Aloha In this edition:
- Update;
- Please take action today;
- Legislator Contact Info
Update
So, as you know, I have always said that Hawaiian politics is crazy and unpredictable. This year has been the craziest and the most unpredictable in all the years I have been involved. Today was a topper. Today, without any prior notice, without any consultation, without any discussion with parties affected, the wise legislators in Hawaii decided to raise the TAT. Currently it is 9.25%. They decided to raise to 12%. Why? To pay for the construction of the rail system in Honolulu that is running massively over budget. The normally reasonable Representative Luke, Chair of the House Finance Committee commented that it was more fair for tourists to pay for the rail than for seniors and working poor to pay for the rail. Now, I only go to Honolulu when I absolutely have to and I don’t have full perspective on where this rail line is running from and to, but if it is like most cities, it is being built to move people from their homes to their work and back again. Yes, it includes Honolulu airport, Pearl Harbor and Waikiki, but it goes far beyond Pearl Harbor into residential areas. It doesn’t go anywhere near the outer islands. The Hawaii constitution has laid out processes for setting tax increases and the State legislators did even begin to follow the process. Perhaps this is seen as a compromise for killing the property tax bill, but in any case, it is outrageous. By the way – at this late hour, the legislators are still meeting on the tax collector – advertising platform – AirBnB bill.
Please take action today
We need every member to write, email and phone every member of the House of Representatives and every member of the Senate to let them know you are opposed to this tax hike. The contact information for the Representatives and Senators is at the bottom of this email. Remember:
- A 33% tax will seriously impair tourism, Hawaii’s number one economic driver.
- The tax increase was not subject to normal review and scrutiny and industry participants have not been consulted,
- Hawaii already “exports” a significant portion of its tax burden by having non-residents pay an unusually high proportion of the State’s taxes.
Legislator Contact Info
Senators: This table lists the contact information for all Senators. Below the list is a summary of all email addresses which you should be able to copy and paste into your email To: field. [Note: Some members have had issues with the emails and email addresses provided below, while others have had no issues. Apologies to those who have had challenges – I don’t know why!]
| Baker , Rosalyn H. (D) | 808-586-6070 | senbaker@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Chang , Stanley (D) | 808-586-8420 | senchang@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Dela Cruz , Donovan M.(D) | 808-586-6090 | sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| English , J. Kalani (D) | 808-587-7225 | senenglish@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Espero , Will (D) | 808-586-6360 | senespero@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Gabbard , Mike (D) | 808-586-6830 | sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Galuteria , Brickwood (D) | 808-586-6740 | sengaluteria@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Green , Josh (D) | 808-586-9385 | sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Harimoto , Breene (D) | 808-586-6230 | senharimoto@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Ihara , Les Jr. (D) | 808-586-6250 | senihara@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Inouye , Lorraine R. (D) | 808-586-7335 | seninouye@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Kahele , Kaiali‘i (D) | 808-586-6760 | senkahele@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Keith-Agaran , Gilbert S.C. (D) | 808-586-7344 | senkeithagaran@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Kidani , Michelle N. (D) | 808-586-7100 | senkidani@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Kim , Donna Mercado (D) | 808-587-7200 | senkim@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Kouchi , Ronald D. (D) | 808-586-6030 | senkouchi@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Nishihara , Clarence K. (D) | 808-586-6970 | sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Rhoads , Karl (D) | 808-586-6130 | senrhoads@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Riviere , Gil (D) | 808-586-7330 | senriviere@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Ruderman , Russell E. (D) | 808-586-6890 | senruderman@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Shimabukuro , Maile S.L.(D) | 808-586-7793 | senshimabukuro@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Taniguchi , Brian T. (D) | 808-586-6460 | sentaniguchi@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Thielen , Laura H. (D) | 808-587-8388 | senthielen@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Tokuda , Jill N. (D) | 808-587-7215 | sentokuda@capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Wakai , Glenn (D) | 808-586-8585 | senwakai@capitol.hawaii.gov |
senbaker@Capitol.hawaii.gov; senchang@Capitol.hawaii.gov; sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov; senenglish@capitol.hawaii.gov; senespero@capitol.hawaii.gov; sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov; sengaluteria@capitol.hawaii.gov; sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov; senharimoto@capitol.hawaii.gov; senihara@capitol.hawaii.gov; seninouye@capitol.hawaii.gov; senkahele@Capitol.hawaii.gov; senkeithagaran@capitol.hawaii.gov; senkidani@capitol.hawaii.gov; senkim@Capitol.hawaii.gov; senkouchi@Capitol.hawaii.gov; sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov; senrhoads@Capitol.hawaii.gov; senriviere@capitol.hawaii.gov; senruderman@capitol.hawaii.gov; senshimabukuro@capitol.hawaii.gov; sentaniguchi@capitol.hawaii.gov; senthielen@Capitol.hawaii.gov; sentokuda@capitol.hawaii.gov; senwakai@capitol.hawaii.gov ;
Representatives: This table lists all the members of the House of Representatives. Below the list is a summary of all email addresses which you should be able to copy and paste into your email To: field.
