Don’t hurt vulnerable families; make taxes more equitable

Hawaiʻi already has the second highest rate of homelessness in the country, and we now have the highest unemployment rate in the country due to COVID. Thousands of local individuals and families are on the precipice of losing their homes and/or not having enough to eat—or have already become houseless.

It’s no secret that our economy is suffering, and we are facing a huge budget shortfall. But our government leaders are proposing serious cuts in state programs, including homelessness-related services.

There’s a better solution than depriving vulnerable people of the services they desperately need: Raise needed revenue by taxing the wealthy who have not faced the grim financial consequences of the pandemic.