Friday, May 23, 2014

Musings: Ah, The Money

Changes are afoot on the westside of Kauai, but they have nothing to do with the seed fields that have gotten all the attention lately — at least, not directly.

Along with pesticides and their “bubble gum” masking agents, the scent of development is now in the air, with Gay & Robinson's Kapalawai resort project moving forward again, Kikiaola Holdings installing a developer as chairman of its board and PMRF ramping up.

But before I delve into that, let's get back to these seeds for a moment. A ballot initiative seeking to ban all GMO agriculture on Maui, Lanai and Molokai has been rejected because more than half the signatures are invalid. This, despite — or perhaps because of — an anonymous donor paying $5 per name for signatures. The payments were being made through SHAKA, a nonprofit headed by high-end Realtor Mark Sheehan.

Kinda makes you wonder about the fate of the Kauai Rising charter amendment, and who is really behind the anti-GMO movement with its pro-upscale development connections.

Now back to our own west side. Kikiaola Holdings, which has extensive land in the Waimea area, recently installed George Christensen, an Oahu real estate developer and building contractor, as its board chairman. Previously, the Board had been chaired by descendants of H.P. Faye, who incorporated the land when the Kingdom of Hawaii was still recognized. But with Mike Faye stepping down and an outsider — and developer — coming in, it seems to signal a shift.

Meanwhile, the Kapalawai resort project, which was ready to roll when the economic downturn derailed it, has been resurrected under the auspices of Canadian developer Derek Trethewey. He stirred up a controversy in his homeland over his plans to clearcut and develop Salt Spring Island, where he promised residents: “We are being as careful as we can. We want to do the right thing.” The struggle resulted in a documentary originally titled, “Ah... The Money, The Money, The Money.”

As president and CEO of Okanagan Land Development Corp., Trethewey oversaw development of numerous projects in British Columbia, including The Cove Lakeside Resort, The Outback Vernon, The Lakes, Bowen Island Lodge. His LinkedIn profile claims:

His philanthropy and commitment to community service is renowned.

Tretheway also has a litigious history, including suing protestors who chained themselves to logging trucks and trees. In other legal action, Caesar's Palace casino won a judgment and garnishing order against him over $71,005 in unpaid gambling debts, and a California couple won a judgment of $101,754 against him in a case involving loans and gambling debts owed Harrah's Casino.

And now he's here, gambling he rake in a pile at Kapalawai. The County Council already approved zoning for a 250-unit resort with restaurants, a pavilion, lu'au grounds, a museum, bar, swimming pools, spa, sport courts and a club house, and the state Land Use Commission allowed the 160-ace parcel to be reclassified from agriculture to urban.

In other words, the “entitlements” are in place, which means Trethewey can move forward, though he's apparently come up with a different model than the 500-square-foot stand-alone cottages that were previously planned. The new proposal has been likened to Pierre Omidyar's Hanalei Ridge development, with upscale vacation homes along the coast and clustered multi-family visitor accommodations behind it. The property includes about 4,400 feet of shoreline between Makaweli Landing and Po'o Point.

As part of the original proposal, which had strong westside support, the developer was supposed to include shoreline access and a 70-stall lot that would allow surfers to park closer to the break at Pakala.

And finally, as The Garden Island reports, the future is all gangbusters for PMRF, which wil play a larger role in the annual Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multinational war games and future trainings:

For the last 20 years or so, the Navy has resorted to the desert for a lot of its training and testing, according to [base commander Capt. Bruce] Hay.

“Well, we’re coming back,” he said. “The band’s coming back to the Pacific and our Marines and our Air Force and our Army need places to train.”

In addition to RIMPAC, Hay said there will be a lot of activity out at PMRF this summer — from rocket launches and Boeing V-22 Ospreys flying around to NASA’s test flight in early June of the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator, a saucer-shaped rocket designed for future missions to Mars.

