of the subdivision developer to provide roads, sewers, and water lines. As Kathy so well described it, the County helped the developers get rich without having to foot the bill for these expensive amenities. And lo and behold, here we all are!!!
I DO pay taxes, however, and I do expect a modicum of services in return. It would be nice to have public safety and recreation services on a par with the rest of the County. I did my research and was fully aware of these issues when I moved here. That does not mean, however, that I have to accept the status quo of not getting the same value for my tax dollar that other citizens get. On hunterbishop.com recently, it was reported that Puna has a tax base larger than Hilo. In fact, only the resort-rich districts of South Kohala and North Kona have bigger tax bases. I respectfully disagree with Carey. Whatever the history, we are not getting our money's worth in Puna when it comes to County services.
Cheers,
Jerry
I DO pay taxes, however, and I do expect a modicum of services in return. It would be nice to have public safety and recreation services on a par with the rest of the County. I did my research and was fully aware of these issues when I moved here. That does not mean, however, that I have to accept the status quo of not getting the same value for my tax dollar that other citizens get. On hunterbishop.com recently, it was reported that Puna has a tax base larger than Hilo. In fact, only the resort-rich districts of South Kohala and North Kona have bigger tax bases. I respectfully disagree with Carey. Whatever the history, we are not getting our money's worth in Puna when it comes to County services.
Cheers,
Jerry