1,090 thoughts on “Hawaii Visitors and Residents Whipsaw in 1,000 Comments”
Su Jun
In this world the person who owns the land is the name on the deed namely the last person who paid for it.In the real world this is how it’s always been, no one actually stole anything.
Dave R
You seem to be ignoring the armed uprising and coup which took over the Islands illegally. Might want to read a bit of history. The deed isn’t always the last person who paid for the land. It can also be the last person who stole it through illegal occupation and eviction of the rightful owners. And of course it’s illogical and unethical to apply contemporary American/European land-ownership laws to previous situations. For one thing, land wasn’t bought and sold, and of course in a pre-literate society there were no written deeds. Communal lands in the Americas and elsewhere, as well as individual properties held through traditional common-law ownership systems, were taken through violence and threats of violence during the same colonial expansion that ended up with US possession of Hawai’i, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, etc.
RH
Geez, that’s unnecessarily negative.
Remember, Hawaiian residents voted to join the US in 1950 or so to become a state of the US, and have received many financial, national security, and quality of life benefits since them. In the 1800 hundreds, Indigenous peoples in the US
did not believe the land belonged to anyone, but should be shared. There were many atrocities committed, some by both sides,
when Europeans with their traditions of land ownership, moved into the Americas. Times change, especially as the population of the world has exploded – 3.2B 1969 to 7.2B today, and 9.2B by 2050. In addition, US soldiers defended Hawaii against the Japanese during WWII, with many lives lost. In today’s world, an independent nation of Hawaii populated only by Hawaiians is not realistic. For example, what would the status be of “non-native” Hawaiians who were brought to Hawaii in the 1800s from Asia and Japan to work the sugar cane plantations. So I believe Hawaiian residents are much better off now in one of the most generous social program states than the alternatives. There are always tradeoffs – in this case for the better with globalization which cannot be reversed.
I have been a visitor for 40 years, a part time resident and homeowner for 30 years. I don’t like the traffic jams much either, but most are “locals” going to good jobs.
Carrie
Thanks for the education, but I think we all must know this. This generation most definitely did not steal anything! Dude! Just like my ancestors never owned slave’s but still since I am white then I am thebad person! Quit it
Ann S
Dave, I agree with everything you write!
Kevin C.
Wow, you must be a fan of unamerican John Wayne…Actual quote
“I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them, if that’s what you’re asking,” Wayne said. “Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a matter of survival. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.”
So, I ask what your point is? That only Hawaiians, by some definition of what that means, should live in Hawaii, and everybody else should leave and tourists stay away? BTW, I am not a John Wayne fan or that comment you cited. Should people who live on the mainland US leave and return to Europe?
So, I have found Hawaii to be a wonderful home with wonderful people.
In light of the resurgence of CV 19 cases in some states, maybe the fairly restrictive policies will work out. I think the new policy of allowing visitors to return after a negative CV19 test is a reasonable step in the right direction.
Let’s let the Aloha spirit of the vast majority of Hawaiian residents prevail; tourists wear masks and be respectful, and hope for the best in our relationships, this epidemic, and getting through this together. Ok, Kevin?
Mahalo
Evelyn S.
I was born in Honolulu but now reside on the Mainland. I do travel back home to visit family every year however during this pan demic I did not return and do not plan to return until it is safe nationwide. I agree that tourist should not to travel to Hawaii for vacation during this time in order to lessen the spread of C0VID. If everyone heeds and listens to what is being asked of them instead of doing as they wish the vi rus could have been contained quicker than it is now taking.
Rex B
All one needs to do is to look at the recent (6/16/20) incident in New Zealand where 2 visitors from the UK did not quar antine, were infected and then came in contact with many others to see what can happen without strict quar antining and restrictions on tourists. Hawaii and NZ are following correct procedures for stopping the spread. If the tourists really cared about Hawaii and its people they would understand.
The ignorance and selfishness of so many people is what the real problem is. Too many have no sense of civic virtue. They only care about themselves. Which is maybe why the world is in the mess it is.
Dave R
Very well put. And as it relates to C0VID, too many people seem to think that ‘freedom’ means freedom to put others at risk. It’s a childish and irresponsible attitude.
