Mayor right to call out state on skimming city's rail tax

By David Shapiro

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 23, 2013

~~<p>Honolulu taxpayers should cheer Mayor Kirk Caldwell's attempt to recover a 10 percent surcharge the state is skimming from the excise tax Oahu residents pay to finance the $5.26 billion rail project.</p>
<p>The Legislature took the kickback in 2006, when it authorized the city to assess a 0.5 percent rail tax on top of the state's 4 percent general excise tax.</p>
~~

Honolulu taxpayers should cheer Mayor Kirk Caldwell's attempt to recover a 10 percent surcharge the state is skimming from the excise tax Oahu residents pay to finance the $5.26 billion rail project.

The Legislature took the kickback in 2006, when it authorized the city to assess a 0.5 percent rail tax on top of the state's 4 percent general excise tax. Login for more...