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May 2005

July 2005

President's Message
May 21 State Convention at Tokai University
Hawaii Public Financing Bill Falls Just Short of Passage (Laure Dillon & Jessica Wisneski)
Charter Commission (Evangeline Funk & Piilani Kaopuiki)
Tax Increase for Rail (Charles Carole)
Who Will Use Rail? (Pearl Johnson)
Flawed Agriculture Bill Sneaks Past Legislature (Pearl Johnson)
Judicial Airdates
Did You Know? (Pearl Johnson)

Tax Increase for Rail

HB1309 allows counties to add a surcharge of up to 0.5 percent on the state's 4 percent general excise tax to pay for transit projects. Originally, the rail project from Kapolei to Iwilei had an estimated cost of $2.7 billions but with construction starting in 2010, inflation would probably boost the cost to $3 to $4 billions. There is no plan for the rail at this time. Oahu residents are asked to trust the government to do the right thing with this increase in the excise tax.

Charles Carole
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