We’re seeing that now in SoCal. Arizona now has the dubious honor of the highest positive infection rate in the nation. Use of hospitals, intensive care units and ventilators has set daily records over the past week. Why? Because too many people in AZ won’t wear masks or practice distancing. Now they’re coming out here to the beaches and parks and acting the same way. You can tell who they are from (1) the license plates and (2) the fact that the locals wear masks and observe social distancing, and the AZ tourists don’t. Many of us here fully sympathize with the sentiments of those in HI who don’t want tourists at this time. There are simply too many irresponsible people among them.
Natalie
I totally agree. There are to many tourist arriving and not wearing mask. We have low numbers because we followed the guidelines and continue to wear mask. Please stay on the mainland until further notice.
RYH
There is a balance between gradually reopening the economy and controlling the resurgence of C0vid19 cases.
First of all, Hawaii, and especially Kauai have had a very low incidence of cases, even though tourism was halted weeks after travelers with possible C0vid 19 cases had already arrived. There is a small resurgence of cases currently on the mainland, mostly in some states such as Arizona and Texas, which hadn’t fully reached their peaks. The north eastern states have seen continuing declines. Most cases of CV 19 occur in 21-65 year olds, who have a low hospitalization and even lower mortality rates. CV 19 will likely be with us for a couple of years, but unfortunately, immunization will not be the silver bullet that the press makes it out to be. The traditional flu vaccine has success rates of 23-70%, and 25% of the population will not get vaccinated. The point is, there will be no “all clear” that CV 19 is over, and making your population – including the large number not covered by unemployment – wait for this – is placing politics over the economy, most of the population and small businesses. I’m happy for those of you on augmented unemployment, medicare or full government salaries and pensions who do not depend on tourism- but where is your compassion and concern for those who are not so fortunate? The two week quarantine on new arrivals is killing tourism and homeowners trying to return home.
Haven’t you drawn this out long enough?
Dave R
“placing politics over the economy”
Wow. That is beyond a stretch, it’s totally unreal. C0VID is a disease. There’s nothing political about it. Dealing with it is a public health issue. The political part is when people pretend that the issue isn’t health. Yes, there is an economic issue, it’s very important, and it needs to be dealt with. But to pretend that quar antine measures are political is both ludicrous and offensive.
BKI
Mahalo RYH.
GAYLA C
Aloha,
My husband and I come to Maui twice a year. My heart is in Maui even when I am not. I do fear sometimes now, we may not be wanted. I can certainly understand some resentment at how Hawaii was commandeered from the native Hawaiians in 1893. It was wrong. I do have a great respect for the Hawaiian people. I wish to be more a part of the Hawaiian culture. I do hope that it is not the majority of Hawaiians that rather we not be there.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Gayla.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Eco
We were grateful to get to Hawaii before the pndemic this year. We did feel a distinct difference from previous visits in Oahu. Oddly enough it was from hotel staff, specifically the concierge group. Big Island was vastly different. Hotel staff was very welcoming and appreciative despite what began to unfold unforeseen by all of us. We love Hawaii, but it is difficult to want to spend time somewhere your last visit left such an impression. We will definitely think a bit longer about visiting Oahu again.
Dave R
Sorry to be so late in commenting, but somehow I missed this post before. The ‘vibe’ on O’ahu is definitely not what it used to be, and even in the water (surfing) you can always tell the surfers from ‘country’ and from other islands because they are more open and friendly. (Of course, part of this is tactical: they are on someone else’s territory so it’s the smart thing to do.) I suspect much of the difference is increases in both population and in tourism. Honolulu is a big city, with all the issues and attitudes that come with that situation. Add roaring tour buses, huge hotels that block views and ocean access, local shops being torn down to create tourist-oriented shopping malls and arcades, local shops being replaced by mainland-style chain stores, surf breaks jammed with tourists who often put others at risk, and general masses of people everywhere in season – all this is almost guaranteed to create some bad feelings. I’m living in San Diego now and I’m seeing the same thing happening here. Places do change, and sometimes a specific place has had its time. For me, that has happened in the Honolulu area and other parts of O’ahu as well. You may be having the same experience.
Schuyler R.
