10-10-2006, 05:58 AM
quote:
Aaron
I expect the realigned road to look much like the Puainako St. extension. I won't deny it's convenience as I used it too. I think that is probably a worthwhile shortcut. As a whole I would just repave the original saddle road and otherwise leave it the way it is. On both of my last visits I was there for a month and received a fairly good understanding of the job and traffic situation. I learned I don't want anything to do the congestion of Kona. I have some understanding of the job and housing issues. However, I feel that it is poor planning to encourage, by road construction or any other method, workers having long commutes. There should be some government led efforts to bring some jobs back to the East side. There should also be government led efforts to encourage affordable housing for workers on the Kona side. Left alone, supply and demand will resolve some of the worker/housing issues but that method alone would be painful for some families. Improving Saddle Road will have the opposite effect.
A side note that may not be relevant; When I was moving back to Fla. to take an identical job to the one I had in St. Louis I took a 15% pay cut. It was explained to me that it was a sunshine deduction. A pay reduction due to S. Fla. being a desirable location to work in, which resulted in employers being able to pay less. The old supply and demand thing. Added to that was higher S. Fla housing costs. I still took the job. I still work multiple jobs.
S. FL Islander to be
In a perfect world maybe! So all the tourists and the jobs that go with should come to east HI?
Kona side has been in need of workers for many,many years I haven'nt seen anything working its self out yet.Except East islanders getting sick of being paid minimum wage decide they have to do the 2 + hour commute to get more money just to afford east hi.
Or you want folks to move to kona and leave their ohanna so they have to pay a stranger big bucks to watch the keiki instead of tutu.
How about all the shipping trucks and service vehicles (how many times has one of those wiped out going around the gulches)using double the gas bacause they have to drive around the island.
Yes the gov. already has plans for affordable housing on kona side(@300k is what the gov. calls affordable ha!)but its only a tiny bandaid.
Even the hotels are trying to do employee housing.
You did not explain how you think "improving saddle rd will have the opposite effect"?
I can assure you not to many Kona folks will be comming over to Hilo side why would they.
When ever I go to Kona side everyone I meet is from Hilo side the beaches are loaded with Hilo folks so I guess we should all just stay on the Hilo side?
Fixing saddle rd will make the trip to kona side take 45 minutes instead of 2+ hours.
Did you know that on the East side my husbands commute to Hilo from HPP (about 15 miles) takes 45 minutes.But I guess in your logic he should just find a job in his subdivision. I'll let the co. know you want them to develope and build in puna so folks don't have to commute.
So why are you using the road when you don't think anyone else should? Isn't east Hi enough for you?
For the record while I am all for paving saddle I am not for the military base it just seems insane setting off explosives on a active volcano.
I am sure the gov. and feds have plenty of money to fix the roads if they wanted to.