Thursday, May 5, 2016

Musings: Shattering Illusions

I'm attending a science writing workshop in Santa Fe, where spring is in full force, giving rise to such marvels as bushes choke with fragrant purple lilac:
One of the participants mentioned he'd bypassed the workshop hotel to stay in lodgings he'd found on Airbnb.  He'd taken to using Airbnb whenever he traveled, saying he preferred such accommodations as a way to meet locals.

Is it a legal rental? asked I, ever the kill-joy. He replied that Airbnb has all its own insurance. No, I said, is it a rental that's permitted by the city? It must be, he said, noting that were over 100 listed in Santa Fe, and surely, if they were illegal, the community would be up in arms.

I then offered a brief update of how communities like San Francisco, Aspen, Kauai — in short, pretty much everywhere that tourists like go — were up in arms over Airbnb and its promotion of illegal short-term rentals, but enforcement was tough, and often slow in coming. Meanwhile, the illegal short-term rentals were destroying the long-term rental market and skewing real estate prices.

He didn't look happy. But then, people never are when their illusions are shattered.

Speaking of illusions, I see that Mayor Bernard Carvalho has proclaimed May “Surfrider month.” It's great that they pick up nets and trash from the beaches and reefs. But they go off the rails with their political activities, which are consistently anti-ag: the honey-glyphosate junk science, joining the appeal of the court order overturning 2491/960, opposing the dairy before the EIS is even out, making all sorts of false accusations about how the dairy's grading had polluted Waiopili ditch.

And now they're joining their pals at Earthjustice and Pesticide Action Network in harassing the Agribusiness Development Corp. over its westside water permits. Instead of renewing its National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, ADC is working with the state Department of Health to establish a memorandum of understanding on water quality monitoring. Meanwhile, ADC is continuing to do the same monitoring it did under the NPDES.

But the groups, using their usual inflammatory, half-cocked rhetoric, sent out a press release claiming that ADC had was refusing to sample water in its ditch system, which they characterized as “an open sewer, with no treatment or monitoring, carrying chemicals and other pollution through the towns and into the ocean along the west side.”

Could they possibly get any more over the top? Why is the mayor recognizing and heralding groups that engage in this sort of outright deception and fear-mongering?

Meanwhile, Big Island Democrats used their convention to pass a resolution that calls for a ban on spraying the herbicide glyphosate in public places. Unfortunately, they did not also adopt a resolution requiring all those who voted “yay” to get out there and weed-whack, mow and hand weed. The video of the meeting offers a clear example of Hawaii's changing demographics.

So the alleged monk seal beater is crying now that his bizarre tantrum/outburst has him looking at serious federal charges. I'm hearing that he wants to use a “Hawaiian defense,” as in he's not subject to American laws and protected by traditaional practices. Good luck on that. I don't know of any traditional practices that include beating a monk seal, and we've already seen repeatedly that the courts aren't buying the claim that kanaka aren't subject to American laws.

Say, what ever happened to the “taking” investigation that the feds launched after Dustin Barca was videotaped disturbing a seal at Kee when he launched his canoe and mayoral race? And let's not forget the bad behavior modeled by Terry Lilley:

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Strange the mayor declaration, he's not even running for office that we know of, pandering to the nimbys

Anonymous said...

More than likely, it was a traditional Hawaiian practice to beat the crap out of anyone who committed kapu by attacking a sleeping, pregnant elephant seal...

Anonymous said...

Really wanna see the video of Barca disturbing the seal, but look like the link doesn't lead to a video...?

Joan Conrow said...

Sorry! The video link is fixed, and also a typo.

Thanks to another Anonymous who did not wish to be published, but pointed them out, and also for your words of appreciation for the blog.

Anonymous said...

Have you been looking into the affordable rental unit issue too?

Anonymous said...

There are affordable rentals? Not likely. And a lot of people won't rent because of crackheads. They trashed my last property and I will not rent again. More baggage being carried about than I have ever seen before. Methheads. I hate them.

Anonymous said...

Affordable rentals as well as housing has been blocked by Yukimura, Hooser and the rest of the greedy politicians.

They wanted demand to exceed supply so their properties, their families properties, their friends properties and campaign donor properties could reach obscene price ranges.

How many people on Kauai can afford 500-600K homes? Yeah not too much locals but transplants and trust fund babies have the cash to buy. The rest of the Kauai people have to suffer and wait until someone else comes along and fixes the problem.