I know I was a tourist before I was a resident. We don’t want to be hypocrites… Be kind to everyone and be honest about yourself. Aloha
Dee J
Aloha my Kauai! My husband and I are usually vacationing on the beautiful island paradise of Kauai during the spring. It looks like our third attempt of a visit this year will now be canceled. This truly saddens me but I wish health for all, more than a vacation for myself. As far as “preparing” for reopening… What is holding you back on the process of preparing? I would have thought cleaning procedures and protocol, etc would have “already” been in place. I’m missing my Kauai Aloha, please be safe. 🌴
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Dee.
Thanks for your comment. We don’t have an answer to why at least the procedure for reopening hasn’t been revealed. The governor says we will learn next week.
Aloha.
Dave R
Maybe one thing holding them back on reopening is the question of how to deal with visitors who refuse to cooperate on distancing and other rules. Even with the tiny number of inbound travelers, there have been a number of blatant violations of trust. Think of how many more there would be if Hawai’i were opened up totally. Let’s face it, there are just too many people who don’t think rules apply to them. And who don’t have any desire to respect the locals anywhere. (We saw that problem while in the Islands, and now that we’re in San Diego we see it here with people from our neighboring state.)
JohnW
I think you are right Dave.
I’m amazed that the simple fact that Hawaii wants to first allow people from areas with very low infection rates is even an issue.
Seems like simple common sense to me. You can’t just open the doors without any caution and then see what happens, we have too much to lose if the return of tourism isn’t done carefully.
Jared X
Well, that begs the questions: What are the rules? And are the rules simply total [edited] to begin with?
I’ve been at my house on the big island since early much and all I’ve really seen is an [edited] over-reaction by the state and the county–and a massive waste of time, money, and resources–prohibiting white people / “tourists” from doing things that are completely allowed by [edited] “locals”. There is AB-solutely a huge double standard in terms of enforcement of so calld “rules”. And, ultimately, if only 1 person–or 5 people–or 10 people–on the entire island have this virus… why are the other 220,000 forced to sit around for months with their thumbs [edited] for no good reason?
So what? Some people came, they agreed to quar antine–which was a stupid requirement to begin with–and they “broke out” of quar antine to go get something to eat… or go for a swim in the ocean…. Big deal. None of those people were (a) proven to have the virus or (b) proven to have spread it to anyone. And if everyone already here is ALREADY wearing masks and over-santizing constantly–how are they going to spread anything anyway? It’s retarded. If the beach parks were originally “closed”–unless you were [edited] and / or swimming / surfing / fishing–why couldn’t visitors be allowed to do the same? If it’s safe for locals to do–why is it unsafe for visitors?
Cf
Great input jared x
JohnW
Nice to see some great perspectives on here and realistic ones about this temporary situation we are all in.
I have to say the people who are bad mouthing Hawaii when in fact they have done an outstanding job
of keeping the population safe sure seem to be coming from an odd perspective. What’s wrong with success?
Hawaii is arguably the safest state in the country now, it seems to be very thoughtfully trying to open up and will open up.
So those of you who love Hawaii and respect what we are doing, the day is getting closer when you will be able to visit
a transformed and truly unique paradise. Less crowded and filled with a population skilled at finding common ground with people from all over the world and after what we have all been through will have a renewed appreciation for each other and for what is at that heart of the Aloha spirit……mutual respect.
You angry name calling people tossing insults and complaining about “that democratic” state and are threatening to go
to Florida, the Bahamas or wherever really don’t get Hawaii anyway. We will all be better of with a few less of those folks.
JohnW
And before anyone jumps in with what about the Economic damage?
Of course it hurts, but fortunately many are in fact covered by unemployment and the stimulus money for now.
It still hurts but we will recover thanks to much needed and justified government aid.
The economic damage would have been far greater and longer lasting if Hawaii hadn’t done such a good job
of being proactive. Not to mention the price of a human life.
Now we have to balance the cost of human lives hurt by the quar antine over the long run and the potential
for people to get sick and dying when we open up….not easy and I’m glad it’s not my call.
Sadly we all live in a country that currently has very divisive leadership at the top that is making it very hard to come together
and work on solutions.
Maxine
And there were never any Indian Wars for hunting area or just pure prejudice. Right.
