• Was trip to Japan really worth it? • Bypass, backage roads unnecessary Was trip to Japan really worth it? Paul Curtis front page story (GI 7/15), “Baptiste: Japan tourism leaders see visitor rebound soon” had some good news and
• Was trip to Japan really worth it?
• Bypass, backage roads unnecessary
Was trip to Japan really worth it?
Paul Curtis front page story (GI 7/15), “Baptiste: Japan tourism leaders see visitor rebound soon” had some good news and some bad news.
The good news was that our Mayor made what was probably the most honest, sincere statement of his short term in office. He said, ” We’re not without challenges. There needs to be infrastructure improvements. We have to get our tourism spots up to snuff because it makes no sense to bring lots of people to the Island if they won’t have a positive experience and become repeat visitors.” HOW TRUE!”
The bad news is that he felt it necessary to spend tax money to go to Japan to duplicate the 160 million that the HTA is already spending to promote tourism. Even our governor who went on this same trip asked.
“Was it (the Japan trip) worth the $231,000? If we get another couple of million in tourism spending, yes. But could we have gotten even more if we used it for something else?” She wisely said that the HTA should perform a cost-benefit analysis (which would be very hard to prove – how do you ever separate one from the other?) of her tourism promotion trip to Japan which is a great idea but unidentifiable. Just let the HTA do their job and we can use the thousands of dollars spent on promotional junkets to improve our infrastructure. Or, as Sharon Wilson so wisely said in the Guest viewpoint column (7/19) let’s put the money into our needy school system.
Glenn Mickens
Kapa‘a
Bypass, backage roads unnecessary
The Kapa‘a bypass or backage roads are getting attention again but it could be that they would be NOT NECESSARY. How many of all the cars from Haena and Wainiha and Hanalei and Princeville really want to go to Kapa‘a? Most are going to Lihu‘e, or the airport or to Puhi or even to Po‘ipu or the West Side. And there is a DIRECT, low elevation route available. The Powerline Trail is the ideal Kapa‘a bypass route. Why take all those cars around the Kapa‘a and then direct them on a back road to keep them out of the shopping areas?
The Powerline Trail is through Halelea Forest Reserve so would not require condemnation nor purchase of private property, A North-South scenic highway through the center of the island would be a real asset. It should have NO development allowed adjacent to it but be kept scenic only. With adequate bicycle or hiking shoulders and trailhead parking areas it would serve the tourist industry as well as save island residents many miles of unnecessary travel and many gallons of gas. Perhaps Federal funds would thus be available.
This north-south route could have connections to Kawaihau and Kuamo‘o Roads so that people who do want to shop in Kapa‘a or Wailua would have easy access. It could connect to an extension of Ma‘alo Road for access to Lihu‘e and ideally, it would extend to Kaumuali‘i Highway near Halfway Bridge or to Maluhia Road and the Tree Tunnel to Po‘ipu as well as to all the south and west side.
Robert Ferris F.A.I.A.,
Kilauea
