HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0241.012 1998-2000
4 June 1999 RECEIVED '
ifms. ~ BY--JI/
polo ,Tu!^.5..7,.../..119
Hawaii County Coucil Members - c~my ~uo~~i
25 Apuna Street,
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
James Arakaki (D) Arron Chung (D) Leningrad Elaziononoff (R)
Dominic Yagong(D) Nancy Pisicchio (D) Curtis Tyler (R)
Julie Jacobson (G) Bobbie Jean Leithead-Todd (D)
Deaz Council People.
I am enclosing a copy of a viewpoint article in West Hawaii that appeared
several weeks back. Of course it defines far better the questionable
leadership of our county council than I ever could.
It IS time you people realize the majority of the working community in the
Big Island are the working poor. In this poor island the only middle class
can be identified as state and county employees, the medical field workers
and some specialty trades as plumbers, electricians and car mechanics. For
the rest of us any tax increase is unaffordable.
You foolishly attempt o explain that this small increase on a home of
$125,000 will permit our services to continue. I believe it is another attempt
of the liberal Democrats to cuddle up to their union pals.
To the Republicans I say, let them stand alone. Remember it is the legacy of
the liberal, socialist minded politicians that have made Hawaii one of the
few poverty stricken states in the whole country.
I would invite any of you to spend a few evenings in the super mazkets on
this island and count the percentage numbers of people who are feeding
themselves with food stamps. The number is staggering. And you foolish
liberals think we can stand more taxes?~, _ ~
Yours Truly, William Vivatson u0+"'.- ~l/~
75-7582 Kuakini Hwy. # 701
Kailua Kona, Hawaii 96740 -7
Comm. No. ` ~ ~ /Z
Fite No. Ti4x~RPT
Ref. To:Prese~fed CO UN 4I_
Ref. Date ~ ~ lyyy
Tax hikes and pay
raises senseless "'~"~'"'"~°~"Y""`~"~"'°~"~'~'~~'~~°ll"
1':alat•;
Your headline article of April 1_~, T
"Council considering property tax L
hike;' has certainly hit a nerve with
many of our citizens most, of _
whom are weary from an eight- -
year statewide recession and find-
ing it hazder and harder to make
ends meet. !~D
My greatest frustration about this Yf ~ ~
article was the spokesperson who ~~~NK
tiled desperately to make every I J ~
case for Increasing real property ~O ~r
taxes to offset sagging tax revenues f' ~~'~~''QQ`
for pending unionized public work- ,~~~~r~fl,lc / ~r - Y ~~~-,~j
She has even cleverl articulated
a "phased-in" orogram to make this ~~~~tli!-
newest tax increase less painful. - lCGJ7Q~Se
More taxes we cannot handle.
Who is this Leithead-Todd and , I„W I~ ~ ~,t ~
who is she working for? Just who IW 'lam
does she represent? Our over zest- I ~~Y IA~IZII~j
ous union bosses and their pam- \ y~~r, ~
pered constituents? ~ /
Public workers, be they elected, 1~ i
appointed or employed are there
for one purpose, and one purpose
alone, as caretakers for the social ~ ~
well being of the citizens of our ~
society, in this case, the citizens of
the Big Island.
These public workers, from' the
mayor on down, have been at [he 0
helm of our local government for 0
the past years of our declining ~ ~
economy and now they want a ~
reward of more pay.
For starters, let us ask these same
public workers some pertinent
questions: ,O
What about our very high unem- r ~ c1 \ d--~
ployment rate?
What about the enormous per-
centage of part-time workers who It is time these people who seem Whose profits did he have in mind?
work with no benefits? to live in "La-La Land," come to To Leithead-Todd, may I suggest
What is the average public work- their senses and realize how the she take a course in "economics
er's pay and benefit compensation rest of us on this island have to 101" and stop honing her skills of
compared to the average Big Island live. Privately employed people are pandering to the union people.
worker? held to a standard of productivity And to the rest of the County
What about one in three house- and performance. If he or she does Council, we will be closely watch-
holds who must receive food not contribute to [he financial bet- ing your vote on this matter.
stamps to survive? ferment of their employer, they are Remember, a state or country
What about one in eight house- out of a job. whose sole economic base is
holds who must receive rent subsi- Where are the elected vanguards tourism is usually very poor. In fact
dies? of the well being of the citizens of these poor tourist countries are
What about real estate values this island? If we elected [hem, did usually identified as Third World
that have deteriorated to pre 1987 they not promise us to improve our societies.
prices? economy, well being and protect us it is time that the Big Island
What about record numbers of from excessive taxation? begins living within its means.
foreclosures and bankruptcies? If my memory serves me right, Bill Martin
What about the worst rated was it not Mayor Stephen Kailas-Kona
schools in the nation? Yamashiro who, a few years back,
Do our public servants deserve a suggested that public employees be.
raise? No. enlisted in a profit sharing plan.