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| Sometimes it sucks to have a brain... | | Date Created: Jul 12, 2005, 11:52 PM |
Man! I just can't win! I'm starting to feel guilty about "perpetuating the cycle" here on the island. I'm starting to get into building houses, enjoying it, and then BAM! I have to have a thought!
The issue at hand came up while I was at church the other day. I was sitting next to a guy I know to be a carpenter and we were talking about the 140 units that are gonna be built up at the top of Lipoa St. over in Kihei. And a whole lot more over on Wailuku side. All of a sudden I'm like, "dude it's time to move to the Big Island"...
He had to ask why (he's only been on the island for a few years) and I told him how the island had changed, and how all the locals are moving. And then I did something kinda dumb - I said "look around in this room, this room is a good representation of Kihei". There were no locals in the room - everyone at the church is either an Oregon transplant (most of them moved over here together from the same church), or a tourist. This will be what Maui looks like in just a few short years if we keep building and the property values keep going up...
I'm doing this!
I see all these local kids graduating and see them all move away. They can't afford to live here. All the houses going up at the top of Lipoa are million dollar houses - who do you think is gonna move in there? People who live on the island part time (who do absolutely nothing for the economy cause they don't spend any money here), people who are buying for an investment (same situation - if they don't live here how can they spend money here?), or people who actually are professionals here on the island. Now, those professionals - look at their employees. 10 years ago it was a different story - do it 10 years from now and it will be sad...
The argument that I get is "well if not you, someone will do it"...
Yeah, someone is out there killing people right now too. Someone is out there robbing someone's house this very second. Someone is stealing a car. It's not me though...
What kind of an argument is that - "someone will do it". Yeah, they will - but 20 years from now when there is nothing left of Maui as we know it, I will be able to look in the mirror (and look my kids in the eyes) and have a clear conscience - and that's all that matters...
I'm half Native American - the people who say to me "someone will do it" are not. They have no concept of what I'm talking about - if, or when, they do finally "get it", they don't care...
It's like hearing someone say that the 4th of July is "just another day", who had never fought for freedom. They have no concept that what they just said is wrong. They were born with it, never had to fight for it, never lost it - they take it for granted. They've rarely, if ever, taken the time to think about all of the people who came before them who fought, killed, and died for the freedom that they so richly abuse on a daily basis - and the thing is, they really don't care...
It's sad... |
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