HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.417 2022-2024PS PCIPLUD
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IN OPPOSITION OF BILL 121 August 18th, 2024
To Whom IT May Concern,
You are hurting good people. You are out of touch. You are taking money away from the
island because you are cowards. Yes, cowards. Paid for cowards. I have tried to be nice for
years while you hold us under your thought of legislation, but you all don't give a f about us.
Why? Because you don't live our lives. You wish to one day leave us behind you on a resume. I
truly hope someone is reading this. I truly hope that someone, or many people, are reading the
hundreds of opposition testimonies to Bill 121. Because it doesn't feel that way. It seems that
all of these hearings and Zoom conferences are just political theater to push forward an
unpopular, harmful bill for the benefit of the few against the harm to thousands upon thousand
here on the Big Island.
Why would a bill like this be pushed so hard when the short term rental industry does
no harm? How are HOSTED short term rentals somehow the cause or a main ingredient in the
housing crisis? Do you really think that someone that built an Ohana for the sole purpose of
short term rentals wants to provide long term housing on their land? Because I can tell you that
my family's Ohana unit isn't even capable of long term tenants. We are off grid. The solar isn't
up for it. It is also tiny. There is no storage space. And on and on. Do you think that someone
renting out a room in their home now wants to risk heavy penalties due to some permitting
infringement or all of a sudden be forced to have a longterm roommate? But somehow
situations like these are lumped into causing housing issues here on the Big Island. Could it be
the economy? Nah. Could it be interest rates on real estate? Nah. Could it be the insanely long
wait on getting permitting and the codes being enforced while construction supplies continue
to be inflated? Nah. It's us. It's gotta be the folks that welcome visitors for a fraction of the cost
of hotels, and invite them to leave their money here on the island while enjoying the spirit of
Aloha. Yes, that's it. We're the problem.
We are the ones that invest in this island. We attract people to visit and stay in areas
that they would have no ability to do so otherwise. The money they pay us, we are taxed on,
which goes back to the island. The money they pay us, we spend in local stores, gas stations,
and markets. The money they pay us we spend on school supplies for our children and their
food. And guess what else? The visitors that stay with us ALSO spend their money at local
markets, restaurants, stores, gas stations, etc. They help keep our small, local economies alive.
If this dumpster fire of a bill actually passes, and nobody with power to stop it does so,
and hundreds if not thousands of short term rentals close their doors forever- I am so curious
as to what the next step is? What will fill the void? Besides the mental aguish so many will go
through, and are already going through just having to fight for our right to make a hard earned
dollar, is there a job creation bill to follow? Is there some sort of stimulus package for small
communities that currently benefit from the tourist cashflow due to short term rentals but don't
live around hotels? When hard times are made harder for no reason, what are we as the people
supposed to think about those that were voted in to represent our best interests? People that
now want to extend their terms an extra 2 years. If it wasn't so destructive it would be comical.
But there is nothing funny going on here.
Do you all think we make hotel type money? Do you think we sit around all day and just
throw the keys as the visitors arrive and they throw us blocks of gold in return? Let me tell you
that this method of making income will not make you rich (in my experience) and is not easy. I
did it in the hopes of establishing a small, humble, family business that I could pass on one day
to my 2 small children and maybe make their situation a bit easier. But if you think I'm going to
plan a future for them based on politicians that want to change the rules whenever they want
and threaten my family with fines we can't afford, I'm telling you now that I can't and I won't.
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AidBnBiaereview based platform.|fvvedon't provide asafe, clean, healthy experience
then vvereceive abad review. Maybe you are unaware ofthis, but ifyou receive just one, ZERO
or ONE star review, AirBnB gives us a single chance to either state our case as to why that isn't
fair, or improve our standards. If we do not succeed in either of these methods, we get kicked
off the p|atforrn, never allowed to do business with them again. Now, why on earth do we need
any more incentive todO8good job? Obviously the vast majority OfhOStSVV8nftOprOVide8
safe and beautiful experience for our guests anyway even without the threat of consequence,
but since this bill is written in such black and vvhitn, policing, regulatory language- maybe that
is all you out there understand. AirBnB is a self cleaning oven. If we don't get good reviews, we
don't get business. If we don't get business, we go out of business. It is rather simple. But here
iothis needless Bill 121 suggesting vv*aahosts need another blade toour necks, another
hoop to jump through. Is this really how the Big Island operates these days?
Our island kS8Odifferent from one shore tOthe other, from the Mauna tOthe sea. Our
iS|8Dd celebrates this diversity. How iS3 blanket Bill, written for every zone and district to
conform to intelligent in any fashion? How can anyone with a heart or the smallest
understanding of economics think this is good for us? We are not Oahu. We are not the
mainland. We don't have to adopt everything they do. We can p8Sa something truly original
down to the next generation. But this Bill? The legacy of this []i|| will be putting forni|ieo,
struggling families out of business, and in some cases, perhaps more than I want to even
consider- will be forced to move. We in Lower Puna are somehow still in business after the
eruption while so many ofour neighbors had it worse. We still still operating short term nanto|o
onthe Big Island are somehow still inbusiness after a pandemic and travel |oukdownwhile so
many others had it worse. We are somehow still in business with 5 dollar gas prices and 7
dollar 2x4's and 12 dollar cartons of eggs, while so many others have it worse. But if you allow
this bill to pass, you will be achieving what none of those hardships could. You will put us out
Ofbusiness. You will shut uSdown.
Short term rentals on the Big Island create so many jobs, bring in so much tax revenue,
and have such a close to zero complaint rate that if it were a program that Ashley or Heather
had come upwith they would berunning for reelection based onits success alone. You know
this and | know this. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. Well this bill won't fix anything, it'll just
make more people broke. And at this point I know you know nothing of aloha so I offer you
none.
Jason daBmyn
15_2714PahoaVillage Road Unit H1#2O8
Pahoa.H| 90778