Amnesty plan has too many holes
Having read both articles in WHT on the county’s “amnesty” plan for junkers, one cannot help but wonder what has gone wrong with the concept of holding offenders responsible for their actions.
Scofflaws simply leave their cars along the road and walk away. Environmental Management Director Bill Kucharski attempts to sugar-coat the solution by stating, “No property tax money is used” in his solution to remove abandoned vehicles.
No, Bill, but taxes of a sort are going to be used. If you add $12 to each vehicle registration to remove the AVs, the public is paying for it, rather than the offender. Punishing all vehicle owners to deal with the few that abandon, shows a terrific lack of common sense by the county. Kucharski simply took the least imaginative and easiest solution to the problem, raise the rates.
The council has decided to create an additional cost to the citizens without trying other options.
Why not investigate the following concept? Every vehicle has a VIN number and the DMV has that information in its data base. Why not access that info and fine the owner the cost of disposal? If the fine is not paid in 30 days, suspend the owner’s drivers license. If the owner claimed the vehicle was stolen, then there would be a police report that preceded the abandonment, or if sold, a bill of sale.
This is not difficult to grasp, as vehicle registration and drivers licensing are in the same department. Why doesn’t the council create a bill to enforce the concept described above with a sunset provision for two years? If there’s been no reduction of AVs and no success in fining the owners, let the bill die and move on to some other option. If there’s been an improvement, make it a permanent law.
This year, members of the council are running either to return to the council for another term, or are running for state representative, or in the case of Kanuha, state senator. They might consider adding to their advertised achievements by not imposing a $12 per vehicle additional fee to the masses. Oft times, leadership is demonstrated by not doing something!
People who abandon vehicles along the road, by and large, are not going to rush to avail themselves of the great amnesty plan. There’s been no voluntary accountability to this point and as long as they have never been held responsible, why would they even worry?
Pete Webber
Kona
Wait, where did the funds go then?
Didn’t you guys miss the boat in your article about vehicle disposition and amnesty, etc., that “program may be extended if allocated funds are available?”
Where did my $12 a year for vehicle disposal fee go? Granted, a few years ago, the county decided to hide this fee from the public when they eliminated the words, “vehicle disposal fee” from the car registration invoice, but as you can see from the following link, it’s being charged every year.
It appears you folks have been hoodwinked by the claptrap coming from the county.
http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/finance-vrl-fees.
Douglas Drake
Kailua-Kona