Car rentals on Molokai closing.

Read March 12th, 2009 "The Molokai Dispatch" issue and front page stated that as of March 31st, 2009 Dollar and Budget RAC won't be available for business due to not renewing there leases. Alamo entered a bid but awaiting final status. There are also one other free lance car rental business on Molokai, "Island Kine RAC" rental that should still be in business.

Just wanted to let all paddlers know the 411 before its too late!

Carlton Helm

Submitted by Bamskii on Fri, 03/13/2009 - 3:15pm



go with "island kine" we have used them for the Hoe several years and I used them for the solo. Funky used cars but great service. If you come more then once they'll remember you and take care of you. They're local, not some big national franchise. On the other hand I feel sorry for all the local folks who will loose their jobs at the big franchise if they close. Maybe they'll work for "island kine" in the future.


#1 Fri, 03/13/2009 - 5:53pm


Seems like Molokai is working on becoming Niihau 2 with all the efforts being done there to ruin the local economy.

http://www.niihau.us/


#2 Sat, 03/14/2009 - 2:47am


yeah- ruining their local economy but saving their souls!


#3 Sat, 03/14/2009 - 11:38am


Hey fuzerider,

It's people like you that force the locals on Moloka'i to rethink their position in this capitalist world. Why allow someone as narrow minded as yourself the chance to see, feel, and hear the pleasures of Molokai'i when you simply DON'T GET IT!

Hey everybody, party at fuzerider's house. Bring what you like, fuzerider doesn't care. Park your junk where ever you feel fit fuzerider won't feel offended. You can also bring some friends on a boat so they can over fish the place as well because it's not fuzerider's fault.

You are grumbling because you want to go to Moloka'i for one or two races a year. You feel as though just because you put money into their island economy that the people of Moloka'i should welcome you with open arms. HELL NO! You paddle why, for the fame or the fortune? I can tell you why I paddle, I paddle because it is part of my culture. If you paddle because it is part of your culture then you better take a closer look at the road you are headed down. Because fuzerider you are on the wrong track.

I am glad changes are being made on Moloka'i. Maybe less fuzeriders will be coming to our island in the near future.

P.S. Ni'ihau as an example...come on now learn something about Hawaiian Island history before you say anything else.


#4 Sun, 03/15/2009 - 11:57pm


Actually , kanakakai I hear you and agree. I understand the dillema going on in Hawaii.

You people live in one of the most desirable places on earth to either live or vacation.

People who love money have swarmed over your beautiful islands since Captain Cook put you on a map. But so far , it seems that there are enough people among you who love people to hold the ones who love money in check.

If you know anything about Captain Cook , you will thank your lucky stars it was he that mapped you and not some skipper from a nation other than England.

Even so, the ballance you people have achieved between developers and environmentalists should stand as a model to the world on how to run an ecosystem. After all , islands are sort of a microcosym of the situation the entire planet is in.

Take a look at Haiti / Dominican Republic , from space you can see the the political boundry line between the two halves of the same island and it ain`t pretty on the French side. The British side is still green and beautiful .

So , what does this tell you ? It tells me you gotta be careful who you pick for political leaders and
"do unto others as you would have others do unto you"

<(((">


#5 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 2:14am


Wow-

Many thoughts-I'll start with the first topic.

Thank you Carlton for this information. It will make a logistically difficult race even more difficult and possibly more expensive. I always wonder if Maui or Kauai created a 39 plus mile 9 man long distance race that was partial downwind, if more people would go there rather than do Molokai. Although the Molokai is Da Molokai. For the average crews having fun, ease of logistics, and safety are a big factor. Also I think the distance is what would draw people to the races on other islands. It is just not worth it to go to some races on other islands if they are so short.

