Offer tax incentive to those working low-paying jobs

Much of what Mayor Mike Victorino has proposed in a recent column sounds as if there’s a chance it could solve some problems for some people, but where was his leadership during the global pandemic?

We needed someone to show us how to retain our employees, our local customers and build economic resiliency.

Can a Times Supermarket produce manager still afford to live on Maui? What about the employment counselors at Goodwill Hawaii who make $19 an hour?

Contributing more tax revenue into the Affordable Housing Fund is inspiring, but what happens from there? We like to blame wealthy mainland homeowners that swoop in and buy our property as scapegoats for our housing woes, but every landlord needs to take personal responsibility for their part in the problem.

One of your proposed plans is to implement incentives for health care workers to accept long-term employment on Maui. Bayada Home Health Care is one of the largest home health care companies in Hawaii, yet a pound of prime beef costs more than their employees earn in an hour.

Why do Delta Air Lines ramp agents make an average of $4 more per hour on the mainland than they do in Maui? Let’s require these global and national companies to pay our residents a healthy wage based on the local cost of living.

Why not offer a tax incentive given directly to the people working these lowpaying jobs? Some argue people shouldn’t live here if they can’t afford it, but if the worker leaves, the need remains.

TC Manangan

Kihei

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