Re: Lava and GET
Ahem, Mr. Bob Smith (Tribune-Herald, Your Views, July 15), and mahalo for your comments, but I don’t recall expressing “joy” about the recently invoked one-quarter percent general excise tax increase, which kicks in Jan. 1.
Most of the County Council members never regarded the unexpected lava turmoil as an excuse to raise taxes. It was executed with reluctance because the county budget has to be fiscally balanced, by law, each year. An emergency measure, not a long-term solution.
By the way, the legislated GET bump does have a termination date of Dec. 31, 2020. No promises, though.
Despite the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Small Business Administration, Red Cross, churches and generous outreach of many community organizations and volunteers, it’s never quite enough. Do you really think $13 million is adequate? To rebuild a replacement of a district that previously generated approximately $5 million annually in property taxes?
We’re an island locality, so proportionately any natural catastrophe is more damaging compared with a larger mainland state with a bigger population and wider financial base.
Yes, I agree with you that the egress of magma eventually will diminish, maybe even to a degree where it becomes safe to become a tourist attraction again. But the fire goddess didn’t say when, so the devastation continues.
As a taxpayer, I acknowledge the general dislike of increased taxes, as well as the inefficiency of government, with its share of human error, scandals, gender improprieties, employee sloth and theft. Difficult to control and eliminate.
As for your reference to county “vehicles sitting idle” — I don’t regard that as abnormal. My car sits in my garage or a private/public parking lot for hours at a time until I decide to drive it. Most of the time it sits parked, “wasting away,” as you put it.
Maybe the occupants of those cars are in a nearby county office doing their work so they can pay their taxes and serve taxpayers like me.
In this good ol’ USA, I am thankful we have freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Now that’s what makes America great.
Lloyd Fukuki
Waimea
