It's Earth Day – that time of the
year when we're supposed to become more conscious of how we're
trashing the planet with our greed, thoughtlessness and ravenous
appetites, and then do something about it.
Here's my small contribution:
Committed to eliminating food waste, Earth Day, every day.
Though many greenies have taken a
stance against GMOs, the technology has numerous environmental
benefits. I recently wrote about a study published by agricultural
economists at Purdue University, who found that:
Eliminating GMO commodity crops in
America would significantly boost greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions and
have other environmental and economic impacts.
The Purdue researchers found that
yields of soy, corn, and cotton would decrease, requiring some
252,047 acres of U.S. forest and pasture lands to be converted to
crop production to offset the shortfall. A reduction in the export of
U.S. commodity crops would also increase demand for cropland in other
nations.
Though Kauai Councilman Gary Hooser
recently pooh-poohed the contribution of GMO corn at a UH law school forum on GMOs
— “you can't feed the world on Sugar Pops and candy bars” —
he doesn't seem to realize that maize, as it's called elsewhere, is a
major food staple across the globe. South Africa alone is needing to
import 1.5 million tonnes this year due to drought. Fortunately,
we've got enough to send.
GM crops that resist insect
infestations, like like Bt cotton, Bt corn and Bt eggplant, have also
reduced the use of pesticides, especially in developing nations.
Yet the chronically
befuddled, like Hooser and Lihue resident Linda Boethe, continue to insist that seed
companies are “drenching” Kauai with pesticides. In a letter to the editor today, Boethe tries to bolster her drenching claim with a
revelation about seed company pesticide use in December 2013:
Syngenta applied 13 RUP’s (restricted
use pesticides) totaling 213 gallons and 366 pounds to 1,200 acres.
81 gallons of product contained Chlorpyrifos and 245 pounds contained
Atrazine. Dow Agro-Science applied 10 RUPs totaling 139 gallons to
873 acres. Dupont/Pioneer applied 13 RUPs totaling 66 gallons and 13
pounds to 1,000 acres.
If you look at the raw numbers, yeah,
it's kind of scary. But if you do the math —assuming her figures are correct — we're talking roughly a
pint per acre. The seed companies have offered the analogy of one
soda can of product applied to a football field. Is that being
"drenched?" As a friend noted:
Overall, there's no common
understanding of what these figures represent. Until there is, the
numbers spur chaos in a public argument. And that's another failing
of the Joint Fact Finding report: It doesn't put the numbers into the
context of generally accepted agricultural practices to promote
broader understanding of what the seed companies, and other farmers,
actually do.
What some Kauai County Councilmembers
do, on the other hand, is pull strings to help friends. At the last
Council meeting, JoAnn Yukimura disclosed that she's "crafting" an amendment to one of the two homestay/B&B bills before the Council, as outlined in this dialogue with her colleagues:
JY: I have an amendment, a rough draft,
but I would prefer, because it is a tricky amendment, I mean it's
taken a lot of thought and conferencing with the legal staff we have.
I'd like to work on it further before introducing it.
Is this amendment you are working on
related to grandfathering?
JY: No. I don't think "grandfathering"
is an appropriate context. The amendment is to create a class based
on a rationale basis that is a legitimate class under the law.
So you are working on an amendment to
create a class, a specific class that would allow for the planning
commission to review applications for B&Bs outside of the VDA
(visitor destination areas)?
JY: For a very small number of people
that have been paying taxes since 2008, and have -- and have applied
for home-stays.
You said it's not about grandfathering.
JY: Yes, because grandfathering...
requires that the use was legal prior to being made illegal. That is
not the circumstance we have here.
JoAnn is correct. The circumstance we have here is
that a number of persons have been operating illegal B&Bs for
more than a decade. The planning department has shut them down, and some are about to be hit with criminal
charges. But JoAnn wants to let the scofflaws off the hook, give them
preferential treatment, let them go on while others are denied the opportunity to operate.
As another friend observed:
Is this crafted or crafty legislation?
I'd go with crafty. Sleazy. And really
inappropriate. Hasn't JoAnn learned anything from her earlier vote to legitimize all the illegal TVR owners, while burning those who had obeyed the law?
Still, I imagine the amendment would come in really handy for Alexis Boilini — one of the aforementioned scofflaws who is now trying to sell her property for a cool $2.35 million. Perhaps so she'll have more time to spend at her Costa Rica B&B?
