Posted on 02/19/2024 1:21:30 PM PST by lowbridge
Lawmakers in Hawaii are poised to approve a $25 climate tax on tourists who visit the Aloha State in an effort to combat what they claim is an assault on the area’s natural resources.
The state, which saw 9.5 million people visit last year, is recovering from the devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, which killed at least 100 people and caused damages worth around $6 billion.
The proposed tax will pay to protect beaches and prevent wildfires, state officials said.
“It’s a very small price to pay to preserve paradise,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, told The Wall Street Journal.
A tax by the nation’s 50th state would follow in the footsteps of other tourist hot spots including Greece; Venice, Italy; the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador; the Pacific island nation of Palau; Greece; and New Zealand — all of which have levied fees on tourist ranging from $1 to $100.
In 2022, Green campaigned on a platform of having all tourists pay a $50 fee to enter the state, but the proposal failed to gain the necessary votes in the state legislature.
“All I want to do, honestly, is to make travelers accountable and have the capacity to help pay for the impact that they have,” Green told AP last year.
“We get between nine and 10 million visitors a year, (but) we only have 1.4 million people living here. Those 10 million travelers should be helping us sustain our environment.”
Green told The Journal he anticipates that a $25 fee would raise $68 million annually for the state, which would then use the money to establish a state fire marshal as well as to help with disaster prevention.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Just because of that, I’m going to keep not going there.
We should do that for Texas too. Only make it $2500 and tell them they can’t stay more than a week.
“Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat”. There was really need to add the Democrat part. I think we all could have figured that out.
Use the money to hire investigators to catch the arsonists pushing the GW hoax.
Interesting concept. Could other states also collect fees from out-of-state travelers at their state lines? To protect the climate of course.
Texas could charge a fee from ‘visitors’ from old Mexico who cross the border. A very small price to pay to protect paradise.
Hawaii was never in my sights, but this guarantees I shall never go there.
“Those 10 million travelers should be helping us sustain our environment.”
They already do. They support the economy and pay taxes.
Without tourism, Hawaii’s economy would collapse since it can’t sustain itself economically by the military presence alone. Those days are gone. Better they should get rid of the scads of homeless bums that have drifted over there from CONUS and infest the beaches. They probably do more environmental damage than anyone.
So basically a Democrat slush fund.
I'd rather go to one of those Caribbean islands where sodomy is still illegal.
I’m not a lawyer but the interstate commerce act of 1887 or one of it’s amendments might not allow it.
Why don’t they make tourism illegal?
I will cancel my trip to the Hawaiian Islands. Chinese Tourist can fill the gap.
Seems like a reasonable. Those who don’t or won’t pay go directly to a road gang and be required to pick up five miles of roadside trash.
“Preserve” with money??
Red States need to implement a Stupid Tax on anyone coming from Blue States.
The Mathematics in the article do not make sense.
Who the hell designated Hawaii as paradise?
Not to give them ideas, but California has had ‘border stations’ for decades. To the “Do you have any fruit” can be added, “That will be $200 please.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.