Hawaii's system of government is broken. One only has to look at the way our State legislature dickers over every issue and gets little done each session to see the proof. The bicameral Senate/House of Representatives structure for such a small state makes no sense. It's inefficient and redundant to have so many reps, who all have staffs and cost taxpayers extra money to perform the same tasks!

It allows our elected officials an easy out: oh, don't blame us for inaction -- the other committee killed it... not my fault -- the chairperson didn't schedule your bill for a hearing... blame the House/Senate -- they didn't act when the bill crossed over.

Those are some of the excuses we've heard for the past two years from legislators on why public beach access bills died in committee, despite strong support we had. Here's the link to my op-ed column in Sunday's Star-Bulletin on this topic... please feel free to add your comments on the Star-Bulletin site below my piece!

Excerpt:

Hawaii should adopt unicameral legislature

As the 2010 state Legislature gets under way, it's hard not to have a sense of deja vu. Thousands of bills will be introduced — many of them resurrected from last year, or the session before that. Most will die in committee. About 10 percent of those bills will cross the finish line, amid great cheering or hand-wringing. But the vast majority of citizens who get involved because they care about a particular issue will walk away disappointed or disillusioned...

To read the rest, go here: http://tinyurl.com/yckyokj

Labels: Beach Access Hawaii, Hawaii beach access, hawaii government reform, Hawaii State Legislature, kauai public beach access, public shoreline access, Rich Figel, unicameral legislature

Posted by richfigel at 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Although I will continue to do what I can to promote the beach access cause, the reality is I need to make a living too! But times are tough... which is why I came up with the concept for a local TV show called Career Changers TV. Our first program began airing on OC16 last month. It's geared to people who are looking for jobs or thinking about pursuing new careers. If that's you, check out the CCTV web site for details!

www.CareerChangers.tv

I'm also writing a blog for the site, called Squashed Gecko. It's all about me! Well, not entirely... it's more about all the things I've learned from failing at various endeavors. If you're interested in the entertainment biz, especially screenwriting or writing in general, please drop by and post comments here.

As for the current State Legislature session and our prospects of seeing any significant action in regards to shoreline setbacks or beach access, all I can say is don't hold your breath. It's all about money this go-round -- meaning "non-essential" matters will get short shrift.

Labels: career changers TV, CareerChangers.TV, Hawaii career opportunities, Hawaii jobs, Hawaii State Legislature, kauai public beach access, OC16 tv shows, Rich Figel, squashed gecko

Posted by richfigel at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Unlike Honolulu's City Council, Kauai is actually DOING something to acquire more beach rights of way through their county's Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund Commission. Here's an excerpt from today's Honolulu Advertiser:

A draft of the board's priorities for land acquisition that, once approved, will be sent to Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and the Kaua'i County Council reveals the board's concern about diminishing beach access routes.

In addition to recommending attempts to acquire land to expand the county Black Pot Park on Hanalei Bay and Salt Pond Beach Park in Hanapēpē, the commission is poised to recommend county officials use real-property-tax incentives or other means to acquire beach-access routes to Kauapea Beach (Secret Beach) near Kīlauea, Ka'aka'aniu Beach (Larsen's Beach) near Moloa'a, and Papa'a Bay between Anahola and Moloa'a. The draft priority list also contains mauka accesses to Waita Reservoir near Kōloa and Alexander Dam mauka of Kalāheo.

The same article says they have also been discussing the ongoing problems with oceanfront homeowners growing vegetation in blatant attempts to grab more beach land for themselves. Click here to read the full article.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100105/NEWS0102/1050318/Kaua+i+beach+access+a+concern

Labels: beach vegetation, kauai county council, kauai public beach access, mayor bernard carvalho jr., public beach access

Posted by richfigel at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Good news to start the New Year! As reported in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on Jan. 1, 2010, the Intermediate Court of Appeals has ruled that accreted, naturally-formed beach land above the high water mark belongs to the public -- NOT oceanfront property owners.

As many of you already know, some of the greedier homeowners have been planting vegetation to literally grab more beach land for themselves. This ruling is a small victory for the people of Hawaii. Now if we could only do something about providing more public access and our inadequate shoreline setbacks on Oahu.