Still, I imagine the amendment would come in really handy for Alexis Boilini — one of the aforementioned scofflaws who is now trying to sell her property for a cool $2.35 million. Perhaps so she'll have more time to spend at her Costa Rica B&B?
Posts
70 comments:
Did everyone get a survey in the mail from Hooser re: Kauai issues? Just reading this article made me think of it..
Shame on Yukimura. She's an attorney, former mayor, and lifelong council member, who again, is trying every which way to find a way to break the law for the benefit of folks who are operating illegal TVU's. Creating a new "class" of land use does nothing to change the fact that she is using her knowledge and position to circumvent long overdue legislation putting the brakes on illegal BnBs outside the VDA. As an officer of the court and a official elected to represent ALL the people of this island, how can she in good conscience be involved with crafting a " tricky" amendment to validate unlicensed BnBs and to allow "grandfathering" of an illegal use. Think too, that some of her friends are involved with legal proceedings against the County. What's wrong with this picture?
What does operating (illegally for a long time have to do with justifying that this "new Class" of land user is eligible for what is essentially grandfathering? Call what Joann is trying to do anything you want, but it's Grandfathering; plain and simple.
Bad thinking, bad policy.
So....Yukimura's friends were operating ILLEGALLY, but it's okay because they were paying taxes, therefore we should create a special class for those ILLEGAL operators to make it legal, but ONLY for those select few???? Is that what I am to understand from the amendment she wants to craft? Isn't that how the TVR debacle came about? This is ridiculous! Someone needs to call her out on that BS.
The problem in the real world is that Joann and other know that the Planning Department actually gave permission for these old B&B's to operate for decades. People made investments based on what the PD told them the law was.
It is easy to be black and white. The grey area requires thought, and at least Joann is attempting this.
The zealots will be anti.
The scofflaws will scoff.
The poor folks trapped in a B&B that the County green lighted 20 years ago yearn for a little thought and grey area.
10:24 bullshit,"The poor folks trapped in a B&B that the County green lighted 20 years ago yearn for a little thought and grey area." Trapped in a B&B? The county only green lighted the B&Bs with a Use Permit, unless the operators have a use permit from the Planning Commission and that they actually filed a permit application, no over the counter someone telling you something doesn't cut it.Funny none of you seem to have bothered to fill out an application,or remember the name of who you spoke to or when it was, just this bubamonsa that someone told them no need. A simple reading of the laws would have alerted these folks they needed a permit, before operating businesses. JoAnn knows B&Bs always needed a Use Permit and that is why she knows the county cannot legally grandfather them. So she wants to get creative, hopefully the rest of the council won't allow her to frustrate the law and change it to suit her friends.
11:30 and what do we know about Alexis Boilini except that she hasn't been here for 20 years.
In fact, she posted a comment on change.org and listed her address as Chicago. No big thing, move to Kauai, change the law to jack the value of her property no matter the consequences and leave.
Sorry, but they paid the taxes or the State would nail them while they rolled the dice and ran the table on the County Planning Department for 20 years?. That's a pretty good, if unpermitted, bet until you get caught as long as you don't mind the fact it's not legal. I imagine they recouped their investment many times over, so I can't summon up any tears for them. It's time for them to find a new squiggle. If JoAnn lusts to represent these folks, she needs to be put to pasture so she can do it as a hired attorney and not as a legislator.
Re 11:30am
Hear Hear! Well stated.
Yukimura trying to get all Ninja on the TVR debacle.
“In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties and on Kauai it is the rule."
“Ah, women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent.”
“Nothing on earth consumes a man more quickly than the passion of resentment.”
“What is the truth, but a lie agreed upon.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
I heard at a recent seminar on "How to Tell others How to Live" sponsored by HAPA and graduates from The Kuleana Academy that the well-known fundamentalist and epicurean, Frederich Nietzche actually lived at PAKALA when he wrote these things about Da Hoos and JoAnn. Fred is a real hoot and dances to the music that others couldn't hear.
JoAnn creating a law for a few special people is akin to Da Hoos and his "Smoking Fireplace and banning all Hibachis" fiasco. These two disingenuous, deceitful, stealthy and slippery politicians absolutely, WORK for the FEW.
This is an election year. I hope that some of the tired old faces on the Council get replaced.
C'mon Mel, let's see some leadership put a girdle on some of these obtuse proposals.
