Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Musings: Resurrecting the Past

No need go Vegas. The big gamblers can be found at the Kauai County planning commission.

Coco Palms developer Tyler Green said he and his partner, Chad Waters, were required to pledge all their own assets in an effort to secure an $18.5 million demolition loan from Utah loan syndicator Private Capital Corp.

A review of the company's website shows it typically charges interest rates of 12 to 24 percent for its short-term loans. Current mortgage lending rates are about 3.1 percent.

But the developers had to accept what Green characterized as Private Capital's “very, very hard terms” when nine months of negotiations with another loan syndicator fell through after the primary deal-maker was hospitalized.

Planning commissioners, who yesterday could have begun moving to revoke Coco Palms' permits, expressed skepticism about the lending process. After all, it wasn't the first time they'd heard a shuck and jive, "check's in the mail" story from the developers. Commissioners questioned why the first deal was dependent on just one person, and whether the developers ultimately would be able to secure the $130 million required to rebuild the iconic resort once demolition is pau.

“I'm losing faith in the process,” Commissioner Louis Abrams said.

Though commissioners didn't seem convinced by the developer's assurances that the money was coming any day, they did agree to wait for an update on Monday before launching the permit revocation process.

Which gives the developers six days to rub their lucky rabbit's feet, fondle good luck charms, breathe on the dice and pray.

Meanwhile, the 24-year-old ruins of Coco Palms continue to molder.

Yet another attempt to resurrect the past occurred yesterday when the KIUC board of directors tapped former member Allan Smith to assume a vacancy created when Karen Baldwin resigned. But Smith, who was elected to the Board in 2007 and stepped down in 2014 due to work demands, didn't fill Baldwin's seat.

Instead the Board appointed member Teofilo “Phil” Tacbian to finish out Baldwin's term, which expires in 2018. Smith was then appointed to Tacbian's term, which ends next year. Net result: Smith will be up for election in 2017, and Tacbian was gifted an extra year.

The Board justified its decision as wanting to give members the earliest possible opportunity to confirm Smith's appointment via an election, which is admirable. But its actions also deprived members of a say in whether they wanted to be stuck with Tacbian, one of the co-op's biggest duds, for an extra year.

And in still another effort to return to the good old days, when “water ran free, as nature intended,” a group of protestors converged on A&B headquarters in Honolulu to rail against HB 2501. The compromise bill allows A&B and others to continue diverting water under revocable permits for no more than three years while the Department of Land and Natural Resources updates the permitting process.

I understand that some East Maui taro farmers are frustrated. They've been fighting water diversions for a long time. But in their desire to stick it to A&B, they're forgetting that water users on other islands would also be impacted if all the permits were yanked. This would create hardships for many small farmers and ranchers, and their needs must be considered, too.

The protest attracted opportunists like Gary Hooser, who is always trying to latch on to other causes, especially those that involve Native Hawaiians:
And since Hooser gets to decide what constitutes “justice” — remember the "rescue game?" — you can be assured that it, and thus peace, will never be achieved.

Hmmm. “No justice, no peace; no water, no justice.”

Or here's another way to look at it: “No water, no food; no food, no activists.”

Which seems to be a good segue to this video:

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

WATCHED PENN'S VIDEO - BUT BE CAREFUL - SEE WHAT COMES UP NEXT -(WHEN PENN STOPS TALKING) MIGHT NOT BE YOUR INTENTION

Anonymous said...

The Planning Commission only does as their puppet master Mike Dahlig commands.
This is the worst Planning Commission in decades. Used to be, that the Commission was made up of members who thought for themselves and listened to the public.
It is a one man show since Dahlig is in power. He slowly by adding more rules and regs and staff is increasing his power and presence.
Hang on Kauai. Only people with big bucks can navigate Mike's rules and regs. He is personally adding thousands of dollars to obtain a house. A person pertneer has to hire a lawyer to get a simple building permit. Only on Kauai. Land of the rich and famous, pompous department heads and do-nothing Council.

Can you believe it? My yardman, actually asked to get 15 dollars per hour the other day, he says his rent is now 2500 per month. Why do I have to pay for his rent?
2500 a month isn't that bad. Back where I am from it is low. I am happy that Mike Dahlig, the Council and Mayor are all in cahoots to get rents where they should be.
Every rule, reg and law adds to building cost, so I am all in with Mike Dahlig et al. Get those rents nice and high. Get the cost of a simple house way up.

Vote for JoAnn, Mason and Gary. These three really know the value of housing and only thru them can we get the average up to 900,000, this low median of 600,000 is ridiculous.
Thank you Gary, JoAnn and Mason for increasing my hard wealth and rental incomes. You are the best.

Joan Conrow said...

@10:44. Wow. You've got rental income and "hard wealth," yet you begrudge your "yard man" $15/hr? What a Scrooge.

Anonymous said...

Joan, methinks that 10:44 was attempting sarcasm. Almost made it.

Anonymous said...

OK I am confused are you against Maui farmers some of whom-are Hawaiians and so what if Gary is supporting farmers you keep saying you support farmers but now you are against then because Gary that is silly Supporting local farmers water rights is a no brain er you rag on Bronsnon but not A and B that makes no sens please clarify mahalo

Joan Conrow said...

@1:04 -- I think my post, and position, were quite clear. I emphathize with the East Maui farmers, and I'm also aware that other farmers depend on the water that they're getting under revocable permits. It's not as simple as A&B vs taro farmers. Gary has nothing to do with any of it. He's just a tag-along, which I also made clear. Maybe try read without your ideological blinders next time.