Jared X
“Of course it hurts, but fortunately many are in fact covered by unemployment and the stimulus money for now.”
But even MORE are NOT covered by this funny money… debt… piled up on top of billions more pre-existing debt (Hawaii; trillions more at the federal level). So… what about them? Who’s going to make THEM whole when they lose their business and they lose their house?
“The economic damage would have been far greater and longer lasting if Hawaii hadn’t done such a good job of being proactive. Not to mention the price of a human life.”
Really? Says who? Cite your sources on this. You are basically saying here that you can predict the future–with a variety of differnet choices factored in Clearly you cannot. No one can know what the end result would have been five, ten, 20 yrs from now–had the state handled things differently. Right?
And you mention “the price of a human life”. What is that price? Do you have a number? Is it a million? TEN million? 100 million? I must be quantifiable–or the phrase wouldn’t be “the price of a human life”. 2600-ish people a year die in Hawaii from heart disease. Couldn’t many of those deaths be prevented if the state was willing to spend $1,000,000 per person to prevent or treat heart disease? $10,000,000? 300 people a year commit suicide in Hawaii–couldn’t most of those be prevented if we threw enough money at mental health? So… then… what IS the value of a human life here… and who gets to make that decision?
Clearly you haven’t thought your reply through very far.
Kalina T.
My sentiments also, thank you.
RYH
I’m curious. To what people does Hawaii belong? Were there indigenous people here before the Pacific Islanders sailed here? What if you came from Asia to work the fields 150 years ago? At what point is it your land and others are tourists? In several states that I have lived in, we called them visitors and immigrants, not tourists. I’ve also never felt
the state belonged to me or people who had lived there for many generations. Apparently, there were indigenous people living on the mainland before Native American tribes (who apparently came from Asia) migrated throughout
the land.
I’ve been visiting Hawaii for over 40 years, and it has become much more densely populated – not just tourists, but Hawaiians. The population of the world increased from 3.2 Billion in 1970 to 7.2 Billion now, and 9.4B by 2050. Unfortunately, the world is changing whether we like it or not – and we have to accept it. It’s so common for people
to pull up the ladder after they have moved to a nice location. Change can’t be stopped, but it can be well managed.
By the way, the biggest driver of climate change is our exploding world population, especially in the third world. Currently, the US produces only 14% of world CO2, with 25% of the world commerce. All those new people will want a better life which requires cheap energy.
Kalina T.
To my knowledge the Polynesians were the first inhabitants. Who were the indigenous people on the Mainland before the Native Americans (who came from Asia)?
Regarding “who owns a location”, obviously it’s whose name is on the land titles, ultimately. When it comes to the sentiment of the locals, however, I think it’s more about whoever lived here before we became so dependent on tourism and before outside investors and “transplants” started exploiting Hawaii–probably beginning in the 80’s. Until then, housing was affordable, traffic was bearable, beaches uncrowded. We had tourists, but nowhere near today’s millions. The demise of the sugar and pineapple industries changed all that.
You’re right about “pulling up the ladder,” but it seems to me it’s 40 years too late, sadly.
Patrick m
My age gives me a little more perspective; Hawaii was always an expensive place to live. Going back to the 60’s and probably before, food and housing were always high compared to most of the mainland.
Don’t blame tourism on the tourists. Your local government approved every one of the hotel and condo developments that
is attracting tourists.
You as a resident has a vote to use. The tourists do not.
Bec H
Well said ‘Don’t blame tourism on the tourists’
If you don’t like something, vote out the people promoting it!
Dave R
No matter where you are, you’re a tourist if you came for other than business, residence, or other limited activities (attend a funeral, etc.) It has nothing to do with your ethnic origin or how long your ancestors have lived wherever.
Every state in the US, and many cities and towns, have tourist bureaus or visitor bureaus. And of course the same is true in Mexico, Europe, Japan, etc. So yes, wherever you go, they have a designation of “tourist” for non-business visitors.
The US has the second largest carbon footprint on the planet, and the largest per capita. China has the largest. China’s footprint is 2x that of the US. China’s population is 4x that of the US, so per capita it’s 1/2 . Not sure how this relates to Hawaiians and tourists, but since you brought it up…
Now if you get onto the topic of “locals only” there are some valid points. Often the most vociferous and obnoxious “locals” in Hawai’i are haoles from the mainland who arrived anywhere over a few months ago and are trying desperately to act “local.” That’s why they are so easy to spot. Just ignore them.
