Welcome to Hawaii’s New Dystopian Paradise

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing in Honolulu-By-The-Sea International Airport in just a few minutes.  Please have your temporary QR-code visitor ID card ready for scanning at the exit.  AI-enabled cameras, provided by Hewlitt-Banes Corporation, in a public-private partnership, will verify your identity when you scan and your activities will be closely monitored as you move through the departure process and out into the streets of one of the world's great amusement park environments.  Those of you who want to surf, fish, dive, or boat in Hawaii, please make sure that you obtain the correct QR-coded ID from your accommodations staff.  Have fun!"

There is legislation pending in the Senate right now, courtesy of Suzanne Case's DLNR, that, if passed, will allow the uncontested leasing of near-shore submerged public lands to private, for-profit, corporate interests.  (SB1258) (HB1032)  With the passing of this legislation, a new precedent will be set.  State of Hawaii operatives will be in a position to lease, unchallenged, our submerged-land public assets in the name of a so-called public-private partnership with for-profit corporations.  The "public-private partnership" is code for leasing Hawaii's public assets to private, for profit, companies, essentially allowing for the privatizing of public ocean recreation lands (submerged and dry), and even parks, hiking trails, and anything else that was left in trust by our forefathers for the purpose of public access.  Once leased, these properties become private, the privacy enforceable under the law.

Once the new precedent has been established, the new Hawaii experience of the 21^st century will be one in which every public asset will be leased, essentially owned, controlled by, and profited from by private interests in this bizarre "public/private partnerships" scheme. In the not too distant future, access to public areas will depend on who you are and how much money you’re willing to pay.

Welcome to the world’s first dystopian paradise: Hawaii, the State turned amusement park.  Cameras with facial recognition technology will be everywhere, coming to you courtesy of corporations participating in new "public-private partnerships" that will freely allow them to track the activity of Hawaii’s residents and visitors, in return for sharing that data with now-bloated State agency representatives who really won't have much do except order nicer office furniture and wait for retirement. 

Use of once-public ocean recreation parks and ocean environments will now be heavily managed by private, for-profit interests.  Surfing in paradise will take on a strange, new twist.  The hotels will lease the submerged lands (surf spots) out in front of their properties and will make them accessible, on a prioritized basis, first dibs going to hotel guests. If there is any room left over in the lineup (closely monitored by jet-skied private enforcement, with black Lycra ninja-like uniforms, and overhead drones with AI enabled cams), then those from the public with big bucks will be allowed to catch some waves.  Make sure your QR coded wrist band stays on.  No wrist band, no surfing.  Special drone-mounted AI-enabled wireless cameras will keep you under constant surveillance.

In the new dystopian environment, you can be sure that some enterprising corporation will lease all of the submerged lands on Oahu’s North Shore.  You want to surf Pipe?  Hope you’ve got big bucks, because that’s what it will take. It would be mere pocket change for big multi-nationals to snap up all of the near-shore dry-land and submerged frontage on the North Shore and turn the whole thing into a tourist zoo, with privileged-only access to their new private property that sits under the surf spots there.

And the fisherman that go out to the Banks to fish?  Sorry guys, the same corporate interests that want to crowd out Molokai with zero-lot-line insanity will have just leased all of the submerged land on the Banks.  You’d better have your Access Card ready (and current!) to show the private police forces riding around off-shore Molokai with ominous looking high-speed enforcement vessels, 50-cal mounted on the fore deck.  Yeah, I know it would be a lot cheaper just to go to Nikos for fish, but hey, you didn’t grumble when the legislature was making it cozy for the rich guys.

And you guys using the launch ramps:  first of all, don’t look now but there are corporate-subsidized AI-powered cameras watching your every move.  Your QR sticker showing that you paid the huge launch-ramp monthly fee better be current, or expect a quick visit from the large, privately funded peace officers.

Right now, the present legislation (SB1258) that is considering allowing unrestricted leasing of submerged lands in Hawaiian waters is only addressing near-shore harbors – that’s, EVERY harbor in the State of Hawaii.  But if this legislation passes, then it’s a tiny leap to legislation that would allow the leasing of all submerged lands in the State of Hawaii.  And make no mistake: there are PLENTY of takers for that little piece of gold, and lots of follow-the-money opportunities for our legislators to make sure their corporate benefactors are kept happy.

So, somewhere in the future, as I’m eating my veggie avocado and grilled cheese sandwich on Naan bread over in Kaakako, on special today for $45,  in full view of two (maybe three, one hidden?) AI-enabled cameras, I think back on what a beautiful community we used to have here. As a keiki growing up, it was a place for everyone, for the community, for my ohana. I sit and wonder now, why have we allowed Hawaii’s leadership to even think about handing over our public assets to for-profit corporate interests.  Why have we sold out; why have we allowed them to purchase our beautiful Hawaii Nei.

. . . Uh oh . . . sorry, I have to go . . .   here come two ominous looking private security cops, walking in my direction . . .  I’m feeling around frantically for my public-private partnership State-mandated QR-coded picture ID card . . .  .  (gotta stay calm . . .)

See our article: Hawaii is NOT an Amusement Park

Still thinking about no grumble?  Hey, no worries, I hear that the mainland is taking refugees now . . .  on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Here is a place where you can search for pending legislation, 2019.  Use your "Find On this Page" search option in your browser to look for key words like DLNR, Submerged Lands, etc.  https://legiscan.com/HI/legislation/2019

Here is just one of several current legislation proposals, out of several, that may be of interest:

SB1258 (Intro)
Allows the Board of Land and Natural Resources (Board) to lease any existing state boating facility in its entirety, and fast lands and submerged lands within any existing state boating facility, by public auction, request for proposals, or direct ne...
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Reference material:
Click here and then scroll down to Erik's testimony.
Click here for more on this subject from Hawaii Ocean News ("Hawaii is NOT An Amusement Park")