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Thursday, August 7, 2014

"Price Gouging..." 'Obama Da Dog'

Obama Da Dog lives in Kapa'a, Kaua'i Hawai'i
 and is a lifelong Hawai'ian resident.



Price Gouging

I found it ironic that so many people were upset over price gouging during the hurricane watch. Upset that bottled water was selling for 2-3 times it's regular price. People said, "where's the aloha spirit?"Bottled water is something we really don't need anyway, fill 5 gallon buckets and your bathtub... I never buy bottled water, to me it's always been a ripoff to buy water that's been sitting in plastic.

Price gouging is a year round activity all over Kauai and the other islands, yet people seem to only get upset during hurricane and storm watches? 

What about food trucks charging $12.50 for a hamburger on a paper plate? What about  an ice cream cone for $7.00?

What about the airlines charging $250-400 a RT for a short RT to Honolulu of less than 80 miles?

What about fixer upper homes on the worst section of the island going for  $500,000 and more?

Price gouging is as common as spam musubi in Hawai'i.

It's all about supply and demand.  If you bust a merchant for trying to make a buck, you need to bust the airlines and just about every business in the  tourism industry.

The Aloha spirit basically consists of, Aloha, give us all your money. Did someone say Superferry?


P.S.
Check out my opinion article in the 08-13-14 edition of the Honolulu Staradvertiser.   They have a paywall, therefore I am copying and pasting so everyone can read it; They edited out last line about Superferry,   good edit actually.

"Price gouging common in isles"
http://staradvertiser.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
It’s ironic that so many people were upset over price gouging during the hurricane watch, upset that bottled water was selling for two to three times its regular price. People said, “Where’s the aloha spirit?”
Price gouging goes on year-round, not only during hurricane and storm watches.
What about food trucks charging $12.50 for a hamburger? What about an ice cream cone for $7? What about the airlines charging $250-$400 for a short roundtrip to Honolulu? What about fixer-upper homes in the worst section of the island going for $500,000 and more?
It’s all about supply and demand. If you bust a merchant for trying to make a buck, you need to bust the airlines and just about every business in the tourism industry.
The aloha spirit basically consists of, “Aloha, give us all your money.” James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapaa, Kauai

...And on Sunday August 17, 2014  this blog was also published in the letters section in the Kaua'i Garden Island Newspaper;
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-sunday-august/article_6dde01fa-25d9-11e4-a0ed-001a4bcf887a.html

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...





42 comments:

Douglas Dunn said...

How are you guys doing on Kaua‘i, with an earthquake this morning and two hurricanes approaching?
Our thoughts and hearts are with you.

KimoRosen said...

Mahalo Doug, Big Island will be hit first, so far no damage. Iselle is not expected to hit Kauai until tomorrow and should dissipate to a tropical storm hopefully. The hurricane following on Sunday (Julio) is suppose to be stronger. BTW just read all flights are cancelled to Hawaii, check it out;http://news.msn.com/.../hawaii-bracing-as-hurricane-draws...

Steve Eaqyrs said...

Our oldest grandson is in Kona and still not much hitting there.. He said the other side of the island sounds like its storming more.

KimoRosen said...

Steve, you know more than me up in Alaska. Keep me posted if your grandson has any big news. God bless.

Steve Eaqyrs said...

will do.

Thomas LaVenture said...

via Facebook;
11.95 for case of water at the store.

Thomas LaVenture said...

via Facebook;
I bought beer instead, it was cheaper

KimoRosen said...

Tommy, my point exactly! BTW if you need water bring some empty 5 gallon buckets over to my place..

Thomas LaVenture said...

via Facebook;

Thanks. I still have some in a cooler from months and months ago. Plus, I have containers to fill with tap water before the storm hits.

KimoRosen said...

I am more concerned about the price Gouging of the airlines than a local merchant trying to make a few extra bucks...

Thomas LaVenture said...

via Facebook;
Most of them are offering no fee cancellations aren't they?

KimoRosen said...

I would hope so considering the dilemma...

Michael Schreiber said...

via Facebook on Mt. Rushmore meme;
"Truth be it said Mt.Rushmore Should 4 AAmerican Indians not 4 frauds who stole this country from them!"

Annie Sims said...

Be safe my dear friend..

Anonymous said...

be careful and safe...hope for the best
3 minutes ago · Like

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

Every one,stay calm,eat & drink healthy,there is always a rainbow after the storm .

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

That's why All islands needs to bring back he SUPER FERRIES to break up the airline monopoly TO SERVE ALL PEOPLE IN NEED !!!

Deborah Morel said...

Yes, the Hawaiian Islands would do well with ferries running.

Price gouging...greed.

