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Maui has a new complexion along with a different voice

We struggle to keep our home and property within the family. It is a real hardship to maintain any house, especially the aging ones. Time and termites have their way of crippling anything that we deem important.

It seems that we are penalized for owning a home and having property on Maui. Property taxes were raised 30 percent this year. That means we landowners must contribute more to the County of Maui.

Meanwhile, we are on the waiting list for a water meter and enviously look around to see new homes being built in Pukalani. Here we sit, waiting for a water meter and told that even with the water meter we can’t build on property because there isn’t any fire hydrant located nearby.

I can see now the advantages of going homeless: no property taxes, no home and property insurances, no maintenance, free housing, Medicaid and job training free for anyone.

The island of Maui has a new complexion now along with a different voice. The local-born find it hard to compete. The price of living on Maui is not set with the Hawaiian citizens in mind. And the local citizens do not elect our political leaders; we are the minority without a voice.

The transplants make the decisions for us as they did with the Superferry, the Puunene sugar mill, and with how we should be growing our food. In a movie with cowboys and Indians, we locals would be the Indians.

Frank Gomes

Makawao

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