In my opinion Fuzerider is way off line-

-when a lot of "you" or “you people” statements are used-as Fuzerider did. It creates hatred because it shows arrogance. The "I" am right and "you" are wrong or don't know-It is against the Hawaiian way of communicating of "sharing" rather than "telling"

-the Haiti/Dominican suggestion has no relevance to Hawaii

-there were many European nationalities that tried to stake claims in Hawaii even Russia as well as many missionary influences. I won’t get into all of this History and how Hawaii ended up under US control.

-and the Niihau comment really makes no sense as Kanakakai said

-I wonder if Fuzerider is still a representative of Outrigger Connection canoes

Just my thoughts-I could be completely wrong and will be corrected by the masses


#6 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 5:01am


I suppose to you Kona J that Kamehameha was just "sharing " and "communicating" when he and his soldiers were tossing thier fellow Hawaiians off the Pali.

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/leaders/kamehameh/king_1


#7 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 5:34am


fuzz you numb nut.


#8 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 5:56am


In a strange way part of me is sympathetic to Fuzerider on this. You've got to be a bit of a masochist to take such a strong interest in Hawaii as haole from Maine. While there are a lot of us who were born and raised in the islands who do believe that spreading aloha makes us better people, there are still a number of provincial minded people who feel like they ended up on the wrong side of history and hate the world for it.

Molokai has a different situation from the other major islands. Because of the arid geography, they get a lot less of the tourism. But because they get less of the tourism, they miss out on a lot of the income that the other islands see. If you ain't got a job and there ain't no job to get, well that's a tough spot to be in.

The major problems in Hawaii haven't changed in 50 years: we need to diversify beyond tourism as the only industry, we need to balance economic development and environmental protection, we need to do a better job electing our government officials to avoid cronyism, and we need to maintain Hawaiian language and culture for future generations.

I think the best way to preserve Hawaiian culture is educate both our children and those visiting the islands. Look at Hanauma bay now compared to 25 years ago. We made a serious effort to save the unique beauty of the bay by limiting the impact of tourists and, most importantly, educating them about what they can do to help. You go there now and don't see the beach littered with cigarette butts and hamburger wrappers. I think we need to start looking at the whole island chain like we do at Hanauma. We need to start thinking about how we can help make changes to save our islands and not just yell, "haole go home."

Fuzerider: if you haven't already, check out the book "Shoal of Time" by Gavan Daws


#9 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 6:12am


I cant believe Fuze is a rep for a Hawaiian based company making comments like these on a Hawaiian based website. Its like he just doesnt get it. Wasnt there another factory guy on here who just didnt get it??


#10 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 6:33am


Fuze FYI Haiti is not french. It'a an independant country...


#11 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 6:38am


No easy way out.
Molokai - it's a model for the entire chain of haibitated Hawaiian Islands. Molokai is a microcosim of what we all are experiencing in Hawaii. Family, community and the aina is the most critical thing in all of our lives. We live in a place with the kindest purest soul in the world, people flock here to feel the heart that beats in our islands. Tourism, military presence, land speculation, we all know that many of these options are a dead end path for us. Health care, public assistance, education,shelters, all paid for by the same. You raise your kids to feel the soul of the aina and be the glue that holds the generations together only to see them leave to far flung locations that can support them, as our beaches become crowded with those who slip between the cracks. We all need ways to live and support our families, we can't isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, it's far too late for that, how do you break the chain without sinking the ship?

Is there enough on Molokai to support it's keiki and kupuna, to keep them healthy and happy? As tourism breathes it's last breath and Monsanto and Big Oil windfarms move in are we trading one for another? We all want to bring our people home, the question is what will they do when they get here, how do you align Hawaii's breath with the storm of the world?

Is this about renting a car for a canoe race? Something tells me that's the tip of the iceberg.


#12 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 8:04am


Didn't the Molokai people not want the big cruise ship come to their island a couple years ago? I wonder how many residents didn't want it? They sure made a big deal out it since the ship never came back. Just like the Supper Ferry on Kauai. Looks like it bite them on their ass! Don't bite the hand that feeds you!


