It came as something of surprise this week when it was announced that Oracle honcho Larry Ellison has purchased almost the entire Hawaiian island of Lanai. The exact price was not provided but it is believed to be in excess of $600 million. We don't begrudge Ellison his billions, not in the least. He has made his money the time-honored capitalist way. He created his own company and you know the rest. Good for him. Still, why Lanai? Think about it. Ellison, a citizen of Silicon Valley, could have kept his cash trove right here at home. He could have made a bid to buy Half Moon Bay, or at least a significant portion of it. The Coastside village is in deep financial trouble. It has been cutting and out-sourcing services for the last several years. Its municipal government is a shell of what it once was. It needs an infusion of big bucks. At one time, Ellison wanted to spend lavishly to acquire the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. The effort failed. Instead, it's Lanai. Too bad. Half Moon Bay could have used the boost.
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