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Governor eyes Hilo-Kona tax disparity issue
Hawaii Tribune-Herald ^ | May 22, 2011 | Chelsea Jensen

Posted on 05/22/2011 2:05:19 PM PDT by george76

Abercrombie vows to fix system.

West Hawaii pays a disproportionate percent of property taxes on Hawaii Island, and "we Democrats have to do something about it, and do something now," Gov. Neil Abercrombie told party supporters Saturday in Kailua-Kona.

Some 116 people attended the Hawaii County Democratic Party's luncheon held at Hualalai Academy's Bridge Building. Abercrombie also covered topics ranging from energy and sustainability, affordable housing and the failed soda tax legislation.

The governor noted that property owners on the west side Hawaii Island pay around 70 percent of all property taxes, even though far more people live on the east side of the island. The reason, Abercrombie said, is because property values are so much higher on the Kona side than the Hilo side.

...

Abercrombie also stressed the importance of strengthening the Democratic Party in order to prevent fragmentation, similar to what has occurred with the Tea Party's emergence in the Republican Party, and more efficiently get things done in government.

(Excerpt) Read more at hawaiitribune-herald.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Hawaii
KEYWORDS: abercrombie; hawaii; hilo; hilokona; kailua; kailuakona; kona; propertytaxes; taxdisparity; taxes; westhawaii

1 posted on 05/22/2011 2:05:21 PM PDT by george76
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To: george76
The governor noted that property owners on the west side Hawaii Island pay around 70 percent of all property taxes, even though far more people live on the east side of the island. The reason, Abercrombie said, is because property values are so much higher on the Kona side than the Hilo side.

Tell me this is satire....
2 posted on 05/22/2011 2:08:32 PM PDT by rottndog (Be Prepared for what's coming AFTER America....)
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To: george76

What about the po’ folks that live on the south end of the island? I wish I could afford land there.

They can sprinkle my ashes in a lava tube


3 posted on 05/22/2011 2:10:52 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. Obama: Epic Fail or Bust!!!)
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To: george76

So is his solution to charge less for the wealthier or more for the poorer side??

This could be interesting.

lol.


4 posted on 05/22/2011 2:14:22 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Happiness)
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To: rottndog

So this means I can expect our Illinois RATs to rectify the great disparities in Chicago? The NW and N side probably pay at least 70% of Chicago’s real estate taxes.


5 posted on 05/22/2011 2:14:48 PM PDT by arrogantsob (Why do They hate her so much?)
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To: rottndog
Well that's why he got elected - his acumen.

But doesn't this mean that property is more expensive on the Kona side? And wouldn't that mean that richer people live there? Especially at the multi-milti million dollar condos and homes embedded with those South Kohala resorts? So wait a minute... wouldn't this mean that the...rich...are.. paying... higher...taxes?

Oh never mind!
6 posted on 05/22/2011 2:21:11 PM PDT by jobim
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To: george76

This is too delicious..., a liberal wanting wealthier land owners to pay less in taxes....


7 posted on 05/22/2011 2:28:45 PM PDT by freebilly
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To: GeronL

He’s a Democrat. He’ll find a way to make them both pay more.


8 posted on 05/22/2011 2:35:51 PM PDT by monkeyshine
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To: monkeyshine

lol. I bet he will.


9 posted on 05/22/2011 2:38:16 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Happiness)
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To: GeronL
The problem is tax assessment, not that the Kona side is crawling with rich people living in huge estates. The assessor has been raping the west side for a long time, huge sore point.

Only about 40k people in the most populated area of the west side, vast majority are not "rich".

10 posted on 05/22/2011 3:15:59 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: NormsRevenge

I used to live in Kona. You need an out of state source of income. It is next to impossible to do business there.


11 posted on 05/22/2011 3:29:10 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (Shut up and eat your Beans!)
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To: doorgunner69
The assessor has been raping the west side for a long time, huge sore point.

A little more rain shouldn't make that big a difference. My guess is the haole to native ratio in various neighborhoods has the most to do with the assessments, even adjusted for income.

12 posted on 05/22/2011 3:39:12 PM PDT by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: ccmay

Good chance that is correct. Hilo is known for being a hotbed of the “sovereignty” movement, Kona has lots of retired haoles and asians.


13 posted on 05/22/2011 3:51:21 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: doorgunner69

Heh we have property south of Hilo. We were over there checking out building on it and was sightseeing.....ran into a we hate whiteys compound. They were really nice to us though and gave us a tour of the compound.
That night we went to dinner and if you actually listened to the words of the songs coming from the 2 man band they were all sovereignty songs.


14 posted on 05/22/2011 4:56:31 PM PDT by sheana
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