Housing
Housing
Influence and statistics
‘Tis the season that the G6s have arrived at the Kona Airport. We all saw Paul Allen’s “boat” here just weeks ago.
Lots of letters to the editor about that. It’s his ship, he earned it, but why are we bothered by it?
Twelve years ago, when I was running the Habitat for Humanity affiliate on this island, I was invited to San Francisco to participate in seven homes being built in seven days in the Bay Area. Those homes were being sponsored by Charles Schwab Corp.
The ironic thing is that at the same time that the Charles Schwab’s company was building homes for habitat recipients in the Bay Area, “Chuck” was also building a multimillion dollar golf course and exclusive resort right here in Kona.
We kamaaina need to be better at welcoming our partt-ime mainland residents. Because even if they’re only here one week out of the year, these people still call the places they come to “home.”
So, those of you who arrive here at this time, things have not really changed much in 12 years.
I got these stats recently from Kona Habitat for Humanity. Things look early similar to those over a decade ago: Hawaii is always one of the highest states in the country for cost of living; Hawaii is always one of the highest states in the country for poverty rate (County of Hawaii, 17.5 percent live in poverty); Hawaii is one of the lowest states for homeownership rates: 6,000 families on the waitlist for public housing in our county, three times the amount of available homes with a six- to seven-year wait before an available home; 61 percent are families with children; 44 percent are of Hawaiian ancestry; 41,000 Hawaiians are on the Department of Hawaiian Homelands waitlist.
Please remember your neighbors at this home. And have a Merry Christmas.
Tony Vidana
Kailua-Kona
Parks and Rec
Why the change?
Why is Bob Fitzgerald no longer the director of Parks and Recreation?
For 16 years I have participated in programs run by Parks and Recreation and have never seen the department run so efficiently.
In 2010, Kona hosted the State Senior Softball Tournament. The entire event, from the condition of the fields to the treatment of our guests was the best I have ever witnessed.
Under Mr. Fitzgerald’s leadership our facilities have been upgraded, the staff’s morale is the highest it’s ever been and organizations islandwide, from Little League to kupuna, have nothing but praise for the job done by the director.
I have played ball with and against Mr. Fitzgerald. He has always been a gentleman and a leader.
So, I ask again, why is Bob Fitzgerald no longer the director? Was it geography? Was it ethnicity?
Why was this change made after the election? Why is the west side once again the stepchild of island government?
Barry Finkenberg
Kailua-Kona