Has anyone seen ';Discover Kauai?';

Saw this on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EAe1s3vi_A

Has anyone seen ';Discover Kauai?';

Zoeygirl,

I went to this site after you posted the website -- whoa! I was on the island years ago and couldn%26#39;t believe the traffic and the development then - looks like it is still going strong. I realize this is the opinion of one videographer but it is hard to deny that the land is being developed at a rapid pace where resources are few and unprotected. I remember the pristine, beautiful land and ocean views before Hyatt developed their Poipu resort -- when I heard they were building on it I stood on the cliffs above the shore and cried. We are returning to Kauai in December and will be adding to the negative environmental impact on the island - such mixed feelings of wanting to experience the amazing spirit that Kauai offers and knowing that our presence (and thousands of others) is depleting the natural resources that make it the island we love. A tough one.

Comments please from Kauai residents and others.

Has anyone seen ';Discover Kauai?';

March 2009 will be my first visit to Kauai. It saddens me to see development like this in such a beautiful part of the world. Unfortunately, it always seems that those with money have the power to do as they please.

I was really sad when I watched it.

But, because Kauai is so beautiful, it is going

to attract people. People bring development.

At least in this country.

I go to Kauai often and truthfully have only seen traffic THAT bad once. You need to understand that is video is propaganda. No doubt there are folks who wish there was zero development. I would just dismiss this video as some locals who don%26#39;t want anything to change on the island.

But you can%26#39;t blame the locals for feeling that way.

I have a lot of family on the island and yes they don%26#39;t like progress but they have elected officials who feel differently.

Yep, there is some overstatement, but it does contain ample grains of truth. And illustrates some of the serious problems that are facing our island.

We have a definite and huge problem of over development,and lack of infrastructure to handle it.

This is very serious.

We have been to meetings with our elected and hope to be elected politicians, and it was very evident that there is great concern from the residents about:

No longer being held hostage by the oil companies,and our dilapidated oil burning power plant. And the monster electric costs billed by KIUC to everyone.

I have already voted for those who want to explore and implement, wind, solar, and other options to reduce our dependancy on oil.

This was after seeing them in person and evaluating what what they supported.

There are High concerns about the rapid development, and I wont get into all the negatives about that, but the tourists are going to be impacted as well as the residents.

The two beaches , I believe that were not up to federal standards for fecal bacteria were poipu and hanamaulu...so it is not every beach on Kauai, at least not at this time.

Lots of beaches for you to enjoy and swim and snorkel. The people local and visitor alike are still going to poipu and having a great time.

Other concerns, low wages, no affordable housing, waste management, and traffic, and road conditions, were some of the other subjects considered.

Also, there is a grumbling and several seperate protests by the residents concerning what the film termed the '; rape of kauai';. All that is beginning to funnel down into more concerted efforts to halt this siutation. They are all adding up.

So, the film does show what is occuring here, I mean it is pretty simple, you saw some of it.

We prsonally handle the traffic by knowing when to travel, and the using by-passes and alternate roads, when that is possible. Many have no choice, and cannot elect to travel to work, or other places, as we can.

By choice, we elected to live close by where we are near the conveniences, markets, medical professionals, banks, work, restaurants, beach and other fun things in which we participate.

Not everyone has that option.

We drove up north on saturday, to Haena and stayed all night with Erica%26#39;s sis and BIL. We snorkeled tunnels, and walked over to the beach from the house.

We did not encounter any bad traffic from Banyon Harbor driving up north, or on the return. But we can pick and chose our times.

There is so much going on here that the visitor is not aware, and when all of these other developments, and the mauization of poipu are complete, there are going to be some huge problems.

So far the aloha is hanging in there, and we hope to heaven that it continues.

Come and visit soon, my friends. Most of our rugged lush and beautiful island will still be untouched, but a good amount of the coastal areas eventually will be inudated with million dollar mega developments. Plain sad fact.

Will you be stuck in the Kapa%26#39;a Traffic ? Maybe.

Will you pay top bucks to stay at the Waipoli in Kapa%26#39;a and have a view of the safeway shopping center. Your choice on that one.

Will you be emerging from the water with streaks of crud on you body...unlikely...but beware the things you might not be able to see.

Will you be treated kindly and with aloha, more than likely, especially if you bring your aloha with you.

We love Kauai, and the people, and that is reciprocated in most of our contacts here. No not 100%, no place is, but we find that by giving honest respect, we receive it back. No worries.

Are we concerned about Kauai%26#39;s future, you bet. Are we supporting groups who think like we do...certainly.

Are we welding war clubs, and attacking anyone ? NOPE!

Well, no one is.

hmmmmmmmmm.

Do we have a war club hanging in the entry hall way of our condo ?.....you can take a guess on that one.

At this time, visitors are coming over, and having a great time, and meeting wonderful people, and enjoying marvelous vacations.

But, while you are here, please take some time to think about what is happening to this island that many of you love, and many of you will come love.

Malama Kauai

Mahalo nui loa

Denny

2.

I would concur with Jebett. The video is compiled to offer up quite an extreme sense of total bedlam on the island presently.

Yes, there has been some development in the past few years. But it%26#39;s interesting to note that Kauai is still considered the island to go to if you want that sense of peacefulness, serenity and nature at it%26#39;s best, compared to some of the other islands. So how does that figure into this equation? Something to think about maybe.

I understand many residents do not want any development at all. That%26#39;s their choice of course and their views must be respected also. But one needs to pull back and put it all into perspective. Any development on Kauai in the past few years is still peanuts next to some of the other islands and certainly next to what has been happening in most many mainland locations - particularly the West and Southwest.

But somewhere there does need to be a meeting of the minds and a happy medium reached as the nature of the beast IS that Kauai is less receptive to any development at all, despite the small scale of it, because it is their island.

Of course they need to show it with their vote. It is their very own elected officials who are allowing any development, issuing building permits, etc.

I find it interesting though, that at the same time there is so much angst about new buildings going up there seems to be no concern over the PROFITEERING ENCROACHMENT of hundreds of acres of Kauai%26#39;s natural lands by zipline operations, ATV and dune buggy operations, etc., run by locally-owned operations. Where%26#39;s the outrage there? Just my humble opinion.

Question for Denny....

Denny, are you sure it was Poipu that was on the list for beaches not up to fecal bacteria count standards? That would surprise me. I know that Kalapaki has been on that list before but I had not heard Poipu was on it. I might be wrong of course. Please confirm.

Not Denny but I have the answer -

starbulletin.com/2008/07/30/news/story03.html

Poipu was not on the top ten list of ';dirtiest'; beaches but the report did say you have a 50/50 chance of swimming in some sort of pollutants when you are there.