Hawaii Tax Day Tea Party

HAWAII TAX DAY TEA PARTY ON APRIL 15

The Hawaii Tax Day Tea Party is part of a nationwide campaign of tax protests set for April 15, 2009. The purpose of the April 15 protest/rally is to "Repeal the Pork, Cut Taxes and Spending". According to the Tax Day Tea Party website "there are more than 500 tea parties confirmed for that day, and it is expected that over the next week and a half, the number of tea parties will continue to grow. Crowds of 5,000 to 10,000 are expected in multiple cities, including Atlanta, where Sean Hannity of Fox News will be broadcasting live, Sacramento, where Neal Cavuto will host his show, San Antonio, where Glenn Beck will broadcast, and New York City, where Newt Gingrich will be a featured speaker."

Here in Hawaii there will be Tax Day Tea Parties in Honolulu, Hilo and Kahului, Maui. The Honolulu Tax Day Tea Party will be held at the State Capitol Rotunda from 4 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday afternoon, April 15. The Hilo Tea Party will be held at the Bayfront Highway area near the King Kamehameha Statue starting at 4:00 p.m. The Maui rally will be held at Kaahumanu Avenue at intersection with Kahului Beach Road from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. More information about the Hawaii Tea Parties are available at the local page of the national Tea Party website.

Hawaii taxpayers are being hit with more tax increase proposals this year than any in recent memory. The state and counties are facing deep revenue shortfalls this year. Politicians and both the Hawaii State Legislature and the various counties are proposing new bills that will increase taxes, create new ones and boost fees for a number of services.

In the State Legislature tax proposals include hiking the General Excise Tax (GET), allowing the counties to create a new 1% sales tax (to be tacked on top of the GET), imposing a new tax on internet purchases (Streamline tax), hiking the gasoline tax, vehicle weight tax, vehicle registration fee and the car rental surcharge.

The City and County of Honolulu is proposing property tax hikes, raising the price to ride the bus and charging a fee for residential garbage collection.

I don't know what kind of taxes the Fed is coming up with. The Obama administration certainly wants to raise taxes on upper income tier (they provide the most investment, jobs and charitable giving in America) and sunset tax cuts enacted by the Bush administration.

The problem with each and every tax increase is that the politicians proposing them seem to view each one in a vacuum. Raising multiple taxes will take serious bites out of many taxpayers. Most of the burden will impact the poor and middle income people.

Stop raising taxes. Americans cannot afford it. Show up at the tax rallies on April 15.