08-23-2007, 03:25 PM
I honestly don't see HSF being about transportation. I believe it's about tourist and resort development.
The ferry will add a new dimension to inter-island travel that has a low appeal to residents (cost, convenience, environmental concerns) but a load of appeal to the tourist industry. Imagine more affluent Ouahian who have a weekend place in Kona. Like the NYC rich who have the Hamptons. Or a tourist who can take a 2 day side trip to the Kona spas and resorts while not having to hassle with parking their rented Jeep at the airport and deal with TSA.
The people of the west side are longing for that atmosphere of mingling with the other half. Many probably moved here for the romantic tourist lifestyle they thought they would have. But they found the Kona/Kohala area to be barren of their version of a real Hawaii atmosphere. They can’t and won’t accept that it’s a barren desolate lava flow made up to appeal to their Spring Break fantasy. So they are creating the image of what Hawaii would be like if it were on a sound stage at Universal Studio. But they still can’t let go of their need for In n- Out Burgers, Starbucks, and Ikea. So the HSF is their ticket to tourist coming over on not a hustle and bustle airplane flight, but rather a party time in the lounge outing. (That's where HSF will make their money). These tourists will bring resort development, stores, arts and all the things they claimed they had to get away from on the mainland, but can’t seem to live without now that they are here.
The HSF is the beginning of the end of a Hawaii Island on the west side and the start of the Californiaising of Kona/Kahola. They can dress themselves up in flowered shirts, carry a ukulele, make up conversation to use every Hawaiian word they know, they can walk around with a orchid in their hair, and they can use the phrase Aloha till the sunburns away, but they will never accept Hawaii for Hawaii. It’s funny, you offer a west sider a cup of Kona coffee in a Styrofoam cup and they will turn it down. Offer them Porta-Pottie swill in a Starbucks cup and they will buy it on the spot. When they care more about the cup their coffee is in and not the coffee in the cup, California-Oregon-Washington has arrived!
Good thing is they consider Puna the "other side of the tracks" so they won't come over.
The ferry will add a new dimension to inter-island travel that has a low appeal to residents (cost, convenience, environmental concerns) but a load of appeal to the tourist industry. Imagine more affluent Ouahian who have a weekend place in Kona. Like the NYC rich who have the Hamptons. Or a tourist who can take a 2 day side trip to the Kona spas and resorts while not having to hassle with parking their rented Jeep at the airport and deal with TSA.
The people of the west side are longing for that atmosphere of mingling with the other half. Many probably moved here for the romantic tourist lifestyle they thought they would have. But they found the Kona/Kohala area to be barren of their version of a real Hawaii atmosphere. They can’t and won’t accept that it’s a barren desolate lava flow made up to appeal to their Spring Break fantasy. So they are creating the image of what Hawaii would be like if it were on a sound stage at Universal Studio. But they still can’t let go of their need for In n- Out Burgers, Starbucks, and Ikea. So the HSF is their ticket to tourist coming over on not a hustle and bustle airplane flight, but rather a party time in the lounge outing. (That's where HSF will make their money). These tourists will bring resort development, stores, arts and all the things they claimed they had to get away from on the mainland, but can’t seem to live without now that they are here.
The HSF is the beginning of the end of a Hawaii Island on the west side and the start of the Californiaising of Kona/Kahola. They can dress themselves up in flowered shirts, carry a ukulele, make up conversation to use every Hawaiian word they know, they can walk around with a orchid in their hair, and they can use the phrase Aloha till the sunburns away, but they will never accept Hawaii for Hawaii. It’s funny, you offer a west sider a cup of Kona coffee in a Styrofoam cup and they will turn it down. Offer them Porta-Pottie swill in a Starbucks cup and they will buy it on the spot. When they care more about the cup their coffee is in and not the coffee in the cup, California-Oregon-Washington has arrived!
Good thing is they consider Puna the "other side of the tracks" so they won't come over.