To Maui's hardworking middle-class homeowners: The County Council is tripling our property taxes, lowering the property tax exemption by 33 percent and raising the tax rate on houses by 25 cents. Lower is better and a quarter is just two bits. This double-talk is designed to fool us. If a home that is lived in by the owner is worth $350,000, the property tax is more than tripling.
Nobody on the council is raising their voice to say that this tax cannibalism must stop.
Ah, but we can always vote them out, right? Well, no. Not when we all go to the polls for important elections in August, and not when we vote for president in November. The system is rigged so they can pass this massive tax increase now, and not defend it for a long time. And by the way, they also want longer terms in office, so they can get away with this kind of thing for years at a time.
We all have our favorites. Some of them might even vote against the triple-tax hike. But remember, nobody is raising their voice on our behalf. Nobody wants to step on any other council member's toes.
They have to be stopped. We have to show up in large numbers. Will we? Who has that kind of time? They know it.
It is easy to write to The Maui News. The council members read it. Send letters. Stop the triple tax hike now.
Rick Tolin
Kihei
