#kihei 5/23/17 Are you aware that all the money collected for Maui Police Department’s citations (tickets) goes to Oahu? Do you know the transit accommodation tax (TAT) paid by anyone staying at our Maui hotels and resorts also goes to Oahu and a small portion ( a lot less than is sent there) is returned to Maui? Does that often mischaracterized “sales tax”, really a state excise tax – that 4.1666% you pay on everything – benefit the needs of your neighborhood? Does South Maui get a fair return on the federal taxes our residents pay? So how about this; as a land owner in South Maui, would you be willing to pay say maybe $100 a year if all the money went to improve a specific facet of transportation only in our district? For example improved bus service; or sidewalk construction; or a dedicated bike lane; or traffic calming devices; or road paving?
How about a different issue: flooding? What if the money could only be spent to build detention and retention basins around gulches mauka of the highway just in our sector? The cost of safe-guarding Kihei from future flooding is beyond what can come out of the County’s general fund, according to Department of Public Works chief David Goode.
If you are saying yes or even maybe, should it be a flat $100 per year for each piece of land by TMK, or a sliding scale based on assessed value? Would the use of the land have some effect? Vacant lot (yes, there are a few) same as an owner occupied house, same as a rented home, etc?
This is just an initial proposed concept in an effort to start a conversation, so your comments are encouraged. We feel there is a need for a different approach since what we are doing is not working to the satisfaction of our community. Mahalo.
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Is the problem insufficient taxation or excessive consumption of Maui-based revenue by the state?
Rather than extracting even more money from residents, how about fighting to a greater share of the revenue returned to Maui and used effectively to address the problems?
If you just solve the problems through further taxation, eventually the state will figure out they can take even more.
Giving a fiscally irresponsible government more money is not likely to make things better. Maybe try holding them accountable first.
Mahalo., Sam for reacting & contributing to the conversation, as that was our motivation for this post . We are unsure just what can be done to insure Maui County receives a favorable financial return from State government. What can be done to hold them accountable?
Mike, I empathize with your desire to solve local problems in spite of the state’s lack of attention to Maui. If your requests fall of deaf ears at the state and Maui’s state reps do not successfully advocate for Maui, then you’re stuck…and maybe you need new county representation.
Have you considered voluntary participation through something like GoFundMe.com?
If you’ve got something you want to get done, make the case on a crowd-source website and solicit voluntary participation and see what happens. If the project doesn’t get funded, then none of the pledges are charged.
If the people affected by the change you want to make think it’s a good idea, they should support it. Odds are you can get your projects done through community involvement more efficiently.
If your idea doesn’t fly, then maybe the idea and/or the message needs to be refined.
Please avoid the “central planner” mindset that seeks to have power over others and take money away from people to spend on projects they don’t want for their own good.
Mahalo for the sage input , Sam. You are helping here with our goal, to stimulate thinking & discussion. You have correctly expanded how to achieve what our government can’t or won’t achieve but what the community wants or needs by including crowd source funding. Expending choices by going outside government is most helpful.