Sorry I've been MIA of late as far as Beach Access posts and updates. There have been developments -- developers want to build closer to the water in Waikiki, and expand the Turtle Bay Resort still. The Kailua Beach "Master Plan" came out, and all it did was say what others have said over the past few years about what should be done... but won't be, because it's just another study that will be put on a shelf to gather dust along with other studies done by the very same people.
On this Fourth of July, thousands of people will head to beaches all over the island to watch fireworks. But in Kailua, most of them will have to try and park in just two public beach parking lots because the majority of beachside lanes are gated or have posted "KEEP OUT" signs. Some of those "private" streets such as L'Orange Place, have even resorted to hiring security guards to turn away kids and parents who live across the street from them. Such fine, upstanding, patriotic neighbors, aren't they?
In the picture above, that's the Kailuana Place gate -- it's on a private easement, but that is a PUBLIC street. Hawaii residents pay taxes to maintain the road for those people who have decided to make that end of the beach their own private little enclave. Ironically, President Obama and his family have chosen to spend their Christmas vacations in an oceanfront mansion on that very street. Why? Because of its privacy! It's easy to keep out the riff-raff and common folk. I voted for Obama and still support him... but I wish he and his family would take a walk with me along Kailua Beach, so I could show him how greed has turned Kailua -- and our country -- into two distinct societies: the rich, who continue to get richer under GOP tax-cuts for the wealthy; and the struggling middle class, who can't even enjoy our "public" beaches thanks to the gated community mentality of certain people. So much for "democracy."
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