What is your vision for Kauai? If farming is important then why not let legitimate farms have home stays/ BnBs/TVRs? There are wonderful farm homestays all over the world that supplement farming so that the farmers can make it... smart government. The income from a farm homestay/BnB/TVR helps supplement farming. Why not let some local people who actually live on Kauai generate revenue from tourism by making BnB/homestay/TVRs only available to actual residents so that all the revenue generated stays here and is put back into Kauai's economy as opposed to only VDA with hotels, timeshare and most TVR owners that are not residents where the majority of revenue goes into off island pockets. The owners that live here should be able to manage a homestay/BnB/TVR well since they are here to address problems and it works out in many places around the world. Many tourists nowadays want a different experience than just what a VDA can offer so Kauai and it's residents may loose an important market that could be beneficial if managed properly. The key may be actual residents especially farmers wanting to operate as opposed to owners that do not live here because an owner that lives here pays local taxes and puts revenue back into the economy. If the vision is just to have certain VDA with any operations, then that seems like a Kauai with local people who obtain any revenue from tourist industry must work for Hotels/tourist industry where the majority of revenue goes off island. I support Joanne in trying to figure out this complicated issue. There needs to be creativeness so that the whole of Kauai will benefit and smart government knows there are always complainers making noise and sometimes government needs to pay attention to majority of residents who aren't the constant complainers
With the donation request on the back??
Thanks, 10:30.
No thanks, JoAnn.
Other council members; please don't give her an inch on the homestay fiasco! She doesn't deserve it! She'll just take that inch, divide it up into gentleman estates and then insist it's the right thing to grandfather their bnbs!
Me thinks Mel has bigger problems right now. He must be sweating bullets as Shaylene knows where all the skeletons are buried. How will he be able to keep her quiet and under control is his focus. Besides he and Ross do nothing but pontificate anyway and I guess he can do that in his sleep.
Absolutely outrageous We have a public figure who is supposed to uphold the law and provide a good example for the citizens of Kauai, publicly announcing she is working so hard on a tricky plan to circumvent a pending ordinances to confine BnBs to the VDA. She is saying in so many words, " I am working so hard to create a way for my friends to continue to break the law" This is a direct slap to the faces of every resident on Kauai who live by the law and conduct themselves with common sense and respect for others. Usually, maneuverings of this kind are done in a back room out of the public eye. This lady comes right out and tells everybody what she is doing and why. A new low in County politics. What happened to doing the right thing?
Absolutely outrageous We have a public figure who is supposed to uphold the law and provide a good example for the citizens of Kauai, publicly announcing she is working so hard on a tricky plan to circumvent a pending ordinances to confine BnBs to the VDA. She is saying in so many words, " I am working so hard to create a way for my friends to continue to break the law" This is a direct slap to the faces of every resident on Kauai who live by the law and conduct themselves with common sense and respect for others. Usually, maneuverings of this kind are done in a back room out of the public eye. This lady comes right out and tells everybody what she is doing and why. A new low in County politics. What happened to doing the right thing?
10:11 is right , a new low in county politics.
Ms boilini testified she goes on vacation 4 times a year and couldn't possibly be expected to actually be at her business 24/7, now that her business is for sale, I wonder does JoAnn stil think she must do everything she can to help this lady so she can sell her business for a tidy profit and some new person gets to buy it and operate a B&B there because it is only fair . Since the permits go with the land, it is utter crap that these disingenuous people have not disclosed they are selling the property at the same time they are Working the council to get them to feel sorry for them, poor me.
Hopefully, the council members without early dementia will do the right thing and not grandfather where not appropriate.
The self serving survey was on the back, the front was a plea for money, the survey will be useless except Gary can say here is what my supporters want, not here is what Kauai residents think. Note to GH, if you want a survey that counts, it has to be anonymous , and not combined with a givemeyourmoney letter.
just because people have been paying taxes, doesn't make it legal. Example: If i had a "gambling business" on my property, paid G.E. taxes, reported all income on my state and federal tax returns, had the property properly classified as commerical/commericalized home use and paid proper real property taxes - Does that make it legal? Hell no!
The way to really crack down on these illegal activities is to lobby the lege to add the illegal TVR and BnBs operations to the covered offenses of HRS Section 712A - Asset Forfeiture.
I filled my survey out anonymously and sent it back yesterday. I want him to know there are plenty of us out here on the west side who don't want or need "increased regulation of pesticides" or "climate change regulation" or "B&B's" in our neighborhoods.
Under the guise that she actually cares for her bedandbreakfasters, Bollini is selling her illegal homestay. But with a grandfathered permit, she'll get more money for her property. Pure greed. Neighborhood be damned, she's moving out and on, leaving us with continuously homeowner turnover, with visitors in and out, in and out forever.
