State wants tourists to pay fees at 8 parks - Hawaii News

I live in Massachusetts so I've occasion to try out the beaches on Cap Code. One thing I found most annoying and unfriendly is their admission prices. Residents can purchase season passes but the "tourist" has to pay. So there's no such thing as just plopping on the sand for a few hours; you really need to plan on a full day to justify the cost.(or go late in the day after the money collectors go home).

I tell people that Hawaii doesn't sell its beaches--all are welcome.(I know Hanauma is the exception.) Although I plan to move back to Hawaii soon and so I might come under the resident waiver, I still think sticking it to anyone is a bad idea.(If you're going to charge for Haena & Hapuna, why not Ala Moana & Waikiki???-- crazy!!)

don't give them any ideas. they just might charge for those parks and MORE. suprised foundations, trusts, or similiar have not been set up for such perpetual parks decades ago.

These Bozos are just like Obummer and his clowns in Clowngress; they are hell bent on destroying the economy. Hawaii IS a tourist economy, tourists ARE going to balk at the exorbitant taxes and fees, and tourists ARE going to go elsewhere...duh!'Nuff said...

The State of Hawaii is lusting for more money and they're going to dig themselves a hole they can't crawl out of. I say cut the pork(the liberal goverment and their wages and programs) and start making Hawaii more reasonable for our visitors so they'll open thier wallets. Why should the taxpayers always foot the bill? Look what they did with our money bailing out the "Banks," so what they do? Raise everyone's interest rates on everyones loans and credit cards, have anyone notice? They should've given the people the money, it was their's to begin with and for surely the banks would've gotton their money, cause who wants bills of. Food for thoughts, malama pono. Hawaii its time to make everything "Pono!"

When they get a whiff of the pilau restrooms they would want their money back. It's true that capital improvements and maintenance such as painting may need more money, but would that new cash disappear down the same corruption hole as the no-show janitors?

Right on, Thielen. Right on.

Like your mom, the original "Go Green" but distinguished from todays crowd because she had class, you demonstrate the acumen, brilliance and foresight to take these steps to correct the situation.

We all know foreign freeloaders dock and bring their grunge into our harbors,(taking advantage of the Democrat look the other way so long as they and their pals get cash while the harbors and parks fall apart).

Bad enough Hawaii is overpopulated with "local" immigrant descendant freeloaders already (see OHA's Kau Inoa sham), what we need is to deter recent foreign freeloaders OR exact a fee, for their use of our resources.

Go get 'em, Thielen.

Did any one think to do a proper cost benefit analysis?
It is pretty obvious it would cost far more to build a building which would house the person(s) taking the fees, then pay a person with benefits, establish the bookkeeping, establish the credit-card link , have a vault for the cash locked up overnight safely (as a bank would not be open to take a deposit at close of day) etc. It would cost about $500,000 plus per location.
And for what?$100 to $150 a day a location during high tourist season. So you will never recoup your investment as the labour costs have already outstripped your income. Capital costs will never be repaid. Maybe make sure the kids are in school more so someone in gov't can learn the math.

Randy wrote:

Did any one think to do a proper cost benefit analysis?
It is pretty obvious it would cost far more to build a building which would house the person(s) taking the fees, then pay a person with benefits, establish the bookkeeping, establish the credit-card link , have a vault for the cash locked up overnight safely (as a bank would not be open to take a deposit at close of day) etc. It would cost about $500,000 plus per location.
And for what?$100 to $150 a day a location during high tourist season. So you will never recoup your investment as the labour costs have already outstripped your income. Capital costs will never be repaid. Maybe make sure the kids are in school more so someone in gov't can learn the math.

This is NOT Canada. This is the United States of America (with flourishes of Third World Despotism).

Eh, Randy, Hawaii going high tech. Maybe you huhu because you no qualify for credit card because you never know the math for pay your bill.

Yes, living in the 21st century has its benefits. Get one. Clues are free.

I've always seen a common thread about raising taxes in Hawaii, it's tax the bread and butter that feeds us. The state the country is in at this time is across the country, not only Hawaii. If you've saved everything you have to come to Hawaii, it's a shame you're not going to be able to afford to see the beauty that is Hawaii without paying for it. The very rich don't visit Hawaii, they only visit the hotels and resorts, so we're not going to be collecting anything from them. So let's charge the average tourist so much to see the natural Hawaii, that they'll not come at all. Good plan for a future.

How about a cover charge to enter Hawaii :)

When I visit Hawaii, I enjoy coming to the various parks. I understand that it takes money to maintain and improve these facilities and I think the price is in line with many other state parks around the country. My concern though is as I have become more educated on Hawaii politics and government, I have never seen a government that destroys business, recreation, and economic opportunity with such a massive amount of red tape and hoops to jump through, all of which encourage litigation when it is not followed. So if I am going to pay money to make sure the parks stay nice, I expect my money to go to that purpose and that purpose alone.

When Thielen says she's going to conduct hearings on a pending decision that really means the decision has been made and she's just going through a dog and pony show to make the public feel like they're involved.
Maybe if DLNR wasn't tweeting on twitter and buying assault weapons for its officers it might have more for the things that Thielen craves.

That's so clever, huh? Like tourism isn't in bad enough shape? Seems like they do not have the ability to see the elephant in the room!

Having to pay for to enter parks is definitely going to deter my friends and I from coming back to Hawai'i. The thing i loved about hawai'i was that everything touristy was so close to each other by car. One could hop into a car and in 15 minutes be at one spot, hop back into the car and in another 10 minutes be at another tourist location. Unfortunetly, everything in Hawai'i is all about money now, such as Waikiki. If i wanted to shop at gucci and tiffany's and other highend stores i can't afford, i'd stay on the mainland.

One of the reasons Hawai'i is suffering right now is that they catered too much to the upper end of the social ladder, now that we are in a recession, even average income people like me don't want to come to hawai'i.

If you Keep raising the fee's for tourists.... the tourists will stay at home in record numbers....

Why can't you have workout crews from the prison system, have the judges request community service, that alone should reduce a large part of the budgetof the park systems.

Haven't you figured it out yet, why can't you raise it equally.

So they want to charge $5 for Akaka Park, where your car gets vandalized when nobody is around? Maybe the money collecter can guard the parking lot too.

never liked this treating people different

we are one Nation!

treat everyone equal --- please!

Dan wrote:

Having to pay for to enter parks is definitely going to deter my friends and I from coming back to Hawai'i. The thing i loved about hawai'i was that everything touristy was so close to each other by car. One could hop into a car and in 15 minutes be at one spot, hop back into the car and in another 10 minutes be at another tourist location. Unfortunetly, everything in Hawai'i is all about money now, such as Waikiki. If i wanted to shop at gucci and tiffany's and other highend stores i can't afford, i'd stay on the mainland.
One of the reasons Hawai'i is suffering right now is that they catered too much to the upper end of the social ladder, now that we are in a recession, even average income people like me don't want to come to hawai'i.

don't blame you one bit

and you are correct --- you are not wanted here by recent bafoon-type planners

aloha is disappearing and the new model is for high end corporate entrapment

on the other hand ----$100 million bonds are defaulting

and there model may be breaking --- we just might have to go back to old style aloha

but

Maybe they should charge those park squatters a fee for their squatting space and also charge a parking fee for their shopping carts.

Another example of Hawaiian discrimination against their primary source of income.
No wonder Cozumel and Cancun are taking the U.S. tropical tourist dollar away from one of OUR 50 states.