good news: less cruise ships for 2008

[PunaLover]

Pele's listening to my prayers............:0

KEEP PUNA RURAL

[jdirgo]

I doubt that the reduction in cruise ships will result in a significant drop in helicopter flights. The cruise ship tourists are usually bussed to the volcano.

John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Aloha Coast Realty, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.alohacoastrealty.com

[mella l]

Someone mentioned Hawaiian trinkets. Most trinkets I see are from foreign lands. What trinkets are there that are actually Hawaiian made. Made in Hawaii, is hard to find.

mella l

[PunaLover]

mella try made in hawaii.com, google it ..tons

KEEP PUNA RURAL

[lotus]

I have long believed that eco-tourism could save this economy. I know a lot of people don't like the cruise ships, but the fact is that if we made this area more tourist friendly, we would have more jobs and more money to play with. Not that I'm condoning turning us into another Kona or Maui, but some affordable attractions could be a good thing for us. Especially if we could play up the eco-tourism part of it. If visitors come here and see that we care about our environment enough to share it with others, then they will care too.

I know a lot of people on this side of the island are resistant to change, but some changes are good, even if you are scared.

[Hotzcatz]

The "Pride of Hawaii" is supposed to be renamed and sent to Norway next year so we will have one less local cruise ship.

Less cruise ships is a good thing. Our economy is way too dependent on tourism - we need to base it on something we produce instead or some sort of skilled work instead of low paying service jobs. If folks are working a skilled trade or producing something of value, the state will garner more revenues than they get from people paying income tax on minimum wage service worker jobs. Do the cruise ship workers pay into the state revenue system? Do the ships pay anything other than docking fees and resupply?

[mella l]

The Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980s was a wave of savings and loan association failures and I think will make the current abuses in the mortgage markets look tame from all I'm reading. Wonder if the government will bail out mortgage lenders, as they did the S&L Industry? Somehow with a war chest to backfill on outrageous credit debt, I'm not thinking that is going to happen.

loffelkopffl hope I'm wrong but I suspect that the 1/3 estimate of decreased cruise ship visits is way to optimistic. People's ability to live high off of their equity has come to an end and it is time to pay the piper. No need to panic, just be prepared to grow your own for some time in the not to distant future?

Thanks for the google info Petah, I'll check it out. Point was so much you see, proportionately is made in Phil., Chin, ect.


mella l

[mella l]

Some of the people I have talked to on island are raising families. They want to keep Puna rural, not emphasis tourism as such. Their idea is to expand the sports venue, soccer, canoe, hiking, hula type endeavors and Eco and farming education areas to boost the local economy. Like expanding on the astronomy angle and such.

I was excited at one time to see a Bamboo company in Puna and wanted to visit it at one time, only to find out they don't accept visitors. Sustainable, buildable, good art and products available.

http://bamboofinearts.com/

http://www.gaiayoga.org/nursery/


mella l

PS even towling, clothing and bed sheets are made out of bamboo these days! Renewable.

Edited by - mella l on 11/20/2007 17:16:02