Tax on tourists?  Will a portion of the tax dollars be put to making Hawaii safer and less crime toward tourists, cleaner streets and less unsightly (trash, pot holes, homelessness, etc) beach bathrooms maintained and cleaned, etc… Tourists may not feel that bad about the additional tax if the counties can show these improvements.

https://www.kitv.com/story/44277066/maui-seeks-to-quickly-implement-new-tax-on-tourists

I don't know how long we can keep attacking the same goose and expect to still have food on the table.

More pros than cons to me. Maui's Mayor wanted to reduce the number of tourists to that island. Raise taxes high enough so only the very upper middle class and rich can afford to visit. As long as they keep things free or low costs to locals, go for it.

More pros than cons to me. Maui's Mayor wanted to reduce the number of tourists to that island. Raise taxes high enough so only the very upper middle class and rich can afford to visit. As long as they keep things free or low costs to locals, go for it.

While I tend to agree, with you and I see Ren's point, My concern is that the world might "discover" the Big Island where we have cheaper accommodations
and far better ocean water quality.   Then we will end up with Maui style traffic and crowds.  I don't think Hawaii state will price itself out of the market
anytime soon, but  tourists may branch out to other islands.  The BI has bad enough traffic as it is and every time they fix up a local beach for tourists,
it is ruined eg Beach "69".
I want all the tourists to stay on Oahu or Maui,  not on the BI.

If the tax money is put towards incentivizing other industries this might be the best shot and diversifying the economy. The sheer numbers of tourists and watching the government constantly cave to greed make it very difficult to focus on other productive ideas.

If the tax money is put towards incentivizing other industries this might be the best shot and diversifying the economy. The sheer numbers of tourists and watching the government constantly cave to greed make it very difficult to focus on other productive ideas.

I don’t really see an alternative to tourism. The problem is the government seems unable to prevent people from coming here. A high population means the need for more jobs. It seems The only private sector industry that can be expanded is tourism. I know we’d all love to go back in time to our grandparents days when beaches weren’t over run and traffic wasn’t this bad and housing prices weren’t fucking insane but it’s just not possible without tremendous government pressure.

Just take the housing problem for example, what incentive does the state have to decrease housing prices? The higher the housing prices go the more they can collect in property taxes. Same thing with tourism IMO. Sure we could farm weed or Hemp maybe but it would just go the route of sugar where the US imports from countries that pay pennies to their workers. Kinda off topic, rant over.

I don’t really see an alternative to tourism. The problem is the government seems unable to prevent people from coming here. A high population means the need for more jobs. It seems The only private sector industry that can be expanded is tourism. I know we’d all love to go back in time to our grandparents days when beaches weren’t over run and traffic wasn’t this bad and housing prices weren’t fucking insane but it’s just not possible without tremendous government pressure.

Just take the housing problem for example, what incentive does the state have to decrease housing prices? The higher the housing prices go the more they can collect in property taxes. Same thing with tourism IMO. Sure we could farm weed or Hemp maybe but it would just go the route of sugar where the US imports from countries that pay pennies to their workers. Kinda off topic, rant over.

Quite frankly Hawaiians and citizens of the state of Hawaii,
don't want other industries.  I used to work in the
Astronomy area Good money, good jobs, lots of local businesses
did very well, but you have locals constantly trying to kill it.  The TMT is a
good example. 

I watch the "Free Hawaii" videos once in a while.
there is a white guy occasionally speaking a language I don't understand,
bitching about how mistreated his people are.  Well then put together an army
and take it back.  Use traditional Hawaiian weapons.  See how well that works.
Hawaiians think they can turn back time and go back to another day.
That simply isn't going to happen,  the world doesn't work that way.
Preserve your culture of course!  But assimilate and succeed where
you need to.
For example how many Aztecs, Inca, or Maya nations are there today?
They were destroyed by "Empires" that "Owe" them what?
Nothing.
In America every person has rights.  Take advantage of that.
Or complain, about how you were cheated by people long dead and gone,
or cling to beliefs that only you hold dear.

There is a saying for that,  "wish in one hand, shit in the other and see which fills up first".
Hawaii will not advance, as long as it is run by people that operate in the wishing mode.
You are still being conquered.

My rant is now off.

Tax on tourists?  Will a portion of the tax dollars be put to making Hawaii safer and less crime toward tourists, cleaner streets and less unsightly (trash, pot holes, homelessness, etc) beach bathrooms maintained and cleaned, etc… Tourists may not feel that bad about the additional tax if the counties can show these improvements.

https://www.kitv.com/story/44277066/maui-seeks-to-quickly-implement-new-tax-on-tourists

Increased taxes.  New taxes.  Tax this.  Tax that.  It's tolerable to a certain point if we could see the results from these new or increased taxes.

