Honolulu Advertiser running a story on the latest in Hawaii's county governments' attempts to frighten away tourists (precisely when the visitor numbers are fallling) -- apparently city investigators have been mounting sting operations on vacation rental operators by posing as potential visitors. The Kailua area, with its stellar beaches and laid-back beachtown feel, has been a magnet for these types of rentals going to people who love Hawaii but don't want to be warehoused in a hotel.

The crackdown's goal is to catch the vacation home owners renting their pads for less than 30 days, which is a violation of the City and County law. It's a pretty stupid law. I don't know anyone who can afford to take 30 days off straight (certainly not someone that is supporting kids) or who even spends a 30-day vacation in one place. The effect will be chilling, as it was on Maui, where Draconian B&B crackdowns have forced hundreds of operations to close, angered visitors, and serious economic pain for dozens -- if not hundreds -- of workers who serviced these inns on a part-time basis. Then again, Hawaii and its residents have long had a conflicted attitude of "Give me all your money" and "Get the hell out of my neighborhood and go back to the hotel districts." Which perhaps might help explain the 5% drop in hotel occupancy in recent months. Hawaii basically needs to decide. If you are truly welcoming visitors, then don't treat them this way. If not, then stop acting as if the aloha spirit only exists inside the boundaries of tourist districts. Nuff said.

—Alex, 11/19/07