Housing is over priced on Kauai because of Greed. It's PURE GREED.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I tried to rent my spare room 2 times. Private bedroom and bath, shared kitchen. Declared income, paid GET. Nutters. I'm sure there are decent renters out there, but one nut case causes so much damage it makes it too costly for some of us to ever open our homes again.

Anonymous said...

I heard the mayor and his administration are imposing their will on county agencies to subsidise the affordable rentals and grandfather illegal ones. Backdoor deals all over.

Anonymous said...

Housing on Kauai
15,000 water meter
20,000 septic system
5,000 plans
2,000 building permit
pushes 50,000 before the lot.
lot is about 250,000 plus 50,000 other cost.........300,000 and then you wait a year to get thru the planning department (at 2,000 per month mortgage)...you are at 350K before you buy a stick of wood.
Or you get the Planners at your house to get an ADU or use this BS Lihue additional rooms plan, and the "inspectors" will find 100 other old violations IE setbacks, parking, illegal sheds, fences etc.
Or the inspectors ignore the violations, grant the Lihue additional units AND have done a serious preferential enforcement............There ain't no law, there ain't no justice.
The Council can change zoning on any lot or anytime. Increase the density and you will have local homes built. IE more houses on Ag in Wailua/Kapaa/Lawai/Kalaheo etc.

Best way to get housing is to get rid of Da Hoos, JoAnn amd Mason (and Mike Dahlig). These four are in the pockets of the rich, raise the draw bridge Fistees. They got theirs, you can't get yours. Facts Ma'am. just the facts.

Anonymous said...

Did the Cornell Alliance for Science pay you and your trip?

Joan Conrow said...

Yes, it did.

Anonymous said...

Joan, spoken unlike a true politician, succinct and straight forward answer that even that (7:57) 1st grader could understand, even if you did not have to answer that irrelevant question. I commend you for fighting fire with truth, and respect that you own what you are and do.

Anonymous said...

7:57 a.m. is still trying to prove that Joan is being paid by Cornell and therefore her articles are based on who's paying her bills. same person, like a bull dog, once they bite, they don't let go. right or wrong, they have to prove the point. her's / his is! Joan is bought.

AND, Joan you just agreed, you're bought by the corporation. that's 7:57 a.m.'s point. the thing that 7:57 don't understand is: the assumption that this trip is related specifically pertaining to GMO / pesticide, it may or may not be, or the trip is on a totally different topic / discussion. AND, again Joan has to clarify this dumb ass accusation.

9:04, I agree with you, just used a different analogy to why 7:57's reasoning to a simple question.

Anonymous said...

Your explanation is partly accepted and only because Kauai has 4 other council members who have the majority vote to do something.

These do nothing lame impotent dicks are part of the problem and not a solution.

Joan Conrow said...

It's all so silly. First, the conference wasn't about pesticides or GMOs, but honing science-writing skills so I can be as accurate as possible. That's always a good thing, regardless of who pays. (Though we did talk about how the old shill accusation is tossed at anyone who writes anything other than the anti stance on GMOs.) Second, the Cornell Alliance doesn't get any money from the biotech/agribusiness industry, as I've repeatedly explained. The funding comes from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. And full disclosure: I'm a Mac/Apple user.

Anonymous said...

10:41, which string of blog posts are you addressing? 7:57 to 10:26. or are you posting in response to 7:43 a.m.? If it's about 7:43, then the 4 lame dicks have NO TAX PAYER MONEY to place rules and regulations, projects and any other proposals without substance to place on the county councils table. so you want Council to do something, great! let's raise the general public taxes to fund WHATEVER freaking project or idea. what! the general public pay for some solutions to your problem(s)! these lame dicks trying to take care of the in house business and other crap like the bus, bnb, Lihue housing rule proposal changes. COME ON NOW!!! put your freaking hat into the freaking County Council ring and do your part of solving problems with some solution, file your papers to run for office and make a difference. Please help Kauai prioritize our financial situation. put your talk into action from the inside and not the outside.
you can be negative about the 4 and call them dicks without substance, or you can be positive and call them fiscally responsible (can't spend what you don't have). I'm hoping you file your papers.

Anonymous said...

Richard Fukushima for council.

Anonymous said...

May 6 @ 7:43 who's supposed to pay for the land, water and septic system or sewer? The taxpayer? You must be a commie.

Anonymous said...

“You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I’ll tell you what his ‘pinions is.” Mark Twain

Anonymous said...

I think that 7:43's point is that government regulations and policies are making it harder for people to build houses.