“In between all the other cool stuff, like rockets and balloons and all the other stuff, you’re going to see a steady drum beat of our brothers and sisters in arms coming here to Kauai,” he said. “It’s a good thing for Kauai and it’s a good thing for PMRF, or IPRF (Inouye Pacific Range Facility).”

Perhaps, if you're thinking only in terms of “Ah... The Money, The Money, The Money.” But let's not get so caught up in the rah-rah that we forget all that way cool stuff is ultimately intended to main, kill and destroy. 

And let's not forget all the money generated by that groovy training comes with a price: adverse impacts on marine mammals, marine ecosystems and our own peaceful way of life.  

67 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you , so much energy devoted to the GMO companies, looks like the real toxic stuff of war and development is fine, as long as there are no cows. Pathetic and so so sad.

Anonymous said...

It's KaLapawai not Kapalawai dear

Anonymous said...

To 10:36 .... Joan is correct on the place name, dear.

Anonymous said...

Between the seed companies, the landfill and the military, the west side is fucked!!! All those people buying those fancy mansions along the coastline can enjoy all the red dirt water that is nearly constant, filled with sediment, pesticide run-off and black plastic ag waste while enjoying all the aerial fireworks from missile testing down the road at Nohili dunes. Ah paradise.

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget that all of the people who trained, maimed and killed before is a good part of reason why you have the freedom to write this blog.

Anonymous said...

No disrespect for our veterans, they are not the reason for war. And you're wrong...war is not for "freedom" as you say but to feed the military industrial complex which is in the trillions of dollars and to covet the resources of other countries. In the meantime our planet is being destroyed and in the end, there will be nothing left to fight over.

Anonymous said...

When will PMRF admit to the fact that nuclear weapons are at their facility ?

Anonymous said...

One has to wonder at the simplistic self righteousness that gives rise to the kind of whiny bumfodder from 1:30. I wonder if someone who could say that would even miss the right to publish such shit. Probably not- the better to hide behind shibboleths than to reckon that anything would be worth fighting to preserve. We may not always pick the right fight, but we normally do not provoke it. And the resource we should most covet is the ability to choose how we govern ourselves. We do not have to covet that in other countries. Not always right, not always pono, and not always the intelligent thing to do, but at least ours.

Anonymous said...

PMRF never got approval for any of this.

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:00: Believe the propaganda that you promote, but I for one second don't believe the revisionist history of Amelika. Just like the fake "Treaty of Annexation" that was sculpted into the hands of McKinley's statue in Honolulu, the propaganda continues today with the lies of Bush and Cheney to take us to war against Iraq. The right for the Hawaiian Kingdom to govern our Crown Lands and to kick the occupiers off Ke Kani o Nohili would be worth fighting for AGAINST the imperialistic war-mongering USA!

Anonymous said...

May 23, 2014 at 2:00 PM, do you really believe your own bumfodder?

Anonymous said...

However the Hawaiians did not fight to keep their kingdom/nation.

Anonymous said...

Yep

Anonymous said...

Shiver me cucumbers! The US military is the only reason this blog can be written. Without the military the whiners would be whining in Japanese, if their family was in Hawaii pre-1941 and zee rest of us would be schpeakin' zee Goiman lingo.
The westside had red water pre-Cap'n Cook (Waimea means "red water").
The Robinson's have been loyal to their employees for generations, they keep the crazies (Gov and non-Gov) off their land, they care for the land and are singularly responsible for saving many indigenous plants, boids and what-not.
Sheez, I remember when Hooser raised a very limp wrist years ago to challenge PMRF, no luck, but now he has fresh fodder with plenny l'il fresh faced fistees......all for not.
Ag will continue and all that will be left of this Bynum/Hooser anti-Ag law, will be the painful memory of some mis-guided and deceitful Council members.

Anonymous said...

