Trending
Gov. Josh Green's attack on Maui short-term rentals in his State of the State address (The Maui News 1/21/24) is either seriously misguided policy or a deliberate attempt to shift blame from the appalling governmental incompetence, neglect and malfeasance that likely caused 100 innocent people to lose their lives in the most horrific way imaginable and thousands others to lose their homes.
If the governor gets his way and short-term rentals are used to house permanent residents, where are the tourists (who are the backbone of Maui's economy) going to stay?
The negative economic impact of the Governor's proposal is obvious. With all due respect to his office, the governor's proposal is simply one more act of incompetence piled on top of gross governmental incompetence that most likely caused the disaster in the first place.
What is the governor doing to address the longstanding, dire need for comprehensive disaster and wildfire prevention and preparedness to reduce the chances of such a disaster from happening again? In a word, nothing.
Lahaina wildfire victims and their families are entitled to more than a token "moment of silence" and attacks on short-term rentals. They're entitled to justice and accountability.
The governor's silence on these obvious issues is deafening.
Mike Frost
Kihei