But we never do.  More like taking from Peter to pay Paul.  The revenue is now increased.  But....where did it go?

In the pockets of the politicians or up their ass? 

I wish I had a hand in putting (shoving...?) the tax dollars up their ass.  At least I would get some satisfaction from my hard earned tax dollars.

We are an island in the middle of nowhere.   There's a hard limit to our industries.   Exportation of goods is basically ruled out, so no farming or manufacturing.  Our only main means of money can be tourism and military which we are.   Not even technology services or other long distance services would be good because of the time difference and lag.  We are stuck in paradise.

Like groveler said we could have science study but the Hawaiians are stupid and fight it.  Even though in the past that was their claim to fame I'm sure their ancestors are face palming.

There's a hard limit to our industries.   Exportation of goods is basically ruled out, so no farming or manufacturing.  Our only main means of money can be tourism and military which we are.   Not even technology services or other long distance services would be good because of the time difference and lag.  We are stuck in paradise.

You are not stuck in paradise; you live in an illegally occupied nation that is subjected to the occupiers laws, which are a violation of international law and are war crimes.  The fact that tourism and the overrated and wasteful US imperial military spending are the main pillars of Hawaii's economy are a direct consequence of that occupation.

Like groveler said we could have science study but the Hawaiians are stupid and fight it.  Even though in the past that was their claim to fame I'm sure their ancestors are face palming.

KEEP YOUR BIGOTED, RACIST, AND ANTI-HAWAIIAN OPINIONS TO YOURSELF!

It is US imperialists and the similar attitudes that you share with your other subject-citizens, that make Hawaiians salivate your empire's long-awaited demise.   

The beauty of it, is watching how your fellow subject-citizens are tearing each other apart and its corrupt leadership destroying what the great American Republic once was.  If there is any face-palming, it is coming from the graves, of the American Republic's FOUNDING FATHERS, who would immediately start another revolution to establish the 2ND AMERICAN REPUBLIC, if they were alive today.   

Meh, they already do that in tons of countries. Don’t think that changes much. When many of the people traveling don’t blink an eye at the hotel rates.

Reduce the budgets for our legislators and their staff. It’s effing redonkulous. I have a few friends who are on said staffs. All they seem to do is go eat and schmooze. I mean I am “sure” they do a lot more…

Meh, they already do that in tons of countries. Don’t think that changes much. When many of the people traveling don’t blink an eye at the hotel rates.

Reduce the budgets for our legislators and their staff. It’s effing redonkulous. I have a few friends who are on said staffs. All they seem to do is go eat and schmooze. I mean I am “sure” they do a lot more…

Take away the City Teslas and replace them with those 3 wheeled motorized scooters that HPD had in the 80s. These State and City bureaucrats are bloated and wasting our money. Why do we need so many services for a small State and City? We make things too complicated just to keep menial jobs.
Less government and more People power.

You are not stuck in paradise; you live in an illegally occupied nation that is subjected to the occupiers laws, which are a violation of international law and are war crimes.  The fact that tourism and the overrated and wasteful US imperial military spending are the main pillars of Hawaii's economy are a direct consequence of that occupation.


KEEP YOUR BIGOTED, RACIST, AND ANTI-HAWAIIAN OPINIONS TO YOURSELF!

It is US imperialists and the similar attitudes that you share with your other subject-citizens, that make Hawaiians salivate your empire's long-awaited demise.   

The beauty of it, is watching how your fellow subject-citizens are tearing each other apart and its corrupt leadership destroying what the great American Republic once was.  If there is any face-palming, it is coming from the graves, of the American Republic's FOUNDING FATHERS, who would immediately start another revolution to establish the 2ND AMERICAN REPUBLIC, if they were alive today.   

lol


On a serious note,  its not racist to think peoples general decisions are stupid.  I didn't say everything they do is stupid just this and maybe a few other subjects    Hell my views on science extends to all races and cultures.  Starting to sound liberal.  That's like if I called you a terrorist because of your ideas on America.

We are in a deep swamp of tax creatures.

Did ya'll miss the ...

The bill would stop funding the tourism agency with money raised by the transient accommodations tax.
Lawmakers intend to pay for the agency with money from the general fund, though for the current fiscal year they appropriated federal coronavirus relief funds.

 

Did ya'll miss the ...

The bill would stop funding the tourism agency with money raised by the transient accommodations tax.
Lawmakers intend to pay for the agency with money from the general fund, though for the current fiscal year they appropriated federal coronavirus relief funds.

 

I heard thats one of the reasons why the Ige admin was holding out for a Biden rescue - to reappropriate funds that were not allowed under a Trump admin.