Learn your fucking history...Kanaka Maoli did fight to return they're Kingdom but were outmatched in fire power and the revolutionaries were thrown in jail by the Provisional Government...my g-g-grandfather being one of them along with Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole. Lili'uokalani "fought" in a non-violent manner, going to Washington D.C. to meet with Cleveland and others to plead her case. Lastly, the Ku'e Petitions gathered nearly 40,000 (almost the entire native population at that time) signatures in opposition to annexation and took that to Congress where annexation failed. It was the war mongers in Washington who had their imperialistic sights on the Pacific, who coveted "the pear ripe for picking" called Hawaii. The Spanish-American War sealed Hawaii's fate and a domestic law called a resolution, having no jurisdiction over the sovereign Kingdom of Hawaii, was passed by Congress. The falsehood that Hawaii was annexed in 1898 has been perpetuated ever since.

PMRF sits on Crown Lands belonging to the Hawaiian Kingdom. Haole, do you really believe that you can continue to pull the wool over educated Kanaka who know their history? Get lost.

Anonymous said...

"Shiver me cucumbers", "Whiny bumfodder", "Shibboleth"...who talks like that? I tell you who, da foreigner!

Anonymous said...

I love how Americans think that freedom of speech is solely theirs. Kanaka enjoyed that profusely pre-overthrow period as evidenced by the many Hawaiian Language Newspapers that were prevalent then. It was only after the overthrow that our "freedom of speech" to speak in our native language, to practice our cultural traditions like hula, la'au lapa'au were all banned. Welcome to America!!!!

Anonymous said...

Robinson's are responsible for much of the degradation to the environment on the west side. Keith is the only one of that family who recognizes that and fights to preserve some of our dying native species in his reserve. The rest of their descendants think only one thing - $$$$. Pre-sugar Waimea red water was seasonal. Now its perpetual!

Anonymous said...

I love how selective Hawaiian activists can be. They chose a time in history that suits them for land rights. How about going back to the chiefdoms where only the ali'i clas had land rights, and where all others were serfs working for their chief. No ownership, no kala, nothing but working for the pleasure of your chief ... which you could only hope was a benevolent one.

Anonymous said...

4:33 non-violence is not fighting by definition. Your people surrendered without shedding a drop of blood. Your racist rant shows your weakness of argument Blame anyone that you like Hawaiians have no one to blame but themselves for their current situation . So how long before the "kanaka" make the military leave PMRF ? "Get lost ". you lost your Nation .

Anonymous said...

May 23, 2014 at 4:33 PM, thank you for that educated response. I get too disgusted with the knee jerk rhetorical comments and shallow american mentalities to even respond most of the time.

The comment that weʻd all be speaking Japanese if the americans had not invaded, is so tiring. The Japanese as well as all other nations honored their treaties with the Hawaiian Nation.
The United States is the only nation/government to violate the treaties and invade, occupy and genocide a sovereign peaceful nation.

Anonymous said...

The only wars any Hawaiian ever fought in was for America. Hawaii is part of the USA. There is no Hawaiian nation Stop living in the past or you will miss the future . Americans have done more good for the world than any Nation in history What have Hawaiians ever invented that has helped the rest of the world ?

Anonymous said...

5:05 - So you consider a revolution of natives with guns as NOT fighting for their nation? I guess America doesn't recognize non-violence as a form of resistance...they just assassinate those who advocate for it.

As in other cultures throughout the Pacific, ownership of land did not exist. Chiefs ruled the people of the ahupua'a but never owned them like serfs. And if alii weren't pono to the people, they were removed. Maka'ainana (commoners) had access to all the resources of the ahupua'a, mauka to makai in order to meet all their needs. Today, most of us are denied access mauka to makai by large landowners. It wasn't until foreigners came and demanded to own property, did land tenure in Hawaii change. We all know the story of the Mahele and the Kuleana Act. Our alii tried to make sure the maka'ainana got their share.

I love how American patriots think the history of a place starts and ends with them and all else before them doesn't count.

