HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0751.134 2014-2016 Testimony in Opposition to Bill 165
Dr. Marlene Hapai
President HIPCC
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UH Professor and Regent Emeritus and Former Administrator
Co-Owner and Business Manager, The Andrade Bldg. in Honokaa, a founding
building and business of Honokaa, once the second largest town on HI Island ``
One benefit of getting older is you have a lot of time to do things. _ ps
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I have spent 35 years in the State of Hawaii workforce and 10 years in the County
of Hawaii unofficial "Volunteer Workforce."
Two of the areas I am known for in my work are creativity and effective resource
management: time, space, people, money.
When Bill 165 was first presented by the Finance Committee, I sat and listened to
many testify in opposition to an increase in the GE Tax. My husband, Archie Hapai
III, former member and chair of the Governor's Policy Advisory Board on Elder
Affairs for many years testified and stated that those hurt most by increases in GE
Taxes are the elderly, the young and the disabled. Although many other reasons
to oppose the proposed tax increase were presented, those stuck in my mind-
because this move would lead to a need for an increase in services they can no
longer afford.
My resource management side then kicks in:
How much time will it take before we need to provide additional services
for the people impacted by this tax increase?
How many people will be impacted?
How many additional spaces (potentially homeless units) will be needed to
house those negatively impacted?
And how much will this cost?
It may be just a matter of time that all that "new money" may be needed to solve
new problems.
The heartfelt plea I heard from you, our Hawaii County Council at the end of the
3-hour Finance Committee meeting was if not an increase in the GE Tax, help us
find alternatives. 5� 1131
Corm; No.
Ref. To:
Ref. Date APR 1 9 2016 —
Mentioned at that meeting were getting a larger share of the TAT, raising the fuel
tax, and if necessary, raising the GE Tax by only .025%.
Those all have potential, but we cannot expect to do things the same way, i.e., tap
into the same resources and expect different results.
May I suggest 2 alternatives that have not been mentioned as overall solutions to
our continuing financial demand.
First: Increase public/private partnerships—
We have seen great financial success with the State and County partnership
with the Schwab Foundation in the building of the Hawaii Community College
Palamanui campus in Kona.
Second:
Provide more opportunities for non-profit organizations to provide needed
services, alleviating the allocation of additional County of Hawaii funding.
This would also provide opportunities for many in our aging population with time,
skills and energy still willing and able to make a difference in our community.
Finally I leave you with one question:
Where is the TAT listed on our COH budget revenues?
I can't find it. The newspaper says it's included.
Could it have accidentally been left off and we already have the additional
$20 million dollars we need? Just hoping.
Thank you.
1= J