The Government vs. Private Citizens

Have you come across this story from CNN about the group of people from Kauai who decided not to wait on their govenment to repair and reopen a local park? Polihale State Park was closed last December when floods destroyed a road and facilities in the park. The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said that reopening the park would take:

• $4 million (money they say they didn’t have)
• Up to two years to fix

A group of business owners whose businesses depended on the park to survive decided to do it themselves. To fix the park it took

• Zero cost to taxpayers
• Private donations of machinery, materials, and manpower
• 8 days

Citizens 1, Department of Land and Natural Resources 0.