Has everyone noticed the symmetry on Kaua’i this week? Amfac is closing down. Kaua’i is losing 400 direct and many other indirect jobs because the world’s economy made growing sugar on Kaua’i unprofitable. This unfortunate fact is all the more
Has everyone noticed the symmetry on Kaua’i this week? Amfac is closing down.
Kaua’i is losing 400 direct and many other indirect jobs because the world’s
economy made growing sugar on Kaua’i unprofitable. This unfortunate fact is
all the more tragic because there is nothing we could do about it.
Also
this week, the last Hanalei river tour boats are shutting down causing the loss
of additional jobs. This is no mere statistic. Some of our friends and family
are now unemployed, but there was something we could have done about this.
These jobs were lost because we couldn’t agree to responsibly share the Hanalei
river with our visitors.
Instead of just butting heads, we’d better start
working together to both protect Kaua’i and to create more visitor industry
jobs that pay a living wage. Everyone leading the fight to protect our
environment should spend some time to come up with constructive, real
suggestions to expand our visitor industry. And everyone leading the fight for
more visitor industry development should suggest practical ways to protect our
environment. If you knew your brother lost his job because you didn’t work hard
enough to find a way to protect our environment while still making more jobs,
how would you feel?
Your brothers did just lose their jobs this week, and
we are all to blame. So, how do you feel?
Walt Barnes
Kapa’a