| Aquino , Henry J.C. (D) | 808-586-6520 | repaquino@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Belatti , Della Au (D) | 808-586-9425 | repbelatti@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Brower , Tom (D) | 808-586-8520 | repbrower@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Cachola , Romy M. (D) | 808-586-6010 | repcachola@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Choy , Isaac W. (D) | 808-586-8475 | repchoy@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Creagan , Richard P. (D) | 808-586-9605 | repcreagan@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Cullen , Ty J.K. (D) | 808-586-8490 | repcullen@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| DeCoite , Lynn (D) | 808-586-6790 | repdecoite@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Evans , Cindy (D) | 808-586-8510 | repevans@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Fukumoto , Beth (R) | 808-586-9460 | repfukumoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Gates , Cedric Asuega (D) | 808-586-8460 | repgates@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Har , Sharon E. (D) | 808-586-8500 | rephar@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Hashem , Mark J. (D) | 808-586-6510 | rephashem@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Holt , Daniel (D) | 808-586-6180 | repholt@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Ichiyama , Linda (D) | 808-586-6220 | repichiyama@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Ing , Kaniela (D) | 808-586-8525 | reping@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Ito , Ken (D) | 808-586-8470 | repito@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Johanson , Aaron Ling (D) | 808-586-9470 | repjohanson@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Keohokalole , Jarrett (D) | 808-586-8540 | repkeohokalole@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Kobayashi , Bertrand (D) | 808-586-6310 | repkobayashi@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Kong , Sam Satoru (D) | 808-586-8455 | repkong@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Lee , Chris (D) | 808-586-9450 | replee@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| LoPresti , Matthew S. (D) | 808-586-6080 | replopresti@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Lowen , Nicole E. (D) | 808-586-8400 | replowen@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Luke , Sylvia (D) | 808-586-6200 | repluke@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Matsumoto , Lauren Kealohilani (R) | 808-586-9490 | repmatsumoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| McDermott , Bob (R) | 808-586-9730 | repmcdermott@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| McKelvey , Angus L.K. (D) | 808-586-6160 | repmckelvey@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Mizuno , John M. (D) | 808-586-6050 | repmizuno@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Morikawa , Dee (D) | 808-586-6280 | repmorikawa@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Nakamura , Nadine K. (D) | 808-586-8435 | repnakamura@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Nakashima , Mark M. (D) | 808-586-6680 | repnakashima@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Nishimoto , Scott Y. (D) | 808-586-8515 | repnishimoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Ohno , Takashi (D) | 808-586-9415 | repohno@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Onishi , Richard H.K. (D) | 808-586-6120 | reponishi@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Oshiro , Marcus R. (D) | 808-586-6700 | repmoshiro@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Quinlan , Sean (D) | 808-586-6380 | repquinlan@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Saiki , Scott K. (D) | 808-586-8485 | repsaiki@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| San Buenaventura , Joy A. (D) | 808-586-6530 | repsanbuenaventura@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Say , Calvin K.Y. (D) | 808-586-6900 | repsay@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Souki , Joseph M. (D) | 808-586-6100 | repsouki@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Takayama , Gregg (D) | 808-586-6340 | reptakayama@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Takumi , Roy M. (D) | 808-586-6170 | reptakumi@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Thielen , Cynthia (R) | 808-586-6480 | repthielen@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Todd , Chris (D) | 808-586-8480 | reptodd@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Tokioka , James Kunane(D) | 808-586-6270 | reptokioka@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Tupola , Andria P.L. (R) | 808-586-8465 | reptupola@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Ward , Gene (R) | 808-586-6420 | repward@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Woodson , Justin H. (D) | 808-586-6210 | repwoodson@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Yamane , Ryan I. (D) | 808-586-6150 | repyamane@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
| Yamashita , Kyle T. (D) | 808-586-6330 | repyamashita@Capitol.hawaii.gov |
repaquino@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repbelatti@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repbrower@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repcachola@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repchoy@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repcreagan@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repcullen@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repdecoite@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repevans@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repfukumoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repgates@Capitol.hawaii.gov; rephar@Capitol.hawaii.gov; rephashem@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repholt@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repichiyama@Capitol.hawaii.gov; reping@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repito@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repjohanson@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repkeohokalole@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repkobayashi@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repkong@Capitol.hawaii.gov; replopresti@Capitol.hawaii.gov; replowen@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repluke@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repmatsumoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repmcdermott@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repmckelvey@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repmizuno@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repmorikawa@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repnakamura@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repnakashima@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repnishimoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repohno@Capitol.hawaii.gov; reponishi@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repmoshiro@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repquinlan@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repsaiki@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repsanbuenaventura@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repsay@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repsouki@Capitol.hawaii.gov; reptakayama@Capitol.hawaii.gov; reptakumi@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repthielen@Capitol.hawaii.gov; reptodd@Capitol.hawaii.gov; reptokioka@Capitol.hawaii.gov; reptupola@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repward@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repwoodson@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repyamane@Capitol.hawaii.gov; repyamashita@Capitol.hawaii.gov;
Thank you for your continued support.
Mahalo,
Neal