>
> Excise tax on everything from food to cars will soon increase 0.5

> Oahu to fund a multibillion dollar rail project. Officials estimate

> hike could cost a family of four about $450 a year.....
>
> This of course hits the poor the hardest.

>
> On Tue, 12 Dec 2006, Jerry Okamura wrote:
>

>> Excise tax on everything from food to cars will soon
>> increase 0.5 percent on Oahu to fund a multibillion
>> dollar rail project. Officials estimate the tax hike
>> could cost a family of four about $450 a year.....
>>
>> This of course hits the poor the hardest.

>
> The poor can expect tax credits... But we can expect
> that for every $450 about 1/3, or about $150 will also
> be paid by the tourist. This is a very efficient tax at
> exporting costs of our infrastructure. That's the basis
> of our system of GET taxes.
>

>
> On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:20:17 -0000, "Jerry Okamura"
> hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
>

>>
>> Excise tax on everything from food to cars will soon increase 0.5

> percent on

>> Oahu to fund a multibillion dollar rail project. Officials estimate

> the tax

>> hike could cost a family of four about $450 a year.....
>>
>> This of course hits the poor the hardest.

>
> I was born on Oahu and there were no freeways. Over the decades it
> has become a traffic snarling nightmare even to me. ...

> I was born on Oahu and there were no freeways. Over
> the decades it has become a traffic snarling
> nightmare even to me.
>
> We went to Europe this summer, rode the state
> supported trains in Italy and France and made good
> use of the underground Tube in the UK. They were
> awesome! ON TIME every time. The beautiful country
> side sped by when we were on the faster trains. It
> was reasonable cost and I was totally impressed.
>
> I believe Oahu really needs the rail transit sytem
> and we've needed it for years. Did you know many
> many decades ago Oahu had a train system and
> eventually let the land go? The system was used as
> the Bus system which I rode as a kid from Waipahu
> into town (Leeward Bus System IIRC).

>
> On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:20:17 -0000, "Jerry Okamura"
> hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
>

>>
>> Excise tax on everything from food to cars will soon increase 0.5

> percent on

>> Oahu to fund a multibillion dollar rail project. Officials estimate

> the tax

>> hike could cost a family of four about $450 a year.....
>>
>> This of course hits the poor the hardest.

>
> I was born on Oahu and there were no freeways. Over the decades it
> has become a traffic snarling nightmare even to me.
>
> We went to Europe this summer, rode the state supported trains in
> Italy and France and made good use of the underground Tube in the UK. ...

>
>
> I would agree. This is a worthwhile investment which
> will save the poor family a lot of money. Giving up a
> car with its insurance, fuel, and repair costs would
> save the poor family a lot of money. Drivers get
> subsidized with roads. Shouldn't the non-drivers get
> some benefits too?
>

> "Alvin E. Toda" lava.net> wrote in message
> news:1166241307-sch@news.lava.net...

>>
>>
>> I would agree. This is a worthwhile investment
>> which will save the poor family a lot of money.
>> Giving up a car with its insurance, fuel, and
>> repair costs would save the poor family a lot of
>> money. Drivers get subsidized with roads. Shouldn't
>> the non-drivers get some benefits too?
>>

>
> Only for those who are poor who will can take
> advantage of such a system, and that only applies to
> the poor who live near the system, that will take
> them to where they want to go. In the meantime, they
> are also the ones who will have to pay for the
> system.

> On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 04:55:01 -0000, "Jerry Okamura"
> hawaii.rr.com> wrote:
>

>> "Alvin E. Toda" lava.net> wrote in message
>> news:1166241307-sch@news.lava.net...

>>>
>>> I would agree...