HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0817.004 2008-2010Yoshimoto, J
From: Kona Kays [konakays @dslextreme.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 9:52 PM
To: jyoshimoto @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Fw: Property Tax
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 5:33 PM
Subject: Property Tax
All,
5/13/2010
Page 1 of 1
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This is the stated mission of the State of Hawaii - Our mission is to administer the tax laws fore Statue
of Hawaii in a consistent, uniform, and fair manner.
Now I ask does the current Mayor's property tax proposal meet this goal? It started out with equally
sharing the burden and now it is reduce the property tax on farmers and hotels and increase the property
tax on rental property by a huge margin, because it is thought many of the owners do not live here and
cannot vote. It does not hurt that some of the members on the board own farmland and perhaps even
have hotel interests and just happen to be millionaires themselves. But they claim people who own rental
property are the rich people. Is this any attempt to deflect attention elsewhere, so no one will think about
whose interests they serve?
The logic stated behind this tax break for farmers and hotel owners is that they employ workers. Does
anyone think that they would not lay off workers if they were not needed? I do not believe property tax has
any influence other than on their bottom line. Does it make sense with declining property values to further
reduce some types of property taxes or is there some self serving here?
Is this a form of taxation without representation. Does anybody remember the Boston Tea Party. If their
theory about who owns rental is correct, are they not unfairly taxing people who do not even use the
County Services to pay for these services and who have no representation because the people in office
cannot act in a fair manner. However there are a lot of people who live here and own rental property and
owning rental property does not make anyone rich. There can be vacancies and repair bills. I currently
lose money on my rental, because I bought it when property values were inflated. I was hoping it could
help me when I retire.
Maybe dividing the island into two counties makes since if the elected administration cannot act is a fair
and equitable manner. I had heard that it cannot be supported on cost. Then how much was this office
building renovation, 27.7 million dollars? What was the cost of change orders, 1 million dollars? Maybe
we cannot afford the way things are run today? One side of the island pays the bulk of property taxes
and the other side spends the money.
Do you think think that such any unfair tax will encourage outside investors to buy rental property in
Hawaii? Would you given that your property taxes are at the mercy of people who think nothing of
fairness? If the number of buyers go down what happens to property values? It makes sense that it
should drive the values down further. It may not effect the millionaires, but they are not the bulk of the
buyers. It should effect people who are thinking of retiring here.
Regards,
Mike
Co er, We O
Ref. To: JJ
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