Granting a benefit to one group only makes another pay for it
Granting a benefit to one group only makes another pay for it
Bill 218 sponsored by Margaret Wille eliminates the nondedicated agricultural use assessment program on Dec. 31, 2017. The nondedicated section is popular. Ninety-five percent have chosen the nondedicated over the dedicated section.
The rumor is, there are abuses within the program and the abuses are costing the county tax dollars so the proposed solution is to eliminate the program.
I would like to suggest a different approach.
Allow the county access to the properties in the program in order to verify compliance. This condition already exists for the dedicated section and could be expanded to cover the nondedicated section. Secondly, fund a position to inspect and enforce the program conditions. I believe one person could review each property on a five-year basis creating a compliance mentality and pay for their salary at the same time from taxes generated.
Councilwoman Wille, I have a suggestion on how you can help farmers and growers. Give us the same inflation protection on our homes that is afforded residents in the homeowners class. Homeowners have a 3 percent growth cap on assessed value of their home and property. This benefit was gifted in 2005 by Harry Kim and the County Council. But it was only gifted to one group. Homes on agricultural class property now are subjected to escalating home assessment values. For example, this year the tax bill on my home increased 29 percent.
I understand the politics. Expanding the 3 percent growth cap to another group would be controversial and eliminating it for 40,000 homes would be unthinkable. But to me, granting a benefit to one group only makes another group pay for it, and right now farmers and growers are paying a higher percentage of the increased county revenues.
Phil Koszarek
Captain Cook
Roth vs. Kagami: The choice is clear
Michael Kagami’s reasoning for running for prosecutor, that he has more courtroom experience, is baffling. The county prosecutor position is an administrative one, not a courtroom role. The prosecutor needs to be able to effectively manage over 100 plus employees, not appear in court. Done correctly, there is no time for trying felony jury trials as Kagami seems to be proposing.
Mitch Roth has both years of successful court room experience and the proven ability to lead and understands the prosecutor’s role.
Further, Kagami has proven ineffective or dismissive in the past on critical cases like Gambsky, DeJarnette, Wong and Kema, all of which were his cases that he said couldn’t be won and thus declared cold. They were revived by Roth with the following results: two convictions (Gambsky, DeJarnette) and two (Kema, Wong) about to go to trial. Kagami also acted on his own in the terrible plea agreement for Amormino resulting in his well-deserved dismissal.
Also alarming is Kagami’s slant on the office, which seems to be more of “order taker” than proactive leader. It is the responsibility of everyone to find effective means of reducing the need for prosecutors, not just wait for bad things to happen.
Roth, a true leader, has been very active in finding and incorporating ways to help troubled populations, like his program for veterans, for many years both prior and during his role as county prosecutor.
Finally, Kagami’s mean-spirited, vindictive political ads show a desperate man and not one that has the skills or temperament to run such an important office. The choice is clear. Please vote for Mitch Roth on or before Aug. 13 when this race will be over.
Gay Mathews
Honokaa
Allow Gabbard to keep building on her work
I wanted to respond to the letters about U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. She has my vote. When she first ran for House of Representatives, she responded to my email about women’s issues and answered my concerns about several issues affecting women.
As a progressive and a card-carrying member of the ACLU, I am concerned about the direction we are going in. As a bankruptcy lawyer, I have seen first-hand how the middle class was devastated by the “Great Recession.” Rep. Gabbard stands up for the middle class; I was so proud of how she joined Sen. Bernie Sanders and went to bat for the ideas he stands for.
She is our voice in Washington, D.C., and we need her to stay and continue the work started to carry Hawaii’s message of our place in this world and to represent our interests. She was on the ground walking door-to-door with FEMA offering assistance after Tropical Storm Iselle; she was a voice for protecting residents from dengue fever and called for a state of emergency long before it was declared; she worked to ensure Puna residents had a road in and out when the lava hit; she’s been a leader in the call for re-opening direct international flights to Kona International Airport; she passed legislation to fight the coffee berry borer and other invasive species; and she passed legislation reauthorizing the Native Hawaiian Education Act, and so much more.
She is accessible and does keep in touch with us no matter where she is. Let’s allow her to keep on working and building on the work she started.
Barbara L. Franklin
Honokaa