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From: Jason and Guthrie de Bruvn
<br /> To: LPCtestimony
<br /> Subject: OPPOSITION OF BILL 121
<br /> Date: Friday,April 5, 2024 2:45:50 PM
<br /> IN OPPOSITION OF BILL 121
<br /> To Whom 1T May Concern,
<br /> I truly hope someone is reading this.I truly hope that someone,or many people,are reading the hundreds of opposition testimonies to Bill
<br /> 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
<br /> an unpopular,harmful bill for the benefit of the few against the harm to thousands upon thousand here on the Big Island.
<br /> Why would a bill like this be pushed so hard when the short tern rental industry does no harm?How are HOSTED short term rentals
<br /> 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
<br /> 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
<br /> capable of long tern 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
<br /> think that someone renting out a room in their home now wants to risk heavy penalties due to some pennitting infringement or all of a
<br /> sudden be forced to have a longterm roommate?But somehow situations like these are lumped into causing housing issues here on the
<br /> 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
<br /> permitting and the codes being enforced while construction supplies continue to be inflated?Nah.It's us.It's gotta be the folks that
<br /> 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
<br /> Aloha.Yes,that's it.We're the problem.
<br /> 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.
<br /> 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,
<br /> 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
<br /> stay with us ALSO spend their money at local markets,restaurants,stores,gas stations,etc.They help keep our small,local economies
<br /> alive.
<br /> 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
<br /> 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
<br /> 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
<br /> follow?Is there some sort of stimulus package for small communities that currently benefit from the tourist cashflow due to short term
<br /> 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
<br /> 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
<br /> destructive it would be comical.But there is nothing funny going on here.
<br /> 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
<br /> 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
<br /> 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
<br /> 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
<br /> 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.
<br /> AirBnB is a review based platform.If we don't provide a safe,clean,healthy experience then we receive a bad review.Maybe you are
<br /> unaware of this,but if you receive just one,ZERO or ONE star review,AirBnB gives us a single chance to either state our case as to why
<br /> that isn't fair,or improve our standards.If we do not succeed in either of these methods,we get kicked off the platform,never allowed to
<br /> do business with them again.Now,why on earth do we need any more incentive to do a good job?Obviously the vast majority of hosts
<br /> want to provide a safe and beautiful experience for our guests anyway even without the threat of consequence,but since this bill is written
<br /> in such black and white,policing,regulatory language-maybe that is all you out there understand.AirBnB is a self cleaning oven.If we
<br /> 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 is this needless
<br /> Bill 121 suggesting we as hosts need another blade to our necks,another hoop to jump through.Is this really how the Big Island operates
<br /> these days?
<br /> Our island is so different from one shore to the other,from the Mauna to the sea.Our island celebrates this diversity.How is a blanket
<br /> Bill,written for every zone and district to conform to intelligent in any fashion?How can anyone with a heart or the smallest
<br /> 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
<br /> do.We can pass something truly original down to the next generation.But this Bill?The legacy of this Bill will be putting families,
<br /> 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
<br /> Puna are somehow still in business after the eruption while so many of our neighbors had it worse.We still still operating short term
<br /> rentals on the Big Island are somehow still in business after a pandemic and travel lockdown while so many others had it worse.We are
<br /> 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.
<br /> But if you allow this bill to pass,you will be achieving what none of those hardships could.You will put us out of business.You will shut
<br /> us down.
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