Posted on: Tuesday, May 17, 2005

COMMENTARY

By K. Mark Takai

No one wants higher taxes, but it is important to allow the counties to raise the general excise tax to pay for mass transit.

Despite the number of short-term solutions implemented by the city and the state such as contraflow lanes, synchronized traffic lights and zipper lanes, traffic worsens every year. Without a mass-transit system, the commute to and from town takes longer every year, with 10 percent of O'ahu residents now spending between two to three hours a day in their cars. Even weekends are now considered bad traffic days.

We all understand how this sorely impacts quality of life, and indeed affects the desirability of certain neighborhoods.

House Bill 1309 does not raise taxes per se, but gives the counties the authority to levy a surcharge on the state GET of up to one-half of one percentage point to pay for transit projects. For O'ahu, this will most likely be a fixed-rail system. The Neighbor Islands would be able to fund their own individual transit projects based on the needs of the county.

The funds raised for the rail project must be leveraged with other funding sources, such as federal money, private partnerships and ridership fees. If Hawai'i, through our congressional delegation, is ever to obtain federal dollars to help pay for mass transit, we need to show a local source of funding, and the most realistic way of raising that amount of funding is through the GET. The bill repeals the funding mechanism in 2022.

Advertiser Transportation Writer Mike Leidemann's column adds to the dialogue in a positive way ("When it comes to projects like rail transit, it's not all about you," Feb. 15). Leidemann offers a perspective behind the public policy of taxation and improving lives for all of Hawai'i's people.

"The government does not collect taxes to make an individual life better. It is supposed to use the money to make everyone's lives better. As taxpaying citizens in a democracy, those of us who are better off have an obligation to help those with problems," Leidemann wrote.

"So when I got all those calls and e-mails last week from people saying they won't pay taxes for a project that won't help them directly, I wanted to point out to them: Who do you think helped pay for that nice wide highway out to Hawai'i Kai that you enjoy? The people of Mililani. Who do you think helped fund that big freeway that speeds you back and forth across the Ko'olau? The people of 'Ewa Beach. Who do you think helps to pay for all those contraflow lanes that help get you around town? We do," Leidemann added.

Because either the gasoline tax or real property tax options would require a greater increase in taxes and because approximately one-third of the GET is paid by visitors, I concluded that the GET proposal was best as a funding source.

The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, whose mission is to work on behalf of its members and the entire business community to improve the state's economic climate and help businesses thrive, has come out to support this measure. In addition, the Building Trades Council also supports this funding mechanism.

Gov. Linda Lingle, our entire congressional delegation, the Legislature, Mayor Mufi Hannemann and the City Council all support this funding mechanism. I believe that there will never be a more opportune time to consider funding for mass transit for O'ahu. A vote against this measure now would mean the demise of a mass-transit system for O'ahu.

I understand the concerns about a GET increase. Over my tenure as a state representative, I have voted against every single proposal to increase the GET. In 2003, I voted against a proposal for increases in educational funding through a one percentage point increase in the GET. However, over the past decade, I have said that I would support the construction of a rail system for O'ahu, and if the best way to fund this rail system is through an increase in the GET, then I must support this proposal.

I love Hawai'i. I love 'Aiea and Pearl City. But I despise the traffic that the residents of 'Aiea and Pearl City face each and every day. We call 'Aiea and Pearl City the "Heart of O'ahu." We are the Heart of O'ahu because the H-1 Freeway, the H-2 Freeway and the H-3 Freeway serve as our city's arteries. Our arteries are clogged.

The rail transit system represents a much-needed triple bypass.

Rep. K. Mark Takai is the vice speaker of the House of Representatives. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.