Don't increase hotel room tax

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Feb 04, 2013

~~<p>Taxes on travel rose across the country during the recession as cities and states tried to avoid increasing rates on constituents, and Hawaii was no exception, pumping the hotel room tax twice in recent years.</p>
<p>Gov. Neil Abercrombie acknowledges that it might not be necessary now to enact another increase, but has proposed one anyway for discussion purposes — an increase that comes precariously close to a tipping point and could harm our tourism industry.</p>
~~

Taxes on travel rose across the country during the recession as cities and states tried to avoid increasing rates on constituents, and Hawaii was no exception, pumping the hotel room tax twice in recent years.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie acknowledges that it might not be necessary now to enact another increase, but has proposed one anyway for discussion purposes — an increase that comes precariously close to a tipping point and could harm our tourism industry. Login for more...