2015 State Legislative Session Opens

[kalakoa]

If the state cracked down on upaid taxes from illegal rentals

If the County cracked down on unpaid taxes from ag "exemptions"...

[snorkle]

Are these illegal rentals being offered by brazillionaires?

Corporate greed trumps people trying to make ends meet.

[JohnDW]

As above, so below. Blame shifting I think they call it. Everybody else is doing it ... This is the slippery slope line of reasoning the popular TV show Breaking Bad is based on. Be sure to explain to your kids what a black comedy is.

Un Mojado Sin Licencia

[snorkle]

I am the one who knocks!

[pahoated]

quote:

---

Originally posted by kalakoa

Does anyone else find it ironic that County takes on new debt while State has a surplus?

---

No. Since you seem so fixated on this state surplus, this is to clarify it in your head that there never was a real surplus. The state is required to sign a balanced budget, just like many other states. If their budget actually does come in with a zero balance, they like to report a state surplus. Hawaii has a two year state budget. That surplus was for 2013 and it got hacked down quickly towards the end of 2014, showing the "surplus" was already distributed out to programs, so things like education and business development programs were cut. This legislature has to pass the 2015-2016 budget, while the 2014 financial results are still coming in. There was significantly reduced revenue in 2014, mainly from federal cutbacks. The military says they have no choice but to pull back over 20,000 troops from Oahu with the Republican sequestration that was put in place during the 2010 federal budget battles. Nobody is going to be talking about a surplus and it will pay to watch this legislature start to feel the post-Inouye effect.

"Mahalo nui Pele, 'ae noho ia moku 'aina" - kakahiaka oli

[kalakoa]

there never was a real surplus

So ... the Governor was misrepresenting the State's financial position?

[JohnDW]

So, you were the creepy dude knocking on windows in Longs parking lot a couple of months back. If my wife would have been there she would have kicked your ass and then doused you with bear spray. Better not try and pull that Heisenberg crap on a chicana from South Valley Albuquerque bro.

Un Mojado Sin Licencia

[TomK]

Huh?

Forget Breaking Bad, we've suddenly switched to the Twilight Zone.