HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0449.003 2020-2022 P/FC
11 81
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From: Dr. Richard Bennett
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2021 11:25 AM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: David, Maile
Subject: Bill 81
Dear Finance Committee Members.
I write in support of Bill 81. It is very clear that our large tourist base consumes significant county services. Tourists generate solid
wastes,wastewater, utilize services such as police and life guards, and impact road maintenance. The state collects TAT on our
tourist industries and does not distribute it to the counties.
As an operator of a agricultural tourism cottage, I am obligated to collect GET and TAT. The process requires a few hours of paper
work twice per year. My request is simple. Please consider the option to have companies like AirBnB and others collect the county
TAT directly from the tourist,such that we operators don't have another reporting process added to our tax reporting burden.
Airbnb has this option and for reasons that I do not understand, Governor Ige refused their offer to collect the taxes and pay the
state directly.
Tourists need to pay for their impacts on county services. I my opinion an additional TAT will not deter tourism here.Travel to
Hawai'i is far less expensive than travel to many other tropical destinations. In the longer term we need to determine what level of
tourism we the people are willing to accept. Tourism impacts other than the financial ones concern us greatly. Someday soon we
need to consider the total costs and impacts of tourism and adjust taxes and quotas that will work to protect our quality of life on
Hawai'i Island. The people of Tahiti have managed tourism to protect their quality of life,we should too.
Please enact Bill 81.
Sincerely
RH Bennett PhD
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