text: The legislature didn't help the city get the funding. The legislature merely enabled the city to add a small percentage (0.5%) to the GET and then took hundreds of millions of dollars for themselves (the state) by skimming 10% from the surcharge revenue to fund the lawmakers' pet programs all over the state. Cutting this state funding source for neighbor island programs and cutting their share of the TAT is causing all county mayors to raise fees and property taxes and cut services. 
  
  The City got nothing for its general fund from the surcharge; the state made out like a bandit. I can't believe the House leadership has the nerve to even talk about "skin the game."