No new taxes? OK, we’ll just tack on some new fees

More money. The state this year is taking in more money, wants more and has about 50 new ideas to get more.

The election-year cliché of no new taxes is a promise the Legislature will keep, but it does not mean the state won’t be doing some wallet-diving.

Republicans in the House and Senate came up with a list of new fees and charges, which are alive and moving at the Legislature this week.

Some of this stuff is obvious. Toll roads, for instance, are understandable and make sense, at least in terms of users paying for improved service.

Still, there is a question of equality. Wynnie Hee, who described herself as just a private citizen, told lawmakers during a hearing last month that House Bill 2153, which would authorize toll roads, was a bad plan.

"A toll road, as you well know, will force poor people off the freeway so those who can afford it will enjoy the freeway that you have cleared for them. That’s dirty," she said.

The bill cleared the House with 16 "No" votes, so the fate of Hawaii toll roads remains slippery.

Charging 10 cents extra for plastic bags was an issue for the Senate.

Here’s how the Senate Ways and Means Committee explained the plan: Retailers will charge a "fee for the distribution of single-use checkout bags and (the plan) directs that fee revenues be used to fund programs to mitigate the damaging effects of single-use checkout bags."

The Senate committee report estimates that state supervision and enforcement of this program will cost around $800,000. How much would be raised is not known, but the first $800,000 of charges from consumers would go to the state.

If you think this will work, remember that the state fund created with the beverage recycling fee was raided by the Legislature to balance the budget. And in 2009 and 2010, the fund was spending more on rebates and state supervision than it was taking in.

Back in the House, the state is looking to run itself more like a business.

Sadly, for consumers, it appears the business it is mirroring is the oil business, because the House has a long list of fees going up.

For instance, if you would like that certified birth certificate to be "expedited," there would be a special $50 fee.

If you wanted to correct a vital statistic certificate or search for a specific record, there would be a $10 fee. And regular birth, marriage, divorce or death certificates would go from $10 to $15 for the first one and from $4 to $5 for all others.

The state would also increase the charge for allowing you to get married in Hawaii from $60 to $100.

The problem with running government like a business, as any business person will tell you, is the government doesn’t compete in the marketplace. If you want a building permit for a structure in Hawaii, you can’t shop around for the cheapest price.

Here’s a new take on the free enterprise system: Figure out something good to do, require that people do it and then charge them for inspections to make sure they are doing it.

That would be the House bill requiring the state Disability and Communication Access Board to charge to defray the costs of reviewing construction plans to ensure compliance with accessibility laws. The minimum fee would be $200 and would cap at $3,000.

Finally, there is a plan to charge you to prove you paid your taxes. Contractors and liquor sellers must get a license. To get that license, they have to get a "tax clearance" from the tax department saying they have paid all owed taxes. The new proposal would charge $20 for that tax clearance.

So if you want government to operate like a business, be careful, it just may.

———

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.