Kanaka Maoli are not the racist ones here, we are the oppressed. It was racist foreigners who came here, stole our lands, overthrew our government, banned our culture and to top it off, expect us to be grateful.

Kanaka Maoli are continuing the fight in the international arena because America will never willingly return what was stolen. Get it right, we never "lost" our nation...it was stolen and it remains occupied. Huge difference.

Ke kani o nohili, the sounding sands of Nohili....never to be forgotten.

Anonymous said...

Never

Anonymous said...

And 7:00 pm - what world do you live in? Are you for real? You think America is the greatest country in the world? Yhea well your USA nuclear bombed the Pacific and made totally inhabitable any life on Bikini Atoll and surrounding islands. Why because people of color are dispensable. Then they turned around and literally slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by dropping the A-Bomb, already knowing that the Japanese military was preparing to surrender. Oh and lets not forget the racist stain of slavery and the fact that bigotry against minorities is still very real today in the ghettos and slums of every major inner city. Nor can we forget the genocide against North America's native people, the outright extermination and relegation to reservations of a once proud people where poverty, drugs and alcohol prevail. What happened to Kanaka Maoli is consistent with the real history of America. Not some romanticized version of it.

Yhea America the Great....


Chuck Lasker said...

I hadn't pegged you as anti-military, Joan. I can't imagine you would be able to say what you do without the military defending you against forces that would love to remove that right from you.

The "destroying" you talk about that PMRF is about is destroying missiles sent towards your home. Do you believe if we eliminated the military other countries would be sweet and leave us alone?

Your belief that the Navy doesn't care about marine life is incorrect. Their entire "world" is the ocean - they care for it like parents. They are the ocean's police, too, enforcing international maritime environmental laws. Imagine what the status of whales would be without the U.S. Navy.

Anonymous said...

7:23 You are a little off on your Japanese surrender theory. Japan was committed to war.
History does repeat itself and the weak will always be overtaken.

Anonymous said...

No matter .....I just love America! I wouldn't wanna live any where else! I've come this far in my life...so my crush is to enjoy the rest of what life has to offer. But truthfully I find it too difficult to build a Hawaiian nation within the USA. I believe that will never happen in a 100+ lifetime..or maybe never. Many things get lost and never found even how hard you try. The best thing you can do is to forget it and move on.

Anonymous said...

Regardless if you think I'm wrong about Japan surrendering...the bottom line is that the USA literally annihilated hundreds of thousands of Japanese citizens - not military targets. Not unlike the legacy of Agent Orange in Vietnam which the people are still suffering today - woman giving birth to extremely deformed babies, direct result of Monsanto's Agent Orange used to defoliate the land and ruin the ability for the enemy to hide or for the people to feed themselves.

So as the military "fights for your freedom" Americans' civil rights are violated by NSA spying on all our private communications - emails, phone conversations, internet activity whether you're a terrorist or not. Whistle blowers are prosecuted and thrown in jail. Freedom of the press jeopardized by being targeted as accomplices to whistle blowers. How's that freedom working for you?


Anonymous said...

This election will speak loudly.
Development has always been a task for the patient and brave. It takes years and tons of dough, only the persistent will prevail.
The key to the immediate future on all issues is the Council. This year Kauai can get rid of the know-it-all namby pamby council-members who cater to Mainland glory groups with all of the prestige, fear mongering and hate that includes.
Kauai can get back to basics.
How does an island that totally relies on Tourism keep a little bit of the old ways? Everyday about 1/3 of the island's people are visitors....we need the money and this tourist money is clean.
The idears about MarryWanna Farms, Kale/ Goat farms or any dilettante organic effort etc to replace tourism ain't gonna happen.
Tourism is King and without it we would be like the Marshall Islands. Now there is a pristine place, as long as you don't step on an empty Spam can as you walk to the ocean adrift with thousands of floating Pampers..I'll take a smiling tourist over an angry shrieking Fistee (been here ten years-now I'm a local) any day.
Let's show love and understanding....Luke Evslin (and our fearless, absolutely fearless Joan Conrow also) points this out and it should be tried.


