Should we have towns on the Big Island?

[kalianna]

Iʻd like to know what people think about this.  Pahoa Town?  HPP Town?

https://tamhunt.medium.com/why-hpp-shoul...0422af46c0

[randomq]

I agree with the double taxation aspect. Fuel taxes as well. But even more important, I think towns should have control over their own zoning and building code/permit regimes. No county or state overrides. Small businesses and affordable housing would proliferate.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I think I’ve posted this before, I grew up in a small town with the population of HPP.  We had a downtown, half dozen gas stations, banks, churches, multiple grocery stores and small mom and pop grocery stores.

With a self governing HPP town we would finally get out of the plantation era of large land holders running company stores in their shopping centers, while blocking commercial zoning and development in land still under their control.  

We live in a land of serfs not surf.

[MyManao]

Iʻd like to know what people think about this.  Pahoa Town?  HPP Town?
https://tamhunt.medium.com/why-hpp-shoul...0422af46c0

I like Tam’s zeal.. his idealism.. and still..

I think the question to ask is, what does HPP want? And, if it is to be self supporting, how much would it cost? I can hear, imagine, the list of things that might be included, but have to wonder, what would each 'tax payer' have to ante up to actually make them happen? They call them substandard subdivisions for a reason. How much would it cost to 'standardize' HPP? 

I don't think abandoning the unified building code would be advisable.. I don't think reverting back to a B&B free-for-all would be advisable.. and I do think there's enough rabble rousers in each 'community' to make chaos the norm.. so have to wonder, what would really be gained when all is said and done?

Also, while we’re talking it through, who gets the property taxes? They still go to County, right? So what pile of money is there? Does a ‘city’ or 'township’ now pile on additional taxes to the home owner, as HPP and others do with road fees already? How much would those 'road' fees go up, x2, x3, x4? And what happens after a crisis? Who cleans up, puts things back to rights? It seems State carried a large chunk of the burden after the Lahaina fire. And now with FEMA being defunct, could HPP carry its own?

What would State think? The 'if you want it it's yours' model only works if you can afford to pay the freight. If HPP, having a larger and more affluent user base can make a modest stab at success, what would happen to the smaller, less affluent subdivisions?

And, of course, Tam in his hopes to facilitate such a change, will require the consensus of the political body he hopes to join to accomplish it. So one has to ask, how many votes will he have to give to other's pet projects before he can get theirs for his? Government is a process of consensus, right? And Tam, in order to build up enough political capital to swing big changes like this one, would have to give a lot, methinks. Personally I like his ideas, but think they are way too far a stretch for the sandbox in which he wants to play. 

In practical terms change comes it steps, especially political change in a state that is as entrenched as is ours. Those boys have the deck stacked. And some starry eyed gonna change the world kine guy from the ghettos ain't got a chance in the big picture unless he can build the alliances he’ll need to make them. Baby steps.. 

I wonder what his hoped for seniors think? What would Joy have to say on the matter?

A goal, an achievable goal, if I were to suggest one, that could ultimately lead to big changes such as these, might be getting us the right to a referendum. Tam talks about what other states have and can do and we aren't even able to add proposed legislation to the state ballot. But if we could.. which I think is a worthy and achievable goal.. maybe we, the people, would want to add that kine stuff. But for one guy to come out of the gate and ask for wholesale changes.. that would be a hard sale methinks. Whereas once the electorate could fashion legislation all sorts of stuff becomes possible.

[kalianna]

That pretty well sums up my own conundrum about this. And underlying all of it, I think the Honolulu Honchos might make mincemeat out of him. Which is not to say I donʻt want to give him a chance.

[leilanidude]

Anywhere this has happened, taxes on those residents went up due to duplication of services. Would this new HPP town want their own police, fire, water, road department, etc.? Assume that the mayor, council all want to be paid as well. The list is endless.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Would this new HPP town want their own police, fire, water, road department, etc.?

We pay for police, it takes an hour to an hour and a half to respond. So we pay for police but in effect have no police.
Fire, we have a small department that seems adequate.
Water, we have no water. Except to 21st at the fire department.
Road, we already pay road fees every year.