• Tourism leads to crowded Kauai • Water the key to life • Let’s be fair on paying for rescues Tourism leads to crowded Kauai “I read the news today, oh boy.” This last May Kauai had 104,882 visitors whose
• Tourism leads to crowded Kauai • Water the key to life • Let’s be fair on paying for rescues
Tourism leads to crowded Kauai
“I read the news today, oh boy.”
This last May Kauai had 104,882 visitors whose average stay was seven days. Their spending was up 18.1 percent since last year. What does that really mean? To me, a long-time resident and working person, it means more cars on the road. Longer commute times, more distracted drivers — how many arms with cameras or cell phones do you see every day?
It also means places where we residents want to play or relax are more crowded, more problems finding parking and higher prices. Also an increasing lack of respect for us local people. “I paid a lot of money to stay here so I’m going to drive slower for my pictures and damn the traffic behind me.”
I wonder if, at some point, the tourism industry will stop beating the drum and consider the quality of life for us who live here rather than the quantity of dollars from the visitors. A happy medium would be nice, but doubtful since we keep building more unaffordable housing and visitor destinations.
John Humphrey, Hanalei
Water the key to life
Since Satan counterfeits God’s ideas, how likely are lies, deceit and corruption practiced in regards to land, homes and water?
How many quiet title and quit-claims on Hawaiian family/kuleana land occurred in recent years? Since heirs exist, could this be considered legal plunder?
Do you consider Maui’s Housing and Urban Development guidelines up to $750,000 an affordable home? Is calling it “affordable” deceitful? Is the logical conclusion that realistically we’ll never achieve adequate affordable housing for the local workforce?
If truly affordable housing was developed, how many years would it remain affordable? Where then does the supply of future affordable housing come from?
Do those approving development consider Hawaii’s geographical isolation and the threat posed to Hawaiian culture and agriculture? Does living on an island with limited available potable water have any influence on how we should continue to develop?
Is the water from an aquifer available via various suppliers? Is that like putting 10 straws into one glass of water?
Since water is the source of life, is corruption more likely because we can’t live without it? Water control is power — physically and spiritually.
“Show me the water!” is the echo of a God-given mandate for life.
Michele Lincoln, Lahaina
Let’s be fair on paying for rescues
These are the “harsh realities” of “living in paradise,” where, when and if rescue attempt services need to be provided for residents and visitors, it will cost a pretty penny!
Where will those funding resources come from? Should there be a combination of ways in which funds are generated (through taxes, annual travel fees or whatever legislative means deemed appropriate to create and maintain a “safety network” for all residents and visitors) because it is a reality that that are impacted and should be a part of the solution, not just one side and not the other? Fair is fair!
Jose Bulatao, Kekaha