She has not been upfront and this is just another example of why people don't trust BNB owners.
IF BNB OWNERS OUTSIDE THE VDA NEVER RECIEVED A USE PERMIT THEY HAVE BEEN OPERATING ILLEGALLY. They should not be gifted a permit, no matter how JoAnn spins it!!!
Watching Planning Commission meeting.
Boy these sweet, illegal BNB owners are relentless!
They are not going to give up until their illegal BNBs are granted a grandfathered permit- so their home/business will be worth more money!
Is this what the word 'ALOHA' means now!
Shame
Was going to fill out and return but didnt want to pay for a stamp.
He will come out later and say he has all this info from his survey, problem is only people who support his agenda are willing to pay to send the survey back
Is there a need to investigate Joann Yukimura for getting bribes to create this bill.
Remember Plugher said he paid former Mayor Kusaka $10,000 to look the other way. What happened after is history.
Is this history repeating itself? Yukimura has gotten away with a lot of schemes through out the years. How can she and the county not know a state rep in Mina Morita was operating illegal BnB/TVR's in state protected lands?
Why bring up Mina, she paid the fines, and removed the building. I'd like to see anyone else have to remove the structure.
Everyone is fair game on Joan's blog. Why protect Mina?
Bollini is one of Yukimura's favored few. If Joann succeeds with her amendment, Bollini will up the price for her property because now she has a lifetime BnB license to pass on to her buyer. Wouldn't be surprised if the others have the same idea. Cry crocodile tears, get "special class status, a permit, sell, smile all the way to the bank. Residents get screwed by political trickery. Most BnBs are owned by mainland transplants. No roots here. When things get too hot, its easy to sell and go; leaving wreckage behind. Our born and raised long time Council person is advocating for these people. Unbelievable !
Bollini is one of Yukimura's favored few. If Joann succeeds with her amendment, Bollini will up the price for her property because now she has a lifetime BnB license to pass on to her buyer. Wouldn't be surprised if the others have the same idea. Cry crocodile tears, get "special class status, a permit, sell, smile all the way to the bank. Residents get screwed by political trickery. Most BnBs are owned by mainland transplants. No roots here. When things get too hot, its easy to sell and go; leaving wreckage behind. Our born and raised long time Council person is advocating for these people. Unbelievable !
Kouchi linked to land deal? In this mornings HSA. Did you see this Joan? Me thinks where there is smoke there is fire.
I have a difficult time understanding why everyone is so angry about Bed and Breakfasts. I kind of have a difficult time understanding the TVR obsession too. It seems to me that the group most anxious to keep these operations shut down are the hotels. Ever since moving to Kauai, this TVR/BnB issue has been on the front page of TGI at least once a month. And nothing changes. There is a lot of angst for the property owners and a lot of anger for everyone who hates the B&B/TVRs.
I very much enjoy staying at a B&B rather than a huge hotel. The only time I go to a hotel is for a conference or convention. The long hallways and the interminable wait for the elevator take all the fun out of being in a big hotel, not to mention the usually substandard, blah food.
There are, of course, some operations that are very loud and intrude on the neighborhood. But, for the most part, the very few B&Bs I'm aware of have never bothered me. I would think nuisance laws and heavy fines should take care of this. I did talk to a realtor who had a B&B next door to his house. He said that home was supporting 8 bedrooms and people were always knocking on his door asking "where's the hotel". Yes, that is frustrating (kind of on the same level as the dogs that live next door I think.)
I acknowledge the need for affordable housing. I don't believe running a B&B impacts that need.
It is also true that parking could be a problem. There should be laws that take care of this, but we should recognize that parking is not solely a B&B problem. How many homes have you seen here on Kauai that have 10 junk cars parked on the lawn? Is this not more damaging to your neighborhood than a B&B?
I do not have a "dog in this hunt" so I'm just stating a perspective. There are no restrictions on B&Bs in Santa Cruz. Neighbors don't mind there. Mostly, I'd just like to see this debate put behind us so the anger might subside just a bit. I don't think any of the "problems" cited as being caused by a B&B are unique to that industry.
Thoughtful replies are encouraged. It isn't like I'm going to change my vote based on the outcome of this discussion so I would appreciate not being yelled at.
CPT Bruce Hay would be great for Kauai's first county manager. He retires this summer and wants to stay on Kauai with his family.
