Fountains costing City plenty kala

[Miulang]

How many sewer leaks could $220,000 fix every year? That amount is what the taxpayers of Honolulu are paying annually to maintain 11 "water features" in Waikiki. With water being increasingly more scarce as the population grows, shouldn't somebody be figuring out a way to turn the water off and plant some drought-resistant plants?

Would tourists really notice the lack of water in the fountains? If the store owners in Waikiki want to have water running in those fountains, are they willing to help contribute to the cost of their maintenance? I hope at the very least that the water is being recycled and not just let to run off into the sewers.

Miulang

[kimo55]

Re: Fountains costing City plenty kala

Miu, there's a whole lot more to it than that. Don't take this lil story in this lil paper at the whole picture. ya gotta be here to fully understand all the ramifications of the "problem".

[Miulang]

Re: Fountains costing City plenty kala

Miu, there's a whole lot more to it than that. Don't take this lil story in this lil paper at the whole picture. ya gotta be here to fully understand all the ramifications of the "problem".

So 'splain what da ramifications are of da problem so us guys who don't live on Oahu can understand, den.

Miulang

[pzarquon]

Re: Fountains costing City plenty kala

Nah, it's more fun to read random judgements rendered from afar!

Some of these water features are historic -- like the large fountain near the Koko Head end of Kalakaua/Kapiolani Park -- and some have become landmarks that even the surrounding community has become attached to -- like the one on Hotel Street near Indigo and Hawaii Theatre.

But some were ridiculous, overpriced, and now horribly expensive baubles plopped into place by Jeremy "Boondoggle" Harris. I get the idea, but they're just too much -- stretches of Kalakaua now seem so fake and plastic, it's like walking in a "Hawaii Theme Park" in Kansas or something. Statues of historic island figures I can understand. A surfer and a smiling seal? Dear god, who thought that was a good idea? But, well, that's what some tourists like and expect... and I see visitors posing with that stupid seal nearly as often as they do with the back-to-the-ocean Duke Kahanamoku statue.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Fountains costing City plenty kala

Hearkening back to an earlier thread about statuary, I seem to recall that Honolulu actually has a lot fewer statues than most cities its size, but we have a bunch of fountains and other water features. I kinda like the fountains better. Of course, that still doesn't excuse the cheesy seal.

[glossyp]

Re: Fountains costing City plenty kala

I confess to loving water fountains and especially the Duke one and the surfer one - they are cool. The seal, well...maybe not so great. I heard Mike Buck ranting about this yesterday but he was going on about what that amount amoritizes out to over one year for each resident of Oahu and it comes out to something like 25 cents per citizen per year - 5 bottle redemptions - he offered to collect cans for redemption to pay for the fountains. I think his point (don't hear him often so not sure what his leanings are) was that this is small potatoes compared to some of the much bigger issues facing us like transit and provides beauty and pleasure. I know I enjoy them.

[kimo55]

Re: Fountains costing City plenty kala

Hearkening back to an earlier thread about statuary, I seem to recall that Honolulu actually has a lot fewer statues than most cities its size, but we have a bunch of fountains and other water features. I kinda like the fountains better. Of course, that still doesn't excuse the cheesy seal.

The comparing of Honolulu to Mainland cities does absolutely nothing for me and is not at all a yardstick to judge or measure anything by, nor is it valid to any degree.
It is also completely invalidated when we witness the amount of blatant lying while doing so;
Sewer worker official on TV:
"Oh this is standard on the mainland too!
They are always repairing their sewers"
Rod Haraga State transportation director:
"Oh this is the standard on the mainland, too. This is usual:
They are always fixing and repairing potholes on hiways and byways there also."

Nope. We don't need to see our remote fragile finite bit of land to be compared to infinite cities with billboards multilayered freeways, shootings, constant building and so called "growth". Doesn't mean anything.

[Miulang]

Re: Fountains costing City plenty kala

You right, Kimo. Just because dey do lolo tings up hea, no mean you guys gotta do da same damn lolo tings ova dere! Plus, you guys no moa dat much room for error, living on 8 small islands. Das why wheneva I write about stuff going on up hea, I trying to let you guys know my heart goes out to you guys and I no like you guys mess up da same way we did up here. And when we find ways to fix some of our problems I like tell you guys about 'em because maybe some akamai folks in da 'aina going get their brains tinking and dey going come up with ways to fix some of your problems ova dere, instead of always saying "eh, no can.".

Miulang