I enjoy The Maui News online and have for years. I’ve never understood why, in order to participate in thoughtful discourse in the comments forum of each section, I’m required to have a Facebook account. I recently deleted my Facebook account (for several reasons, most notably security) ...

I am writing in response to the July 26 article about Hale Mua subdivision. Hale Mua was poised to get done when it started with the process of the Land Use Commission. It took almost three years to go through the process. It was approved in 2007. Central Pacific Bank was ready to finance the ...

Over the years we have had several telephone conversations with the Maui Department of Transportation regarding the dangers, accidents and “near-misses” at the Piilani Highway and East Welakahao Road, only to be told there was not enough “evidence” to justify a traffic light. Perhaps ...

The news of Suzie Schwab’s death, while not unexpected, was heartbreaking (The Maui News, July 29). The story of their love for each other (Sylvan and Suzie Schwab) is legend. I worked at the zoo (East Maui Animal Refuge) for 10 years. They changed my life as well as countless others. ...

On July 28, Elle Cochran posted on her Facebook page her “official” excuses for bungling subdivision improvement exemptions and the assessment and collection of developer deferral agreements. Elle states in her post that while her committee was “assured” in 2012 that the Department ...

Can something please be done about the ever-increasing feral chicken flocks in Central Maui? It started at my house a few months ago with one lame rooster. Now, there’s dozens of chickens and several more roosters. Plus they are on their third or fourth batch of chicks, which will result ...

Responding to President Donald Trump’s Twitter rant denouncing the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates in order to slow inflation, may I suggest Trump’s motive is not to create a thriving economy for all Americans, but it is focused specifically on his investments. High inflation ...

I am a lifelong resident of Maui. I am supporting Mary Wagner for the state House Wailuku District seat. Mary has worked as a police officer, crime scene investigator, police records and identification manager, and information and technology manager. She has over 20 years of volunteer work ...

We’ve become numb to who is actually funding most of our political representation. As we all know, most of our representatives in government need to accept funding from many sources to run a campaign. This funding always has strings attached. The current Senate District 6 (West and South ...

Imagine your ship has sunk in the middle of the ocean and you are in a lifeboat which is filled to capacity at 150 persons. Would you choose a leader like Mike Victorino who will allow more persons on board for a fee? What if he gave the most water to those new arrivals who pay the highest ...

Tired of the same, old political maneuvering? Rather see honest, common-sense legislating? Then consider casting your House District 8 vote for Justin Hughey. At times, Hughey may not be politically correct regarding issues he feels will improve life for most people. But he comes down ...

South Maui has the opportunity to elect another progressive Democrat to the state House, Tina Wildberger. I worked directly with Tina for eight months when she was campaign manager for Kelly King’s successful bid for South Maui’s County Council seat, defeating the incumbent Don Couch. ...

Kyle Yamashita must think the Upcountry voters are gullible. He sends out weekly flyers that list his perceived accomplishments and takes credit where credit is not due. He says he helps out our kupuna when in reality he voted to tax pension funds. He talks about helping out the small farmer ...

Very impressive to see Tiare Lawrence and her volunteers picking up roadside trash instead of pointing to passing cars and waving signs (Upcountry folks know the “pointer” who awakens on the highway every election). She not only walks the talk with her years of malama aina actions, but is ...

In a “Hawaii News Now” interview appearing Aug. 3, Elle Cochran is quoted: “I think I’m more empathetic to our social services programs, our substance abuse programs and to people who are incarcerated.” Sad. Better if she would be more empathetic to the victims of those who are ...

I have worked side by side with Rep. Troy Hashimoto for a number of years in Council Chair Mike White’s office. As staffers, we are often behind the scenes. Our focus is to respond to the community, solving issues and taking action. It is not about taking credit nor about ego. Troy has ...

I wanted to write to express my concerns about the futures of the next generation — will they be able to get good jobs here on Maui? Will they be able to afford a home? Will they be able to have a good quality of life? I really believe that Mike Victorino is the best person to address ...

Where is our aloha? With so much negativity, rumors and lies being spread about candidates, I felt I needed to step up, be positive and stick to the facts to tell you why I am voting for Don Guzman for mayor. I believe Maui is ready to return back to being a community of neighbors — Maui ...

If you want more tourists and more hotels and more seawalls and more vacation rentals and more Monsanto fields, vote again for these “Good Ol’ Boys”: Mike Victorino, Alice Lee, Alan Arakawa, Kyle Yamashita, Yuki Lei Sugimura, Stacy Crivello and Don Couch. If, on the other paw, you want ...

Troy Hashimoto tipped his hand in the July 29 article on state House District 8 candidates when he wrongly claimed that a proposed constitutional amendment for education funding would be “taking tools away for the county and giving it to the state.” Not only does he display ignorance of ...