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Letters to the Editor

County council chooses not to investigate itself

Maui County Council cannot be a credible branch of government if it chooses not to investigate and act upon violations of its own laws and rules by the very departments which are tasked to enforce them. (as in Salem v. County of Maui et al.) Its own laws, (as in the West Side Community Plan) are designed by those who feign to work for the public good, while instead protect those in the private sector ie. Encouraging firebreaks versus requiring them. The only three possible reasons are complicity, indifference and cowardice. That is what erodes trust in county government, harms the ...

Follow through on proper disposing of toxic debris

As we bicker over using the Olowalu ravine to place toxic debris from Lahaina, that same toxic debris is currently seeping into Lahaina’s soil, groundwater, reef, and the ocean. The ash right now is 100-times more dangerous than when it’s in a membrane-lined, burrito-wrapped ravine. The alternatives? Move it across the island “somewhere,” say to the Pu’unene landfill, taking up the roadways, risking seepage/spillage. Or ship off-island? To where? Loading at port, on the route, on the sea, the leakage risk is much greater. Or, each landowner could have their own ...

‘Little’ costs have become unsustainable on Maui

Once again, the “little” costs have become unsustainable on Maui. Daily airport parking fees are going from $15 per day to $24 per day, an increase of 60 percent. This seems to point to the only viable option: Take a cab to the airport for that “one-way” ticket to Portugal. Kurt Wollenhaupt Wailuku

Do smart thing, ban all fireworks

I started a petition on Dec. 3 to boycott illegal fireworks after three explosions sounding like bombs were set off about two blocks from my home. I live in Wailuku, about two blocks from the county building. Last night, New Year’s Eve, after hearing numerous bomb-like explosions like the one on Dec 3, I got in my car around 10 p.m., and followed my ears to the loudest sound. I ended up on two streets: Kuhio, and Makaala, which is to the right of Waiehu Beach Road. I grabbed my cellphone and videotaped what I saw. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I realized I had walked into a ...

Don’t allow Trump to take back power

Three years ago, a violent mob, incited by then-President Trump and his allies in Congress, attacked the U.S. Capitol to try and stop the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history. Now, three years and four indictments later, Trump is running for president again in a desperate attempt to avoid accountability. If he is re-elected, his plans for a second term include weaponizing the Department of Justice to persecute and retaliate against his political opponents; giving license to political violence by pardoning his own crimes and the crimes of his supporters, ...

Built on immigrants, they believe in USA

A lot of Immigrants all around the world are trying so hard to get to America. This country was built on immigrants. They believe in the USA. Many immigrant parents feel fortunate their children can go to public school, receive free lunch and get a education no matter what neighborhood it is in. Justice Sonia Sotomayor grew up in poverty in the crime-drug-infested Bronx, and is now on the Supreme Court. America is the land of hope. Many people have given up on their home country and will sacrifice anything for their children so they can have a better life. Terao Nakasone ...