Category Archives: Politics

Politics

Do Hawaii Voters Count in the Presidential Primary?

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[Note added 2/6/2008: Please see an update to this entry at “Hawaii Democratic Primary Caucus February 19”. After Super Tuesday 2008, the political landscape has shifted. ]

Simply put, no. Hawaii’s presidential primary is held on February 19th, well after “Super Tuesday” happens February 5th. To make things even less relevant, Hawaii only holds a primary election for democratic candidates. (For those that are unfamiliar the primary process, there is a great primer blog called “The season is upon us” located at glassbooth.org and a comparison of the leading presidential candidates in both parties on this site at “Super Tuesday: Comparing the Candidates”.)

Republicans are relatively new (and mostly moving over from California) in this perennially blue state. So even if Hawaii’s primary doesn’t count toward choosing the democratic candidate, at least democrats get to pretend their vote counts at the ballot box. Would-be republican primary voters have to sit it out completely until the real deal happens in November.

Even then, all of Hawaii’s electoral votes go to the democratic candidate anyway–not that this is meant to be discouraging. But die-hard republicans, whether in the primary or general presidential election, may want to vote elsewhere if it’s important that a vote count. For die-hard democrats in Hawaii, who want a say in the primary, it’s not too late to register to vote (if you’re eligible) in one of the Super Tuesday states.

Politics, Travel

Hawaii Superferry Traffic Jam in Maui

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This morning I left my house one hour ahead of my 11 AM dental appointment. The drive with normal morning Maui traffic takes 30 minutes or less. Sipping my chai latte from my stainless steel to go cup, the drive along Hana Highway to Kahului was clear as I zipped along in the morning sunshine. I pictured myself arriving early at the clinic, leisurely filling out the forms and maybe being called in early.

The last mile of my journey took 35 minutes. The road was open–no accidents, road crews or lane closures. My car was running fine–no flat tires or spewing pipes. As I turned onto Pu’unene Avenue, I inched a little closer to the center line to rubber neck the delay. In the distance at the end of the road docked next to two cruise ships was the Hawaii Superferry. It had just pulled into the Kahului Harbor and was offloading cars from Oahu.

As I finished my tea and watched the clock tick pat my appointment time, my frustration boiled. This situation is exactly what an environment impact statement (EIS) would have uncovered. The State, County and Superferry would have had to work it out before letting the ferry start ferrying. But at the last minute in special session and under major pressure from the governor, the State legislature passed a new law specifically for the Superferry exempting it from doing an EIS.

For those residents of Maui who may be open to the ferry but find such strong arm tactics by our government to be a mockery of democracy emitting the stink of special interests, elections seem too far away. As I got my teeth cleaned, I drooled over the idea of a legislative house cleaning.

Lifestyle, Politics, Travel

Vacation Rentals Closing in Maui

The County of Maui, led by Mayor Charmaine Tavares, is cracking down on illegal vacation rentals and forcing them to close unless they obtain a permit. Most of the businesses affected by the closures are located in the residential areas of Upcountry and on Maui’s North Shore, where hotels are few.

For the property owners, operating illegal vacation rentals is far more profitable than renting the units to long-term tenants. Maui is among the most expensive places in the U.S. to live, and with median house prices topping $600,000, many property owners need all the help they can get to pay the mortgage.

The County argues that illegal vacation rentals have helped to drive up the cost of homeownership and rents, along with the bubble market and waves of retiring baby boomers moving in. Many people have gotten into these huge mortgages that would otherwise not be affordable precisely because of the income from vacation rentals. Rates average about $200 per night. Multiply that by Maui’s average occupancy rate of 80%, and the return is much healthier than the $50 to $100 per night for long-term rentals.

Illegal vacation rental owners argue that the kind of tourist they host is exactly who residents want here–people with an interest in local culture and nature that travel in smaller groups. Their impact is less and their attitudes are better. They spend more money on local goods and services.

One well-established and popular vacation rental, the Olinda Country Cottages & Inn, closed its doors in November 2007 after being cited by the County for not having a permit. The Inn operated illegally for many years after not being able to obtain a permit, despite ongoing efforts. Owners feel targeted by the County and wonder why, especially when there are more serious problems facing Maui, including water shortages from overbuilding luxury vacation homes and golf courses on Maui’s South Shore.

It’s not clear if locals will benefit from the closures or not. So far few vacation rentals have been put back into the pool of long-term rentals. Rents are still sky-high, averaging $2,000 per month for a 2-bedroom/1-bath home Upcountry. Many locals have lost their jobs cleaning and caring for the vacation rentals. Overall visitor numbers to Maui are still up so any negative impact on local business is hard to gauge.

One art gallery owner in Paia, who preferred to remain anonymous, summed up the impact of the closures, “If people are spending more–$300 to $400–per night on a hotel room, they’re not buying as much in my gallery.”