In 2008, Maui County Council promised to pass a home business ordinance, yet nothing has been done to create reasonable regulations. What happened? The criteria for making any land use or legislative decision must be the quadruple bottom line: financial profit, social equity, environmental sustainability and cultural sensitivity. Applying these to home business:

• Financial profit: Home business owners earn money to support themselves without the added (often prohibitive) expense of renting commercial property. They can then pass these savings on to the consumer. And, they can contribute to the economy and pay taxes.


• Social equity: Home businesses give people dignity and control over their own lives. Also, parents can stay home and tend to keiki or kūpuna, instead of having to separate from their families for the day.


• Environmental sustainability: Home businesses decrease the need for extra development as residents are using real estate that they already own or rent. Also, traffic and pollution are decreased.


• Cultural sensitivity: They can make crafts or provide services that increase cultural awareness.

In 2009, while I was legislative aide to Representative Rida Cabanilla, I introduced (through her) a home business bill (HB1443). It passed the House and then died in the Senate. I plan to reintroduce it in 2011, when I am in office.

Now, especially since the advent of the Internet (which allows people to unobtrusively connect worldwide) home business is becomming part of the economy of the future. Remember, Microsoft was started in a garage.

Netra Halperin
Kīhei

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