Let Honolulu Vote.org's Paul Smith reports this week that Hawaii continues to have one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. Smith says, "the Bureau of the Census reports that, on a per capita basis, Hawaii, in 2005, was the number 1 state for collections of general sales tax, and in 2006, had the fifth highest percentage (11.7 percent) of state and local tax burden as a percentage of state income."
The report does not take into account the new tax increase that started on January 1 to fund Honolulu's $6.4 billion rail transit project. That will surely push our tax burden higher the next time another report is filed.
Keep an eye on the State Legislature. You can't trust many of the politicians who work in that building. They may be pushing more legislation to increase our tax burden. More fees, charges, cost, taxes. When will it all end?
Tax hell is alive and well in the 50th State.
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5 comments:
Instead of moderating comments, disallowing "anonymous" comments usually takes care of irresponsible speech.
Over at the poinography blog, he won't even allow a comment without adding his own; that's really bizarre.
I've experimented with the various allowances and have found that it's ok to allow people to say whatever they want to -- as long as they don't say it anonymously, and that pretty much polices itself.
Otherwise, you have to make a lot of decisions as to what you'll allow and if the comments don't appear unmoderated and unedited, that discourages comments and then one is back to the suppression and distortions of the mainstream media.
I like to believe we're better than that. It's good to see you keeping this blog more current.
By the way, that's how you can usually tell when poinography is not just commenting with his own aliases.
He doesn't append an editorial comment.
The things that blogs have going for them is authenticity and spontaneity.
You remove those elements by "comment moderation" and you make a blog a lot less effective -- because you want that instant feedback, otherwise, there is that feeling of control by the blogger. Then we're back to the control problems of old media.
If comments get out of hand, one can easily remove them later -- but initially, one should give people the benefit of good faith.
That's what the blogs are all about.
Thanks for your comments Mike. So far however, this blog will remain moderated. Now what about those high taxes?
You would think that with all that whining about the high cost of living in Hawaii, that they would use the Federal standard deduction of $5,150 and personal exemption of $3,300 to exempt Hawaii taxpayers at the lowest end ($8,450) from even having to mess with tax returns and paying taxes.
Instead, they use a mind-boggling $1,500 standard deduction and personal exemption of $1,040, for a total of only $2,540 before one has to start paying taxes so the state employees can live in the luxury they've grown accustomed to.
That's why I'd rather comment about your blog than taxes in Hawaii; I like to have a logical discussion that makes sense.
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