Laserfiche WebLink
From: Ken Honma <br /> To: LPCtestimony <br /> Subject: Vote No on Bill 121 <br /> Date: Friday,April 5, 2024 10:15:33 PM <br /> To: Leeward Planning Commission, County of Hawaii <br /> Date 4/5/24 <br /> Vote NO on Bill 121 STR restrictions and conditions. <br /> In defense of my right to continue operating my home sharing without additional requirements. It <br /> should be obvious to the concerned government representatives that the constitutional right of <br /> anyone to continue to use their property as they have been for years prior to our government's <br /> decision to intervene in an otherwise previously legal use of a person's property is a "taking" and <br /> doing so is illegal unless just compensation is given in exchange. In effect this taking without just <br /> compensation would be a crime, a theft by the government, in this case the Hawaii County Council <br /> members. The injured party would be all those who have been up till this point, completely legal, all <br /> the years, paying extra property taxes, excise taxes, TAT taxes etc. In addition, any investment costs <br /> to improve the property in an effort to improve the conditions for a better experience of those who <br /> book the home-share, these investments need to be justly compensated for as well. In addition the <br /> future life-span of the projected income of said home-share must be computed if this new legislation <br /> causes the existing legal home-share to discontinue because of this expost-facto legislation. <br /> The extra-requirements that are being contemplated appear to also include a "stick" to coerce and <br /> attack presently legally operating home-shares, such as with the threat of legal prosecution and <br /> fines, used to instill fear in those who are presently legal and who unknowingly believe that this <br /> proposal is just and legal and they would have to decide if it would be worth the effort to comply <br /> with these extra-requirements in order to continue to operate. This is a sleight-of-hand by the <br /> authors of this legislation. <br /> Those that are already legal should not be coerced with the "stick" into voluntarily agreeing to the <br /> new requirement in order to continue operating their already legal home-sharing; without equitable <br /> financial compensation from the government.This would be again a "talking" a taking of the financial <br /> income and the livelihood from citizens; without equitable compensation. The injured party is the <br /> person already legally operating the home-share, and, the County Council Members are the <br /> perpetrators inflicting the damage. <br /> Our representative constitutional republic is based on the will of the people, and the respect for Life, <br /> liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our founders fought the Revolution against the British because <br /> of the suppression of people's rights by an oppressive monarch and his ministers. Disregarding and <br /> trampling my and others' rights without just compensation is exactly why our forbearers fought and <br /> bled for, and why we have our Constitutional Republic today with its limitations on the government. <br /> Our bill of rights is a reminder mostly to those who govern and make the laws of their limitations. <br /> It is hardly worth mentioning what huge impact that this legislation if passed would have on the <br /> existing seniors and retirees providing for themselves who are presently operating legal home- <br /> shares. The extra paperwork and increased financial burden would be too much for many retirees, <br /> with the profit margins too tight to hire someone to help navigate and make physical changes to the <br /> property in order to legally comply with the proposed legislation that many retirees would cease to <br /> operate. In addition many seniors would not have the fortitude to write or appear before the council <br /> members to voice their concerns. <br /> Most seniors involved with home-sharing have always had the necessary personal pride and self- <br /> reflection to be productive members of our society by having been the backbone within their <br /> respective communities during their pre-retirement years. Not beggars of whiners but hard workers <br /> that continue to provide for themselves and their families. Taking stock of what opportunities <br /> availed them in the County of Hawaii after retirement, home-share seniors invested their hard- <br /> earned savings into building a home-sharing environment and claim their rights to life, liberty and <br />