Comments are closed.
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In this world the person who owns the land is the name on the deed namely the last person who paid for it.In the real world this is how it’s always been, no one actually stole anything.
You seem to be ignoring the armed uprising and coup which took over the Islands illegally. Might want to read a bit of history. The deed isn’t always the last person who paid for the land. It can also be the last person who stole it through illegal occupation and eviction of the rightful owners. And of course it’s illogical and unethical to apply contemporary American/European land-ownership laws to previous situations. For one thing, land wasn’t bought and sold, and of course in a pre-literate society there were no written deeds. Communal lands in the Americas and elsewhere, as well as individual properties held through traditional common-law ownership systems, were taken through violence and threats of violence during the same colonial expansion that ended up with US possession of Hawai’i, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, etc.
Geez, that’s unnecessarily negative.
Remember, Hawaiian residents voted to join the US in 1950 or so to become a state of the US, and have received many financial, national security, and quality of life benefits since them. In the 1800 hundreds, Indigenous peoples in the US
did not believe the land belonged to anyone, but should be shared. There were many atrocities committed, some by both sides,
when Europeans with their traditions of land ownership, moved into the Americas. Times change, especially as the population of the world has exploded – 3.2B 1969 to 7.2B today, and 9.2B by 2050. In addition, US soldiers defended Hawaii against the Japanese during WWII, with many lives lost. In today’s world, an independent nation of Hawaii populated only by Hawaiians is not realistic. For example, what would the status be of “non-native” Hawaiians who were brought to Hawaii in the 1800s from Asia and Japan to work the sugar cane plantations. So I believe Hawaiian residents are much better off now in one of the most generous social program states than the alternatives. There are always tradeoffs – in this case for the better with globalization which cannot be reversed.
I have been a visitor for 40 years, a part time resident and homeowner for 30 years. I don’t like the traffic jams much either, but most are “locals” going to good jobs.
Thanks for the education, but I think we all must know this. This generation most definitely did not steal anything! Dude! Just like my ancestors never owned slave’s but still since I am white then I am thebad person! Quit it
Dave, I agree with everything you write!
Wow, you must be a fan of unamerican John Wayne…Actual quote
“I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them, if that’s what you’re asking,” Wayne said. “Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a matter of survival. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.”
Or maybe you have a FLAG! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9W1zTEuKLY
So, I ask what your point is? That only Hawaiians, by some definition of what that means, should live in Hawaii, and everybody else should leave and tourists stay away? BTW, I am not a John Wayne fan or that comment you cited. Should people who live on the mainland US leave and return to Europe?
So, I have found Hawaii to be a wonderful home with wonderful people.
In light of the resurgence of CV 19 cases in some states, maybe the fairly restrictive policies will work out. I think the new policy of allowing visitors to return after a negative CV19 test is a reasonable step in the right direction.
Let’s let the Aloha spirit of the vast majority of Hawaiian residents prevail; tourists wear masks and be respectful, and hope for the best in our relationships, this epidemic, and getting through this together. Ok, Kevin?
Mahalo
I was born in Honolulu but now reside on the Mainland. I do travel back home to visit family every year however during this pan demic I did not return and do not plan to return until it is safe nationwide. I agree that tourist should not to travel to Hawaii for vacation during this time in order to lessen the spread of C0VID. If everyone heeds and listens to what is being asked of them instead of doing as they wish the vi rus could have been contained quicker than it is now taking.
All one needs to do is to look at the recent (6/16/20) incident in New Zealand where 2 visitors from the UK did not quar antine, were infected and then came in contact with many others to see what can happen without strict quar antining and restrictions on tourists. Hawaii and NZ are following correct procedures for stopping the spread. If the tourists really cared about Hawaii and its people they would understand.
The ignorance and selfishness of so many people is what the real problem is. Too many have no sense of civic virtue. They only care about themselves. Which is maybe why the world is in the mess it is.
Very well put. And as it relates to C0VID, too many people seem to think that ‘freedom’ means freedom to put others at risk. It’s a childish and irresponsible attitude.
