Getting GOUGED on MAUI-the living ain't easy!
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5/2/2006
The only decent living expense in Hawaii is property taxes. Period.
Most people I know work two jobs just to survive here-where's the quality of life!? THey work like dogs so they can get to the beach on occasional weekends. The unions have a stranglehold here too so you can't find reasonable contractors to do work for you, and you aren't allowed to do it yourself!
We are gouged by greedy business owners for EVERYTHING from gasoline, groceries,household items, big ticket AND small and real estate.
We are THEN gouged by mainland businesses for shipping costs when we try to buy items cheaper on the mainland. Airfare to get off the islands or even travel inter-island is prohibitive-most of my friends save their money and go to the mainland instead--but most people are stuck here and it creates rock fever stress believe me! There is now controversy over the new SUPERFERRY to come to our harbor-- well the jokes on us--it is going to cost MORE than the price of a plane ticket to the mainland for a family to bring their CAR on the ferry from MAUI to OAHU! GIVE ME A BREAK!
So what the heck is the point of that? ANd we have cruise ships here 7 days a week and not enough restaurants and decent businesses to cater to them. Our mayor is a dope. Our dept. of water supply has been messing with our upcountry water as well and now it's a mess.
My husband and I have been here on and off since the 1970's due to husband's job, and it was horrid then, the cost of living is insane here now. I left for 13 years and sorry I am back. I don't know how anyone without a 6 figure salary survives in Hawaii and especially on MAUI. Schools are crap as well, under paid teachers, crap facilities, the whole state has a crap infrastructure--the thing our government is BEST at here is hiring MAINLAND consultants to do a "STUDY" instead of FIXING the problems!
Kid's extracurricular activities cost a fortune as well. So, we are planning to move back to the mainland if we can transfer and that will be it, for good. The climate is ok, but the beaches are mess- filthy restrooms and windy conditions by noon, no parking in the popular spots. Beaches in Honolulu were great-- back when we could AFFORD to go there for an occasional weekend--till they started pumping them full of raw sewage last month and a guy actually DIED from flesh eating bacteria after falling in! There is little culture other than Hawaiian of course-which is great, I love it and my daughter dances HULA, but would lov
lesley | Kula, HI