Learn from what others are doing
Thirty-five years ago the appeal of Kauai was obvious: a rural, friendly spot about 20 years behind the rest of the world. Now, choked with traffic, retired baby boomers, young families looking for a better place to raise kids, not to mention overrun by tourists and outdated thinking by our powers that be, it’s well past time Kauai got with the program.
All that is required is some forward, creative thinking and the political will to take action. The models for transition are already in place in other spots. Here are a few examples:
Recreational pakalolo: Just follow the model of Canada, Uruguay, California, etc. Tax and regulate it, export it to states which have only medical programs and thereby solve much of the funding issues, including unfunded pension plans for our government workers. Price it less than what is available on the black market. Lower rates of and dependence on property taxes with money from above.
Hemp: A whole new industry could exist for food, fiber and oil. Many jobs could be created replacing the poisoning of our island and people by you know who. Follow the model created in Kentucky.
Traffic: Stop building more roads at taxpayer expense, which amounts to a subsidy for the fossil-fuel industry. Repair the ones we have with revenue from above ideas. Limit the number of cars allowed on island. Follow Bermuda’s example.
Affordable housing: Housing isn’t the problem. The problem is lack of available land and burdensome regulations to build. Simply offer tax credits to Grove Farms and other large landowners or have the political will to take land by eminent domain. Reduce regulations, allow multiple-use zoning, allow tiny homes.
LA is now allowing and subsidizing tiny homes for homeless folks in backyards of homeowners. Tokyo has developed many 160-square-foot homes in which thousands live.
By following existing models of success in these areas Kauai can avoid the pitfalls of untried programs and move into the future with better lives for all.
Michael Wells, Moloaa
Nice to read a thoughtful, intelligently written letter in The Garden Island every once in a while.
Aloha Michael, clearly pakalolo is a drug and many times safer than legal alcohol. In the blood streams of many, though, it clearly is a cause of heightened stupidity; and of course can be unsafe operating machinery for some.
On the other hand if all drugs were legal and free with free delivery, the foreign murderous cartels would collapse overnight. No American $$$’s would go to the drug countries south of the US Mainland.
Drug related Crimes would dramatically drop, if not stop 100%, prisons, police, courts and lawyers, etc., would not be burdened with this drug epidemic.
The International Drug Cartel murders of 10’s of thousands of innocent people in Latin America would collapse overnight. Cartel cash would dry up and that Billions of $$$’s would stay in the USA to circulate amongst the working people.
And ask reformed drug addicts, many will tell you they quit drugs and even alcohol because they just had had enough, they felt saturated with drugs, they saw an early death ahead, and they look back on it all and regret it. But are happy and productive today with families.
The key to quitting was they were “lucky” enough to have had enough…how do you get enough drugs to saturate yourself and satisfy the craving addiction and habituation…you make it Legal, Free, and Free delivery…(just kidding about the free delivery).
But here is the opposite true story.
One of Kauai’s drug addicts starts having chest pains and is told the drugs are giving them heart disease. Months later they have a stroke and are in the hospital for a month in a coma. They come out of the coma and are not all there from the effects of the drugs and stroke with possible brain damage as a result.
They move in with loving family, and Social Security Disability is applied for. As soon as the Disability is approved, the System sends the recovering drug addict a check for back disability payments of $8,000.
The recovering addict moves out from family and goes straight back to the drug den they were living in and spends almost all of the $8,000 on METH, the rest they spent on pakalolo, you know to relax from the METH.
Of course the Food Stamps take care of their need for food; and welfare is paying for their medical care for the heart condition; and physical therapy for the disability…hard to walk when stoned.
They are promised the system will try to accelerate their HUD free rent application.
Michael, you and us are paying for all that…! ! !
Would it be better for free all legal drugs…but having the drug addict sign a contract that there will be no FREE HUD Housing, no Free Food Stamps, No Free Medical, Dental, Vision…no free nothing but the drugs…and if you don’t work you don’t eat…! ! !
