HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.635 2022-2024 PCPILID
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IM.675
From: mark
Sent: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 9:03 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: AGAINST Bill 121
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it is with great sadness and trepidation that I address the council regarding not only Bill 121 tut '
EVERY piece of legislature that this body chooses to move forward with at this point.
Given the results of last nights national election, I believe Bill 121 should be totally and completely
scraped until we realize the economic effects of a Trump presidency and the negative cash flow into
state and local economies as federal funding dries up.
The state of Hawaii will lose a major portion of federal funding which will obviously 'trickle down' to the
counties. Our state and local taxes will need to be drastically increased to prevent social programs
from being lost and bankrupt. Hawaii county will NOT be immune to this and will need to seek every
single tax dollar from any and every source possible, including STVR's. Tourism will suffer as we are
already seeing many large scale projects come into question and slated to be scraped and shelved
across the country. Incomes will be strained or vanish completely which is expected to result in lower
tax revenues from vacation rentals and tourism in general.
This is NOT the time to strain ANY income source for individuals or for the county. We still dont have
an economic report to guide us through to make sound decisions based on FACTS. (although that
report is already antiquated and likely irrelevant)
I feel it would be poor governance to push forward with legislation as if nothing has or will
change. We have history to show this IS NOT the time to attack or dismantle anyones income,
including the income for the county
Now is the time for the county council to focus on programs that will help us all get through the dark
times ahead, not make things more difficult for its residents to survive financially. As we see in the
markets already, the rich are getting richer, and we working people and those holding on by a thread
will be plunged deeper into poverty and forced to rely on the social programs that might
survive. There are dark days ahead, please guide this ship through them, not sink us
Comm. i'® 15.iQ�9
Ref. To: ' UM�_
1 Ref. G39aie NOV -- 8 2024