Our system is set up for growth
Having visited Hawaii two dozen times in my life and finding Kailua-Kona to be our favored place for the last eight trips, I can appreciate the feelings of Colleen Miyose-Wallis who expressed her concern with the diminishing amount of shoreline open space on the island in a Tuesday letter to the editor.
However, her concerns seem to disregard one of the primary elements of our society, especially the economic aspect of it.
The person who owns that property own it and, as long as they comply with all laws and regulations regarding development of it, are free to do what they want with it. A beachfront property in Hawaii is far beyond the financial capabilities of, probably, 90% of U.S. citizens and the ones who can afford to do buy it haven’t gotten there because they allowed their money to become stagnant. So, on an individual basis our system is set up for growth. Constant growth. Another condo will assist in this growth by providing another place for visitors to stay when they visit the island, spend money, and grow the island economy while the owner gets to offset the taxes they pay on the property with the rent charged. It’s how it works in a capitalist system.
If Ms. Miyose-Wallis wants a particular shoreline parcel to remain empty, she has the option of buying it herself or finding a group of people to buy it and then pay the taxes on it while doing whatever they want with it.
As I said, I totally understand and agree with her sentiments but, as long as we live in a capitalist society, growth is the only thing that matters.
Jim O’Toole
Anchorage, Alaska
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