Say is no rebel. He was Souki's protege on the Finance Committee and succeeded him as chairman when Souki became speaker. Say promises more openness and no backroom dealing, which is encouraging. But he wants to revive his goofy idea of revoking the exemption of churches, charities and other nonprofit groups from the general excise tax as a means of lowering the tax for everyone else. But Say's solution is not.
Nonprofits make important contributions to the community with limited means.
Removing the exemption would be a serious mistake. At OHA, Akana has been a party to the bitter feuding that has divided the board for years. Her victory on a 6-3 vote found DeSoto on the losing side and restored former chairman Clayton Hee, a key figure in past battles, to the dominant faction. Akana said she would seek common ground with her critics. But it is difficult to be optimistic about this board's ability to work together, given its rancorous history.