Ige proposes scaled down State lava aid package

[Chunkster]

Today's lead article in the Hawaii News section of the Star-Advertiser is about Ige's proposed assistance package for Hawaii County. Although predictably short on specifics, there is a strong indication that some harsh reality is being imposed on Harry Kim's Christmas list. This could go behind the pay wall any moment, but here's a link:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/11/13...4d204ee164

Of course, Ige wants the Feds to pay a big part of the cost, and they will no doubt pay some of it. The most interesting, however, part was this quote from Ige:

“At the same time, I think the mayor and I agree that we would want to try and move new home-building or replacement home-building outside of Lava Zone 1 and 2 so at least the state and the county’s efforts can be geared toward something that would have less risk than really being right on that ridge line, right in that East Rift Zone.” (Emphasis mine.)

Ige drops this potential bombshell without a hint of how much it would cost or who will ultimately decide just how it would work. Ah, the devil is always in the details, and Ige has never been good at details . . . or much else. Perhaps some hard-noses in the legislature will step in and exert themselves.

[dan d]

Its allways easier to just talk about fixing the problems,and doing a study on them ,than to just fix them. Kim wont get his money. No one gives a damn about puna. Certainly not about water recreation.
Aloha


HPP

[glinda]

That sort of says it all, doesn't it?

HPIA was created by state in a knee jerk reaction to Kalapana burning and the insurance companies balking at the prospect of continuing to insure in hazardous areas. Where initially HPIA may have been for those already in place it became the blanket by which everyone covered their eyes and denied reality while encouraging further development high risk areas.

Now the state has to realize what the insurance companies did all those years ago.. it is untenable to promote, to invest in, to develop in volcanically active areas.

I am curious how this will trickle down to other areas... how this will effect further development in places like HOVE, which is very likely to be inundated sooner rather than later. And, when we look at the geology, we can take that even further as we realize that Hilo and Kona are also in natures destructive path.

I think living on Hawaii Island is great. I feel very lucky to have spent my life here. But I also feel it would serve us all better if government on all levels officially recognized the fact that the island is made up of volcanoes and some of them are very active.

To start, I think the USGS Map Showing Lava-Flow Hazard Zones, Island of Hawaii, available at https://pubs.usgs.gov/mf/1992/2193/ should be a central part of our planning and we should have codes developed specifically for each zone. Further we should have taxes that are collected and set aside to deal with each eventuality we face so as to (hopefully) mitigate the humbug caused by not being prepared when an eruption occurs. Then, maybe, we could have an awe inspiring act of nature that we all get to enjoy rather than a disaster.

I believe this would serve all of us much better than the hands off approach state and county applied when the USGS first published their Hazards Zone Map. Then everyone deferred to realtors, hoping they would represent the dangers in specific zones and the public would limit their own exposure and not move in mass into hazardous areas. This proved to not be the case. Realtors continued to push properties and buyers avoided taking the dangers seriously. And HPIA was the ticket that bought us all the dream that all would be fine...

[Frank]

move new home-building or replacement home-building outside of Lava Zone 1 and 2 ... Ige's/Kim's words

Seems to me a very none political/expedient move would be to abolish HPIA. Further discussion is not necessary...

[kalakoa]

we should have codes developed specifically for each zone

Declare the high-risk zones "campground", issue long-term "camping leases", only two requirements: 1. sanitation, 2. willing to evacuate and leave behind whatever you can't carry.

we should have taxes that are collected and set aside to deal with each eventuality we face

This sounds like "subsidy" to me: I shouldn't be forced to pay higher taxes because someone else decided to live in a disaster area.

Realtors continued to push properties and buyers avoided taking the dangers seriously. And HPIA was the ticket that bought us all the dream that all would be fine...

This sounds like "a scam". How are the realtors and HPIA not liable?

Funny thing, "mandatory disclosure" applies to "residential" real estate transactions, but all these "private" subidvisions are "agricultural". Maybe start with "mandatory disclosure" for ALL real estate transactions?

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

There are 169 active volcanoes in America. Many have residential areas around them, Puna is not unique in that regard.

There is another insurance program that makes HPIA look like chump change. The National Flood Insurance Program (subsidized by taxpayers in Puna) (http://www.punaweb.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25333&whichpage=5), pays out billions of dollars yearly to homeowners and businesses.

Puna is not nearly as hazardous as many other residential areas and not nearly as costly when disaster strikes. Will Ige propose the same building ban on Oahu when more frequent King Tides start washing out the foundations of multi-million dollar homes on the North Shore, or hotels in Waikiki? Or will a solution miraculously appear like a pearl in an oyster when legislators recognize, right there in front of them, an alternative "Oahu" only option?

[BillyB]

Will there be a building ban in California? It is a lot more dangerous than Puna.

"Versions of the recovery plan made public earlier this year included nearly $200 million to buy" (Harry Kim's) "property or compensate landowners" Star Advertiser

[Lolo]

Well, I imagine that property values in zone 2 just took a nose dive. Great work Ige!

[kalakoa]

It's all just words until they actually write a policy and/or deny someone a building permit.

[Obie]

"The National Flood Insurance Program (subsidized by taxpayers in Puna)"
How many people in Puna pay Federal Taxes ?
Most of the cost is paid for with premiums.
While they do allow rebuilding in some cases they finally put their foot down and say "No more"
My hometown in Ohio gets flooded almost every year.FEMA finally came in and issued an ultimatum.Either let us raise your houses up and build a 12 foot high concrete first floor that you can't use for anything,let us buy you out and demolish your home or you agree that you are on your own.
The Fire Dept used grants and FEMA money to move out of the flood zone.Most of the businesses were torn down.
A few home owners stayed as is and they just move their stuff to the 2nd floor when floods come.
2 or 3 were raised up and they look really weird.
Here is a link to the new fire house if you aren't afraid of Facebook. FYI this is a town of 2000 people and grants paid for all of this fine fire equipment.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/...924916130/