Here's the link to the Star-Bulletin article that provides more details on the court ruling.

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20100101_New_land_is_public_court_says.html

Labels: accreted beach land, hawaii beaches, hawaii shoreline setbacks, oceanfront property, public beach access

Posted by richfigel at 4:13 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Mele Kalikimaka and all that jazz! Had a good laugh when I read a newspaper comment by a resident complaining about how Obama's stay in Kailua was interfering with their access to the beach. What's hilarious is this guy lives on Kailuana Place -- the public road with a private, gated beach acess pictured to the right! They think nothing of locking out neighbors and visitors from "their" beach access all year long. But close them out for one week, and boy oh boy, they don't like it one bit.

The Honolulu Weekly ran my letter in response to the "Shrinking Beaches" article they did recently. I pointed out that the reporter left out the most important thing: the reason WHY nothing is being done to protect our shorelines, which is the split jurisdiction between the State and counties. Here's the link to my letter.

The Star-Bulletin will also be running my commentary on the public safety issue related to the gate above, which I blogged about a couple of weeks ago. Scroll down for that one about the medical emergency I witnessed -- which happens to be down at the end of the beach where the Obamas are staying for Christmas.

That's how exclusive parts of Kailua Beach have now become. You can literally close off an entire section very easily without even putting up gates or fences because THEY ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. In effect, Hawaii now has private beach areas for the rich and privileged -- or in this case, for the President and his family. I love Obama, but this man of the people should be using this opportunity to promote free and open access to Hawaii's beaches.

Labels: "Shrinking beaches" article, gated beach accesses, Honolulu Weekly, Kailua Beach and Obama, Kailuana Place gate, public beach access

Posted by richfigel at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

After posting my account of emergency help for an injured surfer being delayed by a locked gate on Kailua Beach last Thursday, the Honolulu Advertiser ran this article by Suzanne Roig on Sunday. Excerpt:

Surfers want access restored

HAWAI'I KAI — Residents want the city to reopen a beach accessway used by surfers in trouble off the rocky coastline of the popular spot called China Walls.

The city closed the accessway six months ago because it was deemed unsafe.

But surfers and others say the closure in itself presents a safety issue. They say the access is vital as a "safety valve" for ocean goers who get into trouble, and allows them to safely get out of the water into a small cove in the steep, rocky cliffs...

Whether it's Kailua Beach or in Hawaii Kai, this is a tragedy waiting to happen... and why? Largely because some selfish homeowners value their exclusive "private" beach access over the public's safety.

Posted by richfigel at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Today I was reminded why this battle against gates still matters. While jogging back from Kailua Beach, I saw three paramedics pushing a gurney down the Kailuana Beach Right of Way -- the only public access for a mile-long stretch of beach. The dirt path from Kalaheo Avenue is well over a hundred yards before you even reach the beach.

As soon as I saw the paramedics I knew there was a big problem. I had just come from the beach and didn't see anyone in trouble near the #89A Emergency Locater sign next to that access path. I did, however, notice a group of people further down by the area surfers call Castles, near the house where President Obama and his family stayed last Christmas. That was at least a quarter-mile from the public access.

So I told the paramedics about that and asked how they planned on pushing the gurney through the sand. I noted that there was a closer access on Kailuana Place, but it was gated -- the locked gate in the picture. All they knew was that a surfer was injured, and this was the closest public access to where the victim was. Apparently it was not a life-threatening situation... but what if it was?

The paramedics left the gurney on the path and strolled down the beach. One made a call and shortly after that another ambulance drove down Kailuana Place. I presume they were going to try to get someone to open the gate so they could transfer the accident victim to the second ambulance. All this took 10-15 minutes... if it had been a heart attack or drowning victim, those extra minutes could have meant the difference between life and death.

What's more, Kailuana Place is a public street. That's right -- our tax dollars pay for the upkeep of their road! But the gate is on a privately-owned piece of land. How nice of them to share it with their neighbors, eh?

Merry Christmas, indeed. If President Obama stays at the property down that end again this year, I hope someone will mention to him that the locked gates along Kailua Beach are a very real threat to the public's safety. Whether you have health insurance or not won't matter if emergency help can't get to you quickly!

