Should Hawaii visitors and residents both pay an environmental fee? More questions are back on the table.
Leave a Comment
143 thoughts on “Controversial $50 Hawaii Visitor Fee Plan Returns”
Should Hawaii visitors and residents both pay an environmental fee? More questions are back on the table.
Hi Dave W, I’m taking a guess that the Politicians just aren’t that impressed and think that they can pull some more of the hard earned cash from your pockets. It’s not easy being them these days, used to be a time that people wouldn’t question things and simply pay up. Not so much anymore. There always seems to be someone asking questions, wondering where the money goes, but no one really gets answers. Your Contributions are accepted courteously, ever consider teleconferencing, there’s no Hawaiian Fees for that,Yet! Yes they do like You Almost as much as your money, Don’t force them to choose. Good luck in the future, probably be $125 sooner than not.
Definitely Tourists should pay a universal tourism fee. If travelers are planning to travel this is not a inconvenient fee to additionally plan for they are already planning to vacation stay. This fee would be collected specifically generating the necessary revenue to clean, maintain and repair the beaches,, and also the beautify the environmental waste that the tourists create while visiting. Most tourists do not know the sunscreen is toxic for the reef and sea life. Definitely not require locals to contribute to this revenue as they already know how to care for the ohana on the islands- they are the ones left with the messes the tourists leave. The locals should not be also penalized for the tourism of Hawaii.
Sorry Collee but it is not the tourists that dump refrigerators and other appliances in rural areas. Just recently there was a story about all the dumped tires in the ocean…leeching chemicals on the reef.
The short time I lived in Hawaii, I many times saw residents that did not have Mālama…especially when I was hiking.
Hi Collee, I am seeing the concerns more as a real challenge. Why hasn’t the State mandated the Sunscreen issue, regulating this surely falls upon Hawaii DEP. The Fee should be responsive to the issues and everyone share the burden. A 1 price yearly for residents would surely speed the response! Even if a Resident Discount of 50% is applied, you would know where the money is spent. A Private Trustee will ensure that! No Government Grab of it Ever! As for Tourists, they will help with the efforts by Contributions, $50 will either leave some elsewhere or new will come. They’re Needed!
I totally agree with this new fee. And if it occurs, hopefully all 50 states impose a similar fee. I’ll stay my butt in Washington and take my vacation dollars to Mexico, Canada, and the Bahamas. Let’s do this!!!!
$50 eco system fee.
too many non residents on an island.
creates havoc with the culture, endangered species, of which vwe have the most) waste water from over extended sewer, cleaning of restrooms, lifeguards over extended on correcting tourists antics, roads, even toilet paper used.
environmental service fee.
only state surrounded by ocean,
not the continous 48.
1st, Contiguous not continuous. 2nd, if sewage is leaking look towards those Elected Officials that all of you Vote into office! Ultimately it’s Your Fault, not Tourists. Too many Tourists, keep hearing that but no minds when they have a secure job, do they?
Sewage is leaking because you wasted all the money on useless rail. All money for that and transportation and who knows what else has been diverted there. When i left there in 2012 the infrastructure and pipes were already broken and fallen apart but the rail was much cooler and would pad the unions and politicians pockets.
Me ruin this to Californians. They are the reason homelessness and grooming of children in school occurs. They voted and supported that including criminals not being charged and police being defunded leading to mass crime.
I think most states are like this so what can you do when Americans in general are living in a distorted reality.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trips to Hawaii….unfortunately, it has gotten too crazy and way too expensive. Nope….nope….nope… “They” can keep it. Lots of other beautiful places to visit. Sad.
Wow! I own a timeshare on Maui I pay taxes on it each year.I also pay room tax when I stay in my condo. I pay the highest car rental fees when I visit. Now you want to charge $50. To go to a condo I pay taxes and room tax on. How would you like to be charged a $50 tax to come to the mainland? If you don’t want tourists, this is a great start. I agree that some visitors abuse the privilege, but I am confident it is not the condo and timeshare owners.
If you want to buy back all the condos and timeshares, I am sure some of us would let you pay us!
I’m willing to buy if you sell for a good price keep me in the loop 🙏🏽
Sure as hell glad my visiting the Islands since the 60’s (most years, particularly Kauai) is over @ age 90. It’s not the same place with horrible traffic, rude tourists who molest the wildlife & have no respect for the people & the land. Good luck with the thundering hordes in the future. Sad to contemplate. So sorry for those of you who live there. Hopefully it will improve in the future. Much Aloha to you all. Will still read BOH online. Thks for the good times, guys as I step down from my soapbox!
Hi Mary.
Sorry you won’t be returning, but we look forward to hearing from you.
Aloha.
Hi Larry! The Room Tax is already set at 18.5% per night, coupled with all of the other Fee’s and Crazy Taxes in Hawaii to raise it more would be nuts. Charging Entrance Fee’s to the State Parks does make sense to offset costs and make additional money. Bottom line, though, is Why Can’t Hawaii, and the Individual Counties, afford to provide relief and help that’s needed to the people? It Sounds like Mismanagement to me. Voting the Correct People in to Every Office may result in Better Management and providing what is needed. Applying for matching Federal Money for Housing would be a great place to start. Other things too.
Hi Bob C, the Diverting to the General Fund is exactly what worries me about this, and any other money, to cover the General Budget. If the Budget is done Correctly then the Funding Sources should more than cover the Expenditures and hopefully leave a Surplus. If it must be Rescued then Questions Need To Be Answered. The Money is Intended to Provide for Viable Projects and Services that are Needed, not to be stolen due to Mismanagement! The People of Hawaii Deserve Better and that may mean Better, Committed, Leadership Voted in to Every Office. Breaking the patterns of behavior many times requires Solid Change.
Time to test the waters in the carribean. Why should I pay to go to Hawaii and spend my money? There were a lot of new fees the last time I was there already, now they want to charge me just to go!. Been going for 35 years. Time to quit.
Yep. Been going to Hawaii for years mostly to kaanapali beach hotel. I am done
Hawaii already has the highest tourist taxes in North and South America. If that isn’t enough revenue, then I’d suggest Hawaii has a spending problem, not a revenue deficiency.