Posted on: Thursday, December 23, 2004
EDITORIAL
And the nominations for 2004 grinch are ...
Like Dr. Seuss' Whoville, Honolulu is no stranger to people whose grinch-like behavior occasionally spoils our fun, offends our sense of decency or contributes to downright hardships. So here are our nominations for 2004:
Sure, Kawamoto has every right to sell his property and evict his tenants. But surely he could have waited a month or so rather than forcing tenants to find new accommodations during the holidays.
We'd also like to pick a bone with the NCAA for stealing our home-team advantage and sending the Rainbow Wahine to the Mainland after an undefeated season.
Unforgivable!
Of course, government can be mean, too, especially when it comes to the homeless. Take Act 50, introduced by Senate President Robert Bunda, which bans the homeless from living on public property. Violations can lead to arrest and a $1,000 fine or up to 30 days in jail.
With strategies like that, it's no wonder Honolulu jumped from 19th place last year to 9th place this year on the National Coalition for the Homeless' list of "meanest" cities in the nation.
And once again, anonymous grinches went after the colorful welcome signs in Hale'iwa. This time, they cannibalized the only remaining sign, hacking off the surfer, leaving only his tan feet riding a yellow board.
Can it get any worse?
Perhaps the holidays will inspire a change of heart in all grinches.
Then again, where would that leave us with next year's list?
The top billing goes to Japanese real estate tycoon Gensiro Kawamoto, who, two weeks before Christmas, surprised 20 of his tenants in Hawai'i Kai with 45-day eviction notices — and this, soon after raising the rent. Never mind that this is the tightest rental market in years.