We’re seeing that now in SoCal. Arizona now has the dubious honor of the highest positive infection rate in the nation. Use of hospitals, intensive care units and ventilators has set daily records over the past week. Why? Because too many people in AZ won’t wear masks or practice distancing. Now they’re coming out here to the beaches and parks and acting the same way. You can tell who they are from (1) the license plates and (2) the fact that the locals wear masks and observe social distancing, and the AZ tourists don’t. Many of us here fully sympathize with the sentiments of those in HI who don’t want tourists at this time. There are simply too many irresponsible people among them.
I totally agree. There are to many tourist arriving and not wearing mask. We have low numbers because we followed the guidelines and continue to wear mask. Please stay on the mainland until further notice.
There is a balance between gradually reopening the economy and controlling the resurgence of C0vid19 cases.
First of all, Hawaii, and especially Kauai have had a very low incidence of cases, even though tourism was halted weeks after travelers with possible C0vid 19 cases had already arrived. There is a small resurgence of cases currently on the mainland, mostly in some states such as Arizona and Texas, which hadn’t fully reached their peaks. The north eastern states have seen continuing declines. Most cases of CV 19 occur in 21-65 year olds, who have a low hospitalization and even lower mortality rates. CV 19 will likely be with us for a couple of years, but unfortunately, immunization will not be the silver bullet that the press makes it out to be. The traditional flu vaccine has success rates of 23-70%, and 25% of the population will not get vaccinated. The point is, there will be no “all clear” that CV 19 is over, and making your population – including the large number not covered by unemployment – wait for this – is placing politics over the economy, most of the population and small businesses. I’m happy for those of you on augmented unemployment, medicare or full government salaries and pensions who do not depend on tourism- but where is your compassion and concern for those who are not so fortunate? The two week quarantine on new arrivals is killing tourism and homeowners trying to return home.
Haven’t you drawn this out long enough?
“placing politics over the economy”
Wow. That is beyond a stretch, it’s totally unreal. C0VID is a disease. There’s nothing political about it. Dealing with it is a public health issue. The political part is when people pretend that the issue isn’t health. Yes, there is an economic issue, it’s very important, and it needs to be dealt with. But to pretend that quar antine measures are political is both ludicrous and offensive.
Mahalo RYH.
Aloha,
My husband and I come to Maui twice a year. My heart is in Maui even when I am not. I do fear sometimes now, we may not be wanted. I can certainly understand some resentment at how Hawaii was commandeered from the native Hawaiians in 1893. It was wrong. I do have a great respect for the Hawaiian people. I wish to be more a part of the Hawaiian culture. I do hope that it is not the majority of Hawaiians that rather we not be there.
Hi Gayla.
Thanks.
Aloha.
We were grateful to get to Hawaii before the pndemic this year. We did feel a distinct difference from previous visits in Oahu. Oddly enough it was from hotel staff, specifically the concierge group. Big Island was vastly different. Hotel staff was very welcoming and appreciative despite what began to unfold unforeseen by all of us. We love Hawaii, but it is difficult to want to spend time somewhere your last visit left such an impression. We will definitely think a bit longer about visiting Oahu again.
Sorry to be so late in commenting, but somehow I missed this post before. The ‘vibe’ on O’ahu is definitely not what it used to be, and even in the water (surfing) you can always tell the surfers from ‘country’ and from other islands because they are more open and friendly. (Of course, part of this is tactical: they are on someone else’s territory so it’s the smart thing to do.) I suspect much of the difference is increases in both population and in tourism. Honolulu is a big city, with all the issues and attitudes that come with that situation. Add roaring tour buses, huge hotels that block views and ocean access, local shops being torn down to create tourist-oriented shopping malls and arcades, local shops being replaced by mainland-style chain stores, surf breaks jammed with tourists who often put others at risk, and general masses of people everywhere in season – all this is almost guaranteed to create some bad feelings. I’m living in San Diego now and I’m seeing the same thing happening here. Places do change, and sometimes a specific place has had its time. For me, that has happened in the Honolulu area and other parts of O’ahu as well. You may be having the same experience.
