JAMM AQUINO / 2022
People purchase tickets for hiking at an automated kiosk at the Diamond Head State Monument park entrance.
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The impacts of climate change are no longer a distant threat — they are here and we’re losing lives and the places we love. We’re not acting boldly enough as a state. The governor’s Climate Advisory Team recommended a resilience fund to make sure we’re equipped to deal with these threats, but I couldn’t help but ask, “How will we pay for this?”
It’s not fair to ask residents to pay more in taxes, especially when the gap is over $500 million a year. But a visitor fee has been proposed for many years, which would raise the funding we need. Visitors enjoy Hawaii’s environment, too, and it would give us the chance to restore and rebuild the places that draw them here in the first place.
Let’s prioritize our aina and pass this fee — because a resilient Hawaii is one where both our people and environment are healthy.
Helen Cox
Kalaheo, Kauai
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