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I was mistaken in my recent letter to the editor that the out-of-state corporate owner of the Makena Mauka portion and the rest of the 1,800-acre Makena Golf and Beach Club development is planning to use Iao Aquifer water.
The corporation plans to pump from the brackish Kamaole Aquifer.
This is also risky. With current and planned use, the Kamaole Aquifer will exceed its estimated capacity originally set in 1990.
The estimate itself has a level 3 certainty rating, which is the lowest confidence applied to Hawaii aquifers (mauicounty.gov). The aquifer is also expected to become drier, according to a United States Geologic Survey study.
The fact that a Maui representative for Hawaii Carpenters Union refused a condition to require the developer to hire Hawaii Union Labor was accurate.
The fact the council members who helped facilitate the giveaways to the German Bank who owns Honua'ula (Wailea 670) never added a condition to protect Hawaii union labor is correct.
Tom Cook, Yuki Lei Sugimura, Tasha Kama with her assistant Kauanoe Batangan, and Nohelani U'u-Hodgins instead reduced affordable housing requirements, and transferred the cost and responsibility to widen Pi'ilani Highway from the developer to we taxpayers.
I have confidence based on her record, character and qualifications that Kelly King will better represent Maui residents and protect our precious water resources to be used for local housing for our Maui community.
Chandrika McLaughlin
Kihei