I am a public school teacher. I supplement my income with a vacation rental in my mother’s home where I was born and raised. I take pride in our neighborhood and home. We depend on this income to pay our mortgage and support our family, especially with taking care of children and elderly parents. It also allows our family to visit from the mainland for long periods.

Our guests have been nothing but respectful, kind, quiet and friendly. Many of them say this is their first trip to Hawaii, as they could not afford to stay in a hotel, nor would they want to stay in a hotel. We have never had any complaints from our neighbors, as we keep communication open with our longtime neighbors and are very respectful of their space.

Our guests visited many of the local places, shops and restaurants we suggested. We were also spending money to run and equip our business. We have paid our general excise and transient accommodations taxes, which is going to be a big loss for our state. It is hard to believe that the main option for Oahu is only crowded Waikiki, while the rest of the world can enjoy the benefits of vacation rentals.

We are just trying to make some money to survive in Hawaii while paying our share of our taxes. How big does government need to be? Do they need to be involved in our day-to-day activities in our own personal home?

Mia Fitzgerald

Kuliouou

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