Anonymous said...

Emphasis on "fearless" Joan. I admire how your common sense provokes Everyone.

Anonymous said...

Yeah...Joan is not afraid to hold the burning torch of the new realities of New and future Kauai. GOGO GMO and Merry Dairy!

Anonymous said...

The Natives are restless today. Each one of their posts should start with....Once upon a time

Anonymous said...

Nah, It's pretty obvious the Kauai of today is in for some rapacious development and has nothing to do with preservation of anything except big profits for developers and investors as the Kauai most of us love is destroyed.

Anonymous said...

similarities between the hawaiian overthrow and the events hapenning between russia/crimea ? U.S. gov is pissed about whats happening over there.

Anonymous said...

None

Anonymous said...

I think the Kanakasʻ Kauai is dead or close to it.

When I listen to that radio station, the one nobly started by Butch, then listen to the vulgar voices that host their own little domain shows it makes me sick; one ego steps on the next egoʻs head to rise to top for a little dose of fame.

It sounds like east LA. Those voices, the Rundgrens, Browers, Vandeveers, Yoders, the papolo, the idiot show all reflect the new shoddy and crass Kauai brought to us by the ugly transplants.

And, as so eloquently and truthfully stated earlier: "
I love how American patriots think the history of a place starts and ends with them and all else before them doesn't count."

Anonymous said...

How sad it is, that this blog, gets reduced,in every conversation, to more name calling. Haole vs Hawaiian. Seems that the drawbridge always lifts when the newest arrival shows up. Guess what folks, all this utopian talk of organic farming is a dream. Why? Because it takes a labor force that actually wants to do manuel labor for little pay, and that doesn't exist. All the anger I see and hear about dis and dat ain't gonna change a thing. Those days are gone. Tourism is gonna be the main industry on this island, the sooner we all embrace that, the better off we will be. Here's a thought, why not become the go to eco tourist island of the Hawaiian Islands? Costa Rica, Dominica and others have done a good job of maintaining a healthy balance, perhaps we could as well.

Anonymous said...

Such narrow mindedness and again, the know it all what is best for Hawaii. Why canʻt, for once, let the Hawaiian restore these islands instead of blocking everything they do or stealing their ancient practices as our own.

Tourism is just one of those things that may stay or may not stay depending on the fickle economies.

At the rate carpetbaggers (our government officials), tax and tax to subsidize damaging consequences of their bad decisions tourists may get fed up with Hawaii because the taxing is too high for them also.

No, the long term is to restore the health of the islands: quit allowing endless numbers of vehicles, CONTINUED rampant development, breaking new ground to pour concrete, etc.

RESTORE the Hawaiian way of working the lands.

Dr Shibai said...

Bottom line:
PMRF has made Kauai a military target.

War is a BIG business.

The military pollutes everywhere it goes, and "collateral damage" (the death of innocent people) is justified by using the "freedom" word.

This is Hawaiian Land, not America.....i.e. occupied by a foreign military power and multinational billion dollar companies.

Might, Money and Power makes Right.

Dr Shibai

Dawson said...

"I love how Americans think that freedom of speech is solely theirs."

"I love how American patriots think the history of a place starts and ends with them and all else before them doesn't count."


See, it's a colonial thang. Freedom for everyone -- as long as yer 'Merican.

Oh, and Christian.

Oh, and white.

Oh, and...

Anonymous said...

So much freedom in ʻamericaʻ so why am I afraid to come out of my house most of the time for fear some american is going to make a complaint against me or that for some minor misunderstanding Iʻll be thrown on the ground and arrested for some hype charge?

Anonymous said...

Paranoid schizophrenia?

Dawson said...

"Paranoid schizophrenia?"

