Public Hearing on Rail Taxes Set at State Legislature

August 12, 2017 admin August 14, Calendar, Funding, GET, Hawaii State Legislature, Hearing, Increase, Money, rail, Special Session, stupidity, taxes, Testimony, Waste, Your Cost

Hawaii taxpayers may have a last chance to stop the rail project by sending in testimony and hoping that the Hawaii State Legislature will do the sensible thing and not waste taxpayer money to call a special session to increase or extend taxes to pay for rail.

In an email sent out to subscribers, longtime rail opponent Dennis Callan urges the public to send in testimony for a legislative hearing coming up this Monday, August 14:

“Extension of the rail tax is going to be considered on Monday morning at an “informational briefing” at the capitol auditorium. The legislature has scheduled the Special Session public hearing on increasing the rail tax and I urge you to participate.

Email them your testimony now, and come to the hearing if you can:

NOTICE OF LEGISLATURE INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING
DATE: Monday, August 14, 2017
TIME: 10:00 a.m.
PLACE: Auditorium, State Capitol

Public testimony will be accepted but it must be emailed first:
“Testimony must be submitted via email to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Energy at: TRETestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

Take one minute right now to compose a quick message and email it in. This will put you on the list of testifiers and you can then expand on your thoughts while speaking.

This might be our very last chance to make our voices heard. Please participate!!

It is going to be an extraordinary combined hearing in front of all five subject committees, so this is your chance to reach 50 decision-makers.

Yes, they have been ignoring us for ten years, yes, they have probably already made up their minds to push this rail disaster through to the very end, but we have a responsibility to do everything possible to stop it. If the public were to participate in large numbers, this train wreck could be stopped, perhaps by ending it at Middle Street, which would save billions and prevent the city center from being damaged by the useless elevated monstrosity.

Say whatever you like in your testimony, express your feelings as you see fit, but do something!

It is going to be a big event with a packed house and members of five committees, so you might want to get there early…but first, right now, email them a brief statement TRETestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

Senate
COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND ENERGY
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY, INTERGOVERNMENTAL, AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

House:
COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Here is the hearing notice:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2017/hearingnotices/HEARING_TRE-PSM-WAM-TRN-FIN_08-14-17_INFO_.HTM “

Photo credit: The first trainset for the w:en:Honolulu Rail Transit project on display at the HART vehicle maintenance facility in Pearl City, Hawaii. By Musashi 1600.