We are like frogs in a pot of water that is slowly being heated up until the point of – well, you know what. We can see and feel how our island home and culture are changing as our values and lifestyle are slowly disappearing. That makes me sad because I am local and feel blessed to be here, and other locals feel the same but either cave in or move away.
One of the points that Peter Savio points (sorry for redundancy) out is that our local neighborhoods currently have 20 – 30% non local occupancy. My real estate daughter challenged that number and asked where the data is. Not sure where he got those numbers but I believe if you just look around your own neighborhood (mine is Kaimuki), the influx of “new” people replacing locals is right around 20%, maybe more. It’s not that these people are bad. They aren’t – but their upbringing and history clash with ours and they are initiating unconscious changes.
And there are more coming in to replace locals who are either dying off or moving away. Peter says when the mix is over 50% non local (he predicts 10 years), then we have lost the Hawaii that we know and love, and we really need to keep locals here and not force them to move away because of the costs of housing and our lack of good jobs. Demand based, rather than Supply based housing should bring the cost of homes down to $450 instead of over a million dollars, and then the local families don’t have to move away from here.
He mentions how Singapore leaders and planners came to Hawaii in the 60’s to learn how to make Singapore a vibrant country because they were dirt poor and struggling, and they took it back and with the Hawaii plan in motion, changed Singapore into the vibrant and rich country it is now. He asks why Hawaii didn’t continue what we had and instead became what we are today. He does NOT advocate that we follow the Singapore model (heaven forbid that we have concrete and glass jungles that replace our paradise) but that we go back to the Hawaii plan and implement it by keeping the monies generated by industries such as solar farms, etc in Hawaii and not allow outside interests to make the money and take it back to the mainland, and foreign countries.
Limiting out of state investments is what is needed but this is countered by those in power as “illegal” and “unconstitutional”. That is the easy answer so the root of the problem is not addressed. It can be done so it is legal and constitutional with the right words to use and disincentives.
Anywho, I am ranting because I worry for out future generations and am very troubled that we are losing what is near and dear to me about our beloved Hawaii. True that I am old and will die sooner rather than later but I feel we owe it to our islands and island people to keep what we have rather than have it all slip away.
Please watch if you also care. It is a half hour program but I hope you can take the time to listen. If only our politicians and others in power care enough to keep Hawaii Hawaii. I can hope, right?