The Golden Age For Hawaii's Serial Protestors

I can't get any better than this if you are Serial Protestor. The New York Times had a feature story in their Sunday Travel Section on all of the big protests happening over here on our green islands. The title of the piece "Not In My Tropical Backyard" covers mainly the battles over the SuperFerry and Laau Point. Also mentioned is the battle of Turtle Bay Resort. Of course, as usual, Turtle Bay had "No comment".

Lee Cataluna of The Advertiser had a column recently "Up Next, Protesting Tourists". She chronicles the tourists who protested the removal of some trees in Kauai and suggests that this could be a growth industry for Hawaii's tourism.

I agree. Come to Hawaii and protest about how many people are coming to Hawaii. Based on global sentiment this is what I call a growth industry. Has anyone claimed to be the capital of the Anti Global Warming Movement yet? Why not us?

Liven up your vacation by joining zealous, true hearted locals as they oppose the tyranny of developers, the military and corporations. Rage against GMO foods, praise The Akaka Bill, wave signs, block traffic and go have a Mai Tai on the lanai. Share exciting war stories about how our local police gave you stink eye - things were getting dicey for a second there weren't they!

How much different is a visitor taking up arms vs. someone one month in to living on the North Shore. You know the kind. They stick the obligatory "Keep The Country Country" sticker on their surf rack as soon as they get their shiny new Hawaii plates to replace their California tags. They show up at the local board meetings and express how we have to save this precious and sacred aina from people like them.

The underlying tone of the NY Times article was that these protests are anti tourist. I do not agree with that premise but it is the easiest explanation for readers who only visit or dream of visiting here.

When you add these negative impressions and the fact that just about every story I read about tourism is like the recent Pacific Business News article "Hawaii Visitor Spending Flat, Arrivals Down" it makes me wonder about when the "correction" is going to occur to our tourist industry. At some point, lower visitor count is going to really mean lower demand and prices and spending will have to go down. That shoe is going to drop in the first half of 2008 in my opinion. Hotels are holding prices but those vacancy rates are at a tipping point. Someone is going to blink and start dropping room rates. When that happens, the drop will be significant.

The Serial Protestors at that point can claim victory. They brought down the institution and now they can start kicking them. They'll get help from all those mainland people who just do not have enough to complain about in their own home towns.

Turtle Bay Defaults. Workers Worried.

Since the end of the Labor dispute, things have been going along quite well at Turtle Bay. This morning's front page story in The Advertiser has put a big chill on the place just before Christmas.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071221/NEWS01/712210387

People at Turtle Bay are worried and confused as to what this means and how it might affect them. I seems to me that these legal and financial issues usually take quite a while to resolve themselves and managment always says "it's business as usual". Most often it is not "business as usual" otherwise it would not be headline news.

I do know one thing, the workers are not being told anything by Oaktree. They are all guessing and hearing a lot of rumors. No surprise that the boss lady had no comment for the paper but she has had no comment for anyone around there for about a year.

We in the community are worried about a place that puts food on the table, let's us buy our homes and educate or families.

PLEASE TURTLE BAY, TELL US SOMETHING. WE WON'T TELL THE PAPERS, PROMISE

Important Message From Ron About Operation Toy Box. Come On North Shore, Let's Help Him Help Others.

Aloha.

With 10 days to go until Christmas not too much has come in for this year's Operation: Toybox. I'm a little concerned at this point and I'm asking you to consider giving our Christmas toybox fund a boost.

Friends like you always do so much to help make a difference in the lives of our homeless and needy community. This year on Christmas morning we are planning to host 800 hungry souls and I need new toys for 400 keiki & teens. I need your help for a Christmas miracle.

Mahalo for any consideration. Checks can be made out to Once A Month Church or North Shore News, P.O. Box 117, Haleiwa, HI 96712.

Mele Kalikimaka

Ron Valenciana Operation: Toybox 342-3969