Kauai needs a county manager with all the waste, fraud and abuse this current do nothing but eat other people's money Mayor has done for almost 10 years.
Get rid of this phat clown, his cronies and illegal hirings.
Senate president linked to owner in land deal
By Kevin Dayton
Posted on April 24, 2016 1:30 am
Senate President Ron Kouchi has had long-standing and substantial business ties with one of the owners of thousands of acres of South Kona conservation and agricultural land that lawmakers now want the state to purchase and preserve, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser has learned.
@ April 22, 2016 at 10:11 PM who said:
"Absolutely outrageous We have a public figure who is supposed to uphold the law and provide a good example for the citizens of Kauai, publicly announcing she is working so hard on a tricky plan to circumvent a pending ordinances...." "This is a direct slap to the faces of every resident on Kauai who live by the law...."
So I guess legalizing pakalolo is out, huh? At least in your opinion.
You don't understand that these people who have money and connections feel that they are above the law and their house slaves that are county and state reps paved the way for these kinds of white Kollar criminal activities. Yukimura is trying to cement it with an above the law bill catering to her rich family and friends that support her campaign contributions just like Hilary Clinton.
I buss laugh reading the article about him in the garden island! I guess they were trying to soften his image as portrayed to that land deal article.....what's even funnier is no wonder les kondo got booted from ethics commission! Kouchi didnt want him investigating the land deal any further!
John Kauai, I thank you for your thoughts and am looking forward to hearing a few residents share their heartfelt feelings with you, commenting on each paragraph you wrote, right down the line.
John, we've been pretty clear through the years, and yes, not been very successful at keeping TVRs inside the Visitor Destination Area. But one thing is for sure, John; history will show our grandkids, at least we tried.
John Santa Cruz the tvrs and b&bs turn houses into profit centers instead of homes. Regular home buyers are now competing with businesses that can generate way more $$$ and pay way more $$$ for the same property that would otherwise be purchased by real residents, as opposed to part timers who sell the "aloha spirit". Look up the ownership records for tvrs especially and you'll see investment trusts, llcs and corporations.
Thee are only a few ways to make money on Kauai. Land, be a lawyer, for land, be a politician allowing for land. Plus the politicians get in on the ground floor.
Da Hoos did it with land. Aunty JoAnn did it big time with land. Kouchi thru his relations did it with land. Arryl's Daddykins and father-in-law did it with land.
What about Kagawa. Kipukai and Ross. How come these three are left out?
C'mon Mel, time to step up to the plate. You are starting to make politicians look honest. Go get your land, use you influence, use your insider knowledge.
Here's what we do. We go to the guy that owns, that Las Vegas guy, that owns the 400 acres makai from Hanamaulu Bay to Nukolii. We get him help with his half-done LUC app or we just tell him we can put in 100 Ag homesites and do an Ag CPR. Flat and easy. Oceanview and old Ag ditches. Then we make a deal with the owner. Then you squeeze Water (like JoAnn does) and get the meters. Then you drink a beer with the corrupt Mike Dahlig and get chameleon lots figured out to get 5 CPRS on each lot. 20 lots at 5 CPRS each. Easy easy project. Then you go to realators, land guys and earthmovers and make deals.....Sold out in 24 months. You can keep your name on your lots or get your cash backdoor as each of the lots gets sold. Simple. The key is Water and that fat, but slick Mike Dahlig, Mike controls the density by his opinons..unless the Council magically ups density for that project. The Council controls ALL density. Dahlig is the one who is putting houses and lots out of the price of locals...Dahlig wants Kauai to be in the 800,000 range for locals..........we can have these lots on the market at 200,000 each at 4 acres. Put up a simple house at 170K.......local housing at 410,000 all said and done. And you can join the ranks of the other politicos that have made beauteous bucks in land. And the locals have a place close to Lihue.
Holy Land and Houses Batman, can the locals ever get one home?
Surprised no one is asking about all the real estate Kouchi owns: Kaua'i, Oahu, Vegas, Oakland etc
Got news for those who argue that BnB (short term rental) has always been illegal in residentially neighborhoods.
It is true. They are illegal.
Renting your property in a non-commercially zoned area is illegal.
Legally speaking, however, the same zoning code makes long term rentals illegal also.
Every single landlord long term renting a house outside of the VDA is violating the same law by conducting commerce in residential zoned land.
Our County leaders should just re-write the CZO already. It is outdated and has endless loop holes. Why they so afraid to tackle this head on?