And the taxpayor is finally off the hook.
And we forgot one other thing to tell you about this drug person not being able to get enough drugs to satisfy and saturate themself; they did work once in their 50 years; they worked for 3 months until they got caught stealing from their employer.
Since the drug companies have made Trillions of dollars off drugs and opioids, let them make the drugs for free and give them to the government to distribute them to drug addict centers.
Let fully recovered addicts and alkies give out the drugs all the while laughing at the fools still hooked, but looking back on the life they left behind thank God.
And be sure the drugs are real strong so that the saturation and satisfaction is not delayed…think of it as speedy recovery…! ! !
And let it be a wonderful Drug Education and “Just Say No” program for the youth who will see these wiped out addicts and tell themself and friends that they never want to be like the fools on dope. PREVENTION.
Mahalo,
Charlie
Aloha Michael, clearly pakalolo is a drug and many times safer than legal alcohol. In the blood streams of many, though, it clearly is a cause of heightened stupidity; and of course can be unsafe operating machinery for some.
On the other hand if all drugs were legal and free with free delivery, the foreign murderous cartels would collapse overnight. No American $$$’s would go to the drug countries south of the US Mainland.
Drug related Crimes would dramatically drop, if not stop 100%, prisons, police, courts and lawyers, etc., would not be burdened with this drug epidemic.
The International Drug Cartel murders of 10’s of thousands of innocent people in Latin America would collapse overnight. Cartel cash would dry up and that Billions of $$$’s would stay in the USA to circulate amongst the working people.
And ask reformed drug addicts, many will tell you they quit drugs and even alcohol because they just had had enough, they felt saturated with drugs, they saw an early death ahead, and they look back on it all and regret it. But are happy and productive today with families.
The key to quitting was they were “lucky” enough to have had enough…how do you get enough drugs to saturate yourself and satisfy the craving addiction and habituation…you make it Legal, Free, and Free delivery…(just kidding about the free delivery).
But here is the opposite true story.
One of Kauai’s drug addicts starts having chest pains and is told the drugs are giving them heart disease. Months later they have a stroke and are in the hospital for a month in a coma. They come out of the coma and are not all there from the effects of the drugs and stroke with possible brain damage as a result.
They move in with loving family, and Social Security Disability is applied for. As soon as the Disability is approved, the System sends the recovering drug addict a check for back disability payments of $8,000.
The recovering addict moves out from family and goes straight back to the drug den they were living in and spends almost all of the $8,000 on METH, the rest they spent on pakalolo, you know to relax from the METH.
Of course the Food Stamps take care of their need for food; and welfare is paying for their medical care for the heart condition; and physical therapy for the disability…hard to walk when stoned.
They are promised the system will try to accelerate their HUD free rent application.
Michael, you and us are paying for all that…! ! !
Would it be better for free all legal drugs…but having the drug addict sign a contract that there will be no FREE HUD Housing, no Free Food Stamps, No Free Medical, Dental, Vision…no free nothing but the drugs…and if you don’t work you don’t eat…! ! !
And the taxpayor is finally off the hook.
And we forgot one other thing to tell you about this drug person not being able to get enough drugs to satisfy and saturate themself; they did work once in their 50 years; they worked for 3 months until they got caught stealing from their employer.
Since the drug companies have made Trillions of dollars off drugs and opioids, let them make the drugs for free and give them to the government to distribute them to drug addict centers.
Let fully recovered addicts and alkies give out the drugs all the while laughing at the fools still hooked, but looking back on the life they left behind thank God.
And be sure the drugs are real strong so that the saturation and satisfaction is not delayed…think of it as speedy recovery…! ! !
And let it be a wonderful Drug Education and “Just Say No” program for the youth who will see these wiped out addicts and tell themself and friends that they never want to be like the fools on dope. PREVENTION.
Mahalo,
Charlie
All good ideas, but.