In Australia, it is a free market. So, in a 50 yard row of stores, one store will sea bottle of water for 20 AUS centsll , another 89 AUS cents, the third, 1.98 AUS $, and another...and on, and on.

Deborah Morel said...

Yes, the Hawaiian Islands would do well with ferries running.

Price gouging...greed.

In Australia, it is a free market. So, in a 50 yard row of stores, one store will sea bottle of water for 20 AUS centsll , another 89 AUS cents, the third, 1.98 AUS $, and another...and on, and on.

Deborah Morel said...

too many Thai people will steal you blind--not in an overt violent way; but, in a syrupy sweet, grooming her/his victim, smiling...smiling...smiling.

No kidding. If you happen to loose your phone, jewelry, your credit card, or child--too bad for you. Finders keepers. It is shocking. Farangs (foreigners) beware!

Good thinking Kimo, fill up buckets with water, and be done with it.

Everyone stay dry and safe

Christine Muscarella Frost said...

Via Facebook;
"Be safe, Jim! Post updates if you can to let us know all is okay!"

KimoRosen said...

I was watching the local news the other night and the weatherman started talking about tropical depressions.

I know about tropical depressions. I am living in the tropics and I am depressed.

Now that we have that straight, I am praying for sunnier days.

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

Ask & thou shall receive

Robert Zelkovsky Dc said...

via Facebook,

"We need a ferry…not a super ferry."

Ron (Martini) Ostroff said...

Yes. Since people started commerce and traded shells

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

reply to Staradvertiser article,



Shalom Rabbi:

good one,there is no COMMENT section in your blog,but you can quote Unc C here in your next blog: Get All the gauging stores and their gouging prices with photo or text compare to normal prices from other stores,pass the words around to BOYCOTT THE STORES FORE EVER BUT DON'T NAME THE STORES TO AVOID LAW SUITS ,PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THE GOUGING STORE ARE.
As for the monopolized air line,bring back the SUPER FERRIES to serve all people in Hawaii !!!

unc C

Bettejo Dux said...


reply to Staradvertiser article,

Love it. Maybe I can work it into my Ho'iki video column. It would be fun.

Rick Comstock said...

Thanks Jimbo.... "if you show me what you have in your wallet I will work up a price for you."

KimoRosen said...

Rick, exactly! ( LTMS) laughing to myself silently! ;D)

Michael Herr said...

via Staradvertiser article,

interisland airline charges are the worst

KimoRosen said...

Mike, there are local leaders talking about prosecuting store owners who sold bottled water for more than regular price, why not prosecute the airlines for price gouching in the 1,000's of dollars and let the few ma and pa's that made and extra 5.00 off the hook and let them pay their bills...

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

We need Super Ferries that operate by different owners to have best price & services NOW !!!not wait until the next hurricane.!!!

Ami Thea said...

I agree with this 100 percent! Well said!

Chester "Unc" Lau said...

Why wait for do nothing politicians to act ?they are money grabbers too,why don't they act before the hurricane ? money talk !!! If you boycott the gougers,they will fade away like old soldiers

KimoRosen said...

Ami, are you agreeing with Unc or me?

Christina Sanchez said...

via Facebook and garden Island news article;

"A good read, however one comment on the price gouging piece, yes people do pay those exorbitant prices you mentioned but they choose to,when a natural disaster hits most people usually don't have $ or food stockpiled, then you add no shipping or delivery that just compounds it further. Still no T.P. @ Walmart a few days after the hurricane hit on Big Island. No power, no water to bathe, no communication, meanwhile Politicians are here stomping for votes, & Maui misplaces 800 ballots, sounds like the key stone cops to me."

KimoRosen said...

Good points, Christina. The reason I wrote the article was because many people want the ma and pa stores prosecuted for inflating the price of bottled water... I say prosecute the airlines, not the local merchant barely making ends meet.

Christina Sanchez said...

"Agreed"

Ami Thea said...

"Why did they print it twice?"

KimoRosen said...

Ami, a similar version was in the Staradvertiser last week... Maybe that's what your referring too? I'm just glad they are publishing me!

Ami Thea said...

"Ohhhhh haha I knew I read something like it!"

Bettejo Dux said...

in reference to Garden island news version of the blog;

Kimo, Kimo, Kimo---you're hung up on the super ferry thing. How it fits into price gauging is a stretch. We must talk about this one day on Hoi'ki Community Television. People complain about traffic now. Imagine more cars being hauled in here daily. Also Strykers. Madness. Madness. Please read JoAnn's Guest Viewpoint.
Price gauging is very much a part of our economic system.
See you at beautiful Birdie's Cafe in Kalaheo between 3-6PM this afternoon. We'll DUX it there.
Bettejo Dux
TGI commentary.