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It is that time of year when the mayor and governor get together to figure out how to extort every last dollar, through taxes and fees, from the tourists and short-term rentals.
They can price-gouge the tourists and short-term rentals because these two groups don't vote, so they can abuse them with impunity.
This will start with the short-term rentals with already onerous real estate taxes probably going up a debilitating 30, 40 or 50 percent.
They will say this is justified by the Lahaina fire, but they would have done it anyway.
Real estate taxes for locals will remain relatively flat, since these people vote, plus they can subsidize their taxes by what they squeeze out of the short-term rentals.
Then they will move on to the hapless tourists. Let's see how high can we raise the already abusive general excise and hotel room taxes.
Then they tackle what I call peripheral taxes. How about the airport rental car tax; 50 percent increase sound good? Why not raise the Makena Beach parking fee to maybe double?
The governor who never met a fee or tax he did not like is proposing a "climate impact fee" of $25 per tourist since they supposedly adversely affect the environment.
The locals don't have to pay this $25 since I guess they don't negatively affect the environment, plus they vote.
The options for fleecing tourists and short-term rental landlords by the mayor and governor are endless.
James Dorr
Wailea