#13 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 8:20am


fuzer:

been said already, but haiti/dominican republic example has absolutely no relevance.. you can refresh your history here
trying to pick the best colonialist is like trying to determine whether it's better to be shit on, pissed on, or spit on- why not none of the above thank you.

it's not for outsiders to try to determine what is best for molokai- the locals live there, let them determine their future. i'm sure there is an active debate in the community about the future of the island and the level of development that is acceptable- i guess that the main dilemma...

veronica: you're right, you put it very eloquently.


#14 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 8:26am


amen ms. blaze


#15 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 8:47am


The sense of entitlement to goods/services in a completely foreign land by some on this thread is appalling.

Let the people of Moloka'i decide what businesses they want on their island. The rest of us can find other ways to get around for the 1 or 2 times a year that we are there, or stay off of their island altogether.


#16 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 11:00am


grovpb4: "completely foreign land" Really?

We are talking about Molokai here, right? A neighbor island that is still part of the state of Hawaii, and the United States.

I just wanted to make sure we were not talking about Palmyra, or some privately owned island.


#17 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 11:14am


"Completely foreign land" was probably overstated; I agree with you on that. But as a haole living here I have respect enough for native Hawaiians that do not feel entitled to any particular good or service past what I pay taxes for.

As a native Texan, I would bet that I could easily pick a town in Texas that would seem like a "completely foreign land" to most people... and I could easily pick a town that does not have a national rental car service.


#18 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 11:27am


Fuze, Fuze, Fuze. Capt. Cook put you people on a map? C'mon now. You should realize by now that this is no place to be an apologist for western imperialism.


#19 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 12:07pm


Well , he did you know and alot of other places too .

Mostly because of that new high tech thing he had with him called a marine chronometer .....

Made all the difference in map making .


#20 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 1:44pm


Jim you can't pinch an oxens horn (old german saying). They just don't feel it.


#21 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 1:54pm


fuzerider,

Agree with you that the invention of a reliable clock (not a pendulum clock, which is unreliable on a ship) allowed navigators to determine longitude when at sea.

Still... somehow the Hawaiians seemed to have found the islands just fine...

:)


#22 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 2:02pm


Still… somehow the Hawaiians seemed to have found the islands just fine…

Maybe the clock was already there... mouvement of stars in the sky...
Who's the best navigator ? The one using a marine chronometer or the one that only needs to rely on his memory ?


#23 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 8:34pm


Fuze,

go fuck off.

That is all.


#24 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 9:42pm


In regards to the cruise ship situation a few years back, there was protest with mixed reviews from the community. But the sole reason for it falling through wasn't because of the protest, it was because the Kaunakakai Wharf infrastructure couldn't properly support the size of the ships or comfortably accommodate the mass amount of tourists. The cruise ship then parked outside the wharf and attempted to transport tourists using the ferries. But 99% of the time, Molokai has gusty trades and it made it impossible for tourists to offload on to the ferries safely.

The irony with the people protesting during the arrival of the cruise ship is majority of the protestors were new residents (Caucasians) from the mainland trying to keep other people from the mainland away.

There were people on Molokai who wanted the cruise ship and possibly help the economy flourish, but Molokai's infrastructure can't handle it. So not once did the cruise ships feed money into the economy.

Carlton

La'au Point saved for now.

save la'au point.


#25 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 11:04pm


It does seem that some of the triangle were able to keep their souls despite a colonial interloper because they were able to keep their land. Fiji, Samoa, Rorotonga, Tahiti, Tonga. Hawaii was subdivided and sold off. It went the American way. The hold outs are on Molokai and god bless them- keep the faith- know that life style trumps big cars and big attitudes and Mc Donalds any day.


#26 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 10:59pm


'Ae, agree with you totally "Poidog". The risk with the La'au Point project and possibly the cruise ships is they attract investors. With the La'au Point project for example, Molokai Ranch was selling off approximately 125 one acre lots for a million dollars each. When you attract millionaire investors you get million dollar attitudes, thus starting (with no end) the ripple infect thats infected the rest of the major Hawaiian Islands.

