Letters have been written about how excellent a council member is who stood up to put Lipoa Point into scenic preserve. Writers castigate the council members who voted to keep it agricultural.
This is not about the preservation of this land. Most have heard of the use of the land as sureties for the pensions of the Maui Land & Pineapple Co. retirees. Some say use other properties for this purpose.
Please let me point out the following: Nobody can take rights and entitlements from anybody else without compensation. To do so is theft. Our governments can condemn lands for a public purpose, that procedure is called eminent domain. This includes paying the landholders fair compensation for their land.
To downzone a property reduces the rights and entitlements of the landholders. To put land into scenic preserve eliminates the ability of the landholder to use the land. The term for this is inverse condemnation. The landowner must be fairly compensated.
Mayor Alan Arakawa, state Rep. Angus McKelvey and our County Council are working on a Lipoa Point purchase proposal to put the land in preserve right now. Contrary to what has been written, I know that the council deeply cares about preservation but it must be pono about how it does it.
Remember, the government that takes away land without compensation can take away yours. Isn't that part of what we are talking about in the U.S. takeover of Hawaii? Please safeguard the rights of all.
Paul Laub
Lahaina
