Pre-election time. It is really interesting to watch the debates of the candidates in the current phase of campaigning, but it is also interesting to read the reports about such debates like the one published in The Garden Island (Sept. 21) and in later issues as well.
The answers of the candidates are important, too, however their opinion may change after they are elected. There is however one thing that it is very unlikely to change. It is their approach to problem-solving and their style of management. I am afraid that many people don’t pay enough attention to that part.
We need a new mayor and new council members. They have told you what they want to do for the island if elected, and all of them promised something. Right now, we are down to two mayoral candidates. Rapozo and Kawakami.
Kawakami’s main line is that he will be working for the future. So, for simplicity let’s call him the Future Planner.
Rapozo is fed up with bureaucracy and wants to resolve the long-existing and burning problems first. That suggests a doer, so let’s call him the Action Taker.
The question is if they will have the will and the power to fulfill their promises. And the other question is by when.
Both candidates are aware of the major problems of our island like too many visitors, too many rental cars on our roads, illegal vacation rentals, too many new settlers, bumper-to-bumper traffic, affordable housing shortage etc.
The truth lies in the details. Remember that some voters benefit from these problems. You wonder who and how? The business owners who make big or huge sales thanks to the large number of visitors, the stakeholders in the car-rental business, the landlords who charge too high rents and especially the operators of illegal vacation rentals.
You can bet, that these people will vote for the candidate who is less likely to change the status quo to make sure the continuation of their benefits. For them it is less important that the benefits they enjoy as the result of these long-lasting problems negatively affect the majority of the residents of the island, who are in this sense crisis victims.
Even though the crisis victims greatly outnumber the beneficiaries, the latter can win the election unless the crisis victims — that may well include you — don’t get off from their okole and don’t go to the polling places to vote for the candidate that is likely to do something about the problems that have been neglected or tolerated by the current and previous administrations for many years. Do you see, why is it important for you to cast your vote, provided you want a change?
Yes, we understand that there is no instant solution for these problems, but we would be content with step-by-step solutions, one step at a time that begins right after the elections.
If you want to preserve the rural character of Kauai, you will vote for the candidate who wants to limit tourist arrivals, who limits the number of rental cars, who has the courage to begin organizing the use of the cane roads even with certain limitations and restrictions, and who believes that enforcement of laws is one way to alleviate problems, plus even generate revenues and who tackles the current problems first knowing that this will provide the strongest foundation for future building, and it is more important than getting more investments for future developments. That should come after the foundation is solidified, if more needed.
Our two mayoral candidates represent two different trends: so, let’s call one of them Action Taker and the other one Future Planner. Both names and traits are positive, but let’s see which one can live up to these names. Considering the current situation, I am convinced that only a strong, honest and courageous mayor can help the crisis victims best and soonest.
Even the best leader cannot do everything by himself. Therefore the mayor must be able to select the right people for the right job and work with his strong team of managers and supervisors, men and women of integrity, plus to set an example for the community. The mayor should also know that bureaucracy very frequently obstructs the view to reality, therefore common sense should prevail in decision making.
The enforcement of good laws will be an asset to the law-abiding citizens of the community and it is possible through organizing special enforcement units in addition to using the existing police force. He should also be ready to go to problem areas without delay.
A strong, honest and straightforward mayor should not tolerate sloppiness, neglect, dishonesty and waste. And finally, he should be to able to achieve that all council members have a field day if not every week, but at least every other week, to spend a working day in different problem areas to talk to people, to observe, to report and to make suggestions for the County Council for discussion and for action. I bet it will beat bureaucracy. And the elected council members should be willing to accept this.
And finally, my personal point of view. The best way to measure the performance of the mayor is to see and evaluate the progress and the reduction of our inherited problems every year.
So, Kauai residents, it is up to you now: do you want things to go the same way as until now, or you want a change? The decision is yours, and after the elections you have to live with it.
If you want change and don’t vote, you will be helping those who prefer to live with the existing problems.
•••
János Keoni Samu is a resident of Kalaheo.
Did Mr Samu consider any actual facts before writing this bizarre letter?
Did he really think of the larger community of Kauai or just his own myopia?
Some of his more ill-informed statements:
“some voters benefit from these problems. You wonder who and how? The business owners who make big or huge sales thanks to the large number of visitors, the stakeholders in the car-rental business, the landlords who charge too high rents and especially the operators of illegal vacation rentals.”
>>Business owners employ Kauai residents. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to keep my job, thank you.
“..big or huge sales” -isn’t that the goal of operating a successful business? Would Mr Samu prefer “small or tiny sales”??
Car-rental businesses employ Kauai residents, too. Ask those employees if they’d prefer to collect unemployment.
“landlords who charge too high rents” -consider studying basic economics, Mr Samu. Rents charged are a function of supply and demand. Increasing the supply of affordable housing is the needed solution.
