HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-22 Jeffrey Goodman TestimonyFrom: Jeffrey Goodman
To: Planning LPC Testimony
Subject: email testimony for Hawaii County Bill 147
Date: Monday, June 22, 2026 12:52:04 PM
email testimony for Hawaii County Bill 147
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members,
I believe most of us are familiar with the movie Titanic - about a ship believed to be “unsinkable.” Even as it was sinking, many continued to focus on their past priorities—what
had always mattered to them—rather than adjusting to what was now unfolding around them. They were unable to face the reality of their rapidly changing surroundings and act on what
urgently mattered in that moment.
Our “Titanic”—our global economy—has hit its “iceberg” and is no longer stable. As uncomfortable as it may be to face, this IS real.
Continuing forward without adjusting to this new reality carries real consequences for all of
us.
Now, more than at any other time in recent history, we cannot afford to be in denial of what is happening—globally and locally—and continue forward as if this is business as usual.
This bill was originally designed in a very different economic time, under very different global
conditions, to solve a different local problem than the one we are facing today. It was intended to improve housing affordability and availability—and that was a valid goal. However, the
situation we are now facing has fundamentally shifted.
Even if more long-term housing units become available at lower prices, that does not mean local families will benefit. Based on this current global shift, it may instead create opportunity
for outside buyers and renters with greater financial resources—and a growing urgency to relocate—to move here. This can further push out the very residents this bill is meant to help.
Preserving income-generating opportunities for local operators like myself is one of the most immediate ways to help keep local families here and financially stable.
This is no longer just a Hawaiʻi housing issue.
This is a global economic shift we need to prepare for in a very different way than this bill proposes.
Right now, local families are less concerned about whether housing is more affordable or
available—and more concerned about whether they have a job (and this bill passed will take away even more jobs: farm support, maintenance, production and distribution, property
managers, housekeeping, landscaping, repair and the domino effect) and can sustain their current living, whether they will have income at all, and whether they can put food on the
table tomorrow. If the world is the ship, then Hawaiʻi will be the lifeboat for our families.
And before we continue forward, we need to stop and ask a more urgent question:
Is our lifeboat strong enough to survive what is coming?
Because moving forward with this bill right now risks punching even more holes in our lifeboat at this moment we need it to be at its strongest.
I have operated legally, paid taxes, and followed the rules as they were written. My operation
once supported five local families through employment and contracted services. Today, that number has already dropped to two—and is declining further. I have reduced my own
spending to survival level so I can continue paying bills and ensure there is food on the table for the families I still employ.
If my ability to operate is further restricted or removed, myself and those families lose income.
These are not abstract consequences. These are real people who will no longer be able to feed their children because your bill took away their jobs and income—and in many cases cannot
afford to leave the island to seek other work.
This decision is being made on conditions that no longer reflect our current reality. We need to reset our approach to match what is happening now—not what was happening when this bill
was created.
I am already seeing a sharp and immediate decline in bookings. In prior years, I was consistently booked 8 to 15 months in advance. Today, I am not even fully booked for the
current month, with little to no activity or inquiries for the next. This is not unique to me—this is happening across the island.
This is the reality on the ground today.
I urge the Council to reconsider the timing of this bill in light of rapidly changing global
conditions. When this bill was first developed, the economic environment was fundamentally different. In just the past month, we have seen accelerating global instability, increasing costs
tied to international conflict, and clear downward pressure on travel demand—especially to remote destinations like Hawaiʻi.
This extends beyond tourism. Local farmers are already facing rising input costs, including
expected increases in fertilizer prices due to global supply disruptions. Many rely on hosted accommodations as supplemental income to remain viable. If that income is restricted, we risk
pushing local agriculture further toward collapse—at a time when Hawaiʻi’s food security is already fragile.
Taken together, this is not a moment for added restriction—it is a moment for stabilization.
If we reduce tourism capacity while demand is already declining, and at the same time remove
income streams that support local families and farmers, we risk accelerating an economic downturn that may be difficult to recover from. Once local families leave and small operators
shut down, they do not easily return.
Respectfully, I am asking the Council to pause and really reconsider the timing of this bill until there is greater economic stability.
Because right now, this is not about regulation—this is about survival.
- - -
This is not the time to add pressure or add more restrictions. It is asking with Aloha "How can we help our community?" Maybe in 2018 this Bill was intended to help answer but the wind
and weather has changed.
In a moment like this that we now are facing, we should be focusing on reinforcing the sustainability our lifeboat, not weakening it.
Thank you,
Jeffrey Goodman
jephph888@gmail.com
sent from desktop computer