Ever wonder why the debate around short-term rentals has been so fierce on Nantucket? Because short-term rentals represent a lot of money changing hands. For some, the benefits of short-term rentals greatly outweigh the problems they cause. In fact, short-term rentals represent the economic engine that keeps many island businesses and individuals afloat. If they …
It has taken decades for us to get to this point and it will surely take decades more to fix this problem. Here are a few ways to get that process going.
I’ve been an avid observer of the short-term rental work group’s progress (or lack thereof) for the past six months. The town was tasked with creating a work group and took several months to make it happen. As a result of this drawn-out process, the workgroup has very little chance of developing something of substance …
I posted an article on Facebook about a proposed measure in Washington DC to heavily tax oversized personal vehicles that take up too much room and have an outsized impact on roads, traffic, and emissions. Interesting and rather defensive responses from many people. One person said that the problem with too many people and too …
I ran a little survey this past week. 60 people responded. The goal was not to find out what people’s opinions are on housing, but instead to understand how people feel about those who sell their homes and the choices they make. Here’s the rather purposefully round-a-bout hypothetical question: Let’s say you have an older …
There comes a time in your life when it hits you. Usually, it’s when your pants are getting tight and you think, the easiest thing is to buy bigger pants. Perhaps you go to Target and they don’t have any pants in your size, or they do, but in the “Big&Tall” section. Embarrassing, right? And …
There has been a story in the local media about the Steamship Authority looking into adding a new boat to the Nantucket route. While some think this would solve the problem of an over-booked boat line, a new boat would likely cause more problems than it would solve. We already have too many cars on …
This is the time of year we all get a little sick of being here. It’s the time of year some of us go away and some of us are jealous of the people who go away. But it helps to be happy for what we have. Because we have so much here.
Let’s talk about property rights as it relates to rentals on Nantucket. I’ve heard a few people say that regulating and limiting short-term rentals on the island infringes upon their property rights. And for them, it likely feels that way. But the truth is something different. As voters, we all need to grasp the fact …