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Is it? Around here (Hawaii) there are ordinances in many areas restricting the number of B&Bs that operate, and neighbours have been known to complain to the au

by frossie 17y ago

Is it? Around here (Hawaii) there are ordinances in many areas restricting the number of B&Bs that operate, and neighbours have been known to complain to the authorities when they see excess traffic to/from a property.

philwelch 17y ago
Sounds like the timeless combination of businesses colluding with government to keep competition out, enforced by tourist-hating among the locals.
- pyre 17y ago
  It isn't necessarily business-government collusion. Those tourist-hating locals could just as easily have been the ones to 'lobby' local government to limit these things (probably more like 'abolish,' but 'limit' was the compromise). There are lots of localities where people try to get 'community standards' enacted like keeping your lawn trimmed to a standard height or other such nonsense.
  - philwelch 17y ago
    Yes, but restricting the number of foo businesses in town is a boon to the existing local foo industry, since it protects all current foo businesses from competition. It's easy for established players to say, "oh yes, regulate us, make us get scarce operating permits to which we are already grandfathered into!" to eliminate future competition. I don't think the collusion is necessarily overt, but most businesses welcome this kind of barrier to entry.
    - frossie 17y ago
      Well, I don't necessarily want to defend it, but I think there is a rationale to do with infrastructure. In the extreme case where everyone in a Hawaiian town offered a room to airbnb, the infrastructure would buckle under the increased population - not enough parking, some places are on cesspools that have limited capacity, water usage is a problem in some areas etc etc. Granted there are also financial interests at stake, for example the state collecting a hefty room tax when people end up in hotels. But then that money goes to infrastructure among other things, so there is some method in the madness.
      - philwelch 17y ago
        Scaling issues, in other words. All good reasons, but perhaps my cynical reasons are just as true :)
jrockway 17y ago
This may amaze you, but Hawaii is only a small part of the world.

by frossie 17y ago

philwelch 17y ago

Sounds like the timeless combination of businesses colluding with government to keep competition out, enforced by tourist-hating among the locals.

pyre 17y ago
It isn't necessarily business-government collusion. Those tourist-hating locals could just as easily have been the ones to 'lobby' local government to limit these things (probably more like 'abolish,' but 'limit' was the compromise). There are lots of localities where people try to get 'community standards' enacted like keeping your lawn trimmed to a standard height or other such nonsense.
- philwelch 17y ago
  Yes, but restricting the number of foo businesses in town is a boon to the existing local foo industry, since it protects all current foo businesses from competition. It's easy for established players to say, "oh yes, regulate us, make us get scarce operating permits to which we are already grandfathered into!" to eliminate future competition. I don't think the collusion is necessarily overt, but most businesses welcome this kind of barrier to entry.
  - frossie 17y ago
    Well, I don't necessarily want to defend it, but I think there is a rationale to do with infrastructure. In the extreme case where everyone in a Hawaiian town offered a room to airbnb, the infrastructure would buckle under the increased population - not enough parking, some places are on cesspools that have limited capacity, water usage is a problem in some areas etc etc. Granted there are also financial interests at stake, for example the state collecting a hefty room tax when people end up in hotels. But then that money goes to infrastructure among other things, so there is some method in the madness.
    - philwelch 17y ago
      Scaling issues, in other words. All good reasons, but perhaps my cynical reasons are just as true :)

jrockway 17y ago

This may amaze you, but Hawaii is only a small part of the world.