"There is now, in progress, a full-on assault on the people of Hawaii, to privatize their public lands and turn Hawaii into one big amusement park for the rich"
Grass-Roots Hawaii Must Unite and Get Rid of the Ever-Widening Disease that Threatens Our State
Opinion
Kirk Caldwell is the mayor of Honolulu and spends a considerable amount of his time easily suckling at the teats of the rich who come to his city to amuse themselves with leisurely activity.
To some, Caldwell is the village idiot who somehow became mayor. Not too long ago he had the very popular beach-level showers at Diamond Head Beach torn down at the behest of the wealthy castle dwellers with property on the side of that iconic sacred spot. (Why do we let people privatize sacred places?) To be fair, Kirk is mostly clueless, but clueless is not an excuse for causing harm to a whole community. The beach showers at Diamond Head had been there for a half century, had served untold numbers of beach-goers over the years, had been a meeting place, a gathering place; ohanas got started there and so did businesses and the rekindling of old friendships. It was a place where new friendships were made, board designs discussed and great adventures were told, and the positive vibe of aloha always present.
It could be said that Kirk Caldwell is too distracted. And just as his ignorance about the gathering place that was the half-century-year-old beach shower and meeting place at Diamond Head has harmed and will continue to harm that community, his wider policies portend far more ominous consequences. To anyone paying attention at the time, Kirk’s Diamond Head decision was a red flag. The destruction of the showers was intended to rid the area of homeless. Instead, because there was no longer any traffic on that section of the beach, the homeless population exploded. One man attached his tent to the top of the remains of the now defunct shower.
Wealthy private interests have long ago gotten the message that Caldwell’s an eager dupe. And, to be sure, Kirk shall never want for the wealthy’s breast milk. He’s allowed the building of dozens of new high rises in his city – despite huge infrastructure shortcomings -- some with ridiculous variances that allow for out-sized heights and girths, blocking the cooling trades, the sun and the view of the rainbows in the mountains. The village idiot never sees the rainbows . . . only the growing number of teats being thrust at him with ever more ardor and alacrity.
So, tell me, Kirk, just who is Paani Kakou? It sounds wonderful, the children and all, except it just popped up out of nowhere, organized, rather hastily, and suddenly with more than $3 million in private funds to “donate” to the building of a one-acre playground for the rich, right smack in the middle of Ala Moana Regional Public Park, coincidentally directly across the street from the newly completed condo complex for the super wealthy, the one sitting squat on top of Ala Moana Center.
Children are beautiful and whatever we can do to encourage a happy childhood should be done. But do it sensibly and for the right reasons. Don’t build a high-class playground for the rich on public property where there is already way too little parking available, just because the rich across the street may be tempting you with a nipple.
The Paani Kakou playground idea needs a home and that home can easily be envisioned next to the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center at Kakaako. There are both park rangers and police presence there to assure a safe environment for the children and the location next to the Discovery Center is an ideal fit.
Kirk . . . um Kirk . . . can we interrupt for a moment . . . . Might this be a good time to work this playground idea into the Kakaako Community Development District Plan? (. . . he looks so placid there . . . we can’t ever be sure he’s listening)