|
Water Ways Ray Pendleton |
Legislature moving
on privatizationWith the recent completion of Hawaii's 2004 legislative session, I've got to hand it to our lawmakers. If they are trying to push the Department of Land and Natural Resources into marina privatization, they've done a pretty good job this year.
After all, the DLNR had asked for a $10 million general obligation bond issue to fund critically needed repair projects for its recreational boating facilities.
Instead, the legislature approved $9 million in revenue bonds which, as the Star-Bulletin's Diana Leone has reported, are a much more expensive method of financing.
"So much so that it might mean no bonds will be issued," Leone wrote.
Meanwhile, the facilities at all of our state-run marinas are disintegrating at an alarming rate, while the public's demand for boat slips grows exponentially.
In just the past year, Waikiki's Ala Wai harbor has seen more than 100 slips in its 750-slip marina condemned, while more than 600 boaters languish on its waiting list. Similar situations exist at Keehi Lagoon, Lahaina and Maalaea on Maui, and Honokohau in Kona.
But you don't have to take my word for it. Now there's a Web site -- www.HawaiiBoaters.org -- devoted to illuminating the reality of Hawaii's marinas. And that reality can't be something our visitors' bureau would care to advertise.
The creator of this site, Dennis Biby, along with posting digital images, has put up state auditor reports, DBOR reports, Boating Special Fund data and Freedom of Information Act procedures.
Biby has also linked media accounts from both of Honolulu's daily newspapers, Environment Hawaii, and letters and photos that appear on 'Lectronic Latitude' the Internet version of the sailor's bible, Latitude 38.
The site displays photos of the problems at each harbor, appropriate DBOR and DLNR contacts, and the state senators and representatives who should be concerned.
With the Web site and a Yahoo chat group (HawaiiBoaters), Biby intends to build a grassroots "barnacles up" effort to fix the harbors through a "two-pronged approach."
"First," Biby says, "DBOR must generate more revenue and spend the revenue wisely. Second, most of the harbors should be privatized.
"I cannot think of a single 'unique resource' the state brings to harbor management," Biby points out. "No general funds are allocated to the harbors."
Biby also notes that DBOR does not have a five-year plan to correct the problems, nor a plan to replace the lost slips in the Ala Wai harbor.
Meanwhile, he adds, those "nested" at the Ala Wai, living in cheap waterfront floating condos, become very loud when one mentions either fee increases or privatization.
What Biby is looking for is support from boaters who understand how much potential Hawaii has and who is willing to speak out in favor of the changes needed to achieve that potential.
So, by not giving DLNR what it wanted, perhaps our legislature has done recreational boaters a favor by finally making privatization the only acceptable alternative.
DLNR Director Peter Young told Leone, "We're looking at all the alternatives," including patching facilities that would be more efficiently replaced, finding federal money and reconsidering privatization of some state harbors.
I think Biby would agree that only the latter alternative seems to have what it takes to bring Hawaii boating facilities up to their potential.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Ray Pendleton is a free-lance writer based in Honolulu.
His column runs Saturdays in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached by e-mail at raypendleton@mac.com.