Yes, that's the way it works. People with money buy the land. When something like 55 people have as much wealth as the bottom 50% of the world's population it is going to continue to work that way. Capitalism requires that we (everyone) accumulate wealth in order to survive. Some of the people trying to survive are running B&Bs. Understanding just how rich the rich are is difficult to comprehend.
I don't think the laws being promulgated by the county are going to stop the sale of land to those with money. The B&B/TVR laws haven't remedied the problem, it is hard to imagine that they will ever be successful.
Home prices in the Bay Area are out of control. I was lucky enough to ride that wave. But then I also did that on Oahu for the 3 years I was there.
That was the "game". It has always been the "game". If you don't want to play the "game" then change the rules. I'm trying to change the rules, but as long as the "game" is being played, I'm not unilaterally going to stop playing. The B&B/TVR laws look like "twiddling around the edges" without any real accomplishment.
Stopping the wild increases in housing costs is going to require a fundamental change in how the US economy is structured. This article might give you something to think about.
College Could Be Free In America If Corporations Paid Reagan-Era Taxes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/college-could-be-free-in-america-if-corporations-paid-reagan-era-taxes_us_57163d60e4b0018f9cbb11c1
Wait a second. You making Joann out to be the devil when Tokioka pleads guilty to intentionally filing a false campaign finance report, Kawakami's campaign manager gets busted by the FBI for gambling, Kouchi now soon to be under investigation for undue influence for personal gain via Jeff Stone, and Mel Rapozo soon to be busted based on allegations from the former prosecutor. Sheesh.
OMG! I just remembered. There was an illegal TVR just across the way from us. Never any problem. It was finally sold and the new owners brought dogs. Now those dogs and their neighbor's dogs spend all night barking at each other and I can't sleep! Please bring back the TVR!
John said: I'm trying to change the rules, but as long as the "game" is being played, I'm not unilaterally going to stop playing.
What a load of phony hypocritical crap. Go back to Samta Cruz where you belong.
I see, "John Kauai". You flit around playing nasty little games fouling other people's neighborhoods, taking your profits moving on to the screw up the next place. I'm all weepy that you can't sleep. Now move on and give us a break from your equivocating bullshit. Your absence from KE was refreshing.
11:42, yes BnBs outside the VDA without permits are indeed operating illegally, however your assertion that any long term rentals outside the VDA are illegal too is way off base. Better read the county zoning laws. Long term rentals are absolutely allowed in residentially zoned areas, that is precisely what residential zoning is for. Whether it's an owner occupied house in a residential area or a long term rental, those are permissible uses. BnBs on the other hand are not providing a residence, they are transient uses and thus belong in the VDA or require a special use permit.
11:42: BS!
@ john Kauai 8:12 am, while you may not understand why so many are upset about BnBs and TVRs, many are indeed angry about the fact that transient uses (BnBs, TVRs) have inundated residentially zoned neighborhoods. If someone wants to operate a BnB or TVR, fine but it should be done in the VDA. Zoning was put in place for a reason and allowing transient uses in residentially zoned neighborhoods is not a good fit. It isn't simply about the parking or noise, it's about our residentially zoned neighborhoods being overrun by transient uses. In many places on the island residents have been forced out as more lucrative TVRs take the place of long term rentals. Transient uses in areas not zoned for such uses brings about a whole array of issues. The whole purpose of the VDA was to designate specific areas that were suitable for visitor accommodation uses. Santa Cruz may not regulate BnBs, however many cities and towns across the United States face (and are trying to deal with) the same dilemma that we are facing in regards to transient uses occurring in residential neighborhoods. Many residents on Kauai and elsewhere are frusturated by the lack of regard for zoning and the many impacts that result when transient uses overwhelm neighborhoods.
"Capitalism requires that we (everyone) accumulate wealth in order to survive. Some of the people trying to survive are running B&Bs." Yeah, like the Boilini lady. She's "surviving" with a resort in Costa Rica and a b&b listed for 2.35 mill. Whoever you are, you're just another scamming Californicator playing the "game".
If she had something she would go to the cops or the feds instead of facebook.
Boilini has been the face of the pro B&B movement and we should feel sorry for her, if she gets her way, she won't be able to take her 4 vacations a year, unless she lies again and gets a permit and leaves for Costa Rico . Weird she has it for sale as a B&B , despite not being permitted. She will just pass the illegal business on to some other without disclosing she has an illegal Un permitted business for sale, and stands ready to make a few million so they can keep up their life of sharing, and be done with Kauai. And JoAnn is duty bound to help her make a few million, who cares about zoning anyway? Certainly not JoAnn or Gary, makes me boilin mad.
