Kokua Line
Kokua Line
I was told by a travel agent that the hotel room tax is going up Jan. 1 to 11.41 percent. Isn't that tax just to get more money from tourists? I am not a tourist, so why do I have to pay it? When we go to the neighbor islands, we have to stay in hotels, unless we have friends or relatives. Hawaii hotel room tax
is going up on Jan. 1Actually, the transient accommodations tax (TAT) will be 7.25 percent on Jan. 1, raised this year by state lawmakers from the current 6 percent.
The state's general excise tax is 4.166 percent. The total tax that can thus be tacked on to a guest's hotel bill is 11.41 percent.
Hotels and other "transient accommodation" facilities have to pay the tax to the state Department of Taxation. Whether or not they pass it on to consumers is up to them, said department spokeswoman June Yamamoto. "Like the general excise tax, (the TAT) is levied on gross income," she said.
Murray Towill, president of the Hawaii Hotel Association, said he doesn't know of any hotel that doesn't pass on the tax to guests.
"Like most taxes, it's an equity issue here, as well, in terms of all customers paying it," he said.
Towill noted that most hotels offer a kamaaina rate already, "which actually is not done in many other places. So that really is a way for various companies to both attract local business and basically say thank you (to them)."
Of the 7.25 percent TAT to come, the Legislature earmarked 2.75 percent for a special fund to be overseen by a new Tourism Authority, mostly for marketing; 3.25 percent for the counties, and 1.25 percent for the convention center debt service.
I had a medical problem so went to three doctors. The fees were all about the same, except for Straub, which billed me another $42 for a facilities charge. Medicare paid it, but I had to pay the 20 percent deductible. I called Straub and was told that they have a right to charge it. What is a facilities charge for, using the elevator? Two kinds of charges are normally incurred, said Straub spokeswoman Michelle Jerin Shirai: a professional charge, which includes physician fees, and a facilities charge "anytime (patients) come into the facility."
The charge could be for use of a room or supplies.
Also, "It's mandatory for (facility use) to be billed as a separate charge under Medicare because Straub is considered a hospital-based provider," Shirai said.
The rubber bands holding two shower trees to stakes in the mauka block of South King Street, between Victoria and Pensacola, need to be readjusted. They're digging into the bark. The trees must have been planted 8-10 years ago. Does the city have a procedure to make such adjustments? The city Parks Department thanks you for pointing out the problem and promised to send somebody immediately to remedy the situation.
Standard procedure is to stake trees only temporarily, and then only if a tree is weak and unlikely to withstand the elements, said parks spokeswoman Patti Nagao.
The shower trees were planted some time ago and "were among the few that were inadvertently missed" by the beautification division, which monitors such trees regularly, she said.
Shower trees are among the few that do need bracing, with stakes generally removed within a year.
The city maintains more than 250,000 trees and plants about 1,500 annually.
To Tricia in the white van who lent her cellular phone and a blanket June 22 when our dog was badly injured on the Mililani on-ramp to H-2. Ipo didn't make it, but she and your kindness will not be forgotten. -- J. & D. Agoo Mahalo
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com
