Friday, March 29, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Hawaii CoC petitions governor for more COVID aid
By News Release @ 5:23 PM :: 2823 Views :: Small Business, Taxes, COVID-19

Hawaii businesses petition governor for more COVID aid

Dear Governor Ige:    April 13, 2020

Hawaii’s business community is struggling to keep the lights on and employees on payroll due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  On behalf of our 2,000+ Chamber of Commerce Hawaii members and 800 signers of the attached petition, we urge you to take further state action to save our local businesses.

While we appreciate the federal resources provided to small businesses under the CARES Act, it has become clear that for many businesses, these loans and grants will be too little, too late. Delays and other difficulties with the application processes have been well documented in the media. As we’ve written to you in the past, our members agree that more needs to be done to keep our businesses open.

The attached petition, following up on letters sent to you on March 20 and 25, and our meeting on March 28, requests that you work to take the following measures to provide immediate support for Hawaii businesses:

• Suspension, deferment of general excise tax collections

• Greater opportunity for direct capital infusion

• State support or matching of loans for businesses who receive loans from SBA

There is precedent from other states to pursue these actions. At least nine states, including New York, Florida, Colorado and Maryland, have all provided some type of relief to businesses regarding sales tax collection. These states have either pushed back the deadline for collection, or have removed penalties for late payments. Additionally, numerous states have also relaxed rules on alcohol sales in order to allow non-sealed containers to leave the properties for consumption.

We also would like to thank you for signing the Executive Order that recently established Hawaii Economic and Community Recovery and Resiliency Navigator to establish our state’s recovery and resiliency plan for the future, and stand ready to assist Mr. Oshima and his efforts.

We appreciate your consideration of the attached petition. There is a long road ahead of us to achieve economic recovery and we hope that we can work together to support local businesses during this difficult time.

Mahalo,

Sherry Menor-McNamara

President and CEO

Chamber of Commerce Hawaii

PDF: Full Text

PBN: Hawaii businesses petition governor for more COVID aid

PBN: UHERO, chambers team up to survey Hawaii businesses on COVID impact

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT