Letters for Sunday, June 27, 2010

• Put film commissioner before voters • Underground utilities • Just dump Carvalho?

Put film commissioner before voters

 As a former tour-guide and avid advocate of our beloved Garden Island, I have read with interest the many recent articles published in this paper about the filming which has been going on here this year after a three-year dearth.

Of particular interest was this passage: “Gov. Linda Lingle earlier this year when announcing the ‘Pirates’ filming here said the production will spend about $86 million in Hawai‘i. If Kaua‘i just gets half of that, or $43 million, it will be the second-most production revenues ever spent on the island after Ben Stiller’s mega-hit ‘Tropic Thunder,’ which filmed for 10 months in 2007, generating $68 million,  said Art Umezu, Kaua‘i film commissioner.”

So can someone please tell me where is this $68 million, i.e. who got it? Where can I see the evidence of so much money having been generated here, on this small and currently-economy-stricken island, where the food bank is recording record demands and foreclosures of family homes are at an all-time high, just three years ago? Especially if Gov. Lingle’s prediction for revenue generated by “Pirates” is on-track, I’d really like to know — and I’d also like to know where that $43 million will go. And then I’d like us to please generate some more millions within the next three years! Which is why I propose the following:

The office of the film commission is where Hollywood knocks to get permits to film on public property here on Kaua‘i. It is an appointed position and they pay that person $38,000 a year (a living wage on Kaua‘i) to answer the phone and issue permits to film companies. The film companies come here because of the substantial tax credit and the legendary location that Kaua‘i has to offer — credit offered in the knowledge of monies to be spent here during filming, as well as in hopes of being left a lasting economic impact after the film crews and film stars leave.

The community benefits economically from on-location spending, as well as the residual benefit when locations featured in film and TV projects become visitors’ destinations. The motion-picture industry is one that employs 2.5 million people and brings $38 billion to small businesses annually. Kaua‘i is competing on the world stage for some of those motion-picture dollars.

The current film commissioner was appointed and has been in the position for about seven years. The community is grateful and thanks him for his service for the term he has served, and trust he will continue to function as a vital part of the community in the years yet to come. But when the film commissioner was appointed seven years ago, surely it was not meant to be an indefinite appointment?

As the position is funded by taxpayer dollars, the film commissioner serves at the pleasure of the community, so the community and its representatives should take the opportunity to evaluate this position and decide what is needed to best lead us into the future, to maximize potential film-industry opportunity here. With three major films being filmed here on Kaua‘i, I believe it is time for a change. In business, key positions are rotated every 4-6 years to bring in fresh thinking and energy to important positions (term limits).

Ideally this position should be held by someone who, prior to holding it, has worked within the film industry and understands it “from shop floor to studio.” I feel that this position demands the best-qualified candidate the island can provide, that therefore, the mayor should advertise this position for an islandwide search for the best candidate.

This is the major leagues, so we need someone who can compete at this level. To attract this talent, the salary should probably be increased. If the island is getting this much film business just by answering the phone, just think what we could achieve with a pro-active person truly taking charge, i.e. “out there,” aggressively making and cultivating industry contacts.

This year is a watershed for films coming to Kaua‘i and demands expertise and experience to capitalize and cultivate present and future film opportunity. We should thank the present commissioner for his service to date, but — like the website (www.filmkauai.com) which appears to go no further than 2002 — I feel that this position is now in need of an update.

We have major opportunities here and we need the best talent available to steer Kaua‘i to competing for the huge dollars that the film industry brings. This is serious business and so I believe we owe it to the community to advance our best effort in this matter.

This is an election year, and so why not put the film commission office on the ballot for public debate, nomination of candidates and referendum? With so much anger across the nation wanting to vote all the incumbents out, this is too important a position to not have public accountability, transparency and participation. What does everyone else think?

Stephen Haray, Kapa‘a

Underground utilities

The long-awaited widening of the Kaumuali‘i Highway in Lihu‘e and Kuhio Highway in Kapa‘a seems to be proceeding at a rapid pace. 

However, when I see the telephone poles being repositioned, the obvious question is “Why?”

Aren’t these highway projects the perfect opportunity to initiate the process of putting Kaua‘i’s utilities underground?

Please, someone inform Kaua‘i’s citizens why our island can’t and doesn’t have underground utilities. Aren’t underground utilities a good investment for the island’s future, especially when the next hurricane hits?

Michael Diamant, Koloa

Just dump Carvalho?

I am shocked at this plan to have a country manager. 

So we voted for Bernard Carvalho only to have him be a figurehead? So we won’t be a democracy anymore? 

Here we are with a mayor who appears to have greater wisdom and foresight than any of the politicians I am aware of and we are just gong to dump him?

Roberleigh Claigh, Lihu‘e