1:39 why you deflecting? Joann is full of crap. The whole island knows it.
@ John Kauai, if I wanted to live in Santa Cruz, I could always move there, no need to try to make Kaua'i more like Santa Cruz.
Kaua'i has 106 people per square mile, while in Santa Cruz it's 430 people per square mile, more than 4 times the population density. That degree of increase in population density would radically change the character of Kaua'i.
The elimination of illegal lucrative uses of property is one of the few strategies that can slow down the rise in housing costs, without turning the island into an urban area.
Simple supply-side economics explains how illegal TVRs raise prices for local buyers, and how illegal TVRs also increase rents for local renters.
The potential for a lucrative use of property, such as a TVR use, increases the number of potential buyers to include investors from all over the globe, for whom Kaua'i is nothing more than a faraway money-making opportunity. This increases the demand for residential units without increasing the supply. An increase in demand, with a steady or decreasing supply, always means that prices will go up.
When potential long-term rental residential homes become short-term rental residential TVRs, this reduces the supply of long-term rental homes, without decreasing the demand. A reduction in supply, with a steady or increasing demand, always means that prices will go up.
Increasing the supply of residential homes (by permitting more development) is one strategy to slow the rise of purchase prices and rental costs. And we do need some more houses, just for the children to have a place to live when they grow up. But an increase in the number of houses cannot be the only solution. We also need to eliminate illegal lucrative uses of residences, so that an excessive number of additional houses, or a precipitous increase in housing costs, or some combination of both of these effects, won't make Kaua'i into an urban island, or a place where the locals have nowhere they can afford to live, or both.
John, I understand that the dogs in your neighborhood are causing you distress. Please consider also the economic effects of illegal TVRs, which are causing distress for many people in many Kaua'i neighborhoods.
Poor Bollini wants to take 4 , three month vacations while her hired help watches her B&B empire. If JoAnn would have gone after Bolini it would have been a good game, but JoAnn as usual has chosen to side with the money. Her advertising her tricky, trickiest, trickster style is just too funny.
funny? what it is , is sad and wrong.
JoAnn does what she wants no mater if it's funny, sad, wrong or illegal.
Hopefully the council can see through her charade.
9:37 4/25
Kauai has already become like Santa Cruz, only 10-15 years behind. Infrastructure isn't keeping up with demand. The roads on Kauai are just as congested as the roads in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has a lot more roads and wider roads, but it takes about the same amount of time to travel through Kapaa as it does to get from Santa Cruz to Soquel, about the same distance.
I spent a lot of time last year reviewing the CZO (comprehensive zoning ordinance) trying to understand what the law really said. It was extremely confusing. I could not find the language that said anything about a B&B needing a use permit. The use permit itself did not say anything about B&B (or Homestay). I did ask people to point out where these requirements were listed in the law, but never really received an answer.
Prices for homes on Oahu 30 years ago were skyrocketing. That was the period that was identified as the "Japanese Invasion".
Prices for homes are going to continue to rise. Even if the place is not rented out as a TVR. I believe the minimum lease period for a home is 6 months. Lot's of "snowbirds" will be willing to take that on even if they are only here from Dec through March. How do you propose closing that "loophole"?
I believe the big hotels may be the ones who started the rumors that it is those "greedy mainlanders".
But why do you blame the buyers? Why did landowners sell? Are they greedy too? Why not point fingers at Jeff Case?
The majority of the population rise on Kauai is from people who are born here. If you are a farmer with 40 acres and you have 4 kids, do you split your farm into 4 10 acre parcels? I know it is a touchy question, but if there are too many people on the island, how come such large families? When the population of the earth had doubled in the last 50 years where do you expect these people to go?
The people on these pages seem to want a Kauai from 50 years ago: No Costco, no Home Depot, no Jack in the Box.
I support more infrastructure: roads, bridges, housing. However, more infrastructure requires more revenue. GET is one way of obtaining that revenue. With all those "lucrative TVRs and B&Bs" there should be plenty of revenue. Raise it high enough and people will have to raise the rates for there B&B (or perhaps a TVR). if the rates for the B&B/TVR go high enough, tourists will stop coming. But, then the question is the kind of tourist that comes. The couple willing to pay $1000/night to stay in a B&B is going to pay $500 for dinner. They'll spend much more on seeing the island.
