We have two more chances to save our Kauai agricultural lands. Next Wednesday, the Council will decide whether to pass the law that will allow vacation rentals on ag lands. It appears that Councilmembers Furfaro, Bynum, Kaneshiro and Kawahara will support the bill. Chair Asing and Councilmember Kawakami will oppose it. Councilmember Chang is undecided as of last night. We need you to call them ASAP.
If the bill passes on Wednesday, we need to encourage the Mayor to VETO the bill. This bill, in addition to being illegal (as stated by the Attorney General), will punish the local ag land owners that have followed the law by not putting rentals on the lands, and reward the illegal operators that have been operating vacation rentals ILLEGALLY on Kauai prior to 2008. Please email me if you need to see the real facts. I can email you all the documents that clearly show that this is an illegal bill.
We need farmers to show up on Wednesday. We need everyone to call or email ALL councilmembers to let them know that this action will not be forgotten.Ag lands on Kauai are in danger. If this bill passes, ag parcels will be mini-resorts. This will effectively destroy the farming industry on Kauai. When we should be helping ag on Kauai, we are killing it with this bill. Please help our ag lands by standing up and being counted.
Last Wednesday, many vacation rental operators testified to the Planning Committee of the Council and gave their sad stories about not bring able to afford their mortgages and taxes. They need this bill to pass so that they can become legal. Some even said that they might have to leave Kauai if this bill doesn't pass. What about the locals that are struggling? Where do they go? We have nowhere to go. The economy is no reason to legalize an activity that is clearly illegal under state law.
Sorry for the ranting but this is a critical issue for the culture of Kauai. We are The Garden Island, not the TVR island. We must preserve ag lands. This bill will change Kauai as we know it. If this bill should pass, we will not be able to unwind the damage that it will instantly create. Trust me on this.
Please call or email Mayor Carvalho and ask him to commit to vetoing this bill should it pass. We need the commitment from our leaders that they will do what is right for the PEOPLE OF KAUAI, not special interests. Thank you.
I would hope that most folks understand that we are on the verge of a major upheaval. If we do not protect and appropriately develop our ag lands, we will not, in a very few years, have anything to eat...because we will be cut off from our sources. We are alone out here, and the mainland will not becoming to rescue us.
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