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Gypsy's comments do make me wonder: How much of the pushback against the TMT on Mauna Kea might come from a mistaken impression that someone somewhere will be making truckloads of money from the TMT once it is operational - i.e. that running an observatory is somehow a profitable enterprise.
As someone upthread mentioned, the Dakota Access Pipeline and the TMT are drastically different in that one stands to make some already rich people even richer in monetary terms, while the other stands to make all humanity richer in terms of knowledge.
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someone somewhere will be making truckloads of money from the TMT once it is operational
For sufficiently small "truckloads of money", that "someone-somewhere" could have been us: construction contracts, GET on the materials, some payroll tax, maybe a bit more tourism...
The losses will be more subtle: if TMT fails, we will be lucky to see any outside investment that doesn't fit an existing commercial/retail space, no corporation will dare to break ground to build their own anything.
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kalakoa:
I think BS and ignorance have been mentioned here a time or two.
FWIW, I fully agree with you - and thank you for again stating what should be to obvious to all.
I guess some people can't grasp the idea of government or institutional non-profit funding?[
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government or institutional non-profit funding?
We have that: an institution is using government to drive away non-profit funding.
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I've given up on Hawaii and common sense from people around here. I'm just lucky that I made some good decisions in Oregon, that brings in some $$ for me here. As I wouldn't start up any type of business here, other than maybe a farmers market or some other kind of local market.
Other wise, I dunno how would survive here. Probably just go back to the mainland... You don't have to look far, to see that business and progress isn't welcomed here much. Heck we can't even seem to get our act together to get a weed dispensary in place, even when investments have been made and no one is protesting it (yet)...
When UH has to raise credit prices to go to college and trump pulls any government funding, I wonder about the future of people around here and how they might find or job or even worse afford any type of education. With that, maybe a lot more cuts will come to UH making it unattractive to even come study here. I fear it will be a big domino effect that is already a fine balancing act to make work what we got already.
Interesting times ahead for sure, for everyone. As for other countries not wanting TMT, we are spoiled brats compared to other countries that can't even find clean drinking water.... They will bow down to TMT. Hopefully tourism can somehow pick up the slack and rich "transplants" will move in and keep some vital funds coming in.
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Hopefully tourism can somehow pick up the slack
Sounds like "development", which is basically not allowed here.
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regardless, the ships and people coming in from the kona side do help some.
But, yes, I know we won't be getting any resorts on this side for a long time, nor a costco.
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kalakoa: @ 15:25:43
ericlp: @ 15:20:48
Yes and yes.
I am considering leaving- a major landholder walked away from my proposal for some local specialized manufacturing-
so we don't have to ship and fly everything in- rent and purchase and permitting costs too high and difficult.
I'm done.
Then see Big Island Video News today about resistance to infrastructure to support organic farming here in Paneawa- the environmental questions are perhaps justified, Hawaiian Homelands and all, but when Cascadia and San Andreas go- what about food among other things?
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local specialized manufacturing-
Do you import some of the raw materials from overseas? Have you looked into the Foreign Trade Zone manufacturing & warehouse building near the Hilo airport?
“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