Labels: beach emergency response, Kailua Beach, Kailuana Place gate, Kalaheo Avenue, locked gates, Obama in Kailua, public beach access

Posted by richfigel at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Joan Conrow has a good cover story in the Honolulu Weekly about an issue I've been harping on for the past year. However, nowhere in the article does it ask WHY nothing is being done about the situation!

It's pretty simple really: as long as we have split jurisdiction between the State and the counties, there will never be a comprehensive long-term shoreline management plan. We need a Hawaii Coastal Commission that has the authority to enact statewide standards and the ability to ENFORCE those rules.

But we can't get there without interim steps, such as a joint State-counties task force to lay the foundation for such a commission. State Rep. Chris Lee introduced a bill that would have done just that. But Sam Lemmo, who works for the State DLNR, actually spoke out AGAINST the bill! And we didn't get any support from the UH Sea Grant people either... the same guys who have complained about the split jurisdiction problem. So what's their solution? More of the same: do studies and hope something changes...

Anyhow, here's the link to the Weekly article. At least the issue is getting more attention.

http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2009/12/shrinking-beaches/

Labels: "Shrinking Beaches", hawaii shoreline management, Honolulu City Council, Honolulu Weekly, Kailua Beach, public beach access, shoreline setbacks

Posted by richfigel at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Tim Vandeveer, one of our Beach Access allies, asked me to pass this along for "Talk Story 2" on Tues., Dec. 8, (6:30 - 9 PM) at Kahuku High School Cafeteria hosted by Defend Oahu Coalition:

This is the second in a series of Community Forums regarding the future of Turtle Bay. The City’s Department of Permitting and Planning is reportedly very close to issuing final subdivision permits to the developer at Turtle Bay which will allow him to move ahead with the outdated plan for five additional hotels and one thousand more resort condominiums. The State Supreme Court is set to hear Oral Arguments regarding the Keep the North Shore Country case asking for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

The existing property is formally changing owners this month, who are reportedly working on a new business model for the resort. This is a crucial time to get updated about the current situation. Efforts aimed at building on plans for preservation as well as sustainable land use enforcement at City and State levels will also be addressed. Notable speakers invited to attend include: Governor Lingle, Representatives Abercrombie and Hirono, Mayor Hannemann, Turtle Bay Advisory Working Group Chair Bill Paty, Senator Clayton Hee, Councilmember Donovan Dela Cruz and Interim Developer for Kuilima Resort Company Stanford Carr. The moderator for the evening will be Dee Dee Letts, a member of the Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board and longtime community activist.

If you want to Keep the Country Country, this is a must attend event!

Labels: Defend Oahu Coalition, Keep the North Shore Country, public beach access, Turtle Bay resort

Posted by richfigel at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Today's Star-Bulletin ran a good article about the continuing problem of oceanfront property owners making claims on the beach where it has naturally expanded, or by simply growing out vegetation to grab more land (as in the photo above, which was taken last year at Kailua Beach -- note the SPRINKLER HEADS in the plantings).

We have laws saying the beach belongs to the public up to the high water wash, but vegetation is also used to mark boundaries. We have State laws that say one thing, while the individual counties make their own shoreline setback rules. Meanwhile, due to State and county budget shortfalls, personnel are being laid off which means we have less enforcement of existing laws. And no one is really responsible for overseeing our shorelines and beaches -- the State and counties just pass the buck!

Here's the article link.

My wife and I took a walk along Kailua Beach this Thanksgiving weekend. Besides the five houses that are already being rebuilt closer to the water, there are at least two vacant lots where you can be sure new owners will also build right up to the legal setback because others have already done it, and they don't want their views blocked by neighbors who will rebuild closer to the ocean.

Say goodbye to the Kailua Beach we used to love. It's well on the way to becoming another narrow stretch of sand just like Lanikai or Kahala Beach thanks to selfish, short-sighted beachfront property owners who don't give a damn about their impact on Hawaii's beaches. And thank our State and county officials too for not doing anything about it.

Labels: Hawaii Independent. Lanikai Beach, Kahala Beach, Kailua Beach, public beach access, shoreline setbacks, shoreline vegetation, Star-Bulletin

Posted by richfigel at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post