How We Lost Our New [Big Island] Home To Trump's Illegal Tariffs

[Durian Fiend]

'...As Will stated in the Civil Beat article, "When the ship arrived, the importer sent us the bill from U.S. Customs. A 30% duty plus port storage and clearance fees had been assessed under the new tariffs. The total owed was over $10,000, and it had to be paid before the container could clear the port."

Thus, again assuming the best, Will's ADDITIONAL tariff of 30% on 20 grand is is 6 grand. Add in a few more fees and per day storage fees, I can get to 10 grand real quick..."

A good chance this is what happened. If it was, not giving the original figure plus the new one, or at the least adding "additional" was poor journalism on his part. A 30% duty is a 30% duty, not some percentage PLUS 30%.

Yesterday, someone in the comments section asked him to break down the costs in detail, btw.

[HiloJulie]

I hope Will answers the Civil Beat poster's question.

Something dawned on me this morning that needs another answer.

When all this "tariff, tariff, tariff" talk started, and then the big poster boards being held up on "liberation day," but weren't we told by the Big Guy Himself, along with his endless mouthing mouthpieces repeating over and over that CHINA (and all the other Countries, including the one with penguins as the only resident) pays this tariff?

Even though most know that is not true, just a lot of people shaking their heads up and down and smiling in agreement, but then if only Will and his wife had EACH gotten their PROMISED 5K DOGE refund checks, we all might be attending Will's housewarming party.

[ironyak]

Durian Fiend - A good chance this is what happened. If it was, not giving the original figure plus the new one, or at the least adding "additional" was poor journalism on his part.

Agreed on the possible poor choice of wording. Knowing several Puna people that have a version of these structures, and even having helped set a couple of them up, the price paid to the contractor was always all-inclusive, and no owner was directly responsible for paying tariffs and other fees when the item arrived at the docks. There's only about a month window (Feb to Mar 2025) where the tariff rate was 30%, but a much longer window (May to Nov) where the rate was ~50%, or ~30% additional above the long-running ~20% possibly included in that 2024 price paid upfront. Ultimately only Will knows how it all went down - maybe he'll add some extra details or do a follow-up.

As for DOGE and tariff rebate checks I'm sure they're "in the mail" and it's just the usual suspects at the Pahoa and Keaau Post Offices that lost them!

[Punatang]

'...As Will stated in the Civil Beat article, "When the ship arrived, the importer sent us the bill from U.S. Customs. A 30% duty plus port storage and clearance fees had been assessed under the new tariffs. The total owed was over $10,000, and it had to be paid before the container could clear the port."

Thus, again assuming the best, Will's ADDITIONAL tariff of 30% on 20 grand is is 6 grand. Add in a few more fees and per day storage fees, I can get to 10 grand real quick..."

A good chance this is what happened.  If it was, not giving the original figure plus the new one, or at the least adding "additional" was poor journalism on his part.  A  30% duty is a 30% duty, not some percentage PLUS 30%.

Yesterday, someone in the comments section asked him to break down the costs in detail, btw.

Three days and still no reply on Huffpost Hawaii, breaking down those figgaz.  Tangs are pretty agnostic and omnivorous when it comes to media, although we prefer to dig down to primary sources quickly, as opposed to finding an opinion or perspective that can be "trusted", or with which we agree. All sources have bias and agenda, so minimizing time in the interpretative layer in favor of the underlying data tends to work best.  JMO.  It would be so fun to hear the real views of the billionaire French-born Iranian-American in Hawaii, who brings us such "journalism", on current events.

[ironyak]

Tang - Three days and still no reply on Huffpost Hawaii, breaking down those figgaz.
Still no Menehune Justice, what's new. Maybe they'd be reassured knowing that Civil Beat is actually more factual, and more to the center than the Huffpost according to those MediaBias/FactCheck sites that have the Punatang Seal of Approval ©™. Or maybe they just don't like what they're being told regardless of the source. Only the menehune... Know the way they feel tonight... ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

Tangs are pretty agnostic and omnivorous when it comes to media
So can you, or anyone with similar tastes, recommend a similarly Highly Factual, but far to the right of center media source focused on Hawai'i? Given Civil Beat's Left of Center rating is based in part on them simply acknowledging Climate Change, I'm less concerned about Bias, but do expect basic facts to be reported. Anyone have suggestions on best catches of the day from those waters on the right that aren't 'ama'ama kine ;)

[Punatang]

simply acknowledging Climate Change (in Hawaii, on Big Island, and in Puna)

Leonard Nimoy (who reportedly visited Hawaii multiple times and was featured in PBS Hawaii) represents (ed)  all earthlings including Punatics in Hawaii and acknowledged climate change, which greatly affects islands like Hawaii, in a Nui kind of way.

He was appreciated by Hawaiians for saying:

“Life is Like a Garden…Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in our memories.” – Leonard Nimoy

He also acknowledged climate change which is of great concern to our Hawaiian Island Chain, with reasonable disclaimers (a thing real scientists do):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQRqr9_jw5I  << a website available in Hawaiian Paradise Park, with scientific disclaimers which all reasonable Puna people appreciate...

