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Last but not least Glenn would really like to see Kauai give the county manager style of Government a chance.
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| Mr. Mickens is locally known as one of Kauai county's political watchdogs and Nitpickers... Mahalos Glenn! |
"People working 2 and 3 jobs cannot afford more taxes..."
How much more blood money does Kaua'i county council person JoAnn Yukimura or any supporter of these tax increases think they can get out of people who are working 2 and 3 jobs just to survive?
Communications 2016-59, 2016-60, and 2016-61 all proposed by council member Yukimura plus bills 2620, 2621, and 2622 requesting more fuel tax, more excise tax, and more weight tax are totally unacceptable to the already overtaxed citizens of Kauai.
And, as the pragmatic members of this council have pointed out, these proposed tax increase are regressive and hurt our lowest class of people the hardest. People with money could care less if fuel tax goes to $2 per gallon as they can afford it. But the contractors or workers who use their vehicles for a livelihood will either pass the added cost along to their customers or bury themselves in more debt.
Where will the money come from to fix and repave our terrible roads and solve our traffic problems? Citizens including myself have offered solutions but no one seems to be listening.
We go after the waste in our system by hiring an experienced County Manager who has gone through this before. By the administrations own numbers we take in over $10 million a year in fuel and weight taxes that should be going to road maintenance . But since we are only spending $1.5 to $2.5 million a year for our roads it means that 80% of these funds are being used for non designated purposes. This is only a fraction of the waste that permeates the way our government is being run.
If we hire a manager and eliminate the waste and the wasteful practices going on, we will have sufficient funds to keep from raising taxes--or better yet, lower them!
Again, you members should get the Mayor and his department heads in here and let them show you what, if anything, has been done to address the measures that Ernie Pasion's audits have uncovered.
We spent a lot of tax payers money to get the fine work that Ernie did so why are we not using it ?
In my testimony last week I expanded more on these issues and I urge all of you to please carefully read it again. And as I said before, if you have any disagreements about what I say, please have the courtesy to tell me what it is.
Editor's note, Dakinetalk guest bloggers do not necessarily represent the opinions of dakinetalk. Guest bloggers are given space to express their beliefs and or opinions. We feel there are many roads and like to give people space to express their thoughts,after-all that's what dakine is...
Aloha, James "Kimo" Rosen---Blogger-n-chief, dakinetalk blog---
P.S.
Check out this Fun YouTube of Bernie Sanders and Katie Couric;
"Bernie Has Chutzpah!" ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heE143betU8
Check out Glenn's Wikipedia page;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Mickens
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With all the stress of the world, don't forget to
Above photo-"Sleeping Giant mountainwatch the sunrise or sunset, it's free!
one hour before Sunset."
Photo, James "Kimo" Rosen |
Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...
9 comments:
Glenn, I encourage you to run for county council--- you are at every meeting meeting and spend more time on county matters than most paid politicians. Go for it. You got my vote. We may differ on a few issues but I love your honesty and passions. You are a true mensch! ;-)
Serious intervention of some kind is definitely needed. This island's traffic problem has a 20 year head start on the solution---and asking a major reason for the problem to heal the problem is more bad math.
Glenn, I really don't see the advantage of manager.
But what I do see is a law passed that politicians can't vote themselves a raise. This is insanity.
People must get together on this. Who would oppose such an idea.
Bettejo Dux Agreed, the council should not be able to vote themselves pay raises this is ludicrous, especially since they are already highly overpaid fora part time job...
Tank you, Kimo.Amazing hoiw often you agree with people you disagree with. LOL
Aloha Kimo:
thanks so much for the compliment--really appreciate it. Though I have fun trying to be our government watchdog I could never run for council or any other political position. I would continually vote for what I thought was right for the mass of the people and not worry about whether my vote would get me reelected. For me, that is the main thing wrong with most of the politicians---they worry about getting reelected and not about making sure that they are truly representing the people.
And thanks for putting my testimony in your blog today--just as you said you would. I have another testimony ready for the next smart streets issue but the Mon meeting was canceled and the next one hasn't as yet been given. I can send it to you for your use when you need it but let me know if you want it. I am sure you have lots of other peoples testimonies that you want to print.
Mahalo and keep up the fine work.
Glenn
loha Bettejo:
There are hundreds of reasons why we need a County Manager but I am sure that you are not satisfied with the direction this island is going--traffic, low income housing, road conditions, the homeless people, more taxes being proposed when we are not told where our present taxes is going, and on and on.
All you really have to know is that 51% of municipalities across the US use this system and it is working.
WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN OUR GOVERNMENT AND UNDER THE MAYOR/COUNCIL SYSTEM IT IS NOT THERE!!!!
Stay involved, Bettejo and if you need more info about this system please let me know. Keep writing those good letters.
Regards,
Thank you, Glenn. I agree with you about the madness of traffic, overdevelopment, and taxes. Further, we are actually running out of fresh water on Kauai: response from law makers? Build more hotels, mit swimming pools, more suburban sprawl--more cars, more traffic jams-more tourists.
What impresses me is how often we agree with someone we disagree with.
BTW, your wife has the sweetest voice. Love to both of you from me and my zoo.
Too many typos in my 'column' in Kimo's bloig today. I'm up to my neck in alligators here at home. I will, however, try to stay involved. Hope you watch and listen to Steve Saylor, videos by the guy running for President at the foot of my column. Very bright. Gifted. Good friend. Love his work and what he says....
Aloha Bettejo:
Thank you for the reply.
Just a couple of things I would like you to consider.
1) Agree that the system that is now in place is not working--problems that are screaming at us. And yes, as you said, running out of fresh water. And the only sensible change is to bring in an experienced manager whose job it will be to put accountability and transparency into our government.
2) To live in the real world where vehicles will never go away--whether they be hybrid, electric hydrogen or whatever. Don't be a one issue blind person like JoAnn regarding buses--she is a very smart lady and no one on that council works harder at her job than she does. She believes that buses are the solution to our traffic problems but people WILL NOT ABANDON THEIR VEHICLES and that is a fact.
We must put a moratorium on growth UNTIL THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS IN PLACE to handle what is proposed and that is not being done.
A county manager would have this at the head of his/her priority list.
Stay well, stay happy and stay involved.
Mahalo,
Glenn
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