Visitors of Hawaii should now expect a new fee to top up on their bill as lawmakers propose a law that will allegedly help preserve the beauty of the island getaway.
Last month, Hawaii Governor Josh Green proposed his idea to impose a $25 climate fee among tourists who would book at hotels and vacation rentals in an attempt to raise $68 million annually.
Gov. Green, a Democrat, believes such legislation will help bounce back the economy after it suffered the Lahaina wildfires last year.
But hoteliers and others who rely on the tourism sector for livelihood think such fees will discourage visitors.
HB24606, or Climate Fee Bill, is currently waiting for approval on the committee level in the state’s legislature.
This measure was similar to Green’s initial proposed “green fee” or “visitor impact” bill that has failed to gain momentum in the state’s Congress.
“All I want to do, honestly, is to make travelers accountable and have the capacity to help pay for the impact that they have,” Green shared with the Associated Press last year.
“We get between nine and 10 million visitors a year, (but) we only have 1.4 million people living here. Those 10 million travelers should be helping us sustain our environment.”
Lawmakers are also considering imposing an additional hotel tax, which was already the highest in the nation.
However, social media users seem cold on Green’s climate fee.
One user wrote on X, “Just a reminder, no amount of tax dollars will change the climate.”
Gary Spaniola, an X user said, “Hopefully, this will open the eyes of their blind followers to realize that evil dems use fake climate change to control weak minds and extract money.”
Another sarcastically insinuated that an “Oxygen fee” would follow the “climate fee.”
Aloha, “also means “goodbye”, says another X user.
“DEMOCRATS ONLY KNOW HOW TO TAX YOU AND GIVE YOUR MONEY AWAY TO THEIR FRIENDS….” tweets one X user.
Drew Ament questions Green’s math as he claims that Hawaii welcomes nine to ten million tourists annually but only anticipates a $68 million turnout from the fee.
“Um, math not mathing … 10M x $25 = 250M, so…where would the other money go??”
“Will it truly be used for that?” questioned Kris Williams.
Stuart Lint wondered: “Why are we getting taxed so much by the government that can’t even keep a balanced budget?”
All this so called bill does is fill these criminals pockets with money from the tourists it DOES NOTHING TO HELP THE ENVIORMENT ONLY THE DEMOCRATS POCKETS, ALONG WITH TRYING TO PREVENT PRESIDENT TRUMP BEING ON THE AMERICAN BALLOT FOR PRESIDENT THESE COMMUNIST DEMOCRAT CRIMINALS ARE PREVENTING AMERICAN CITIZENS TO VOTE FOR A PRESIDENT A TATIC USED BY RUSSIA AND CHINA AND ANY BANANA REPUBLIC PEOPLE FIGHT THIS YOU GET TO VOTE NOT THESE CRIMINALS IN THE COURT. TRUMP IN 2024 MAGA.
Why make tourist responsible for “climate tax” when we depend on them for our economic wellbeing, tourism being our bread and butter?
Anyone?