Rescue costs
I find it interesting that the Kaua‘i County Council, especially its chair, is seeking a means to recoup expenses for search and rescue of visitors in trouble on our Garden Island.
The state and Kaua‘i tourism bureaus promote our wilderness trails, hiking and ocean adventures. Our council chair says that visitors are “doing stupid things” when they pursue these activities, and should be punished if they should get into trouble.
Despite his admission that he didn’t know how often visitors needed to be rescued, etc., Councilman Bulosan co-sponsored Bill 2910 along with Councilman DeCosta. The reality is that the state Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) was implemented to cover these and other infrastructure expenses involving our visitor industry.
Kaua‘i County now has its own TAT levied on visitors as well. Is that not enough?
Steve Hansen, Kekaha
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Nice letter Steve. County council is discussing where is the money to get the visitors rescued? If in case at Poipu Beach, Branneckes, he decides to go body surfing, then gets slammed into the sand. Then broke his back. Now needs a lifeguard. Ambulance. Finally medical help. good questions. The county Councilmen for being failures, 3 or 4 of them, to pay for it all. They played sports and flunked high school. So they pay for it all. That is the bill.
We pay taxes for emergency services. I don’t have a problem with that. Sometimes such services are needed by residents as well as visitors, ie car crashes, ocean-related accidents, ect. What I do have a problem with are illegal activities that result in the need for emergency services. In those situations, those people should be charged for the cost of those services. If you trespass and need to be rescued, you should pay. If you light off illegal fireworks and your house catches on fire, you should pay. I don’t think being stupid is enough. Everyone is stupid at one time or another. Doing something illegal requires specific intent to break the law and that is when people should pay for emergency services.
Is Kaua’i having display aerial fireworks this 2023 at Vidhnia stadium new’s eve night? Still cautious on the pandemic issue, coronavirus.
If they are, how much are the paying the pyrotechnicians for doing the show? County of Kaua’i. Government or some business.
Kekaha, PMRF, Vidhina stadium, Poipu Beach, and maybe Hanalei, are all possible go sites for display fireworks. Are they allowing them to hold the events?
Transparent: all the locals want it to be held. So I guess it’s a go.
Did they tear down Coco Palms Hotel as scheduled? By year’s end? 2023