I know I was a tourist before I was a resident. We don’t want to be hypocrites… Be kind to everyone and be honest about yourself. Aloha
Aloha my Kauai! My husband and I are usually vacationing on the beautiful island paradise of Kauai during the spring. It looks like our third attempt of a visit this year will now be canceled. This truly saddens me but I wish health for all, more than a vacation for myself. As far as “preparing” for reopening… What is holding you back on the process of preparing? I would have thought cleaning procedures and protocol, etc would have “already” been in place. I’m missing my Kauai Aloha, please be safe. 🌴
Hi Dee.
Thanks for your comment. We don’t have an answer to why at least the procedure for reopening hasn’t been revealed. The governor says we will learn next week.
Aloha.
Maybe one thing holding them back on reopening is the question of how to deal with visitors who refuse to cooperate on distancing and other rules. Even with the tiny number of inbound travelers, there have been a number of blatant violations of trust. Think of how many more there would be if Hawai’i were opened up totally. Let’s face it, there are just too many people who don’t think rules apply to them. And who don’t have any desire to respect the locals anywhere. (We saw that problem while in the Islands, and now that we’re in San Diego we see it here with people from our neighboring state.)
I think you are right Dave.
I’m amazed that the simple fact that Hawaii wants to first allow people from areas with very low infection rates is even an issue.
Seems like simple common sense to me. You can’t just open the doors without any caution and then see what happens, we have too much to lose if the return of tourism isn’t done carefully.
Well, that begs the questions: What are the rules? And are the rules simply total [edited] to begin with?
I’ve been at my house on the big island since early much and all I’ve really seen is an [edited] over-reaction by the state and the county–and a massive waste of time, money, and resources–prohibiting white people / “tourists” from doing things that are completely allowed by [edited] “locals”. There is AB-solutely a huge double standard in terms of enforcement of so calld “rules”. And, ultimately, if only 1 person–or 5 people–or 10 people–on the entire island have this virus… why are the other 220,000 forced to sit around for months with their thumbs [edited] for no good reason?
So what? Some people came, they agreed to quar antine–which was a stupid requirement to begin with–and they “broke out” of quar antine to go get something to eat… or go for a swim in the ocean…. Big deal. None of those people were (a) proven to have the virus or (b) proven to have spread it to anyone. And if everyone already here is ALREADY wearing masks and over-santizing constantly–how are they going to spread anything anyway? It’s retarded. If the beach parks were originally “closed”–unless you were [edited] and / or swimming / surfing / fishing–why couldn’t visitors be allowed to do the same? If it’s safe for locals to do–why is it unsafe for visitors?
Great input jared x
Nice to see some great perspectives on here and realistic ones about this temporary situation we are all in.
I have to say the people who are bad mouthing Hawaii when in fact they have done an outstanding job
of keeping the population safe sure seem to be coming from an odd perspective. What’s wrong with success?
Hawaii is arguably the safest state in the country now, it seems to be very thoughtfully trying to open up and will open up.
So those of you who love Hawaii and respect what we are doing, the day is getting closer when you will be able to visit
a transformed and truly unique paradise. Less crowded and filled with a population skilled at finding common ground with people from all over the world and after what we have all been through will have a renewed appreciation for each other and for what is at that heart of the Aloha spirit……mutual respect.
You angry name calling people tossing insults and complaining about “that democratic” state and are threatening to go
to Florida, the Bahamas or wherever really don’t get Hawaii anyway. We will all be better of with a few less of those folks.
And before anyone jumps in with what about the Economic damage?
Of course it hurts, but fortunately many are in fact covered by unemployment and the stimulus money for now.
It still hurts but we will recover thanks to much needed and justified government aid.
The economic damage would have been far greater and longer lasting if Hawaii hadn’t done such a good job
of being proactive. Not to mention the price of a human life.
Now we have to balance the cost of human lives hurt by the quar antine over the long run and the potential
for people to get sick and dying when we open up….not easy and I’m glad it’s not my call.
Sadly we all live in a country that currently has very divisive leadership at the top that is making it very hard to come together
and work on solutions.
And there were never any Indian Wars for hunting area or just pure prejudice. Right.
“Of course it hurts, but fortunately many are in fact covered by unemployment and the stimulus money for now.”
