Tax-Hiking Colleen Hanabusa Headed for Third Defeat

Washington– Despite two very unsuccessful attempts in Hawaii’s 2^nd district, Hawaii State Senator Colleen Hanabusa is attempting a third run for Congress, giving Hawaii’s 1^st district a try this time around.

As Senate President, Colleen Hanabusa has been instrumental in passing detrimental policies that not only put Hawaii’s budget in the red, but have also resulted in the decline of Hawaii’s tourism industry and the rise of its unemployment rate.

“Hawaii needs a representative in Congress who will create jobs, reinvigorate the tourism industry and fight for middle-class families,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain.  “Unfortunately, Colleen Hanabusa will bring her usual tax-and-spend mentality to Washington further hurting Hawaii families’ already struggling pocketbooks.”

Hanabusa’s leadership in the Senate garnered enough ‘yes’ votes to tax Hawaii’s tourism, just another example of just how out of touch she is with restoring Hawaii’s budget and returning jobs to the people of Hawaii:

“‘To make matters worse, lawmakers also want to squeeze more from the state’s golden goose – tourism – by raising the transient accommodations tax from 7.25 percent to 9.25 percent.

“Senate Bill 1111 raises the tax, which applies to operators who rent places to visitors, by 1 percentage point in July and 1 percentage point in July 2010. This hotel-room tax will likely be passed on to tourists.

“And that runs counter to the logic of reviving the state’s flagging tourism economy: It makes Hawai’i more expensive while the visitor industry is desperately trying to make it more affordable. Hawai’i visitors already pay an estimated $25.79 per night in taxes, more than double the national average” (Editorial, “Budget woes can’t be solved by tax hikes,” Hawaiian Advertiser, 4/23/2009)

While having no qualms with voting to take money from taxpayers in one of the worst recessions in history, Colleen Hanabusa somehow feels entitled to give herself and fellow legislators a pay raise:

“Both the Senate president and speaker of the House will get a pay differential, raising their pay to $56,208 from $43,400.

“The money for legislative salaries comes from the state budget, so the state Department of Accounting and General Services issues that check.” (Richard Borreca, Hawaii legislators to get 36% pay raise, Honolulu Star Bulletin, 10/12/2008)

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