I'll be happy to write a few Big Island articles for your website to make it a bit more appealing if you like. I can include photos of the Big Island if you haven't got any.

Just an offering, peace offering that is

I totally get the realtor thing. in fact it's the worst part of the bill. But it's alls we got for now. I'm sure they will ammend that our or lossen up the language after they get a grip on hose who don't pay.

They are famous for starting someplae and ending another so, if this is the starting point, the ending can only be better. -Draconian Confucious

I'll send email via your site and make suggestions on some awesome content.

Thank you!  You have just made our point.  There are plenty of other states in the US and elsewhere with vacation rental accommodations, so why is it that Hawaii is the only jurisdiction that finds it necessary to take unconstitutional and anti-competitive measures to line the pockets of realtors and property managers?

What extensive penalties are you talking about?

I submitted the following as testimony

Aloha David:

OK, here's my read on these bills. The best legal analysis is found in the

Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert opinion on the constitutionality of HB 1707,

in a letter to the committee written and submitted by attorney Greg Kugle,

on 2/21/12. This letter is in the list of submitted testimony to HB 1707.

The same logic and legal analysis applies equally to SB 2089. I completely

agree with his solid legal reasoning.    

In summary, 1) all three bills (SB 2089, HB 1706 and HB 1707) are

fundamentally unconstitutional, as they discriminate against out of

state/off-island owners, under the Equal Protection and Commerce Clauses of

the US Constitution.  The State currently allows resident owners to own,

operate, lease, manage, etc. their own rentals. The state cannot

discriminate on the basis of residency in doing business or otherwise,

unless there is a compelling state interest.  There is none demonstrated

here  2) Statutes and rules (HRS and HAR) already exist to require anyone,

including both residents and non-residents, doing business in this state to

properly register that business and acquire business licenses and other

State/County/City required approvals for rentals.  Once a business is

properly registered, the Dept of Taxation will send the owner GET forms

which require Semi-annual or monthly payment of computed GET.  And County

property taxes are assessed annually.

The problem here is that the state has been ineffective in enforcing its

business registration rules.  Now these sponsoring legislators are trying to

fix the problem by masking it and covering it up with new legislation that

is unconstitutional.  This is legislating without a valid need or purpose.

All this will do is incite a number of well funded lawsuits against the

state and any agency attempting to enforce any one of these legislative

proposals.

All these bills need to be deferred indefinitely! This is legislating at its

worst!

Hope this helps you with an effective focus and argument against these

proposed unconstitutional rental bills.  Please feel free to use my comments

above in any written testimony you may desire to submit on SB 2089.  Note

you will have to have your written testimony submitted directly to the

Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee (CPN) no later than 10:00 am

tomorrow morning, 2/27/12.  Sen Ros Baker is the Chair.  Your submittal

should be specifically addressed to her as chair and the members generally

Let me know if I can help you any further.  Thanks for the opportunity to

provide my "realtor" opinion.

Dave Bateman

Don't waste time on her.  She is not worth it.

from my iPad

Lease do not spend time and energy responding to her.  She is trying to distract us from put top priority of stopping I'll conceived legislation

from my iPad

In truth, when I stayed in Prague I the 1970's when it was behind the iron curtain we were required to obtain our accommodations for a government sponsored  organization.  This is no different.  Only Prague has shifted toward liberty and HI may be going on the other direction.

from my iPad

http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/6184/Default.aspx

Please do not forget the letters to the editors.  I think sometimes the legislature is more afraid of the public actually figuring out what they are doing than our actual testimoney.  These bills will cause huge economic downturn in Hawaii.   Everyone who you write checks to, or who your tourists give money to will also lose that income.  They in turn will fire employees that they don't need.  Plumbers, contractors, painters, furniture stores, housekeepers, and so on and so forth.  As you prepare your taxes you will see all of the many checks you have sent out.  If we don't profit, we sell our condos and buy in southern California or Florida or elsewhere that we can invest our dollars. 

As far as Roz Baker, she is happier having people beg her and then purposely go against them.  I wouldn't bother with her but rather mention name her in the letters to the editors = that is way more effective with her.  She's a control freak in bed with the hotel unions and every other union.  She doesn't like to see her name in print though telling the truth.... 

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