Of course, then we get into conflict with those businesses that cater to the "cheap tourist" and those that cater to the "expensive tourist". Is it a tough choice though if you want to keep people away and help the people here, taxes have to go up. If you don't want your property tax to go up, then an alternate source of revenue has to be tapped.
The Feds are spending your money on building an Empire that caters to the 1% and who don't care about Kauai residents. (Look at what they did to Flint!) The state is building an elevated train that doesn't even stop at the airport. How stupid is that?
If you want things to get better, the county has to have more money to spend. The county has to go to those who already have the money. IMO, taxes on B&B/TVRs is a great way of obtaining it. If the tax rates are high enough, no one is going to open a B&B in a local residential neighborhood. It is much easier for the county to nail someone for not paying taxes, than to have this continuing dispute over whether or not a B&B/TVR is illegal. And it brings in revenue!
continued...
Part 2:
Speaking of property tax, you'll find this web site very revealing. Kauai collects a mere 0.19% on the value of the property. Almost the lowest in the nation. Steele County, MN collects 1.04%. I've been dealing with Steele County over the last several months. They are amazing. If I call with a question, they connect me to the right office within minutes. That office provides me the answer in 5 minutes. If they need some information from me, I get an email that day to which I can respond immediately. I don't want to diss Kauai County employees, but there is a huge difference between being good and outstanding. If you want better service on Kauai, raise taxes. If you want better infrastructure, raise taxes. If you don't want your property tax raised, find another revenue source.
http://www.tax-rates.org/hawaii/kauai_county_property_tax
Hopefully, you will find this article helpful. It discusses the problems mayors across the nation are having when they try to maintain their municipality's infrastructure. Of course, these same mayors give sports franchises tax breaks that ensures the owners will handsomely profit. But that's yet another discussion.
Mayors: Flint Could Happen to Us
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/what-works-mayors-survey-flint-infrastructure-213854
Who the fuck is "Jeff Case"
12:19:
You are correct. I meant Steve Case.
I got scammed by his AOL merger with Time Warner so I confess to not liking him much. It wasn't Case's fault so much as the guys I was paying to manage my investments. I told them to stay away from AOL, but they kept thinking they knew better.
And if you don't know who Steve Case is, well, then why are you mad at little ol' me for buying property on Kauai?
John Caliwhacker, the rail is not a state project and it will go to the airport. Housing is not infrastructure. Nothing wrong with buying a house in a neighborhood unless you intend to turn it into a commercial venture, in which case you can buy in areas zoned for that purpose. Are you always this misinformed?
John Kauai, are you always so windy and misinformed? Rest assured, it was not the hotels who started the rumors on the greedy TVR and B&B owners, in fact the hotel industry has been quiet about it, it has been the people from these impacted communities that speak up, it is the experience of people living in a community and then the residential housing got turned into resorts and affected the people and place . Nothin wrong with tourists, but residents can't compete with them for housing and we have over a million tourists a year to our 70,000 population. So if we didn't have zoning laws,or no one ever enforced them, we would have a huge mess. Tourists should stay in the tourist bubble when they are here.
I must have missed all the "hotel" people at the vacation rental hearings throughout years. They must have disguised themselves as humble local residents who actually give a damn!
I do notice that realtors and TVR owners don't respond as much to our complaints anymore. That would just draw more attention to the fact that they don't give a damn about community and remind everyone of all the BS they've pulled over the County's eyes.
I must have missed all the "hotel" people at the vacation rental hearings throughout years. They must have disguised themselves as humble local residents who actually give a damn!
I do notice that realtors and TVR owners don't respond as much to our complaints anymore. That would just draw more attention to the fact that they don't give a damn about community and remind everyone of all the BS they've pulled over the County's eyes.
the hotel industry never complained cause before you know it, the properties along Hanalei Bay will be bought or run by the hotels.
Rude as the TVR people were when all the TVR meetings were going on, the B&B people are far ruder and pushy and just as much full of BS
"Spewing entitlement" just because they've had an illegal rental for years! JoAnn- don't u dare say "no more BNBs outside the VDA.
but let's grandfather the illegal ones that have already been breaking the law!"
Shish.
Bolini is the BnB poster girl for the deceitful hard luck stories being told by illegal long term BnB operators; the people whom JoAnn is committed to help. Yukimura should drop Bolini like a hot rock now that the true story is known together with the rest of the crybabies who are likely lying too. These are the kind of people you support?
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