Drivers cringe
at vehicle tax hike

Motorists' reaction to a 50-percent hike in the county vehicle weight tax is mixed. Most agree there is a need to fix potholes but not all are willing to pay higher taxes to have them fixed.

"They just raised it last year," said Hannah Hall of Waikiki. She drives a 1987 Honda Civic and expects to pay $20 to $25 more per year.

"I just feel like we're stuck. What else are we going to do. I have to drive my car for work," Hall said. "Everything is going up except my salary."

She said she is willing to pay more to have the potholes properly repaired and not just filled in.

Clifford Wong of Honolulu worries about people who are on fixed incomes.

"If a person is on a pension or Social Security or anything else like that, it's going to be hard for them. I don't like that idea at all," he said.

James Hiraoka, of Honolulu, also does not like having to pay more to drive his cars on city streets. With the increase, he said registration on his 1990 Pontiac Grand Marquis will cost about $170.

"OK, I may have had problems with my car hitting potholes. There are potholes all over the place, even on the freeway," he said.

"You gotta do what you gotta do. But does it have to come out of everybody's hide?" Hiraoka said.

Nick Sayada, who expects to pay $40 to $50 more for his Mercedes sedan, feels the tax hike is worth the extra cost.

"I think the potholes on the street are causing more damage on my car than $50 a year. So I think if they could fix all those potholes, I don't mind paying $50 more."