[luau] What does Everyone think of ACT221?

[R. Scott Belford]

As I understand it, there are a few cases of abuse that should be 
remedied.  This does not merit the public smear campaign that the Lingle 
administration and now the Star-Bulletin seem to endorse.  By smear 
campaign I mean publicly berating the entire Act for the offenses of a 
few.  By doing so, I am yet to see an informed discussion of specific 
problems that can be remedied with specific proposals.

This is a problem.  I depend on my newspaper to research both sides of 
an issues and offer an investigative report.  I am getting propaganda 
without proposals.  From our Governor, a Republican no less, I expect a 
good reason why we need to take more money out of our economy and put it 
in the Government.  This belies the supply-side philosophy her party and 
presumably she embraces.

I think that the Act is amazing.  Nothing has motivated me to try harder 
to create a technology company than this.  My motivation is experiencing 
undue anxiety, though, because I do not know what steps my Government 
will take to change this Act.  Business hates uncertainty, and Lingle is 
creating *way* too much uncertainty.  She needs to suggest exactly what 
needs to be changed and then propose it.  Period.

What we have now are sweeping criticisms of an Act that is supposedly 
corrupt and is lacking proof of success.  If our media and our 
Government would spend the same amount of time researching and reporting 
specific abuses and successes, we would be far more informed and capable 
of taking action.  The FUD cloud we are now in benefits only the 
decision-makers.

I think Act 221 is visionary for a State that depends on the good will 
and generosity of complete strangers who decide to travel here and pay 
inflated resort prices for a vacation.  There is no sustainability in 
this.  What Act 221 needs is a visionary leader to implement it.

scott