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April 10, 2009
American Spirit Sighted in Hawaii
Despite all the Hope and Change, America isn't dead yet. While bureaucrats wait to squander their cut of the stimulus boondoggle like dogs wagging their tails beneath the dining room table, private citizens attend to the work that needs to get done:
Their livelihood was being threatened, and they were tired of waiting for government help, so business owners and residents on Hawaii's Kauai island pulled together and completed a $4 million repair job to a state park — for free.
Polihale State Park has been closed since severe flooding destroyed an access road to the park and damaged facilities in December.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources had estimated that the damage would cost $4 million to fix, money the agency doesn't have, according to a news release from department Chairwoman Laura Thielen.
"It would not have been open this summer, and it probably wouldn't be open next summer," said Bruce Pleas, a local surfer who helped organize the volunteers. "They said it would probably take two years. And with the way they are cutting funds, we felt like they'd never get the money to fix it."
And if the repairs weren't made, some business owners faced the possibility of having to shut down.
Ivan Slack, co-owner of Napali Kayak, said his company relies solely on revenue from kayak tours and needs the state park to be open to operate. The company jumped in and donated resources because it knew that without the repairs, Napali Kayak would be in financial trouble.
"If the park is not open, it would be extreme for us, to say the least," he said. "Bankruptcy would be imminent. How many years can you be expected to continue operating, owning 15-passenger vans, $2 million in insurance and a staff? For us, it was crucial, and our survival was dependent on it. That park is the key to the sheer survival of the business."
So Slack, other business owners and residents made the decision not to sit on their hands and wait for state money that many expected would never come. Instead, they pulled together machinery and manpower and hit the ground running March 23.
And after only eight days, all of the repairs were done, Pleas said. It was a shockingly quick fix to a problem that may have taken much longer if they waited for state money to funnel in.
"We can wait around for the state or federal government to make this move, or we can go out and do our part," Slack said. "Just like everyone's sitting around waiting for a stimulus check, we were waiting for this but decided we couldn't wait anymore."
Meanwhile, our rulers scheme to shower fortunes upon mice (thanks to Nancy Pelousy) and a frivolous levitated rail service between Disneyland and Vegas (thanks to Harry Greed). Once again we see that whereas government excels at wallowing in corruption, free citizens allocate resources constructively.
On a tip from Thomas G.
Posted by Van Helsing at April 10, 2009 7:44 AM
Comments
What's the over/under for days until a Federal indictment for breaking some asshat law or other??
When you completely embarrass the government, they always strike back with nuclear force. Watch for it.
Posted by: chuck in st paul at April 10, 2009 7:57 AM
BTW...
they did file the proper environmental impact statements... right?
Posted by: chuck in st paul at April 10, 2009 7:58 AM
Mt thoughts exactly. No good deed ever goes unpunished especially if you've shown the bureauweenies that you don't need them.
Posted by: Bob at April 10, 2009 8:04 AM
Yeah, and the unions will probably be after the business owners for taking jobs that should have been done by their members.
Posted by: Kathleen at April 10, 2009 8:53 AM
Good for them!
However, I'd have to echo the others' concerns. The government probably won't be too happy with those people doing the repairs themselves and thus making the people in government look like the inept, incompetent fools that they are, they'll probably exploit some crappy legal loophole to punish the people who did it.
Posted by: Adam at April 10, 2009 10:52 AM
Or how long before it gets shut down because it doesn't meet one for any million or so "Government Safety" requirements
Posted by: msjake at April 10, 2009 10:57 AM
I am curious about the final cost of this project; I expect it to be under a million dollars.
Posted by: Henry at April 10, 2009 11:00 AM
8 Days to complete?!?!
And the gummint was going to spend 4 million on it.
Obviously they did not use the gold infused asphalt that the gummint prefers.
Posted by: Andrew at April 10, 2009 12:13 PM
I'll bet there wasn't a Liberal in the bunch!
Posted by: KHarn at April 10, 2009 12:22 PM
I vacationed in Kauai many years ago. Great exploring island. Nice to hear they showed the gubmint what for. Gubmint = $4 million, 2 years. Real People = Free, 8 days.
Posted by: Corona at April 10, 2009 3:48 PM
The SIERRA CLUB nincompoops is sure to sue over them alrering a wetland becuase the sierra club is stupid
Posted by: SPURWING PLOVER at April 11, 2009 8:22 PM
