• Cracking down on illegal vacation rentals
• Who should have the power?
• Hail to the chief
Cracking down on illegal vacation rentals
Laurel Kenney uses the same tired old fear tactic “loss of jobs” to defend the proliferation of illegal vacation rentals in Sunday’s letters (June 4). While it is true that vacationers may be charged taxes on their rentals, and cleaners and maintenance and repair crews make some income, I would argue that the overall impact of these rentals is a negative one.
When long-term rentals are taken off the market, residents suffer. When housing prices skyrocket because investors are banking on vacation-rental income to pay mortgages, hopes diminish for those of us who dream of owning a home. When we are lucky enough to rent a home in Hanalei or Ha‘ena or any other hot spot, it’s dispiriting to see families with kids leaving to find affordable living elsewhere, while vacation rentals sit empty much of the year. Then occasionally they are occupied by travelers who complain about having the peace and quiet they paid so much for disrupted by the normal noises of the hard-working and hard-playing families who call this their home all year. If the future retirees Ms. Kenna mentions who are renting out their second homes here love this island so much, why are they contributing to a trend that displaces so many families?
For these reasons and others, the Vacation Destination Areas were designated. I see no reason why these areas can’t provide adequate accommodations to travelers, while continuing to bring income to some residents. I would like to see a comprehensive analysis of the vacation-rental market on Kaua‘i. Is there such a shortage of vacation rentals in Princeville, for example, that the spill-over is unavoidable?
The county government should be aggressively pursuing the scofflaws who are tearing at the fabric of small neighborhoods by decreasing the rental housing stock and driving up prices. I don’t want an ocean-front home, but it shouldn’t be out of the question for a working family to be able to afford to live within a vibrant community on the North Shore, not shunted into a not-very-affordable “affordable housing” development.
The quickest, cleanest way to open up housing for working people would be to crack down on illegal vacation rentals. When Joe Giant Mortgage Payer realizes he can’t get his bills paid by illegally renting out his second home for $1,200 a week anymore, he’ll either have to rent long-term to residents or sell out, at which point a glutted market might bring prices down. The transition might hurt for a while, but when all these marvelous jobs and tax revenues from the vacation rentals still don’t allow working residents to own or even rent homes, you know the status quo is hurting plenty right now.
Who should have the power?
Several years ago, I spent two years trying to get someone in government to acknowledge that the mayor and county attorney had each, wittingly or not, egregiously violated the charter. As a novice at interacting with government, I naively assumed it to be possible that when mistakes were pointed out they would be acknowledged and corrective actions would follow.
At one point in the process a member of the council informed me, in a friendly manner, that in the real world of county government lip service is paid to the charter but all decision-making is political. Another councilman told me that the mayor can do whatever she wants regardless of what the charter says.
Though I disagree totally with the philosophy reflected in these quotes, I have no reason to doubt the accuracy with which they portray the mindset at work in county government. Any reasonably well-informed citizen can verify their accuracy based on his or her own observations.
The process aimed at getting rid of Chief Lum, Deputy Chief Venneman and two police commissioners, culminating in the absurd fiction that the finance director has the authority to fire the police chief and the false claim that hearings officer McConnell justified the procedure, reveals how far the tangible effects of this philosophy of politics over charter can extend and how many devious paths this mindset can follow with the aid of Honolulu lawyers eager to do the bidding of the politicians.
In reviewing the process, what is most startling is not the lack of integrity or honesty. Most startling and sobering is the realization that county officials are doing the best they know how to do within the power structure they have superimposed on the charter.
In my opinion, the fundamental question faced by residents and voters is this: Are you content with leaders who feel free to subjugate the charter to their political aims, or would you prefer to delegate the powers of government to leaders whose conscience in public affairs is informed and directed by the charter?
Hail to the chief
So it finally happened!! In a process that is so bizarre, so corrupt, and so convoluted that those who believe in the law and in justice would never believe what is happening on Kaua‘i, a dedicated man, highly respected by the citizens he serves, K.C. Lum, has been forced to retire. A career of 23 years as a police officer and as our chief of police has been prematurely ended by a system that illegally uses our county charter, our code, and the Hawaii Revised Statue to work against the very principles that they were made to protect.
There have been NO charges levied against Chief Lum that come close to the level of dismissal and yet he has now been forced to retire.
Lester Chang’s front-page story (June 3) told it like it is and his letter from Chief Lum was outstanding. Since our charter (which is the law) under 11.04 states that only the police commission can hire and fire the chief, and since our charter also says under 20.03 C Contracts that, “This section shall not apply to personal employment contract,” where does the finance director get the authority to sever employee Lum’s contract?
Yes, there are those of us in the community who wish that Chief Lum would fight this gigantic injustice being perpetrated upon him. But with the cards stacked against him and with the chance of losing his pension, his health benefits and his accrued leave time with pay, he would be crazy to get fired and not be pro active and resign first.
Look at this mess another way. Chief Lum was democratically appointed to his position by four of five police commissioners. The “power” in their quest to remove him has so far made two commissioners and the deputy chief of police the scapegoats to make this removal look “lawful.” And just what has our chief done in this web of deceit to be forced from his job? Absolutely nothing except get the praise of the public for the job he and his officers have done. Even if these three people were guilty of using their influence to get Lum appointed to chief (which none of them were!!), how does that make Lum a party to this “ethics violation?” These three outstanding citizens were using their constitutional rights to have a man appointed to chief who has done his job!!
Two of Lum’s most accurate statements in Lester’s article were, “I have found to my amazement that the county governance body, the administration and the Kauai County Council care little about the public’s desires.” BRAVO!! And, “Does not the governance body know that this government is of the people, by the people and for the people?” DOUBLE BRAVO!!
Your best days are ahead of you, chief, and the public will be there supporting you.