Carlton

save la'au point.


#27 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 11:11pm


My heart crys for what has happened on Kauai- especially the Hanalei side where so many families are losing their land because of higher taxes caused by developement. People who have lived there for generations. Many once said that Kauai was the most Hawaiian island- now hands down it is Molokai. Maybe Niihau is an exception. But Molokai is where all the energy is. To stop La'au point- to make a choice between life style and becoming a lawn guy on some rich guys estate- and choosing life style is a big deal. Not easy. Not easy for the ohana. Trying to keep it real is not easy.
Life style is everythihg- it is what makes a poor man more wealthy then can be imagined.


#28 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 11:54pm


I'm pretty sure you all know this one, but I like it...

Chris, an American business consultant was at the pier of a quiet coastal Hawaiian village when a small boat docked. Inside the boat Mike could see several large yellow fin tuna and a smiling fisherman. Chris complimented the man on his catch and asked how long it took to catch the fish.
"Only a little while," The fisherman said.
"Why didn't you stay out and catch more?" Chris asked.
The fisherman replied that he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. Chris then asked him what he did with the rest of his time.
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, sit on the beach every evening where I drink beer and play guitar with my friends. I have a full and busy life."
Chris scoffed.
"Look," he said, I'm a Harvard MBA and I could help you.
You should spend more time fishing and with the profits buy a bigger boat and with the profits from the bigger boat you could by a fleet of boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, and eventually open your own cannery. You would control the product, the processing, and the distribution. You would have to leave here, of course, and move to Honolulu, then LA perhaps."
The fisherman smiled and asked, "But how long would all this take?"
Chris thought briefly and said, "15-20 years."
"But what then?" asked the fisherman.
Chris laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would go public and sell your stock and become very rich. You would make millions."
"Millions … then what?" the fisherman asked, his brow furrowed slightly.
"Then you would retire. Move to a coastal village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, sit on the beach in the evenings where you could drink beer and play the guitar with your friends."


#29 Mon, 03/16/2009 - 11:52pm


Hiro C, that was perfect , pretty much says it all very well .

Just so you know, you island people are not alone in the sense that your culture is being invaded by a homogenous , global , colorless , heartless , spiritless, entity. Its happening to us on the mainland too .

Here`s a good story of a haole family who is still resisting here in Maine:

http://www.thesailingchannel.tv/iceblink/


#30 Tue, 03/17/2009 - 1:20am


I love the stories you find on this site,I gotta get that video fuz. Hiro c, hope you don't mind I am sharing that one with friend's.


#31 Tue, 03/17/2009 - 5:51am


Hiro C.....mai tai loa....great post.

Molokai people...you can agree with them sometimes....you can disagree with them sometimes, but one thing for sure....you gotta love'em and respect them all the time. That is a different breed over there.

Remember, Molokai guys go one manning on the day after their wedding, loses their wedding ring and all their valuables, then....surprise...everything is found, and everything is good. Only Molokai guys can do that.

Right Bamskii??

JawsOut.


#32 Tue, 03/17/2009 - 12:21pm


Definitely a different breed. Moloka'i was the only island that Kamehameha I nor Kahekili could not conquer because it was governed by Kahuna's and not the Ali'i Nui.

But yes Ratchet Jaws, it was a miracle but learned not to push my luck!

Carlton

save la'au point.


#33 Tue, 03/17/2009 - 12:58pm


It wasn't conquered when a group of Tahitians led by Pa'ao, the navigator, invaded in 1200 AD, either, according to oral tradition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa%27ao The version I was told was similar to Bamski's Kamehameha story, in that the invasion was repelled by the spiritual power of the Molokai natives, who were then known as the Mu.


#34 Tue, 03/17/2009 - 1:12pm


Good news:

Alamo to take over Molokai Airport car rental concession June 1

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090323/BREAKING03/90323075/-...


#35 Mon, 03/23/2009 - 8:54pm


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