mayor seeks GET increase

[BillyB]

"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." H. L. Mencken


When Harry got elected the first time he raised the minimum property tax 400%, the second time 200%. None of this should come as a surprise.

[mikewj]

Yesterday I was on Hwy 11 at the Airport entrance. Grass in the median and on the roadside was overgrown, prompting the thought that this area is the first sight arriving air passengers have of Hilo, should it not be better kept? Harry Kim says the County needs more money and of course, being a politician, wants someone else to pay for it. The Taxpayer.
May I offer some suggestions? First, try getting the County's house in order. Look for ways to cut costs. Featherbedded Departments? Profligate spending? Outdated and inefficient systems? Some examples: 1. The proposed new Park in a private subdivision - who benefits? and who will pay for maintenance on the already run down access roads? We have a Park and Recreation Department, staffed with qualified people, so why spend money for outside consultants to make expensive studies and make plans. Is the Park necessary, and who will maintain it, given that the Council obviously cannot care for existing infrastructure?
2. Council members recently approved raises. At $50k per annum, we have historically had some ineffective Council persons, some with extremely spotty attendance records. Is a raise to $70k justifiable on a cost/performance basis?
3. As noted above, too much reliance on 'Consultants' to do the work which employees should be doing. Why? Is it to cover up incompetence or maybe to shift responsibility for poor performance?
Finally Council needs a real budget. If my family doesn't have enough cash to pay for it's wants (not needs) is it acceptable to expect my neighbors to make up the difference?
Many other questions come to mind, but life is short. Suffice it to say that there needs to be some serious introspection before The County demands that taxpayers are automatically scapegoated to cover their disfunctional operation.
Rant ends. Your thoughts, please.

[kalakoa]

County is far too expensive for the level of service we receive. Unfortunately, "we the people" don't call the shots, nor can we even manage some kind of audit.

Kenoi's "hostess bar" tab is looking like a better deal every day.

I'm starting to wonder if I'll be able to afford to live here -- and I haven't even finished building my house.

I see two practical options:

1. Regain control of the County government and figure out why $491M isn't enough to maintain roads, parks, issue a building permit in less than 3 months, etc.

2. Create an alternate barter-driven economy that sidesteps the tax overhead.

[punaticbychoice]

kalakoa @ 15:59:50 01/21/2018-
A Trump appointed US Attorney to start putting some of these critters in jail, be it Beretania Street, Honolulu Hale, or all of the other County buildings.
With the recent Federal "tax reform" is going to make it unaffordable unless you're like the guy that bought most of Molokai.
Many who took the weight of these State and County tax levies, will find it impossible in the future.
You have that right.
The level of service we get from the County is worth no more than 300-350 million a year by my estimate.
The County must stop deliberately strangling small business development, and actually encourage some economic growth for a real source of jobs and incomes.
Just seeing, hearing or thinking about our Hawaii/Hawai'i politicians and bureaucrats, makes me angry and sick.
They are just on the gravy train, with their undeserved salaries, corruption incomes, and pensions.
Their salaries often come from constituents who work multiple jobs and self employment gigs just to get by.
The politicians and bureaucrats have no shame for delivering so little to their constituents for so much cost and bad policy.
Particularly the County Council members- all 9 are useless and unconcerned with their constituents.

[rainyjim]

What guy bought most of Molokai?

[alaskyn66]

I think they are thinking of lanai which is owned by Larry Ellison, a founder of the Silicon Valley giant Oracle and the fifth-richest man in the world.

Molokai ranch( on Molokai) is for sale for
250 million. 55,000 acres of the island, owned by a Singapore owner.

[punaticbychoice]

alaskyn66 @ 22:21:05 01/21/2018-
Thank you, you are correct, Lanai and Ellison.
Betcha Ellison can afford to live with no services from Maui County.
Self funded. Can tell the County where to go.
Could have a lot of fun challenging his assessments.
Wonder how many Legislator critters etc, Ellison owns?[]

[kalakoa]

Betcha Ellison can afford to live with no services from Maui County.

s/Ellison/Shipman/

Counties don't dare irritate the big big landowners.

[punaticbychoice]

kalakoa @ 07:54:09 01/22/2018-
Yup.

[My 2 cents]

And there's more:

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2018...nt-deputy/

She retired in 2014, just short of 20 years in the system.

Her retirement is on hold while she works a regular full-time position paying $126,402 annually, said Human Resources Department staff.

Both Sako and Crawford were in office during Kenoi’s admitted misuse of his county purchasing card, or pCard, and both were granted immunity to testify for the prosecution during Kenoi’s 2016 criminal trial.