Anonymous said...

Urgh - Coco Palms - what a load of hooey. I counted down the days til they would be able to revoke that license and what do they do0 - extend it again. ENOUGH!

Anonymous said...

Joan, Gary was invited to speak by the organizers. There were Kauai Taro farmers there too Kauai also has issues with Water diversions on the West side. He was there to support the people on the issue of water diversion and monopolization by A&B and big Landowners around the State. Whose side are you on? Or is your criteria simply the opposite side of whatever Gary's on?

Anonymous said...

To 1:04 PM,

Central and upcountry Maui farmers need diverted water from East Maui, because even though they have plenty of sunshine and good soils, they don't get enough rain to grow crops.

There is a huge disconnect that should be obvious to everyone ---- people demand that the water diversions stop and with the same breath, they insist that they want diversified agriculture on the 36,000 acres coming out of sugar at the end of this year. They want food sustainability, and they want no development.

That won't work without water. Some of the diversions will end. If instead, all the water is returned to the streams, we'll lose ag on the A&B land. And the 30,000+ upcountry residents will also lose their drinking water.

Taro is certainly an important crop, but it doesn't need all the water to be returned to the streams in order to grow it. And not everyone eats taro, although it sure would be nice if we had more, and if the price was lower. And if it didn't require such hard work to produce it. And if more people were willing to work that hard for the little money they make from it.

Joan is right, it's a complex issue and manipulators like Gary are using Hawaiians and others for their own agendas.

The legislative bill does not give A&B carte blanche.
It does two things:
(1) Allows DLNR some limited time to fix the mess of a process for water permits and leases (not just A&Bs!), AND
(2) Prevents the chaos and uncertainty created suddenly by the recent lower court decision that these types of permits are invalid since they were supposed to be temporary, but DLNR has renewed them again and again.

The bill is a temporary fix to a problem that desperately needs to be fixed properly.
We should stop the pointless posturing and demonizing and move forward in a way that benefits all.

Joan Conrow said...

5:18. Why would anyone invite Gary to speak? He has zero influence, especially at the Lege, and knows zip about water issues, hence his simplistic jingoistic posturing, which is not unlike your, "whose side are you on?" As if it's that black and white.

Anonymous said...

How long will the people of the County of Kauai suffer grifters like the Coco Palms so-called developers? A fifth grader could figure out these people do not have the mana to get this job done. Enough already.

Anonymous said...

Yard workers should already be getting over $15.00 an hour.

Anonymous said...

Joan - II think Hooser talked about water problems for taro farmers on the west side of Kauai. This is the first I've heard of that. Do yo know where he talking about?

Anonymous said...

A different perspective in this article for readers from The Guardian- http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/28/maui-hawaii-sugar-cane-crops-agriculture-hcs-monsanto?CMP=share_btn_fb "Lawrence watches the sugar factory belching out sweet acrid fumes and reflects on the symbolism that sugar has represented to her homeland and its peoples: “The big agricultural businesses which grew sugar as a mono-crop overthrew our Hawaiian kingdom and they stole a lot of the lands for their crops and the water for their fields. … A lot of families want to return home and farm but they need water to do that, and HC&S still keep most of the water for themselves.” "“The demise of sugar is their own fault. They will tell you it is because of us fighting them over the water but it’s nothing to do with the water, it’s everything to do with their business model and their archaic farming practices. The health of their soil is terrible, it has no nutrient base. They don’t fallow, they don’t rotate crops, they just burn, till, plant, burn, till, plant.”

Anonymous said...

4:17 I've heard that bullshit before about hope the plantations "stole" land. I challenge you to name, to identify one single incidence where this happened. Just ONE!

Anonymous said...

If we are real, it is the price of land, not the lack of water that keeps Hawaiian people and anyone who has lived here awhile from farming or growing kalo.

Anonymous said...


@ 5:14 The overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii began with the coup d'état of January 17, 1893 on the island of Oahu, leading to the end of the indigenous, hereditary monarchs, largely at the hands of United States citizens within the kingdom government under Queen Lili'uokalani and backed by an invasion of U.S. Marines under John L. Stevens. The overthrow was planned and executed by the Orwellian committee of safety. The Committee of Safety, formally the Citizen's Committee of Public Safety, was a 13 - member group of the Annexation Club. The group was composed of mostly American and Hawaiian citizens who were members of the Missionary Party, as well as American residents in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi that planned and carried out the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi on January 17, 1893. Their leader was Sanford B. Dole, Hawaiian subject with American missionary parents, selected to head Provisional Government and Republic. Ever heard of Dole pineapple you stupid prick? Read the apology law and your history dickhead.

Anonymous said...

waimea valley

Anonymous said...

@7:34. If we are real it's the hard work that keeps people from farming. On the westside there are many Hawaiians with loi and water but they aren't growing anything.

Anonymous said...

@8:01 who you calling stupid? Sanford Dole did not start the pineapple plantations. Read your history.

Anonymous said...

Sanford Dole was the cousin once removed of James Dole who came to Hawaii in 1899 and founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company on Oahu, which later became the Dole Food Company.

Anonymous said...

@ April 28, 2016 at 8:01 PM - I hope it makes you feel real big to call people names when you can't answer a simple question. I repeat, name ONE incident of a plantation "stealing" land as 4:17 PM said. You can't. All you can do is insult. Sad.

Anonymous said...

The Maui lands were not stolen, they were sold by the royals at that time. Yes, the kingdom was overthrown but the lands were not king's lands at that time. Is the overthrow somehow supposed to nullify the deals that the former kings and queens made?