Regarding, “General Plan must address tourism, growth” (TGI, Sept. 29). Those addressing the plan must take into consideration an issue that will have a huge impact on all of Kauai in the present and in the future. The repercussions will
Regarding, “General Plan must address tourism, growth” (TGI, Sept. 29).
Those addressing the plan must take into consideration an issue that will have a huge impact on all of Kauai in the present and in the future. The repercussions will reverberate throughout the island.
Kauai’s largest visitor destination area is Poipu and Koloa. Once the word travels quickly through the Internet that the area, less than two miles downwind of an experimental industrial dairy, is inundated with noxious stench of cow manure and urine and biting flies, the visitors will stop coming.
That, in turn, will create loss of business, islandwide, so restaurants, businesses, hotels, rental condos and time-shares will be forced to lay off employees. Businesses on the Eastside and North Shore will suffer.
Just imagine the reality of hundreds, probably thousands, of your fellow Kauaians, your friends and family members, unemployed. This, as the dairy people brag about creating seven new jobs!
Traffic will be affected because, not only will there be very few visitors, our local, hardworking residents won’t be on the roads — no jobs to drive to or from. “Kapaa crawl” won’t be an issue. Parking at Kee Beach, no problem; plenty of space.
Of interest to all Kauai property owners: if the dairy is allowed to operate in its intended location, property values in the directly affected areas will drop. Those owners will, therefore pay less real estate taxes than they previously paid. Because the county expenses will remain the same, how will the county make up the difference? You guessed it — to everyone outside of that area, be prepared to pay higher property taxes.
Wake up, Kauai! This dairy, intended in the pristine Mahaulepu Valley, is not a done deal. There are lawsuits against them in the courts. We are fortunate to have Friends of Mahaulepu working tirelessly and unpaid to stop this insanity.
Citizens of Kauai are not billionaires. We are good people trying to protect our treasured island that we love. Unfortunately, it takes money to achieve that. Please send tax-deductible donations to Friends of Mahaulepu at PO Box 1654, Koloa, HI 96756 or through GoFundMe at friendsofmahaulepu.org so that you can be a participant in saving Kauai.
Judith Rachap
Koloa
