a more substantive disagreement about a meaningful topic

[AaronM]

MONORAIL!

[kalakoa]

I've long believed that if we're supposed to drive to Hilo for everything all the time, then "they" should give us enough roads to do it with.

If that's not happening, fine, allow commercial development in Pahoa until people don't have to drive to Hilo all the time.

Doing nothing while continuing to issue building permits and collect property taxes is worse than criminal. "Community Development Plans" and "listening sessions" and "surveys" are just adding insult to injury.

[Puna Grace]

Clearly we need a Costco in Pahoa.  Try disagree

[Wao nahele kane]

I've long believed that if we're supposed to drive to Hilo for everything all the time, then "they" should give us enough roads to do it with.

If that's not happening, fine, allow commercial development in Pahoa until people don't have to drive to Hilo all the time.

Doing nothing while continuing to issue building permits and collect property taxes is worse than criminal. "Community Development Plans" and "listening sessions" and "surveys" are just adding insult to injury.

Another exampleas to why COH should be broken down to several counties that are current districts or combinations of districts that become smaller counties. The smaller counties should be formed to better reflect an areas geographic matters. 
The West side of the island shares drought and water concerns. The north Side widard slopes share different concerns from West side of Island, Kilauea region has a very active volcano for focuses that vastly differ from west side and northern windard side. The higher elevations upon Mauna Kea/Loa have their own focuses and the South side of the island has its own focuses. 

Some claim smaller counties divides the island culturally but that isn't true, a counties function should be focused on its own unique infrastructure needs, not it's culture. Cultures develope over vast regions and establishes its own destiny by the greater collective and shouldn't be engineered by a county.  A county role should only be infrastructural focused and that would be inclusive of general law enforcement, as such things are infrastructural related matters.

[Punaperson]

Puna Grace: Clearly we need a Costco in Pahoa. Try disagree.

I semi-disagree, only because I don't want to see even more traffic on the Kea'au - Pahoa jam.

I know the long-time rumor was that Costco was planning to open a store at Shipman, largely because it was cheaper than Hilo proper, but still had good highway access from the harbor for all the containers it would need. Then I heard either that the Kitagawa family ( KTA / Chamber of Commerce ) stopped it, or that Costco headquarters did the math and found they would lose almost half the revenues of the Kona store if people weren't forced to drive to the other side. Has anyone heard anything lately ?

[kalakoa]

a counties function should be focused on its own unique infrastructure needs

Agree in principle -- the Big Island should be at least 2 counties, ideally 4 -- but it's irrelevant so long as the State is focused on Oahu. Neighbor islands should be their own State, or they should have a special arrangement that enables them to accept Federal infrastructure dollars without Oahu's "help".
Too many people like it just the way it is, so I'm not expecting any changes.

[Puna Grace]

I semi-disagree, only because I don't want to see even more traffic on the Kea'au - Pahoa jam


I can certainly agree with the reason for your "semi".  It took us 1.5 hours to get from Safeway to Pahoa the other evening.  Granted we had no business driving at that hour but sometimes life just happens.   Shipman works...

Wait, am I being too agreeable?