Exporting weed really opens up many issues for regulation, which ends up costing.
Hemp can be produced in areas in the Midwest where land is much cheaper, labor cheaper and shipping.
Dollars per acre hemp is not nearly as profitable as the tourist industry.
There are almost no new roads being constructed on Kauai. I agree to limit cars, along with managing the flow better. A transit system that is highly functional is a must.
Tiny homes are a great idea but Kauai is no LA. Adding another family to an existing home on Kauai is going to create many problems. Sewage, Utilities, and you will be adding more people, which in turn creates more traffic, waste.
Kauai has a real problem that needs to be addressed yesterday.
I support not building any more roads on Kauai. But, how would one limit cars on Kauai? A lottery? Proximity of home to work? Income level? People volunteering not to own or drive a car? I ride bicycle and motorcycle and yes I drive a car. But what would an equitable plan to limit cars look like? Remember, the island’s population has expanded in part because of people moving here…
It’s not only rental cars set to a limit, but also residence cars. If you buy a new car you must get rid a car off our roads.. Management of the traffic is extremley important to keep it flowing. Round abouts are one of the best tools we have and just maybe someday it will show when people learn how to use them. The more opportunities we have to get rid of signals and build roundabouts the better the traffic will flow. We do not need to spend hundreds of millions spreading concrete like Puhi has over the entire island. Our problem is the state who is a heroin addict for money and fewer rental cars will never happen until the right person comes along and we vote them to office to make a difference in all our lives. Only then we will have an island that doesn’t have to change ,but just get better instead. Pipe dream as my Mother would say. And for everything else life on The pristine environment of Catalina island is a prime example of how it needs to be when you live on an island.
If I were to follow the philosophy of some of the other frequent commenters , then I would say to the traffic problem that people with more than one car should sign a paper to agree that they will not drive more than one car at a time…especially while enjoying their recreational pakalolo.
And to further solve the traffic problem, providing the cars pakalolo would increase lanes vertically, of course with a mandatory separation of at least 12′ of elevation…or is that altitude…! ! ! Faster drivers should use the upper lanes. eh?
Mahalo,
Charlie
Please do not be short-sighted regarding the opportunities afforded by the legalization and promotion of hemp. There is a whole lot of land which is not designated for tourism. Grow the stuff while remediating our poisoned and depleted soils. Then produce a myriad of product…clothing, accessories, food, medicine, oil, etc…and label them all as KAUAI-MADE! The opportunity for jobs is huge! How about Red Dirt Kauai clothing? Kauai Hemp toothpaste? ETC, ETC. It is all about marketing to tourists and locals on island and those who wish they were here. More bettah to use all than south and west land for hemp than for “seed companies” (read pesticide and herbicide testing facilities).
The economics of this island are driving the prices up. Eventually if you can’t afford to live here, you are going to have to move to a place that you can afford. Not everyone can live in paradise. It’s sad, but it is the reality we are facing today. We can’t have it both ways; we want paradise, but we want it for next to nothing.
1983: Not a legitimate airport yet in Lihue. Challenger of the space shuttle is studied. Ronald Reagan the actor is the commander. President. How much do they pay Carvalho jr.? Mayor. Pathetic.
Graduated from Kauai High School in 1960 and left Kauai for College. “Learn from what others are doing” by Mike Wells touched a nerve. Well, it’s some 48 years ago that I left, and from time to time I return to visit Kipu, where I was born and around Puhi where I grew up, now all changed. The Kauai Community College is built on our Puhi home, but Up Pond remains. For me, I wanted to see an illegal drug free home Island, a place that was crime free where we never locked our homes or cars, a place where children in a community were safe and taken care by the entire community. a place were we knew all our neighbors and families in the community. Once a long time ago, I came home from basketball practice and noticed our TV was on. Yep, one of our neighbor wanted to watch a program and freely watched the program in our home. Well maybe it’s too late, but I and other Kipu and Puhi friends can dream.