You have it backwards. Paranoia and fear are often cited as explanations for the extreme "my way or the highway" attitude that characterizes American culture in general, and American colonialism in particular.

The truth is simpler: a chronic case of cultural narcissism, nationalism and arrogance.

Anonymous said...

Kapalawai may make it. There are plenty of rich surfers who would love the tootsie roll tubes at Pakala.
All of the Big land guys have to do something as an Ag exit. This Council with their anti-Ag stratagem will force development.
Whether Hawaii is better off under the America or not is up for debate. But whatever you do do NOT try to take Fed/State welfare programs away from the most "Hawaiian" island, Molokai. 80 percent of the residents are slopping at the free government trough.....a good example of what happens when you scare biz and visitors away. I don't care if it rains or freezes, just as long as I get my Government Cheeses.

Anonymous said...

Hawaiians fell to the most powerful substance known to mankind.....White women !!!!!

Anonymous said...

Da Hawaiians not racist ones. The one dat hate da Haole e da Portagee and da Filipino. Dats da mix wit all da Hate in da blood.

Anonymous said...

Fake pidgin toooooo funny

Anonymous said...

To May 25, 2014 at 11:55 AM,
did you ever stop to realize that it is YOU who is slopping at the Hawaiian trough of land and resources.

But probably not because the american mentality is one of rape, pillage, plunder, pirate and in general take anything they can get away with and not realize itʻs wrong.

Anonymous said...

Not realize itʻs wrong or better yet, entitled.
Yes, it is americans that exude entitlement.

Anonymous said...

Who writes the "trough" checks ? Who cashes those checks ?

Anonymous said...

If the sovereign nation of the Kingdom of Hawaii had not been stolen by the republican American businessmen one can only wonder what a great country Hawaii would have become. With their innate intelligence and strong work ethic their ability to thrive sustainably would have continued despite the decimation of their population by western disease. Upon realizing the dominance of the western powers they wisely chose to join rather than fight, and embraced the modern world. There was almost universal literacy in no time, and it was a a nation of inclusion rather than separatism. Sure there were and would have been cracks and bumps along the road as this nation grew (or should have grown) but what country doesn't suffer such, ie slavery, genocide imperialism. If the Kingdom of Hawaii had not been derailed this place would probably be the neatest place on the planet.
Oh and the idea that some other county would have invaded is ludicrous. There already were long standing treaties and agreements to have military bases in Hawaii (Pearl Harbor) as the US had and still has around the globe to protect it's and it's "friends" interests. A real shame that the KIngdom was overthrown and stolen.

Anonymous said...

It is foolish to dwell in the past my friends. Move forward. Soverign nation will NEVER happen. Nice to dream about, but it's not gonna happen.

Anonymous said...

It is only foolish to ignore the past, for in doing so you are doomed to committing the same mistakes over and over. If I stole your BMW and five years later you discovered me in your still perfectly good car what would you do? Walk away and say oh well it's yours now. All the time, or at least from time to time there are stories in the news of long stolen things recovered and returned to the rightful owner. But I guess there are those out there who don't go along with doing the right thing.

Anonymous said...

We've seen what the future looks like and it remains bleak for our people. This assimilation crap hasn't worked out for Kanaka Maoli the same way it hasn't worked out on the continent for Native Americans either. The only people who seem to thrive in America are the 1%, the rich elite who have unfortunately found our little island in the sea and decided to turn it into their paradise get-a-way.

We look to the past for guidance from our kupuna. History shows that those who forget the past inevitably repeat the mistakes of the past.

Anonymous said...

Plain and just simply stupid to dwell in the past. Time to move on. What? The Hawaiian Soverign nation ... don't even dream about it! Its will NEVER gonna happen. Why live in the past? And forget Crown Land, no Hawaiian have never come up with a plan on the best use of the Land except to sell it to the highest bidder no matter where they came from. We all know MONEY talks! Its better to talk with MONEY in hand than to talk with no MONEY IN HAND!

