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"full-spec" road (40-foot paved on 60-foot easement), which doesn't solve the problem...
Actually, this hits at a very important technical aspect of the discussion of "alternate" routes: "full-spec" is not the only option.
Flexibility in Highway design is a USDOT policy (i.e., Fed$$ can be used)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/flex
Making everything illegal such that a segment of the population is permanently noncompliant doesn't really help anything -- especially when those people are also taxed for the privilege.
It is the way it is. And that ain't good
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Flexibility in Highway design is a USDOT policy (i.e., Fed$$ can be used)
1. "...and Federal rules always supercede State or County..."
2. "Unless the State avoids the problem by simply not spending Federal dollars."
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Making everything illegal and then selectively enforcing the law is a great way to run things: you always have tools at your disposal to get rid of the "trouble makers".
If we're really trying to fix things, we should concentrate on creating the types of opportunity and infrastructure that will help Puna create its own wealth, instead of improving drive times to underpayed service jobs in Hilo. That means Internet, education, anchor institutions that draw money into the district, zoning changes to allow village type shops into ag neighborhoods, tax/regulation suspension/simplification and legal safe harbors for small businesses.
We have to rise up from within, or we will eventually be crushed or pushed out.
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In the meantime, during the 20-40 years it takes to make that happen, thousands of people spend an extra hour or two a day stuck in traffic. Not everyone making that commute works in "service jobs" either, many of the people I know who commute to Hilo for work have decent family wage jobs, just not high enough paying jobs to spend $300,000 on a house in Hilo.
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quote:
Originally posted by randomq
Making everything illegal and then selectively enforcing the law is a great way to run things: you always have tools at your disposal to get rid of the "trouble makers".
If we're really trying to fix things, we should concentrate on creating the types of opportunity and infrastructure that will help Puna create its own wealth, instead of improving drive times to underpayed service jobs in Hilo. That means Internet, education, anchor institutions that draw money into the district, zoning changes to allow village type shops into ag neighborhoods, tax/regulation suspension/simplification and legal safe harbors for small businesses.
We have to rise up from within, or we will eventually be crushed or pushed out.
Agreed, items like lava being the grand caveat emptor. The government needs to accomodate, perhaps provide exemptions from the usual permit process.
***Still can't figure out how to spell 'car' correctly***
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They could move walmart and or safeway/ target out to Keaau that would relieve some traffic congestion.. and it would draw business to the other small businesses. I dont think we would miss it in Hilo.( Since puna has just as many people now as hilo and north hilo combined).. or soon will have. ..as seen here..
http://i.imgur.com/6TASYTH.jpg
..And the people bowed and prayed... to the neon God they made...
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items like lava being the grand caveat emptor. The government needs to accomodate
There are plenty of human habitations around the world near volcanoes, in the Pacific Rim, Caribbean, and Central America for instance. Puna is not unique in this instance. The difference might be that in 3rd world counties it truly is buyer beware, but in civilized nations like Japan residents of volcanic islands are provided with generous monitoring and assistance should there be an eruption.
The US federal government also has no qualms about building under a volcano. Look at the billions they spent to construct Clark Air Force Base under Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. They had no problem billing taxpayers for base construction, maintenance, and staffing. A news story from 1991:
About 15,000 American service personnel, dependents and civilians were ordered early today to evacuate Clark Air Base, one of the largest U.S. bases overseas... Rand said the evacuation of Clark was ordered "due to a slight increase of volcanic activity" overnight.
http://articles.latimes.com/1991-06-10/n...k-air-base
Yes, "a slight increase in volcanic activity overnight." Remember what became of that understatement? If you're a taxpayer you should, you paid for it.
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
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If we're really trying to fix things, we should concentrate on creating the types of opportunity and infrastructure that will help Puna create its own wealth, instead of improving drive times to underpayed service jobs in Hilo.
Basically what I've been saying all along ... at which point the "country livin'" folks chime in with the whole "don't turn everything into Los Angeles".
Ironically, ubiquitous broadband would create economic opportunity without increasing the number of trips to town -- apparently people would rather sit in traffic, because it keeps the "development" away from their house.
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In my opinion all the anchor businesses and zoning changes that the Punites want is all somehow controlled by Shipman and the companies attitude that Puna is still inhabited by "poor farm help" and they must visit the "company store" (his land, his developments) in order to survive. This is also why no PMAR because it would bypass the "company store".
Best way to start I see is neighborhood co-ops working clandestinely trading/bartering between themselves and other clusters around each co-op to keep food stocks full, with money in the bank from not having to buy into either the long drive to Hilo, or to the "new downtown". You may have a veggie garden, the neighbor has eggs from chickens, Ed down the street raises fryers, on and on.This method also stunts the advancement of a strip mall for every community, slowly becoming as densely populated as downtown Hilo, in my opinion.
Community begins with Aloha
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anchor businesses and zoning changes that the Punites want is all somehow controlled by Shipman
It's not just Shipman -- there are a handful of others well-served by this -- but yes, this is basically exactly how it works.
neighborhood co-ops working clandestinely trading/bartering between themselves and other clusters
Pretty sure this kind of thing is already happening...
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