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According to surveys on the Kilauea Eruption Recovery website Puna is still recovering, no surprise there. I found the business portion quite bleak:
According to the survey:
* 49 businesses remain closed
* 22 were closed 4-14 months
* 18 were closed 1-3 months, eight were closed less than a month, and nine were closed less than two weeks.
* Seventy businesses did not close.
Thirty-two percent of businesses reported staying open but saw customer/market decline. Revenue declined for 75% of businesses, and 54% of businesses reported a decrease in customers.
Meanwhile:
* 63 businesses are considering closing permanently
* 44 are considering relocation.
The number of employees have also decreased post-eruption, according to the survey, from 1,317 to 918. Fifty-three percent of those businesses report that lost revenue is the reason for the decrease in employees.
https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2019/11/...ecovering/
We lost a significant portion of the population, especially in the Kapoho area, so it's probably not surprising businesses have felt a major impact.
Many of the vacation rentals are gone, and they brought in a large number of visitors who are no longer frequent Pahoa restaurants.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Puna is still recovering
A disaster-stricken area which has "recovered" no longer requires funding for "recovery"; Puna will be "recovering" for as long as funding is available, regardless of what the people actually want or need.
Consider:
According to Ley, the survey results will help inform the Recovery Strategic Plan. This will ensure that recovery strategies are aligned with community members’ visions for the future and long-term needs.
Translation: "they" have yet to write a recovery plan, despite having over a year to do so. Apparently lots of surveys were necessary to determine that the community's "long-term need" is to return home.
That "free" Federal recovery funding is starting to look pretty expensive.
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Don’t know what to call it, but recovery would not be among the words I would choose. Our house sits along with others on a Kipuka in the middle of a lava flow. Nothing has been done to restore access. We call at least weekly to various government agencies or any other group or association we might hear about. After a year and a half I would like to hear that there is some sort of effort being made. What we do hear is no plans or programs or funds are available to help us. Where is all that money?
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Nothing has been done to restore access.
That's exactly the point -- once enough people give up hope of returning home, the "recovery" will be complete.
It would be more honest and/or transparent if County simply stated "nobody will be allowed to live there anymore", but that creates a liability. If people move away on their own, that's their "choice".
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Unfortunately that is their game plan. They will spend millions mingling with the anti TMT crowd, but it not "worth the money" to spend 1/4 of that to build a road for, in their eyes "a handful of people". They would rather have them move out on their own so there is no payout, then "sell" the flow lands to VNP as an extension of the Park.
Meanwhile, many more are moving on, tourism is down and businesses are suffering because the politics suck and the crowd on the mountain are getting their way of sending the message haoles and their businesses go home!
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
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If people move away on their own, that's their "choice".
And if businesses close down because they don’t have enough customers, and business owners move, and the County loses tax dollars, those are even more choices, not less like some might suggest because our favorite stores disappeared.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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and the County loses tax dollars
Irrelevant: County can simply raise taxes. What are people going to do, move?
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What are people going to do, move?
The choices are overwhelming!
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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When I called the electric company to have power restored to the Kahukai Kipuka I was told in no uncertain terms that the electric company would never replace the lines to restore service to those homes. I asked what do they recommend? Private solar was their reply. I asked what about we pay for the replacement of the lines? Cost prohibitive at nine grand a pole and there would be 13 poles needed. Gee I thought they got money for lost and damaged power lines. If the county wants us to move so bad then do the respectable thing and buy us out. Oops. I forgot never use respectable and county government in the same sentence.
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Complaining here serves no usefull perpoise. How about u email and contact Kims office.
Every day say " how come u wont spend our money? Why must u hold it? Why do u hoard it so hard ,we loose use of the last 8 million because u stopped the money From being used?
Thats what our last congresswoman said. He has the tightest fist ever.
Aloha
Wish i could buldoze a road to ur house.
Aloha
HPP
HPP