Non-biased moderators in Puna, Hawaii will recognize the YouTube above to be at least as Hawaii centered (due to the fact that Hawaii is literally sinking into the ocean) and at least of value to the "interests of the [Puna/Big Island/Hawaii] community" as the non-Hawaiian and sadly perverted one below which has been allowed to stand. vvvvvvvv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wJpdA-LE3o  <<<< zero Hawaii value, human value, or decency.

...which ironyak posted in the (not much about Puna or Hawaii) good movie thread (not as a movie but as a perverted insult)  on 2/25/2026 

PS:  Huffpost was born of Civilbeat (Hawaii "Journalism" product) which is funded by the same French-born, Iranian-American billionaire in Hawaii who pushed for a non-Hawaiian (so far) war currently being discussed in another Punaweb thread.  Even a mildly curious and interested Punatic who is seeking a Deepa and more aParent Hawaii reality will easily connect with akamai truth. Just trying to be a Deepa [Puna] Parent  and teach our Puna keiki some truths about Hawaii and its media. Aloha Nui Loa Puna People.

[HiloJulie]

simply acknowledging Climate Change (in Hawaii, on Big Island, and in Puna)

Leonard Nimoy (who reportedly visited Hawaii multiple times) represents (ed)  all earthlings including Punatics in Hawaii and acknowledged climate change in a Nui kind of way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQRqr9_jw5I  << a website that all Hawaii people enjoy

Non-biased moderators will recognize the YouTube above to be at least as Hawaii centered and at least of value to the "interests of the [Puna/Big Island/Hawaii] community"

While those on a much higher pay scale than me can decide if your video is "Hawaii" related, however, as for it being "fact based" I would like to point out that your YouTube video of the late 1970's/80's TV Show "In Search Of" was:

"Each episode's opening credits included a verbal disclaimer about the conjectural nature of the evidence and theories to be presented"

"This series presents information based in part on theory and conjecture. The producer's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations, but not necessarily the only ones, to the mysteries we will examine."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Search_...TV_series)

[Punatang]

"This series presents information based in part on theory and conjecture. The producer's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations, but not necessarily the only ones, to the mysteries we will examine."

 All Punatics miss those days when people from Hawaii and other places on earth had the honesty and humility to qualify their "science".

[ironyak]

Punatang - Leonard Nimoy (who reportedly visited Hawaii multiple times) represents (ed)  all earthlings including Punatics in Hawaii and acknowledged climate change, which greatly affects islands like Hawaii, in a Nui kind of way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQRqr9_jw5I  << a website that all Hawaii people enjoy

Those "In Search Of..." episodes really bring me back. That and Jack Palance's (who apparently crash landed a WWII B-24 he was piloting in advance training on submarine patrol off Hawai'i) raspy drawling of "Ripley's... Believe It... or Not!", and you know you had a good night of entertainment ahead on the boob tube. 

Were you equally convinced by "The Coming Ice Age" episode as the "Atlantis" (known to some as the Atlantic Ocean's version of Mu/Lemuria, which Hawai'i is said by some to be part of) and "UFO Captives" (Opihikaobob where are you?) episodes? Terracore liked to cite 1970s info about Climate Change too, had a particular fondness for paid propaganda from the American Petroleum Institute, so it's good to see someone carrying that coal-burning torch in his stead.

Non-biased moderators in Puna, Hawaii will recognize the YouTube above to be at least as Hawaii centered (due to the fact that Hawaii is literally sinking into the ocean) and at least of value to the "interests of the [Puna/Big Island/Hawaii] community" as the one below - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wJpdA-LE3o  <<<< zero Hawaii value, human value, or decency.

Ah, so you have an issue with, in the movie thread, including a passing reference to the movie, in the movie thread mind you, Idocracy's mention of masturbation as a wide-spread form of popular entertainment in the not-too-distant future? In retrospect much of Idocracy seems like accurate prognostication (just look around), but I'm sure in comparison your previous recommendation of Bill Maher's Pizza Man has a clearly deep resonance to Hawai'i and some unperverted high moral standards? (you've actually seen it right? Enjoy that Geraldine Ferraro and Ronald Reagan hookup scene? "Please Ronnie, I want to be reactionary!" "You're just a pathetic tax and spend slut!" lol)

As an aside, the Movie thread was an interesting addition to PW by Rob, a loosening of the "keep it local" rules during a time a couple years into the pandemic when Punaweb was coming apart at the seams in many ways. I've always seen it as Rob's attempt to see if there was at least one general topic that people would not bicker about - guess we've help answer that question.

As for billionaires in media, you'd need to point to whatever "pushed for a non-Hawaiian (so far) war" discussion instead of just a "wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean" but billionaires do have disproportionate influence under Capitalism. They even get their names on Hilo Hospitals - maybe need to avoid using those services too in order to not be affected by the implicit "bias"...

[ironyak]

Getting more back to the thread topic in case the last few messages get moved to the Bicker Board:

I'm still looking for suggestions for a Highly Factual like Civil Beat, but far-right-of-center media source focused on Hawai'i - something with similar factual and at least as far to-the-right scores as the WSJ, but for the Aloha State. Maybe it could bring balance to the force in describing the impacts of these tariffs on Hawai'i. Thanks!