“operators of illegal vacation rentals” -really? This tiny subset of the vacation rental market is the problem? Aside from accommodating visitors who support businesses and their employees, vacation rentals also support a wide variety of people who rely on such business for their livelihoods. Oh, and vacation rental owners collect and pay taxes. A lot of taxes.
Aloha Kakou,
One does not need to limit tourist numbers to actually limit their impact on the roads. Limiting rental cars would limit visitors by virtue of some visitors not wanting to travel where they cannot have their own rental car. Wah Wah Wah…
On the other good hand, more visitors bring more restaurants and that is a benefit to residents experiencing different and hopefully better foods.
Some travel destinations do not allow cars for residents or visitors. Walking, biking, boat shuttles, but no cars or even delivery trucks, an extreme that could never work here…unless…vertical take off and landing air-mobiles.
Limited number of rental cars means more people on the busses and hopefully in the future more frequent vans covering the whole island, as well as having visitors spending more time walking inside our smaller towns…shopping…and enjoying more of Kaua’i and it’s people, culture, foods, markets, events.
Anyway, US Federal Law may not allow direct limiting of visitors to Kaua’i…with respect to freedom to travel in the USA, and just like freedom of land ownership or business ownership in any state in America, sadly for us it includes our same Freedoms are given to foreigners, wherein many foreigners own property and businesses in the USA, while in their home countries we cannot own land, home, or businessees. Of course the liberals want to give free everything to foreign illegals, while taxpayers do not get as much.
AMERICAN Government dumber than dirt, we buy over $500 Billion + in goods from China, but China only buys $35 Billion from us. And the more dumber than dirt AMERICANS whine when the President calls for Trade Tarrifs, that would force U.S. COMPANIES away from buying Chinese goods and instead start making those goods in America with American workers and whoever gets over the FENCE.
Mr. Samu, you are using the Medical Mentality when you say more need of enforcement units (Police), in addition to the regular Police are needed. You see police are needed after the fact, that is, the effects of law breaking, as in Crime, and you are, like the medical pill for every ill, in its ignoring the Cause of sickness, needing more police means we are not efficiently eliminating the Causes of Crime.
Your advice to vote is good advice. But the incentive can also be that if one does not only vote and also not vote for a change of leadership, then the people getting the Good Deals now, and for the last 70 years, will keep getting the same good deals and reward$, such as Zoning changes wherein certain people and streets in LIHUE will be able to double their incomes, while the rest of the people, will still be strapped with same zoning that prevents them from keeping their families at home or in the their own neighborhood. If you live in Hanalei or Waimea why would you want your kids and grand kids to live in LIHUE, much less New York or Florida?
Oahu has 600 square miles of land and over 1,000,000 people.
Kaua’i has over 550 square miles and only 70,000 people (where did they all come from?). Kaua’i has 100’s of thousands of acres that can be developed.
One candidate for Mayor wants to BUILD KAUAI, the campaign slogan of Derek. “Building” = Development, and that means more of everything including more of our same problems. Are we ready? Willing? We are able with off island $$$, huge amount are available.
The other candidate seems to want to put the brakes on Kaua’i. That seems to be Mel. But will that lessen the problems?
There ain’t no AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON KAUAI…and there never will be unless the communists take over, and that’s not in the foreseeable future, although they have already taken over the goods sold in AMERICA, and MADE IN CHINA…!
Kaua’i has been the same for over 100 years, we may need accelerated Evolution, and that can only come by voting. We keep getting the same because the same people always vote and always vote the same…and naturally their own people…and why not…that is smart. That does not mean the other people are stupid, they just don’t vote.
Mahalo,
Charles
I respectfully disagree….stupid people DON’T vote!
We do need a strong mayor, vote for Derek.
Well thought out plan by Mr. Samu. Since its creation, the tourism Act 1970, has taken a stance on tourism. And each democratic candidate has taken the conservative approach of control the amount of tourism. That has always been the approach. What can he do? Follow time tested methods. Conservative democracy. Limit tourism. Fact is this island is dependent on tourism. He has no other option. His hands are tied.
Solutions to the problems can all be resolved with money, which means more taxes. I’m willing to pay more to enjoy a higher quality of life. Are you?
We could solve the traffic issues with widened roads and better infrastructure. A nice tax boost could come from aggressively fining vacation rental scofflaws. There are hundreds, if not thousands on Kauai, which could generate millions in revenues. Hotel occupany in Hawaii is the highest in the nation, so if illegal vacation rentals are closed, fewer tourists will arrive and less congestion will result. It’s a win-win.
Kauai should start by demanding Airbnb and the other online booking sites require proof that any rental listing is a legal listing before allowing a property to be listed. If not, both the site and the rental owner should be given punitive fines (perhaps starting at 10x the expected rental income). Of course, Kauai should set up an accurate list of legal rentals and constantly update for accuracy – fees would be charged by anyone accessing the system to ensure it is fully funded by users.