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How can Maui residents afford a home here?

As I read The Maui News July 12, I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness regarding the $1.1 million median home price for Maui.

How can residents even begin to wonder how they can afford a home here?

Maui has always been expensive. However, now it is beyond comprehension.

Add the recent changes to the TAT for Maui County (vetoed by Gov. David Ige and overridden by the Legislature), the hotel room tax will soon increase to almost 18 percent. Local families will no longer be able to even stay home for a vacation.

Our state and county elected officials gush about how much money local government is going to make, but they don’t mention how this high increase in the TAT tax will affect their Maui constituents, the very people who elected them. Visitors will hardly notice the increase as they factor it into the cost of their vacation.

The people this hurts the most are the ones who can least afford it. Both a home, and a vacation at home, are out of reach for most Maui families. Truly a tragedy.

Susan Thomson

Kihei

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