Anonymous said...

So then when will the Kanaka rise up and take their kingdom back ? Never...it is not yours anymore You surrendered it . Hawaii will never be yours again. Ask the American Indians they will tell you . What was was. What is....is . Your "kahuna" do not have the answer or they would have risen up years ago no one is going to give Hawaii back to you . You must take it back but you can't take it back get over it. Stop kicking your dead horse it will never live again Blame whoever you want it is a waste of time and energy. Right or wrong it is gone

Anonymous said...

maybe the dilemma is that we are told not to dwell in the past, not to look toward a future and the present sucks...maybe that is why there is so much drug addiction and sorrow here.

Anonymous said...

I have read some heartfelt and intelligent postings here countered by downright profound ignorance.

No wonder Hawaii is such a mess: all the billy-bobs have taken up roots here and that includes the nouveau riche billy-bobs.

I feel great empathy for na kanaka.

Anonymous said...

It aint gone, it's a movement that's alive and well, in case you were asleep. There has been a lot of new developments in the effort with a lot of influential and important voices coming together to coalesce and move the petition forward that redresses the unlawful overthrow. Keep up with the news! As the US loses power and influence in this world the international community will enjoy enforcing the International Law, (the laws the US seems to hold so dear when it suits it's agenda) that clearly holds the Hawaiian Kingdom as legitimate and valid yet. It won't happen tomorrow and it might not truly overthrow the oppressors, but redress will happen and the Sovereignty will be restored. So get over it and yourself. It's a Good thing to right wrongs. It at one point was supposed to be the American way.

Anonymous said...

Such profound ignorance is right. It's kupuna idiot, our ancestors showed us the way by gathering signatures all across the islands and taking those petitions to Congress. That effort defeated the attempts at annexation by way of treaty because the majority in Hawaii opposed it. Like today America didn't play by the rules and passed a resolution that had no jurisdiction over Hawaii, a sovereign nation recognized by way of treaty with many other countries including the U.S.

No matter how much we cite the illegality of US action, all you can come up with is get over it. Never say never...there are lots of examples of countries regaining independence and I'm sure they had similar naysayers as you. We can endure the same ignorance our kupuna did because of great aloha for our lahui.

Anonymous said...

Some first Americans are doing very well on the mainland these days. Gaming has been a windfall for those responsible enough to use the money wisely. For others it's just meant more money for drugs and alcohol. But it has brought prosperity to quite a few. Be careful when using such a broad brush to paint ALL from the mainland in such a negative way. Would it be fair to paint ALL Hawaiians as lazy? This country, and yes Hawaii is part of this country right now, is way too polarized. Somewhere in the middle, compromise exists, and in order for ALL of us to survive we must strive to find it.

Anonymous said...

See what happens when you're nice to strangers? Thhey don't know when it's time to go home. Next thing you know, all your food is gone and your house is a mess.

Anonymous said...

It would be convenient if we could all get along but the bottom line is that until there is justice for our people, we will stay polarized. Kanaka Maoli have lost too much while others have gotten fat off the land. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is real and it widens daily and contributes to even greater polarization.

There is no running away from the ugly truth of history and I bring up examples of the ugliness only to shoot down the high and mighty who believe the USA is the greatest country in the world and refuse to acknowledge its travesties of justice and genocide.

Dawson said...

"...But whatever you do do NOT try to take Fed/State welfare programs away from the most "Hawaiian" island, Molokai. 80 percent of the residents are slopping at the free government trough.....a good example of what happens when you scare biz and visitors away. I don't care if it rains or freezes, just as long as I get my Government Cheeses."

It's a sad comment on the character of America's conservative culture that it bashes its own poor and hungry, while having no problem with corporations and billionaires getting enormous subsidies in the form of bailouts and tax privileges.

Anonymous said...

Trethewey passed away last week.

Anonymous said...

Tretheway died last week in Vancouver