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Our governor and City Council members are obsessed with the idea of enacting more tax laws. I believe the primary reason is to extract maximum funds from residents, visitors and investors under the guise of serving a greater purpose. And yet we find that the state and counties have failed to efficiently meet their primary mission of public safety through police, fire and emergency medical services. The unfinished rail line is an example of epic failures for public transportation.
Instead of imposing more new taxes, the state and counties need to evaluate their current services and hire managers that can perform the needed oversight to control waste and streamline essential services that are only available from them. For example, State IDs, birth and death certificates, driver’s licenses and building permits. Funny how the Honolulu City Council was able to achieve an unjustified windfall pay increase despite its poor performance.
John Tamashiro
Pearl City
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