But even MORE are NOT covered by this funny money… debt… piled up on top of billions more pre-existing debt (Hawaii; trillions more at the federal level). So… what about them? Who’s going to make THEM whole when they lose their business and they lose their house?
“The economic damage would have been far greater and longer lasting if Hawaii hadn’t done such a good job of being proactive. Not to mention the price of a human life.”
Really? Says who? Cite your sources on this. You are basically saying here that you can predict the future–with a variety of differnet choices factored in Clearly you cannot. No one can know what the end result would have been five, ten, 20 yrs from now–had the state handled things differently. Right?
And you mention “the price of a human life”. What is that price? Do you have a number? Is it a million? TEN million? 100 million? I must be quantifiable–or the phrase wouldn’t be “the price of a human life”. 2600-ish people a year die in Hawaii from heart disease. Couldn’t many of those deaths be prevented if the state was willing to spend $1,000,000 per person to prevent or treat heart disease? $10,000,000? 300 people a year commit suicide in Hawaii–couldn’t most of those be prevented if we threw enough money at mental health? So… then… what IS the value of a human life here… and who gets to make that decision?
Clearly you haven’t thought your reply through very far.
My sentiments also, thank you.
I’m curious. To what people does Hawaii belong? Were there indigenous people here before the Pacific Islanders sailed here? What if you came from Asia to work the fields 150 years ago? At what point is it your land and others are tourists? In several states that I have lived in, we called them visitors and immigrants, not tourists. I’ve also never felt
the state belonged to me or people who had lived there for many generations. Apparently, there were indigenous people living on the mainland before Native American tribes (who apparently came from Asia) migrated throughout
the land.
I’ve been visiting Hawaii for over 40 years, and it has become much more densely populated – not just tourists, but Hawaiians. The population of the world increased from 3.2 Billion in 1970 to 7.2 Billion now, and 9.4B by 2050. Unfortunately, the world is changing whether we like it or not – and we have to accept it. It’s so common for people
to pull up the ladder after they have moved to a nice location. Change can’t be stopped, but it can be well managed.
By the way, the biggest driver of climate change is our exploding world population, especially in the third world. Currently, the US produces only 14% of world CO2, with 25% of the world commerce. All those new people will want a better life which requires cheap energy.
To my knowledge the Polynesians were the first inhabitants. Who were the indigenous people on the Mainland before the Native Americans (who came from Asia)?
Regarding “who owns a location”, obviously it’s whose name is on the land titles, ultimately. When it comes to the sentiment of the locals, however, I think it’s more about whoever lived here before we became so dependent on tourism and before outside investors and “transplants” started exploiting Hawaii–probably beginning in the 80’s. Until then, housing was affordable, traffic was bearable, beaches uncrowded. We had tourists, but nowhere near today’s millions. The demise of the sugar and pineapple industries changed all that.
You’re right about “pulling up the ladder,” but it seems to me it’s 40 years too late, sadly.
My age gives me a little more perspective; Hawaii was always an expensive place to live. Going back to the 60’s and probably before, food and housing were always high compared to most of the mainland.
Don’t blame tourism on the tourists. Your local government approved every one of the hotel and condo developments that
is attracting tourists.
You as a resident has a vote to use. The tourists do not.
Well said ‘Don’t blame tourism on the tourists’
If you don’t like something, vote out the people promoting it!
No matter where you are, you’re a tourist if you came for other than business, residence, or other limited activities (attend a funeral, etc.) It has nothing to do with your ethnic origin or how long your ancestors have lived wherever.
Every state in the US, and many cities and towns, have tourist bureaus or visitor bureaus. And of course the same is true in Mexico, Europe, Japan, etc. So yes, wherever you go, they have a designation of “tourist” for non-business visitors.
The US has the second largest carbon footprint on the planet, and the largest per capita. China has the largest. China’s footprint is 2x that of the US. China’s population is 4x that of the US, so per capita it’s 1/2 . Not sure how this relates to Hawaiians and tourists, but since you brought it up…
Now if you get onto the topic of “locals only” there are some valid points. Often the most vociferous and obnoxious “locals” in Hawai’i are haoles from the mainland who arrived anywhere over a few months ago and are trying desperately to act “local.” That’s why they are so easy to spot. Just ignore them.